Patent ID: 7690990

Claim:
A method performed by a computer, the method comprising: providing, by a Video Game Central Server, a virtual environment including a virtual bank; providing, by the Video Game Central Server, a virtual currency loan to a character interacting with the virtual environment; receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, real world credit card information from a player controlling the character; associating, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world credit card information with the loan; creating, by the Video Game Central Server, a bank account for a second character; receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, a deposit of virtual currency from the second character and associating the deposit with the second character's bank account; determining, by the Video Game Central Server, an interest rate for the bank account; making, by the Video Game Central Server, a periodic payment to the bank account based on the interest rate and the bank account's balance; and providing, by the Video Game Central Server, the second character with a user interface wherein the second character can indicate limitations on the use of currency deposited by the second character into the bank.