Patent ID: 8562444

Claim:
A method for item sharing in a multi-participant gaming application comprising: associating an item sharing object in the multi-participant gaming application with a predetermined quest involving a task to be completed by at least one participant using a processing device, the item sharing object functioning as a container storing an item after completing the task in the predetermined quest; responsive to an activation of the item sharing object in the multi-participant gaming application by a current participant, checking by the processing device whether the item sharing object is associated with an identifier of an item left behind by a previous participant resulting from a completion of the task in the predetermined quest by the previous participant; if the item sharing object is associated with the identifier, presenting the item left behind to the current participant with an identifier of the prior participant and a stored message previously entered by the prior participant; providing an opportunity for the current participant to acknowledge the identified prior participant as part of a taking of the item left behind by the prior participant and responsive to the current participant acknowledging the identified prior participant, transmitting the acknowledgement to at least one participant; and otherwise, presenting the current participant with the predetermined quest to complete the task and after completion leaving behind the item with a message from the current participant for a subsequent participant activating the item sharing object by the processing device.