Patent ID: 8684825

Claim:
A method for facilitating a game playable over the Internet, the method comprising: determining, by a processor of a computing device operable to facilitate a multiplayer game, that a first player playing a first game has obtained a first element of the game; storing in a memory of the computing device an indication of the first element as being usable by the first player in the game; determining, by the processor, that a second player playing the first game has obtained a second element of the game; storing in the memory an indication of the second element as being usable by the second player in the game; determining, by the processor, an occurrence of a triggering event for a swapping of the first element of the first player for the second element of the second player; effectuating, by the processor, a swapping of the first element of the first player for the second element of the second player by modifying the indications in the memory such that an indication of the second element rather than the first element is stored as being usable by the first player and an indication of the first element rather than the second element is stored as being usable by the second players; determining that the first player is entitled to a benefit as a result of the swap and determining the value of the benefit by: determining a payout the first player would have been entitled to if the swap had not been effectuated, thereby determining a preliminary payout; determining a payout the first player is entitled to as a result of the swap, thereby determining an intermediate payout; and determining the value of the benefit to be the intermediate payout minus the preliminary payout; and providing the benefit to the first player.