Patent ID: 8267778

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving first gamer input signals from a first gamer, the first gamer input signals indicating gaming actions within a virtual environment; determining, by one or more computers, that a first predetermined objective has been achieved in response to the first gamer input signals; in response to determining that the first objective has been achieved: providing a first game asset record to the first gamer within the virtual environment, the first game asset record identifying a game asset and a game asset history, the game asset history identifying the first gamer, the achieved objective, and a level the first gamer must have achieved to benefit from the game asset; and updating a first character record associated with the first gamer to identify the achieved objective and to include the first game asset record; receiving second gamer input signals from the first gamer, the second gamer input signals indicating transfer of the game asset from the first gamer to a second gamer; and in response to receiving the second gamer input signals: before allowing the transfer, verifying, by the one or more computers that the first character record includes a corresponding game asset record and verifying that the first game asset record identifies the game asset and the game asset history is consistent with data in the first character record, wherein verifying that the game asset history is consistent with data in the first character record comprises verifying that the first character record indicates that the first gamer has achieved the level identified by the game asset history.