Patent ID: 7677973

Claim:
A method performed by a computer, the method comprising: providing, by a Video Game Central Server, a virtual environment that is accessible to one or more players; receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, credit card information from a player; receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, a request to enter into a virtual contract from the player; wherein the virtual contract includes a condition that requires the player to engage in an action other than accessing the virtual environment; guaranteeing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player's performance of the condition identified in the virtual contract with the financial instrument; penalizing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player if the condition is not met, by imposing a financial obligation on the credit card, where the condition is paying a periodic insurance premium for a virtual item; and maintaining, by the Video Game Central Server, the player's credit history by maintaining records of the player's contract obligations and rate of success in fulfilling the obligations.