Systems and methods for organizing and distributing revenue within online communities

Abstract

Methods for apportioning revenue in an online game-playing community include: maintaining a trait summation ladder, the trait summation ladder comprising a hierarchy of player communities, each player community comprising one or more player groups all having a given trait; receiving a request from a user to play an online game, wherein the user is a member of a player group comprising one or more players sharing a given trait; receiving a request from the user to play a session of the online game in a forum corresponding to a given community, wherein the community includes the user's player group; computing an amount of revenue derived from the player during the session; and determining, based on a level of the given community within the trait summation ladder, a given percentage of the revenue amount to allocate to the player group. Corresponding systems are also described.

1 . A method for apportioning revenue in an online game-playing community, the method comprising:
 a. maintaining a trait summation ladder, the trait summation ladder comprising a hierarchy of player communities, each player community comprising one or more player groups all having a given trait;   b. receiving a request from a user to play an online game, wherein the user is a member of a player group comprising one or more players sharing a given trait;   c. receiving a request from the user to play a session of the online game in a forum corresponding to a given community, wherein the community includes the user's player group;   d. computing an amount of revenue derived from the player during the session; and   e. determining, based on a level of the given community within the trait summation ladder, a given percentage of the revenue amount to allocate to the player group.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online game is poker. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online game is one of: poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, keno, bingo, solitaire, or video poker. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises receiving a request from a user to play an online game, wherein the user is a member of one of a plurality of player groups, wherein each group comprises players sharing a given trait, and wherein the trait comprises one of: a geographic location, a personal characteristic, an affiliation, or an interest. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises: receiving a request from a user to play an online game, wherein the user is a member of a plurality of player groups, each comprising a group of players sharing a given trait, and wherein the user selects a player group of the plurality of groups to be associated with a game session. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises: receiving a request from the user to play a session of the online game in a forum corresponding to a given community, wherein the community comprises includes the user's player group, at least one other player group, and at least one community; 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises computing an amount of entry fees derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises computing an amount of advertising revenue derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises computing an amount of rakes derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of executing an electronic transaction transferring the computed percentage of revenue to an account corresponding to the player group. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of executing an electronic transaction transferring some or all of the computed percentage of revenue to one or more accounts corresponding to members of the player group, according to a predetermined allocation schedule. 
   
   
       12 . A computer-implemented system for apportioning revenue in an online game-playing community, the system comprising:
 a plurality of player groups, wherein each player group comprises one or more players having a given trait;   a trait summation ladder comprising a hierarchy of player communities, wherein each community comprises one or more player groups all having a common trait;   a plurality of forums for playing an online game, wherein each forum is associated with a given community;   a revenue computer which computes an amount of revenue derived from a player during an online game session associated with a given forum, wherein the player is associated with a given player group and which determines, based on a level within the trait summation ladder of the community associated with the given forum, a given percentage of the revenue amount to allocate to the player group.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the online game is poker. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the online game is one of poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, keno, bingo, solitaire, or video poker. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein each player group comprises players sharing a given trait, and wherein the traits comprise one of: a geographic location, a personal characteristic, an affiliation, or an interest. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the revenue computer computes an amount of entry fees derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the revenue computer computes an amount of advertising revenue derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the revenue computer computes an amount of rakes derived from the player during the session. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a transaction server which executes an electronic transaction transferring the computed percentage of revenue to an account corresponding to the player group. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a membership computer which, in response to a player indicating membership in a given player group, automatically adds the player to the membership lists of each community which includes the given player group 
   
   
       21 . A computer-implemented system for allowing hierarchical communities in an online game-playing environment, the system comprising:
 a. a plurality of player groups, wherein each player group comprises one or more players having a given trait;   b. a trait summation ladder comprising a hierarchy of player communities, wherein each community comprises one or more player groups all having a common trait;   c. a membership computer which, in response to a player indicating membership in a given player group, automatically adds the player to the membership lists of each community which includes the given player group;   d. a plurality of forums for playing an online game, wherein each forum is associated with a given community; and   e. an online game environment, wherein the player may choose from among a plurality of forums to play an online game, each of the plurality of forums corresponding to a community of which the player is a member.   
   
   
       22 . A computer-implemented system for selling player statistics in an online game-playing community, the system comprising:
 a statistics collection engine which collects player statistics corresponding to one or more instances of a first player playing an online game; and   a transaction server in communication with the statistics collection engine which offers for sale, to a second player, at least one collected player statistic corresponding to the first player.   
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the transaction server offers for sale, to a second player, at least one collected player statistic corresponding to the first player, wherein a price for the at least one collected player statistic is set by the first player.