Unlocking content in a virtual environment

Abstract

Content in a virtual environment may be unlocked based on an aggregated trust level. More specifically, trust levels of a user with individual ones of non-user characters in the virtual environment may be tracked. The trust levels may be based on interactions between the user and individual ones of non-user characters in the virtual environment. A group trust level of the user with a group of the non-user characters may be determined. The group trust level may be based on an aggregation of the trust levels of the individual ones of the non-user characters. Content that was previously locked for the user may be unlocked for the user responsive to the group trust level breaching a group trust threshold.

1 . A system configured to provide a virtual environment in which content is unlocked based on an aggregated trust level, the system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
 an environment module configured to provide content to a first user within the virtual environment, the content comprising views of the virtual environment; 
 a non-user-character module configured to manage information related to non-user characters within the virtual environment, the non-user characters being grouped into one or more groups; 
 an activity module configured to manage information related to individual ones of a plurality of activities within the virtual environment, wherein individual ones of the non-user characters are associated with different sets of the activities, and wherein interactions between the first user and a first non-user character include participation by the first user with the first non-user character in an activity in a set of the activities associated with the first non-user character; 
 a non-user-character-trust module configured to track trust levels of users with individual ones of the non-user characters, wherein the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character is based on interactions between the first user and the first non-user character; and 
 a group trust module configured to determine group trust levels of the users with individual ones of the one or more groups of the non-user characters, wherein a group trust level of the first user with a first group of non-user characters including the first non-user character is based on an aggregation of the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character and the trust levels of the first user with the other non-user characters in the first group of non-user characters; 
 wherein the environment module is configured to unlock, for the first user, content that was previously locked for the first user responsive to the first user achieving a group trust level with the first group of non-user characters that breaches a first group trust threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked by the environment module for the first user comprises a new non-user character in the virtual environment, and wherein the non-user character module is configured to manage information related to the new non-user character. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the content includes a plurality of episodes within the virtual environment, the first user being presented one episode at a time, and wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked by the environment module for the first user comprises an episode that has not previously been presented to the first user in the virtual environment. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-user character module is configured to provide, to the first user, a privilege associated with the first non-user character in the virtual environment responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character or the first group of non-user characters breaching a privilege threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-user character module is configured to prompt the first non-user character to provide a virtual item to the first user responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character or the first non-user characters breaching a gifting threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the group trust module is configured such that the aggregation of the trust levels includes a summation of the trust levels. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user character module configured to manage information related to a user character associated with the first user within the virtual environment. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein participation by the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character includes participation by the user character associated with the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character. 
     
     
         9 . A method for unlocking content in a virtual environment based on an aggregated trust level, the method comprising:
 providing content to a first user within the virtual environment, the content comprising views of the virtual environment, the content further comprising non-user characters and a plurality of activities within the virtual environment, the non-user characters being grouped into one or more groups, individual ones of the non-user characters being associated with different sets of the activities, and interactions between the first user and a first non-user character including participation by the first user with the first non-user character in an activity in a set of the activities associated with the first non-user character;   tracking trust levels of the first user with individual ones of the non-user characters, wherein the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character is based on interactions between the first user and the first non-user character;   determining group trust levels of the users with individual ones of the one or more groups of the non-user characters, a group trust level of the first user with a first group of non-user characters including the first non-user character being based on an aggregation of the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character and the trust levels of the first user with the other non-user characters in the first group of non-user characters; and   unlocking, for the first user, content that was previously locked for the first user responsive to the first user achieving a group trust level with the first group of non-user characters that breaches a first group trust threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked for the first user comprises a new non-user character in the virtual environment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the content includes a plurality of episodes within the virtual environment, the first user being presented one episode at a time, and wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked for the first user comprises an episode that has not previously been presented to the first user in the virtual environment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising providing, to the first user, a privilege associated with the first non-user character in the virtual environment responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character or the first group of non-user characters breaching a privilege threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising prompting the first non-user character to provide a virtual item to the first user responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character or the first group of non-user characters breaching a gifting threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein participation by the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character includes participation by an avatar associated with the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method for unlocking content in a virtual environment based on an aggregated trust level, the method comprising:
 providing content to a first user within the virtual environment, the content comprising views of the virtual environment, the content further comprising non-user characters and a plurality of activities within the virtual environment, the non-user characters being grouped into one or more groups, individual ones of the non-user characters being associated with different sets of the activities, and interactions between the first user and a first non-user character including participation by the first user with the first non-user character in an activity in a set of the activities associated with the first non-user character;   tracking trust levels of the first user with individual ones of the non-user characters, wherein the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character is based on interactions between the first user and the first non-user character;   determining group trust levels of the users with individual ones of the one or more groups of the non-user characters, a group trust level of the first user with a first group of non-user characters including the first non-user character being based on an aggregation of the trust level of the first user with the first non-user character and the trust levels of the first user with the other non-user characters in the first group of non-user characters; and   unlocking, for the first user, content that was previously locked for the first user responsive to the first user achieving a group trust level with the first group of non-user characters that breaches a first group trust threshold.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked for the first user comprises a new non-user character in the virtual environment. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the content includes a plurality of episodes within the virtual environment, the first user being presented one episode at a time, and wherein the previously locked content that is unlocked for the first user comprises an episode that has not previously been presented to the first user in the virtual environment. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises providing, to the first user, a privilege associated with the first non-user character in the virtual environment responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character or the first group of non-user characters breaching a privilege threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises prompting the first non-user character to provide a virtual item to the first user responsive to the trust level associated with the first non-user character breaching a gifting threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein participation by the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character includes participation by an avatar associated with the first user with the first non-user character in one or more activities associated with the first non-user character.