System and method for creating and/or serving online games embedded in websites

Abstract

Online games embedded in webpages of websites may be created and/or served through a system and/or method. The games may be embedded in websites that are hosted separately from the games. The games may be designed by the website operators and/or other entities associated with the websites, and may include content from the websites to drive engagement with the websites and their content. An interface may be provided to the website operators to facilitate efficient and intuitive configuration of games that use website content. Such games may be served separately from the websites. As such, the games may provide a convenient, efficient, and/or effective mechanism for enhancing engagement of users with the website and/or its content.

1 . A system configured to host a virtual space embedded in a website, the virtual space being configured based on input from a first user associated with the website, the system comprising:
 one or more virtual space servers that are configured to provide one or more virtual spaces separately from the one or more web servers that host the website, the one or more virtual space servers comprising one or more physical processors configured by computer-readable instructions to:
 receive selections made by the first user of content from the website; 
 receive information from the first user that defines one or more aspects of the virtual space; 
 provide a virtual space indication object that is embedded in a webpage of the website, wherein the virtual space indication object indicates to users viewing the webpage that the virtual space is available, the game indication object being selectable by users of the webpage to initiate the virtual space; and 
 receive selections of the virtual space indication object by users through the webpage, and to serve the game to the users responsive to such selections, wherein responsive to selection of the virtual space indication object by a second user viewing the webpage, an instance of the virtual space is served to the second user by generating view information for transmission to a client computing device associated with the second user that defines a view of the instance of the virtual space for presentation on the client computing device, and wherein the virtual space includes the content from the website selected by the first user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to receive a selection by the first user of a virtual space template for the virtual space, wherein the virtual space template specifies a virtual space mechanic for the virtual space. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to present potential virtual space templates to the first user for selection, and wherein the potential templates are categorized by the content that they could turn into. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual space indication object comprises one or more of an image, an applet, or a hyperlink. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual space indication object includes a network address associated with the one or more virtual space servers, and wherein the virtual space indication object is configured such that responsive to selection of the virtual space indication object by the user, a virtual space request is transmitted to the one or more virtual space servers at the network address. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual space indication object is configured such that responsive to user selection, the virtual space indication object transmits back to the one or more virtual space servers the webpage's URL and metadata from where the user selection was made. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual space information module is configured to receive virtual space information from the first user that includes questions about the content to be posed to users through instances of the virtual space. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to receive virtual space information from the first user that includes a performance threshold for the virtual space by which user performance in the virtual space will be measured. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to reward the second user based on the performance of the second user in the virtual space. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to provide the second user with a virtual good or currency, in response to the second user achieving a threshold level of success in the virtual space. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to maintain a leaderboard that indicates relative success of a group of users in the virtual space. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-implemented method of hosting a virtual space embedded in a website, the virtual space being configured based on input from a first user associated with the website, the method being implemented in one or more virtual space servers configured to execute computer-readable instructions, the one or more virtual space servers configured to provide one or more virtual spaces separately from one or more websites hosted by one or more web servers, the method comprising:
 receiving selections made by the first user of content from the website;   receiving information from the first user that defines one or more aspects of the virtual space;   providing a virtual space indication object that is embedded in a webpage of the website, wherein the virtual space indication object indicates to users viewing the webpage that the game is available, the virtual space indication object being selectable by users of the webpage to initiate the virtual space; and   receiving a selection of the virtual space indication object by a second user through the webpage; and   responsive to selection of the virtual space indication object by the second user viewing the webpage, serving an instance of the virtual space to the second user by generating view information for transmission to a client computing device associated with the second user that defines a view of the instance of the virtual space for presentation on the client computing device, wherein the virtual space includes the content from the website selected by the first user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving a selection by the first user of a virtual space template for the virtual space, wherein the virtual space template specifies a virtual space mechanic for the virtual space. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising presenting potential virtual space templates to the first user for selection, wherein the potential virtual space templates include one or more of a trivia virtual space template, a word virtual space template, an image analysis virtual space template, or an image puzzle virtual space template. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the indicator object comprises one or more of an image, an applet, or a hyperlink. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual space indication object includes a network address associated with the one or more virtual space servers, and wherein the virtual space indicator object is configured such that responsive to selection of the virtual space indicator object by the user, a virtual space request is transmitted to the one or more virtual space servers at the network address. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual space information received from the first user includes questions about the content to be posed to users through instances of the virtual space. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual space information includes a performance threshold for the virtual space by which user performance in the virtual space will be measured. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising rewarding the second user based on the performance of the second user in the virtual space. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein rewarding the second user comprises, responsive to the second user achieving a threshold level of success in the virtual space, the providing the second user with a virtual good or currency. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising maintaining a leaderboard that indicates relative success of a group of users in the virtual space or a group of virtual spaces based on the same virtual space template. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more virtual space servers and the one or more web servers are separate and distinct. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more virtual space servers and the one or more web servers are the same physical server. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more virtual space servers and the one or more web servers are separate and distinct. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more virtual space servers and the one or more web servers are the same physical server.