Embodiments of the invention broadly contemplate a location based rewards distribution system. Various embodiments of the invention provide rewards, for example video game unlock codes, based on a user physically visiting a specific physical location.
BACKGROUND
Rewards systems are popular among merchants and consumers. For example, players of video games utilize “cheats” or unlock codes to gain access to a wide variety of extra/bonus features/content within games. These cheats or unlocks are usually given by a code that is manually typed in or otherwise require some manual entry methodology. Once a player is given such a cheat or unlock code/solution, it can easily be spread to other players via a variety of communication types, including voice, posting to Internet web sites, and the like.BRIEF SUMMARY
Aspects of the invention provide systems, methods, apparatuses and program products providing one or more rewards to consumers in a controlled way, such that consumers are prevented from sharing or publicly disseminating the rewards. Various embodiments of the invention tie distribution of rewards to visits to one or more physical locations.
Various embodiments of the invention use rewards to encourage consumers to interface between two worlds or venues in which entertainment experiences take place. According to various embodiments of the invention, consumers are provided with a connection between these two worlds, namely the physical world, such as a theme park, cruise ship and the like, and the virtual or gaming world, where consumers take part in one or more video game experiences. Embodiments of the invention tie these worlds together by providing one or more physical locations in which the gaming worl
1. A system configured to provide location-based rewards for users of a virtual world, the system comprising: one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to: store user accounts for the users of the virtual world in a virtual world server, the users utilizing physical tokens to obtain rewards in the virtual world, individual physical tokens having individual unique identifications, the virtual world being accessible to individual users via individual user devices, a first user account associated with a first user including: a first unique identification of a first physical token, the first unique identification providing an association of the first physical token with the first user account; an association of a first user device with the first user account; and one or more rewards credited to the first user account; and responsive to obtaining indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations, transmit individual rewards to the individual user devices for storage on the individual user devices and credit the individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server with the individual rewards, the individual rewards being accessible to the individual users from the individual user devices storing the individual rewards and the individual user accounts to which the individual rewards are credited, such that responsive to obtaining a first indication of the first physical token being physically present at a first physical location a first reward is transmitted to, and stored on, the first user device and the first user account is credited with the first reward.
11. A method to provide location-based rewards for users of a virtual world, the method being implemented in a system comprising one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising: storing user accounts for the users of the virtual world in a virtual world server, the users utilizing physical tokens to obtain rewards in the virtual world, individual physical tokens having individual unique identifications, the virtual world being accessible to individual users via individual user devices, a first user account associated with a first user including: a first unique identification of a first physical token, the first unique identification providing an association of the first physical token with the first user account; an association of a first user device with the first user account; and one or more rewards credited to the first user account; and responsive to obtaining indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations, transmitting individual rewards to the individual user devices for storage on the individual user devices and crediting the individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server with the individual rewards, the individual rewards being accessible to the individual users from the individual user devices storing the individual rewards and the individual user accounts to which the individual rewards are credited, such that responsive to obtaining a first indication of the first physical token being physically present at a first physical location a first reward is transmitted to, and stored on, the first user device and the first user account is credited with the first reward.