ONLINE SHOPPING SYSTEMS AND METHODS THAT INCLUDE A GAMING EXPERIENCE FOR SHOPPERS

摘要

Systems and methods for conducting or facilitating online shopping transactions that include gaming experiences for buyers/shoppers are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a request to purchase an item which is offered for sale by an online seller from an online buyer/shopper, and, in response to receiving said request to purchase the item, determining an actual sales price of the item from among the plurality of possible sales prices using a gaming mechanism. According to one aspect of the invention, the gaming mechanism operates to determine the actual sales price in response to the buyer's/shopper's interaction with attributes of the gaming mechanism displayed to the buyer/shopper via, for example, an Internet browser. Generating visual attributes of a gaming mechanism for an online buyer/shopper to view and interact with during an online shopping transaction makes the online shopping experience a more exciting and enjoyable process, compared to prior art online shopping approaches.