AU2006100090A4 - Interactive distributed gaming system - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 751601

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Jonathan Robert Burnett, Australian Citizen, of 44 Somerset Street, Epping, New South Wales, 2121, Australia Jonathan Robert Burnett Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Interactive distributed gaming system The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5843c -1- INTERACTIVE DISTRIBUTED GAMING SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to computer-based games and, in particular, discloses a game that may be conveniently played by any number of persons over the s intemrnet.

Background The growth in the use of the internet as a marketing tool has seen a large number of mechanisms developed for promoting websites and for promoting products and services within websites. Some of the factors considered important in internet based marketing include: 1. attracting people interested in a particular subject to a website; 2. building up mailing lists of people interested in particular products or services; 3. encouraging people to visit a particular website on a regular basis; 4. providing incentives for people to encourage their friends to visit a particular website; and Deriving revenue from sponsors by promoting their brands or products within a website.

Many internet marketing incentives incorporate a simple game into an advertising message. For example, some websites use banner-based advertisements that require a user to click on a moving object in order to demonstrate their reflexes or skill.

Further, there are numerous websites that provide interactive games that are not directly integrated with advertising. These websites attract players and then use advertising within a website to generate revenue.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an electronic gaming system for gaming over a distributed computer network. The system has a gaming engine configured to execute a plurality of instances of at least one electronic game. Each instance is initiable and restorable according to a temporal access to the game via the network by a corresponding one of the players. Also the game includes a storing facility enabled by a registration of the corresponding player in a database. The storing facility is used to maintain the player's position in the game to [R:\LIBEJonathan Bumctt\751601]751601 .doc thereby permit the restoration of the game from the stored position. Each game is executable to provide for progression through the game at a rate controlled by the game.

Desirably the game comprises a first image obscured by a second image, each image being formed as a plurality of coincident tiles such that at least one of the tiles is enabled for revelation according to the temporal access in which case the second image tile is removed and the corresponding first image tile is displayed. The display of the first image tile permits the player to propose an answer to the game, the answer being associated with at least the first image.

Preferably the game comprises a number of steps associated with each temporal to access and at least one of the steps comprises at least one subsidiary game.

Advantageously a playing of one of the game or the subsidiary game comprises processing an answer entered by a player to determine a concordance of the entered answer with a specific answer of the game, there being a range of entered answers able to be interpreted as a specific correct answer of the game.

Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings At least one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a gaming system according to the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram representation of one of the computers used in the system in of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic functional representation of the gaming server of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a flow chart representation of a computerised method of playing a game in the system of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the player registration process of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the game played process of FIG. 4; FIGS. 7-12 illustrate an exemplary version of the game according to the arrangement of FIGS. 1 to 6.

Detailed Description including Best Mode FIG. 1 shows a gaming system 100 in which gaming server computer 102 couples to a computer network such as the Intemrnet 220. Also coupled to the network 220 [R:\LIB E\Jonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc -3are a number of client server computers 104-106 representing computers of clients to the gaming server 102 and who wish to use the games operated by the gaming server 102 for the enhancement of their respective businesses. Also as shown in FIG. 1 are a number of player computers 108, 110-112 which operatively couple via the Internet 220 to the client servers 104-106 and gaming server 102 in order to perform game play and the like.

The methods of game play and associated interaction described herein are preferably practiced using a general-purpose computer system 200, such as that shown in Fig. 2, which may structurally be considered as any one of the computers 102-112. More specifically, the processes of Figs. 3-12 may be implemented as software, such as an application program executing within the computer system 200, when implemented as the gaming server 102. In particular, the steps of method of game play are effected by instructions in the software that are carried out by the gaming server computer 102. The instructions may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also be divided into two separate parts, in which a first part performs the gaming methods and a second part manages a user interface between the first part and the user, or player, operating the associated player computer 108-112. The software may be stored in a computer readable medium, including the storage devices described below, for example. The software is loaded into the computer from the computer readable medium, and then executed by the computer. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer preferably effects an advantageous apparatus for interactive computerised networked gaming. The player computers 108-112 are configured to operate and execute standard commercially available applications such as browser applications (eg. Internet Explorer TM by Microsoft Corp.) to thereby permit access to the client servers 104-106 and the gaming server 102.

The computer system 200 is formed by a computer module 201, input devices such as a keyboard 202 and mouse 203, output devices including a printer 215, a display device 214 and loudspeakers 217. A Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 216 is used by the computer module 201 for communicating to and from the Internet220, for example connectable via a telephone line221 or other functional medium. The modem 216 can also be used to obtain access to other network systems, [R:\LIBEJonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), and may be incorporated into the computer module 201 in some implementations.

The computer module 201 typically includes at least one processor unit 205, and a memory unit 206, for example formed from semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). The module 201 also includes an number of input/output interfaces including an audio-video interface 207 that couples to the video display 214 and loudspeakers 217, an IO interface 213 for the keyboard 202 and mouse 203 and optionally a joystick (not illustrated), and an interface 208 for the modem216 and printer215. In some implementations, the modem2116 may be 1o incorporated within the computer module 201, for example within the interface 208. A storage device 209 is provided and typically includes a hard disk drive 210 and a floppy disk drive 211. A magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) may also be used. Further, access to portable memory or peripheral devices may be afforded by Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections, PCMICA connections, or the like. A CD-ROM drive 212 is typically provided as a non-volatile source of data. The components 205 to 213 of the computer module 201, typically communicate via an interconnected bus 204 and in a manner which results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 200 known to those in the relevant art. Examples of computers on which the described arrangements can be practised include IBM-PC's and compatibles, Sun Sparcstations, Apple Mackintosh T M or alike computer systems evolved therefrom.

Typically, application programs are resident on the hard disk drive 210 and read and controlled in its execution by the processor 205. Intermediate storage of the program and any data fetched from the network 220 may be accomplished using the semiconductor memory 206, possibly in concert with the hard disk drive 210. In some instances, the application programs may be supplied to the user encoded on a CD-ROM or floppy disk and read via the corresponding drive 212 or 211, or alternatively may be read by the user from the network 220 via the modem device 216. Still further, the software can also be loaded into the computer system 200 from other computer readable media. The term "computer readable medium" as used herein refers to any storage or transmission medium that participates in providing instructions and/or data to the computer system 200 for execution and/or processing. Examples of storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, a magneto-optical disk, or [R:\LIBEJonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the computer module 201. Examples of transmission media include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like.

Typically, users of the Internet will access a home website of a particular merchant or service provider for example represented by the client computers 104... 106.

Upon accessing that host website, the prospective customer may be invited to play a particular game at which time they are directed towards the game executable from the gaming server 102 and for example operated by a third party provider. Thereafter, the prospective customer becomes a "player" of the game.

The gaming server 102 is illustrated functionally in FIG. 3 and is configured to execute a gaming server application typically formed by a number of function modules.

Fig. 3 shows a game generation module 302 coupled to a game execution module 306.

The game execution module 306 receives real time information from a clock 304 and couples to a communications module 310 which provides for communications to the player computers 108-112 via connections 316. An email input 308 is provided to permit coupling of the gaming server 102 to the client computers 104 and 106 via a connection 318. Each of the execution module 306 and communication module 310 functionally connect to a player database 312, an example of which is illustrated at 314. In operation of the gaming server 102, the gaming provider would typically receive email input or other requests for jobs from the various clients associated with the client services 104-106 for the institution of a game in order to promote or advance products of the client. The details of those requirements are passed to the game generation module 302 whereby a game meeting the client's requirements is created. The game generation module 302 may be a role wholly or partly performed in an off-line fashion manually by computer programmers and the like. In the preferred arrangement, the module 302 includes an automated process by which an image, such as a photograph, may be divided into a number of individual tiles that are individually selectable by players operating a browser application executing on the player computers 108-112. Once a game is generated, the game is made available to the game execution module 306 so that the game may be played by any number of players operating the computers 108-112. Those players couple [R:\LIBE\onathan Burnett\751601]751601 .doc to the gaming server 102 via the Internet and the connections 316 and interactively execute the game operating upon the game execution module 306. Numerous instances of any one game may be executed on the game execution module simultaneously. Where users provide personal details for registration purposes, those details are recorded in the player database 312 via the game execution module. The database 312 can be structured according to any specific requirements of a client and typically records the name of a player, the player's email address, the number or identifier of the particular game that the player has been playing, noting that numerous different games may be available to be played at any one time, and a temporal position in the game, the role of which will be lo discussed later in this specification.

The real time clock 304 provides for the game execution module 306 to execute each of the programmed games according to a particular time line such that a game may be staged over a period of days or weeks, for example. The player's position in the game may be recorded during any one stage of the game execution according to the state of the Is real time clock.

The "game" aspect of the present disclosure is predicated on the observation that many people enjoy demonstrating their general knowledge by identifying the subject matter in photographs. In the exemplary games described herein, a photograph is chosen that is typically related to the subject matter of the host website. For example, a "gossip" based website may use the photograph of a celebrity, possibly an old photograph from before the celebrity was famous. Similarly, a sporting website may use a photograph of a well known player or landmark associated with the sport. The basic idea is to use photographs that will appeal to a particular interest group targeted by the host website.

Use of photographs is not essential. A cartoon or graphic object image may be appropriate in some implementations.

In the disclosed presently game (or puzzle), the selected image is hidden behind a grid of obscuring tiles that must be unlocked (or enabled) and then "turned over" (or revealed) before the underlying selected image can be seen. The rate at which the tiles are unlocked is controlled by the structure of the game, for example as established by the real time clock 304. A player can only turn over those tiles that have been unlocked. The object of the game is to guess the subject matter of the underlying selected image before [R:\LIBEU\Jonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc -7any other player, preferably before the whole image is revealed. A prize can be awarded in some form to the first person to correctly guess the subject matter in a game.

The prize may well depend upon the type of website hosting the game. The prize may be something tangible such as gift voucher that is in some way associated with the product sold or promoted by the host website. Alternatively, the prize may be intangible such as a simple acknowledgement upon a "winners board". Of significance however is that any player must first register their name and email details before any answer to the game may be submitted.

The rate of which tiles are unlocked can be controlled using a variety of mechanisms. The simple mechanism using the real time clock 304 is to release a predetermined number of tiles on each day. For example, a photograph with 10 x 10 tiles may have 5 tiles released each day. It would therefore take 20 full days before the full image is revealed. However, it would be anticipated that at least one player would be able to guess the subject matter prior to all tiles being revealed. This form of play creates an inducement whereby players are encouraged to visit the site each day to see if the recently unlocked tiles make the underlying image easier to identify.

An alternate mechanism for unlocking tiles is driven by the number of unique visitors to the host website. For example, as more unique visitors are identified, more tiles become unlocked. This mechanism encourages players to get their friends involved, since the more players that visit the site, the greater number of tiles that will be unlocked.

The two stage mechanism for the releasing of tiles requires that players "turnover" the tiles (once they are unlocked) to reveal the underlying image. Although the covering tiled image may be blank, the covering image may be more appropriately an alternate image that reinforces the brand of the host website, or a set of images that promotes various sponsors or products of those sponsors. For example, the "cover" images for a game within a website associated with a golfing magazine could be the logos for the manufactures of various golfing equipment. Clearly, the hosting website is in a position to charge manufactures for the promotion of their brand and or products as part of the game.

Players almost by necessity therefore need to visit the host website each day so that they can "turnover" the most recently "unlocked" tiles and review the image underneath those tiles. Further, unless the player is registered there will also be a need to [R:\LIBE\onathan Burnett\751601]751601 .doc -8turnover all of the tiles that have already been unlocked on previous days. This can become quiet tedious since the player will have already done this on their previous visits to the game. However, if a player is registered, the gaming server 102 can then record the position of that player in the particular game and thereby obviate the effort of having to "turnover" the same tiles day after day. This provides a further encouragement for players to register.

The number and variety of games may vary widely and the games may ultimately be incorporated into a significant number of host websites. A "master" website may be used to provide a directory of all active games. This may include a classification 1o of the type of game involved so that players can quickly identify games that suit the player's own interests. The establishment of a "master" website can provide a mechanism for driving traffic to participating websites.

FIG. 4 shows a generalised flow chart of a method 400 for playing game using the system 100. Typically, a "player" will be browsing a website of a client 104 at which time they will be invited to play the game. The client website 104 would then redirect the player to the gaming server 102 where upon an application program corresponding to the method 400 of FIG. 4 is enabled for that particular game. The method 400 may therefore represent an application programs stored and executed by the gaming server 102. At step 402, the player accesses a particular game in this case numbered Games may well be numbered or otherwise identified as numerous different games may be operating within the gaming server 102 for variety of different clients magazines, motor vehicle traders, home ware suppliers and the like). At step 404, the method 400 determines whether or not the player is registered for playing the particular game. If the player is not registered, control proceeds to step 410. If the player has been registered, step 406 then determines whether or not the particular game that has been accessed has been previously played by the player. In this fashion, the identification of a player may be recorded within the server 102. The player may have their registration activated against a number of different games that may be operating (effectively) simultaneously.

For example, the player may be a subscriber to a number of magazines, one for movie celebrities and another for motor vehicles. Each of those magazines may have associated therewith a corresponding game with which the player desires to participate. If the player has not played the particular game at step 406, control passes also to step 410. If the [R:\LIB EJonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc player has played the game, step 408 follows and the gaming server 102 retrieves the particular position of that particular player in the particular game from the database 312, 314.

Step 410 follows and the particular stage of the particular game is then determined using the real time clock 304. In a preferred implementation, each game is operated in a number of stages, with each stage being the passage of one day. In this fashion, the players are encouraged to visit the host website and thus the gaming server 102 on a daily basis to continue playing the game and therefore to be continually exposed to associated advertisements and the like. Once the particular stage of the game is io identified, step 412 follows were upon the game is played. Details of this step are described more fully with reference to FIG. 6.

At the conclusion of game play, step 414 follows whereby the player is invited to save their position in the game or alternatively enter an answer to the particular game being played. If saving the game is selected, step 418 follows. If an answer if submitted, typically that answer will involve the text entry of a name or other data representing an answer to the game.

Step 416 follows to check whether or not the answer offered by the player is correct. If the answer is not correct, step 418 follows where it is determined whether or not the player is registered. If the player is registered, step 422 stores the position of the particular player in the particular game. This storage takes place in the player database 312 (314). The method then ends at step 424. If the player is not registered, the player is then exposed to a player registration process 420. Details of the player registration process 420 are described later with reference to FIG. 5. If the player declines to register, the method 400 proceeds immediately to the end 424. If the player does register, step 422 follows and the position player and the game is then stored.

Where the answer to the game is correct at step 416, step 426 also determines whether or not the player is registered. If not, the player is similarly invited to participate in the player registration process at step 428. If the player declines, then no prize is awarded and the method 400 ends at step 424. If the player is registered or chooses to register via step 428, a prize is awarded at step 430. The awarding of the prize may be based on some further communication, for example by email, to the player.

[R:\LIBJonathan Bumett\7516011751601.doc FIG. 5 shows flow chart of the player registration process used in steps 420 and 428. At step 502, the process commences and at step 504, the player is asked whether or not they wish to register. If the player does not wish to register, the process ends at step 506, with "no" being returned to the calling program of the method 400. If the player wishes to register, step 508 records the name and step 510 records the email address of the player. The process ends then at step 512 with "yes" being returned.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the step 412 representing the game play process of the method 400. The game play process 412 commences with a entry step 602 which is followed by step 604 where the particular puzzle representing part of the game being played by the player is displayed to the user upon the video display 214 of the associated player computer 108-112.

At step 606, the stage of the game is identified to thereby reveal all clues based upon the particular stage. Using the above example of a 10 x 10 tiled image, where 5 tiles are revealed each day, if the particular player is playing the game on day 3, then 15 tiles IS will have been identified as "enabled" for revelation by day 3. As a consequence, each of those particular tiles are enabled for revelation.

At step 608, if a prior position of the particular player of that particular game has been stored, then step 608 reveals all clues that have been previously selected. Again, using the present example, where 15 tiles have now been enabled, if the player had played each of the (two) previous days and revealed all 5 tiles on each day, then 10 of those tiles would show as revealed on the user's computer display 214.

At step 610, the server 102 detects the selection of a particular puzzle piece, being one of the unrevealed tiles. Such selection may be made by the player positioning a cursor linked to movement of the mouse 203 with the image displayed by the browser application upon the display 214. Step 612 then determines whether or not the selected piece is an enabled clue of the puzzle. If not, program flow returns to step 610 where the player is invited to select an alternate tile. If the particular piece is enabled, step 614 follows. In this particular example, an optional ancillary question may be made available.

If there is no ancillary question, control can proceed directly to step 620.

If there is an ancillary question at step 614, step 616 follows whereupon a particular question is asked of the player. That question for example may be asked in a multiple choice format inviting the user to select the correct answer of one of the number [R:\LIBEJonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc -11 choices. Such would be convenient for interactive gaming on the Internet because the quantum of data being presented is small and the ability to select a correct answer is relatively high, thus reducing communications time. When a correct answer is received to the ancillary question, step 620 then follows. If the answer is incorrect, control returns to step 616.

At step 620, the particular selected puzzle piece is then revealed.

Step 622 then tests whether or not any remaining enabled but un-revealed clues exist. If so, then control returns to step 610. Where step 622 determines that all enabled clues have been revealed, the game play process 412 ends at step 624.

to FIGS. 7 to 12 illustrate one example of game play over 5 stages of a particular game. In this example, a background image is provided that, as seen in FIG. 7, is shrouded by an overlying foreground 4 x 5 tiled image. In this particular example, the overlying image is a simple blanking image of diagonal lines. As discussed earlier, the overlying image may alternatively be one or a combination of other images, for example is advertising images or the like. The display of FIG. 7 would be that encountered by the user on the first day of playing a game. For typical Internet applications using Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) the concept of rendering multiple layered (foreground and background) images is not used. Rather the "image" displayed upon the player computer 108-112 is constructed by selecting tiles from two tiled images, one corresponding to the "foreground" tiled image, and one corresponding to the "background" tiled image. Initially, the displayed image is constructed from the tiles of the foreground image. As those tiles are selected by the player, the constructed image replaces those "foreground" tiles with the corresponding "background" tiles.

FIG. 8 shows the same image but where four of the tiles have been revealed, for example as a consequence of a user playing one days worth of play in which four tiles are the maximum number of tiles able to be revealed. This could be the result for example of the end of playing steps 604-624 of FIG. 6 on the first day. At the end of the first day, the player would be invited, according to step 414 to enter an answer to the puzzle. This may not be possible at this stage. On the next day, a further four tiles are enabled and able to be selected (as illustrated in FIG. Again, the player is invited to answer the puzzle.

The puzzle proceeds on a day by day basis with four more tiles being revealed on each day, corresponding to each of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. As will be apparent from the [R:\LIBEJonathan Bumett\751601]751601.doc -12present example, the answer to the puzzle is the famous painting "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo daVinci. It will be apparent from these examples that the puzzle may well be answered by a player without all tiles being fully revealed as compared to the case in FIG. 12 where all substantive features of the Mona Lisa painting are revealed.

The complexity and variety of the game may be varied according to the particular desires of the hosting client or the game designers engaged by the gaming server 102.

In a simplified version, as discussed above, each tile is able to be simply turned over thereby enabling players to view the partial image depending upon the tiles which have been made available, without requiring any further interaction.

In a further implementation, the method may be refined so as to unlock tiles that were presented in a scrambled order. The player may then need to move the tiles around the grid in order to assemble the under lying image, and propose an answer.

As indicated above with respect to steps 614, 616 and 618, an increase to the level of skill may be required by inviting the player to answer an ancillary or associated question. This could be a trivia question or a question related to the covering image.

Such a question would increase the level of involvement of the player in the game and may further encourage players to invite their friends to be involved.

The image game described above and illustrated in the representations lends itself to being readily combined with other grid base games such as minesweeper, crossword puzzles, Sukudo and Memory. As sections of each of these games were solved, the under lying image may then be revealed.

The player registration mechanism described above is significant in that it permits ease of use for players, thereby encouraging players to return to the website to continue playing the game. Registration preferably involves a validation step to ensure that only a valid and active email address is provided. Once registered, a player will need to be able to login so that they can save games that are in process and to submit answers.

This login mechanism can be used to receive particular answers and to receipt player entry to thereby provide an audit trail for game management.

Steps 414 and 416 provide for the entry of a game answer and for the checking of that answer. A game answer may be submitted at any stage during the playing of the game, for example on the first day, second day or at any other time. Each player however [R:\LIBE\lonathan Bumett\751601]751601.doc 13 would preferably be permitted to provide only one answer per day. Whilst it is possible that a player may be able to answer the puzzle correctly on the first day, the game is configured so that the chances of success increase during the course of the game.

Answering processing may be performed in a number of ways. A simple "manual" approach to answer submission and processing may be to require, as part of step 414, for the player to submit their entry via email. This can be a "offline" form of processing.

The emails may then be manually reviewed and because of the time stamp associated with each email, the first correct player can then be appropriately awarded. However, preferably, the answer entry and checking is performed in an online, substantially real- 0to time, fashion whereby once all the day's clues are revealed, a pop-up window or the like is raised inviting the player to enter an answer for the puzzle. Step 416 then performs processing on the answer to compare it to the correct answer. This processing may comprise some form of fuzzy comparison because in many cases the submitted answers may be substantially similar to the correct answer. This will permit a certain level of player "intent" to be assessed in order to provide for valid correction. Another approach to answer checking is to have a specific list of"acceptable" answers, including the exact answer, such that a text string check against each item in the list may be performed.

For example, FIGS. 7 to 10, the absolutely correct answer is "Mona Lisa".

However, the checking process of step 416 may interpret "Moana Lisa" to be a correct answer whereas it may interpret "Mowner Lessa" as being incorrect. In some instances, it may be appropriate to break the answer into component parts whereby each part may be separately checked. The correct answer to predetermined number of the parts may be sufficient to properly answer the question. Each game however will have certain rules established whereby answers may be correctly processed and an audit trail provided to meet any statutory gaming regulations.

The game generation module 302 preferably includes various tools and utilities to assist with the creation of new games. These may include database interfaces for setting up games plus image processing tools that facilitate the rapid conversion of photographs into the required format. For example, many images are today stored in the JPEG format whereby the image is already divided into blocks. However, because of JPEG encoding, a tool would be required to convert the JPEG image into a simple bitmap image where upon the bitmap image may be divided into tiles. Each tile that may then be [R:\LIBE\Jonathan Bumett\751601 ]751601.doc -14- JPEG encoded so that reproduction is facilitated in rapid fashion over the Internet connection. Game creation and editing tools may also be made available via the Internet so that representatives from particular participating host websites may use those tools for creation of their own games.

s Industrial Applicability The embodiments described have applicability to the computer and data processing industries. Particularly, the gaming arrangements may be used for promotion of goods and services of traders through requiring individual players to register to thereby record their email details. Those email details may be then used to directly market products to those individuals. The direct marketing may be from a list of persons provided by the gaming server to the particular client. Alternatively, so as to maintain player privacy, player details may be retained within the gaming server who is then engaged by the client to distribute appropriate advertising materials and then like.

The foregoing describes only a number of embodiments of the present invention and modifications that can be made there to without departing from the scope of the present invention.

(Australia Only) In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including principally but not necessarily "solely" or "having" or "including", and not "consisting only of'. Variations of the word "comprising", such as "comprise" and "comprises" have correspondingly varied meanings.

[R:\LIBEJonathan Burnett\751601]751601.doe

Claims (4)

1. An electronic gaming system for gaming over a distributed computer network, the system comprising: a gaming engine configured to execute a plurality of instances of at least one electronic game, each said instance being initiable and restorable according to a temporal access to the game via the network by a corresponding one of the players, and said game comprising a storing facility enabled by a registration of the corresponding player in a 1o database, the storing facility maintaining the player's position in the game to thereby permit said restoration of the game from the stored position, each said game being executable to provide for progression through the game at a rate controlled by the game.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the game comprises a first image obscured by a second image, each said image being formed as a plurality of coincident tiles such that at least one of the tiles is enabled for revelation according to the temporal access in which case the second image tile is removed and the corresponding first image tile is displayed, thereby permitting the player to propose an answer to the game, the answer being associated with at least the first image.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, where said game comprises a number of steps associated with each said temporal access and at least one said step comprises at least one subsidiary game.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein a playing of one of the game or the subsidiary game comprises processing an answer entered by a player to determine a concordance of the entered answer with a specific answer of the game, there being a range of entered answers able to be interpreted as a specific correct answer of the game. [R:\LIBE\Jonathan Bumett\751601]751601,doc -16- A method of operating a gaming system over a distributed computer network substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the embodiments as that embodiment is illustrated in the drawings. DATED this Second Day of February, 2006 Jonathan Robert Burnett Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBE\Jonathan Bumett\751601]751601 .doc