IL104051A - Business game - Google Patents

Description

A BUSINESS GAME The present invention relates to an educational business game.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with providing a game- having recreational and entertainment value while teaching business concepts such as the management of cash flow and identifying, measuring and recording business transactions and components thereof.

•Many types of business games are known, one of which, "Monopoly", is among the most successful games ever devised. While this game is highly entertaining, and can be played even by children, it teaches its players very little regarding real life business activities or how to identify and record the transactions and show the effects on transaction components.

Games dealing realistically with typical business problems are a],so known.

In Israel Patent No. 67758 Lotter describes a scheduling game which refers to the actual and common problem of scheduling a multiplicity of jobs on a number of machines. Such a game is undoubtedly excellent for learning and practicing this one particular skill, but due to its limited scope will have only marginal entertainment value.

Many business games of broad scope are known, some games being used in business schools at university level. An example of such a game is described in "A Guide to Operational Research" by Eric Duckworth, published by Methuem in 1965. This game takes into account many real business problems, including the costs of sales, but is probably more suited to the education of real-life managers than as a popular game providing entertainment as well as some education.

It is to be noted that with a few exceptions, such as "Chess11, "Lego", "Monopoly" and "Mechano" , games have a short commercial life span, as tastes change and a jaded public looks for some new form of entertainment. Consequently, as the sales of existing games decline, manufacturers are constantly searching for new games to interest the public.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a new game which provides a good balance between the need to entertain its players and the advantage of teaching a variety of real-life business transactions.

Thus the present invention achieves by providing a game for teaching the management of cash flow, and identifying, measuring and recording business transactions and components thereof comprising: a plurality of instruction cards, each card presenting at least one transaction to be effected by a player; and at least one game-playing surface, said surface including a first display area divided into intersecting rows and columns. Each row and column represents a component of a transaction, and each transaction is designated by an intersecting row and column to display transactions as a function of negative or positive components thereof. A second display area is provided with a movable surface upon which can be entered figures as to the monetary value of each transaction, said second display area being provided with a plurality of viewing areas through which the cumulative effect of previous transactions can be viewed and combined with the effect of a newly entered transaction. Thereby, the book value of player's interest is displayable after each transaction.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a game wherein the game-playing surface is provided with a plurality of slits enabling the passage therethrough of said movable surface, such as a strip of - 3 - 104,051/2 rollable paper, which is accessible and viewable through said viewing area.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are provided at least two game-playing surfaces: a first surface, including a first display area as defined hereinbefore, and a second surface, including a second display area as defined hereinbefore.

U.S. Patent 4,452,457 describes a financial board game where players trade in stocks, with changes of value indicated in some discrete spaces. The abstract describes a game with a limited educational aim, teaching the players to distinguish between investing in publicly or privately held entities of different types, as well as how to achieve a controlling interest in them. The entertaining value of the game has its merits, but the teaching scope is limited to one type of business activity, namely, trading on the stock exchange.

U.S. Patent 4,930,789 describes a casino board game. The entertaining value of the game is in simulating the excitement of winnings and losses, but it has no bearing upon business activities in the everyday economy.

The present invention is different from the games cited, as can be seen by comparing the game surfaces of each game (see Figs. 1 and 2 of the present invention). The playing surface of the present invention presents a board to record the money value of various business transactions, to provide the basis for decision-making in managing the respective businesses. The inventive step is based on an unique visual concept, which allows the player, who is not expected to be versed in involved technicalities of - 4 - 104,051/2 accumulating the financial data, to manage a given business, based on continuously-changing financial statements, built while each business transaction is recorded. Each player is aware of his Net Worth in his particular business, at all times. The scope of the game allows the players to choose the type of business, the entity's organizational form, the initial investment and the daily transactions. The emphasis of the game is not merely to entertain by facing a randomly fluctuating Net Worth, but to teach the concept of double entry bookkeeping visually, rather than by a boring technical approach. The player is involved in running a business as is done in real life.

The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures so that it may be more fully understood.

With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice . - 5 - 104,051/2 In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the game according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of a preferred embodiment of the game-playing surface; Fig. 3 illustrates further accessories for the game: a display device for business assets, and items for making loans; Fig. 4 shows a central playing board and means representing money and property; Fig. 5 depicts a sample teaching and practice card, and Table 1 is a condensed version of a set of rules for a preferred method of play.

There is seen in Fig. 1 a game 10, comprising instruction cards and a game-playing surface. The drawing on the left side of Fig. 1 illustrates a plurality of instruction cards 12, each card presenting at least one transaction to be effected by a player. Following are five examples of the type of transactions mandated by the receipt of an instruction card: 1. Establish a company by investing $1,000 cash. 2. Take out a loan for $500. The player may choose a secured or unsecured loan. 3. Receive $80 rental income, if player invested in a car rental agency. 4. Make an audit. If there is a discrepancy, pay a $50 fine. If the discrepancy is a shortage, also correct the shortage, using personal funds. 5. The uninsured property was burned, at a total loss. Write off its value. - 6 - 104,051/2 A set of instruction cards will include approximately from 10 to 20 different types of transactions.

The right side of Fig. 1 shows a game-playing surface 14, including a first display area 16 divided into intersecting rows 18 and columns 20. Each row and column represents a component of a transaction, for example, "cash," "loan," "other assets." Each transaction is designated by an intersecting row and column, to display transactions as a function of negative or positive components thereof. For example, if a player pays $600 to invest in the car rental agency, a square is provided to allow the player to record the $600 with an appropriate arithmetical sign at the intersection of the cash line and the net worth column.

A second display area 22 is provided with a movable surface 24, upon which can be entered figures indicating the monetary value of each transaction. Surface 24 may be made of a polyester strip which accepts writing and is readily erasable.

The movable surface 24 provides two advantages: first, the ending balance from the previous transaction is moved for display into the viewing areas designating beginning balance, any chance of error through faulty copying being thus eliminated. Second, a clear writing surface is provided for entry of the present transaction and for entering the ending balance.

Area 22 is provided with a plurality of viewing areas 30, through which the cumulative effect of previous transactions can be viewed and combined with the effect of a newly-entered transaction in areas 26 and 28. - 7 - 104,051/2 The book value of a player's business interest is displayable after each transaction, in areas 32, 34, which are marked "ending net worth balance." Surface 14 is coloured to improve appearance and to assist the player in differentiating between assets (green) and liabilities (red) .

Game 10 is normally provided with four playing surfaces 14, one for each player. If 5 to 8 players participate, partnerships are formed between some of the players.

Fig. 2 shows a game-playing surface 36 supported on a housing 37, a plurality of slits 38 being provided which enable the passage therethrough of a movable surface 40. The surface 40 is accessible and viewable through the viewing areas 42. It is particularly advantageous to use as said movable surface a strip of rollable paper 44, such as is commonly found in calculating machines and cash registers, as such rolls are mass-produced and are widely available at low cost. Used paper 45 is preserved, pending completion of an audit.

There are shown in Fig. 3 two further accessories for the game 10, each of which facilitates play and adds to the enjoyment of the game.

A random chance device 46 is shown in the form of a roulette wheel, this being used for assigning a monetary unit value to stocks and other assets upon the sale of same. The roulette wheel gives greater variety than the more common dice cube, and is more convenient to use than a table of random numbers. - 8 - 104,051/2 Also shown is a further display area 48, having a plurality of emplacements 50 for receiving and collecting assets 52. Emplacements 50 are arranged in the form of a number of rows of pockets, each row bearing a distinctive colour identifying one player or partnership. Each emplacement column is marked to hold a particular asset.

Further seen in Fig. 3 are promissory notes 54 and collateral stickers 56, to facilitate the making of secured and unsecured loans.

Fig. 4 shows a central board 58, which is configured to display personal property such as land, houses, yachts and the like, owned by one player. Land is represented by a marked area 60 of the board, while property is represented by indicia-bearing means, such as shaped and coloured tokens 61, 62, 64. Each player is provided with a safe 65 for storage of personal money. Paper money 66 is provided in suitable denominations .

Fig. 5 illustrates a sample transaction teaching and practice card 68. A set of such cards is supplied, each card 68 explaining and giving an example of the correct procedure for executing one type of transaction according to the rules in force for the game being played. The rear face of the card 68 is printed with further information to assist the players in learning corect procedures. Advantageously, the transaction teaching and practice cards 68 are arranged in a coherent series, so that the example transaction specified in the second and all later cards may reasonably be executed following the transaction carried out according to the previous teaching card. For example, a certain asset will be bought according to teaching card No. 2, before - 9 - 104,051/2 there appears a disposition order for part of this asset in teaching card No. 4.

Table 1 is a condensed version 70 of a set of rules for a preferred method of play. Such rules are not fully determined by the game equipment described, which equipment can be used to play other, similar games, according to rules devised by the game manufacturer or by the players themselves.

TABLE 1 Rules 70 - Condensed Version 1. The player with the largest total capital at the time when another player becomes bankrupt, is the winner of the game. 2. Each player receives a game-playing surface 14, land 60, money 66 for personal use, money 66 for business use, and a plurality of instruction cards 12. 3. One person acts as treasurer, and controls a terminal (not shown) holding all items not issued to the players. When ordered to do so by an instruction card 12, the treasurer supplies assets 52 at a price stated by the instruction card. 4. Purchase and sale of assets 52 are business activities. All business activities must be recorded. 5. Personal property and cash 66 is kept separate from business assets. Personal property is displayed on a - 10 - 104,051/2 central board 58, and if mortgaged, has a collateral sticker attached; mortgaged property may not be sold until the loan is repaid. Personal transactions, such as purchasing land 60 or a yacht 62, using personal money 66, are not recorded. 6. Periodic business meetings are held, at which players are free to invest personal cash 66 in their own businesses or withdraw money therefrom, bearing in mind the danger of a sudden business expense or calamity which may cause bankruptcy. At such meetings, players may put up for sale assets 52 owned by their firms, to be sold at any agreed price, and record this as a business transaction. They may also trade freely in private property, including land 60.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrated embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (12)

- 11 - 104,051/2 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A game for teaching the management of cash flow and identifying, measuring and recording business transactions and components thereof comprising: a plurality of instruction cards, each card presenting at least one transaction to be effected by a player; and at least one game playing surface, said surface including: a first display area divided into intersecting rows and columns, each row and column representing a component of a transaction, and each transaction being designated by an intersecting row and column to display transactions as a function of negative or positive components thereof and a second display area provided with a movable surface upon which can be entered figures as to the monetary value of each transaction, said second display area being provided with a plurality of viewing areas through which the cummulative effect of previous transactions can be viewed and combined with the effect of a newly entered transaction, whereby, the book value of a player's interest is displayable after each transaction.

2. A game as claimed in claim 1, wherein said game-playing surface is provided with a plurality of slits enabling the passage therethrough of said movable surface, which movable surface is accessable and viewable through said viewing area .

3. A game as claimed in claim 2, wherein said movable surface is comprised of a strip of rollable paper. - 12 - 104,051/2

4. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a random chance device for assigning a monetary unit value to stocks and other assets upon the sale thereof.

5. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a further display area having a plurality of emplacements for receiving and collecting business and personal assets.

6. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with promissory notes and collateral stickers to facilitate the making of secured and unsecured loans.

7. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a central board, configured for displaying personal property owned by each player.

8. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with indica bearing means representing money or property.

9. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with at least one set of rules instructing the players in the use of those game components to be used for play according to said rules .

10. A game as claimed in claim 1, in combination with at least one set of transaction teaching and practice cards, each card explaining and giving an example of the correct procedure for executing one type of transaction according to the rules in force for A game being played.

11. A game as claimed in claim 10, wherein said transaction teaching and practice cards are arranged in a coherent series so that the example transaction given in the second and all later cards may reasonably be executed following the transaction carried out according to the previous card. - 13 104,051/1

12. A game for teaching the management of cash flow and identifying, measuring and recording business transactions and components thereof, substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to the accompanying drawings . For the Applicant WOLFF, BREGMAN AND GOLLER