US20090054152A1

US20090054152A1 - Method and System for an electronic game as a medium to instigate significant real-world events

Info

Publication number: US20090054152A1
Application number: US12/191,048
Authority: US
Inventors: Ioannis Tsiokos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-08-23
Filing date: 2008-08-13
Publication date: 2009-02-26

Abstract

An electronic game that enables the player to cause or initiate significant real-world events, and stop or prevent significant real-world events from happening, the player having the explicit, game play intention of causing the significant real-world event or its by-products, by engaging to in-game actions, that is, electronic games do not produce or initiate significant real-world events and are limited to virtual events, whereby the electronic game experience can feel less real, less challenging, less engaging, less rewarding, and less meaningful; a conversion and/or linking process that bridges game play and in-game actions with the actuation system.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/965,841, entitled “Electronic game as a medium to instigate significant real-world events and method there of”, filed on 23 Aug. 2007. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM
Not Applicable

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electronic games for entertainment. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic games for entertainment directed to the increasing consumer demand for a realistic, rewarding experience, whereby, a contributing factor of an in-game realistic, rewarding experience is the degree of a player's ability to produce significant real-world events.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known in the prior art many games that address the issue of world hunger and the environment, the present invention teaches a game that enables a player do something about it. The present invention is an online game designed to help the environment and fight poverty in the real world by turning game rewards into real-life help for social and environmental causes while delivering direct emotion fulfillment to a player.
The present invention is an online game executable by a computer or portable electronic device where players choose an avatar, choose a child or cause to sponsor, and then compete against players from around the world for virtual currency, which can be recycled into real money and support for a sponsored cause. A player of the present invention has a real purpose and a human mission.
The present invention stirs the competitive nature of gamers and applies it to real work issues. As a result, the present invention poses a variety of real-world causes to choose from and enables a player to convert their in-game winnings into actual help for that cause.
Whereas a player's entertainment utility from an electronic game depends on: the magnitude and range of emotions triggered by the game experience; the significance of awards for wining outcomes; the significance of consequences of a loosing outcome; and the degree of realism; the present invention raises the levels of the four factors thereby increasing the entertainment utility of the player. For example, any event that can happen as a result of legal human action qualifies as a significant real-world event. Therefore, the following qualify: Donation of food to a poor girl in Brazil' Funding of a green project; Construction of a temple; or Release of an animal in captivity. A game that would make use of this invention could enable its players to: select a child from a third world country to sponsor; compete over scarce virtual objects inside the game; or convert the virtual objects won into food for his/her sponsored child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an electronic game that enables the player to cause or initiate significant real-world events, and stop or prevent significant real-world events from happening, the player having the explicit, game play intention of causing the significant real-world event or its by-products, by engaging to in-game actions, that is, electronic games do not produce or initiate significant real-world events (as defined) and are limited to virtual events, whereby the electronic game experience can feel less real, less challenging, less engaging, less rewarding, and less meaningful; a conversion and/or linking process that bridges game play and in-game actions with the actuation system.

DEFINITIONS

In this application, the term “significant real-world event” is defined as an event that provides a measurable benefit to, or removes a measurable benefit from, a foreign living agent, a group of foreign living agents, a society, the environment, or part/s there of, that is, the significant real-world event increases or decreases the utility of a foreign living agent, a group of foreign living agents, a society, the environment, or part/s there of.
The term “foreign living agent”, whom a significant real-world event affects, is defined as any life form excluding: the person who had the intention of instigating the significant real-world event, that is, the person with the intention to instigate has no monetary or other interests in the realization of the significant real-world event, other than the personal satisfaction of performing a good or bad deed.
An “electronic game” is defined as any interactive, electronic medium or virtual world with the purpose of entertainment that is recordable on computer readable medium and capable of execution by a computer.
An “actuation system” is a system that can take an order and execute it in the real world, thereby transforming the content of the order to a significant real-world event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is flow chart illustrating the process for a player to affect a real world event using the present invention;

FIG. 2 is flow chart illustrating the process for a plurality of players to affect a real world event using the present invention by competing in a game; and

FIG. 3 is flow chart illustrating the process for a game event being converted to a real world event.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the invention of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention.
Now referring to Figures, the embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. An in-game event 10 can be a decision made by one or more game players 1 & 5, or an outcome derived by game rules based on player decisions 2 & 6. This invention illustrates the value in the process of converting an in-game event 10 such as a player's decision game event 2 & 6 to a significant real-world event 4. In the case of the in-game event 10 being a player decision 2 & 6, the player 1 & 5 has the explicit intention to make the decision in order to initiate a corresponding significant real-world event 4. In the case of the in-game event 10 being a game outcome, the player/s that participated in the game had the explicit intention to reach the corresponding significant real-world event 4, or specific intention to prevent other player/s from reaching their desired significant real-world events, regardless of ensuing success or failure. The processes of each scenario are depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
The present invention provides a multi-user network such as the Internet, having a game server connected to an electronic network with game software for implementing the game rules on said game server for running the game play and enabling access by players, a database server connected to said game server for storing and generating information as required by said game software; one or more players each using said game software to store player profile information in said database server; and each of said players following instructions located in the game rules software, said players following instructions from said game software on how to utilize their respective stored profiles in said database server to effectuate a real world action.
The process, in its simplest form is recorded on computer readable medium, can be executed over a communication link between the gaming software 9 on a computer, a game server 11, and a legal entity 13 responsible for operating the actuator system 3 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Now referring to FIG. 3, the in-game event 10 is sent over to the game server 11. The game server 11 creates a custom order 12 for the game event 10. The order 12 is communicated to the legal entity 13 and it is converted to a significant real-world event 4. The conversion implies that the legal entity 13 materializes the contents of the order 12. This process satisfies the player's initial intention to instigate the significant real-world event 4, or in the case of the player who desired to prevent other player/s from reaching their significant real-world event 4, the process does not take place and that player's intention is also satisfied.
It must be noted that the player's intention does not serve monetary or other interests of the player, other than those associated with the satisfaction of performing a good or bad deed, based on the definitions of a significant real-world event 4 and foreign living agent. It is necessary that this differentiation is clear, since a process, that serves the interests of the player, is related to gambling activity, does not satisfy the market demand for more realistic, rewarding game experience, and it is outside of the scope of this invention.
Thus, it is appreciated that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variation in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the above description are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Furthermore, other areas of art may benefit from this method and adjustments to the design are anticipated. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

Claims

1. A method for an electronic game as a medium to instigate significant real-world events, comprising the steps of:

providing a multi-user network having a game server connected to an electronic network with game software for implementing the game rules on said game server for running the game play and enabling access by users, a database server connected to said game server for storing and generating information as required by said game software;

one or more players each using said game software to store participant profile information in said database server;

each of said players following instructions located in the game rules software, said players following instructions from said game software on how to utilize their respective stored profiles in said database server;

making an in-game event decision by one or more players;

making an outcome derived by game rules based on a player's decisions;

effecting a significant real-world event as a result of an in-game event decision or an outcome derived by game rules based on a player's decisions; and

operating an actuator system by a legal entity for implementing game events that effect a real-world event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-game event being a player decision, the player has the explicit intention to make the decision in order to initiate a corresponding real-world event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-game event is a game outcome, and the players that participated in the game had the explicit intention to reach the corresponding real-world event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the in-game event is a game outcome, and the players that participated in the game had the explicit intention to prevent other players from reaching their desired real-world events.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending an in-game event to the game server;

creating a custom order by the game server for the game event; and

communicated the order to the legal entity; and

converted the order in to a real-world event.

6. A system for an electronic game as a medium to instigate significant real-world recorded on computer-readable medium and capable of execution by a computer comprising:

a game server connected to a multi-user electronic network;

a database server connected to said game server for running on the game server;

a database server connected to said game server for storing and generating information as required by said game software;

game software that implements the game rules on said game server for running the game play;

one or more players registered to play the game;

the game software requiring that;

an in-game event decision by one or more players;

an outcome derived by game rules based on a player's decisions;

a significant real-world event being effected as a result of an in-game event decision or an outcome derived by game rules based on a player's decisions; and

an actuator system operated by a legal entity for implementing game events that effect a real-world event.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the in-game event being a player decision, the player has the explicit intention to make the decision in order to initiate a corresponding real-world event.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the in-game event is a game outcome, and the players that participated in the game had the explicit intention to reach the corresponding real-world event.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the in-game event is a game outcome, and the players that participated in the game had the explicit intention to prevent other players from reaching their desired real-world events.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein

an in-game event is sent to the game server;

a custom order is created by the game server for the game event; and

the order is communicated to the legal entity; and

the legal entity converts the order in to a real-world event.