Video Game with Venture Capital Funding Management

• US 20070117601A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/625,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

The disclosure provides novel video game methods and systems for obtaining funding for developing game environments. Methods and systems include a variety of funding sources including taxes, fees, licenses, bond issuance, loans, investors, commercial paper, convertible debt, bills, notes, debt issuance, promissory notes, venture capital, the issuance of private shares, transforming the game environment into a public company through an initial public offering, or through a follow on offering such as the issuance of common stock, preferred stock, or treasury stock. In one embodiment the disclosure provides methods and systems that monitor compliance with the terms of a venture capital fund agreement; identify any parties that are in non-complance; and penalize any non-compliant parties.

Claims

1. A game comprising:

a virtual environment in which a plurality of virtual entities can interact;

a Venture Capital (“

VC”

) fund creation module configured to;

identify the parties in a VC fund agreement including a fund provider and a fund recipient; and

store the terms of the VC fund agreement; and

a VC fund management program configured to identify any parties that are in non-compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein the terms of the VC fund agreement include budgeting information and non-compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises being over-budget.

3. The game of claim 1 wherein the terms of the VC fund agreement include a schedule of when work is to be performed and non-compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises being behind schedule.

4. The game of claim 1 wherein the VC fund management program is further configured to penalize a party that is in non-compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein the penalty is assessment of a fee.

6. The game of claim 5 wherein the party that is in non-compliance with the terms is the fund recipient and the fee is assessed against the amount of VC funds that are available to the fund recipient.

7. The game of claim 5 further comprising:

rules providing one or more VC fund requirements that must be fulfilled by an entity desiring to enter into a VC fund agreement; and

a VC fund qualification module configured to determine if the parties in the VC fund agreement meet the requirements.

8. The game of claim 6 further comprising a VC fund value determination module configured to determine a VC fund value;

and wherein

one of the requirements is that the parties have access to sufficient resources to cover the VC fund value; and

wherein

the VC fund qualification program is configured to;

determine if the parties have sufficient resources available to cover the VC fund value; and

identify at least a portion of each party'"'"'s resources as security against default of the VC fund agreement.

9. The game of claim 7 wherein upon determining that a party is in non-compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement, the VC fund management program is configured to assess a fee against the identified security.

10. The game of claim 6 further comprising:

a skill database configured to associate virtual entities with skills they have in the game; and

wherein

one of the requirements of the VC fund agreement is that one or more parties to the VC fund agreement have or acquire a predetermined skill; and

wherein

the VC fund management program is configured to determine if the party has the predetermined skill.

11. The game of claim 9 wherein the VD fund management program is configured to assess a penalty against the party if the party does not have the predetermined skill.

12. The game of claim 6 further comprising:

a database configured to associate virtual entities with resources they own in the game; and

wherein

one of the requirements of the VC fund agreement is that one or more parties to he VC fund agreement have or acquire a predetermined resource; and

wherein

the VD fund management program is configured to determine if the party has the predetermined resource.

13. The game of claim 11 wherein the VC fund management program is configured to assess a penalty against the party if the party does not have the predetermined resource.

14. The game of claim 1 further comprising a fund allocation module configured to identify the allocation of the funds in the VC fund agreement and track such allocation.

15. The game of claim 13 further comprising a payment module configured to release VC funds according to the terms of the VC fund agreement.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the penalty is a fee charged to a real world financial account that is provided by the entity as security for the VC fund agreement.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining if the entities are in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises monitoring the budget of the project associated with the VC fund agreement.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein determining if the entities are in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises monitoring the completion schedule of the project associated with the VC fund agreement.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein determining if the entities are in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises monitoring the skill sets of the virtual characters involved in the project associated with the VC fund agreement.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein determining if the entities are in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement comprises monitoring the resources owned by the virtual entities involved in the project associated with the VC fund agreement.

16. A method comprising:

providing a virtual environment in which virtual entities can interact;

receiving a request from two or more entities to enter into a virtual VC fund agreement;

identifying the terms of the VC fund agreement;

storing the terms VC fund agreement;

determining if the entities are in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement; and

assessing a penalty against any party that is not in compliance with the terms of the VC fund agreement.