Electronic game
First Claim
1. An electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising:
- a game engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment and configured to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
wherein said players are allocated said points in response to successful completion of said tasks; and
wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention is generally concerned with apparatus and methods for providing virtual environments, in particular for electronic games in which multiple players may interact in a virtual environment.
An electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising: a game engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment and configured to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; wherein said players are allocated said points in response to successful completion of said tasks; and wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game.
30 Citations
82 Claims
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1. An electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising:
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a game engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment and configured to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; wherein said players are allocated said points in response to successful completion of said tasks; and wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic game, in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising:
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a contract in said virtual environment, said contract being acquirable by a player, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for said player to complete, said set of tasks defining a selection of acquisitions including a product in said virtual environment, said product being virtual representations of a non-virtual product from one or more real-world companies; and a value related to said contract, wherein said players are allocated said value in response to successful completion of said contract tasks, and wherein said value is redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said electronic game. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A player graphic user interface (GUI) for use with an electronic game in which players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said graphic user interface comprising a set of web pages, said web pages being configured to enable a player of said game to:
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view published contracts in said virtual environment; acquire said contract; complete a said set of tasks; and view representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; and wherein a said contract defines at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, said set of tasks defining a selection of said products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of said real-world products; and wherein said web pages are further configured to enable a player of said game to redeem points allocated to a said player in response to successful completion of said tasks against real-world products from said one or more real-world companies represented in said virtual environment of said game. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An electronic game server system in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game server system comprising:
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a market system module configured to provide a virtual environment in which said players buy and sell said products; and a contracts engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment, said contracts defining at least a set of tasks for said players to complete, said tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; wherein said players are allocated said points in return for successful completion of said tasks; and wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game system. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of allocating points to players in a virtual environment, comprising:
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publishing contracts in said virtual environment to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; enabling said players to interact to buy and sell said products within said virtual environment; and allocating said points to said players in response to successful completion of said tasks; wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A carrier medium carrying computer program code to, when running, implement an electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising:
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a game engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment and configured to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; wherein said players are allocated said points in response to successful completion of said tasks; and wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game.
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55. A carrier medium carrying computer program code to, when running, implement a player graphic user interface (GUI) for use with an electronic game in which players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said graphic user interface comprising a set of web pages, said web pages being configured to enable a player of said game to:
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view published contracts in said virtual environment; acquire said contract; complete a said set of tasks; and view representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; and wherein a said contract defines at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, said set of tasks defining a selection of said products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of said real-world products, and wherein said web pages are further configured to enable a player of said game to redeem points allocated to a said player in response to successful completion of said tasks against real-world products from said one or more real-world companies represented in said virtual environment of said game.
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56. A carrier medium carrying computer program code to, when running, implement an electronic game server system in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game server system comprising:
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a market system module configured to provide a virtual environment in which said players buy and sell said products; and a contracts engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment, said contracts defining at least a set of tasks for said players to complete, said tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; wherein said players are allocated said points in return for successful completion of said tasks; and wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment of said game system.
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57. A carrier medium carrying computer program code to, when running, implement a method of allocating points to players in a virtual environment, comprising:
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publishing contracts in said virtual environment to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies; enabling said players to interact to buy and sell said products within said virtual environment; and allocating said points to said players in response to successful completion of said tasks; wherein said points are redeemable against real-world products from said one or more companies represented in said virtual environment.
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58. A market system for use with an electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to fulfil a contract to acquire points, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
- said market system providing a virtual auction environment to enable said players to buy and sell said products.
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59. A market model for use with an electronic game in which multiple players interact to buy and sell products to fulfil a contract to acquire points, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
- said market model monitoring product data in said virtual environment, and said market model regulating one or both of supply or demand of said products in said virtual environment based on said product data.
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60. A client system for use with an electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to fulfil a contract to acquire points, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
- said client system providing a client character that publishes said contract, said client character being a virtual non-avatar in-game character, said client rewarding said player with virtual credit for successful completion of said contracts.
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61. A virtual character module for use with an electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to fulfil a contract to acquire points, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
- said virtual character module being configured to provide at least one virtual non-avatar character to said virtual environment.
- View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. An electronic game in which multiple players interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell products to acquire points, said electronic game comprising:
a game engine configured to publish contracts in said virtual environment and configured to enable a said player to acquire a said contract, said contract defining at least a set of tasks for a said player to complete, a said set of tasks defining a selection of products to acquire in said virtual environment, said products being virtual representations of real-world products from one or more real-world companies;
wherein said completion of a task requires a said player to navigate through one or more screens of game-related information for performing a said task, and wherein a said screen includes electronic advertising material for at least one of said real-world products to which said tasks pertain.- View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. An electronic game in which multiple players can interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell real-world products, said game comprising:
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one or more electronic player characters able to trade with said products; one or more virtual trader characters able to trade with said products; a virtual electronic market wherein said player and virtual characters are able to interact to trade with said real-world products; and a control system comprising a market model to receive data from said virtual market for said real-world products and to control said virtual market such that one or both of supply and demand of said real-world products are regulated within said virtual market. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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80. An electronic game in which multiple players can interact in a virtual environment to buy and sell real-world products, said game comprising:
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one or more electronic player characters able to trade with said products; one or more client characters, said client characters issuing sets of tasks to one or both of said player characters and said virtual trader characters, a said set of tasks comprising one or more tasks, a said task comprising a requirement for a player or virtual trader character to acquire a specified real-world product in said virtual environment; a virtual electronic market wherein said player characters are able to interact to trade with said real-world products; and a control system comprising a market model to receive data from said virtual market for said real-world products and to control said virtual market such that one or both of supply and demand of said real-world products are regulated within said virtual market, wherein said control system is configured to regulate said demand by controlling said issued sets of tasks. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82)
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Specification