Game based on data base of characters of different geographic regions

• US 5,618,043 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John J. Mcglew
• Original Assignee: John J. Mcglew
• Inventors: McGlew, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAAF, JAMES CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/478,613
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/10, 273/236, 273/279, 273/292, 273/161, 273/308, 434/322, 364/410
• US Class Current: 273/308
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/0408 with text
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/0475 with pictures or figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00996 Board games available as video games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0434 Geographical games travelling A63F3/00088
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0046 History
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0061 Geography
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

A game wherein characters are defined to form a data pool. Each character in the data pool is related to and distinguished from the other characters in the data pool by a geographic location data. The data preferably includes actual information such as geographic information, city, country(the character is present in), maps, house plans etc.. However, the data can also be fictitious, such as imaginary worlds with imaginary cites towns etc. The character data may be presented to the player for review or interaction to further develop the character. The characters may be randomly selected from the data pool to simulate the possibility/probability of living at the locations corresponding to the data. Several characters may be provided in sequence, each with a potentially different date and location data.

Claims

1. A game, comprising:

a time period data pool of characters, each character being defined by character identity information including character geographic location information, the distribution of geographic locations of the characters, as defined by the character identity information for each character in the data pool of characters is proportional to the human populations of the geographic locations for the time period; and

a medium for reviewing character identity information by the player.

2. A game according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting characters from the data pool.

3. A game according to claim 2, wherein said selection means includes means for randomly selecting a character, from said data pool, for review by the player.

4. A game according to claim 2, wherein said selection means includes grouping means for grouping character identity information by defined geographic regions and randomly selecting a character from one group of the grouped character identity information for review by the player.

5. A game according to claim 2, wherein said character identity information includes a character time, representing the date of birth or period of life of a character, said selection means including grouping means for grouping character identity information by defined time periods and randomly selecting a character from one group of the grouped character identity information for review by the player.

6. A game according to claim 1, wherein said character identity information includes at least one of environment data, relating to the physical environment of the character, race data, relating to the race of the character, and economic status data, relating to the wealth of the character.

7. A game according to claim 1, wherein said character identity information includes data including at least one of geographic detail, city/town detail and dress data.

8. A game according to claim 1, further comprising interaction means for development of the character by the player.

9. A game according to claim 8, wherein said interaction means includes a computer with software accessing event tree data for presenting the player with character options defined by the event tree, for development of the character based on stored data corresponding to the option selected.

10. A game according to claim 1, wherein said character identity information is predefined and presented to a player through computer hardware and software accessing stored data.

11. A game according to claim 9, wherein the computer hardware/software awards game points depending upon options selected by the player, the game points being toward one or more game goals.

12. A game according to claim 1, wherein said medium is a computer with display, hardware and software and said data pool is stored in a computer readable memory, accessed by said hardware and software.

13. A game according to claim 1, wherein said medium is cards and a game board with information on the cards defining said data pool.

14. A game, comprising:

character identity data;

ID selection means for selecting a character identity based on the character identity data including location of character at birth data and date of character at birth data;

event means for providing events for interaction with a character selected, the event comprising information as to the situation of the character, the event including action options selectable by the player, the options resulting in changes in the situation of the character;

option selection means for selecting between action options provided by said event means; and

status means for providing information as to the status of the character after said selection.

15. A game according to claim 14, wherein said location of character at birth data is representative of actual birth information for a time period.

16. A game, comprising:

character identity data;

ID selection means for selecting a character identity based on said character identity data, said character identity data includes location of character at birth data at which is representative of actual birth information for a time period; and

means for presenting the data selected to the player of the game.