WO2001070356A2

WO2001070356A2 - Interactive game

Info

Publication number: WO2001070356A2
Application number: PCT/GB2001/001225
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Williams
Original assignee: Club4Sports Ltd.
Priority date: 2000-03-21
Filing date: 2001-03-20
Publication date: 2001-09-27
Also published as: GB0006859D0; GB2360466A; GB2360466A8; WO2001070356A3; AU4091401A

Abstract

A game playable over the Internet combines scoring through a scratch-card image displayed on a computer display together with scoring based on a sporting event which is taking place at the same time. The player selects a team from competitors in the sporting event. The actual scores achieved by the team members, for example in a round of golf, are then combined with the scores achieved by the player 'scratching-off' panels displayed on his computer screen.

Description

Interactive Game

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of games, particularly but not exclusively to games to be played over the Internet.

Background

There are a variety of games available over the Internet which mirror the well- known scratch card concept. For example, users use their computer mouse to 'scratch off panels displayed on a screen to determine whether or not a prize has been won by matching the symbols which are revealed. Fantasy sports games are also well-known. For example, in a fantasy football competition, players choose a team from a list of players currently playing in the football league and then score points depending on their team's performance, for example the actual number of goals scored by a selected striker or the number of clean sheets kept by a goalkeeper. Similar competitions are run on-line for other sports, for example, CNN Sports Illustrated's fantasy golf challenge at http://golf.cnnsi.com.

Summary of the Invention To provide an enhanced level of interest in an on-line game, there is provided according to the present invention game apparatus for playing a game in which the game result is dependent on first and second scoring elements, the first scoring element being associated with an action performed by the player and the second scoring element relating to a score achieved by a participant in a competitive event being held substantially concurrently with the game, comprising means for storing information identifying an event participant selected by the player, means for providing image information defining a game image to be displayed to the player, said image information including information defining an image area associated with the first scoring element, means for determining the first scoring element in response to an action performed by the player in relation to the image area, means for obtaining the second scoring element, comprising a score achieved by the selected participant in the event, and means for determining the game result in dependence on the first and second scoring elements. The player can access the game over the Internet.

The image information can define a plurality of image areas, each of which is associated with a scoring element, wherein the first scoring element is determined in accordance with the image area selected by the player from the plurality of image areas.

The present invention also provides a method of providing an interactive game over a communications network, the game result being dependent on first and second scoring elements, the first scoring element being associated with an action performed by the player and the second scoring element relating to a score achieved by a participant in a competitive event being held substantially concurrently with the game, comprising storing information identifying an event participant selected by the player, providing image information defining a game image to be displayed to the player, said image information including information defining an image area associated with the first scoring element, determining the first scoring element in response to an action performed by the player in relation to the image area, obtaining the second scoring element, comprising a score achieved by the selected participant in the event, and determining the game result in dependence on the first and second scoring elements.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an Internet system for playing interactive games; Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps involved in accessing a game over the Internet; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a golf scratch card;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a computer mouse to interact with the displayed scratch card; and

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a snooker scratch card. Detailed Description

Referring to Figure 1, a game apparatus according to the invention comprises a server machine 1, for example a Pentium-based computer running Windows NT™, with support for web pages provided by the Microsoft IIS™ web server application, connected to the Internet 2, and client machines 3, 4, for example Pentium based computers running browser software such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, connectable to the Internet 2 using dial-up connections via respective Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5, 6.

The web-site of the game provider is presented as a series of pages written in FTTML (HyperText Mark-up Language), with interactivity provided by a scripting language such as Javascript, as is well known in the art.

Referring to Figure 2, a player connects to the website of the game provider using a dial-up connection via an ISP (step si). If the player has not previously registered with the site, he or she registers with the site by providing the requested details such as name and address (step s2), before proceeding to the log-in step (step s3). At the log-in step, the player logs-in using an allocated username and password (step s3). The player then selects from a number of available online games (step s4). On the assumption that the online golf game is chosen, the game is played as described below, starting with an on-line scratch-card game (step s5). The online game is played in conjunction with a golf tournament taking place at or about the same time, for example the Open Championship.

Referring to Figure 3, the player is presented with an image of a game card 7. As an example, the game card covers four rounds of golf, each round consisting of 18 holes with a mixture of Par 3's, 4's and 5's adding to a total of a Par 72 course. Each hole has two 'scratch-off areas 8, 9 which cover two possible scores for that hole. The possible scores are randomised for each card. For example, the scores are randomised as follows: Par 3 hole:

Score Probability

1 1/12

2 1/4

3 1/3

4 1/6

5 1/6

Par 4 hole:

Score Probability

2 1/6

3 1/6

4 5/12

5 1/6

6 1/12

Par 5 hole:

Score Probability

3 1/6

4 1/4

5 1/3

6 1/6

7 1/12

For each hole and each round, the player selects one of the two scratch-off areas 8, 9 and performs a specified action to display the score underneath. For example, referring to Figure 4, the player uses a computer mouse 10 to direct a cursor arrow 11 over a scratch-off area 8 (shown greatly exaggerated) of the card 7 displayed on the computer display 12, and double-clicks on the left mouse button 13 to perform the scratch-off action. The double-click command sequence is sent to the server machine 1, which displays the score corresponding to the scratch-off area 8 indicated. As well as a mouse, any other form of cursor control device, such as a trackerball or touch sensitive pad, can be used.

As an alternative to the player selecting a scratch-off area, an instant scratch option is provided which results in random removal of scratch panels. The server 1 provides an automatic total after every 9 holes as well as the total for each round and an overall game score.

As mentioned above, the online game is played in conjunction with a golf tournament taking place at or about the same time, for example the Open Championship. The player is given, for example, three opportunities to play a card. When he is satisfied with his score, or at the end of the third game, the player is asked to pick a team (step s6). For example, the player is presented with four lists of golfers participating in the tournament. The player selects a number of participants to form a team in accordance with predetermined rules, for example, two from the first list and one from each of the other lists, for example by double- clicking on the names of the selected participants. A player can select a team at any time before the first round of the tournament is played.

At the end of each day of tournament play, the scores achieved by the team members are automatically entered by the server (step s7). The overall team score is calculated by combining the player's round scores with, for example, the best three rounds of the team (step s8). If a team member misses the cut in the tournament, no score will show against that member. If a team is reduced to only two members still playing, that team is eliminated. In an alternative example, the overall team scores are calculated by combining the best four rounds of the team, so that the player's own score is not necessarily included in the team score.

A leader board shows the team score against par in relation to other teams. At the end of the competition, the winning team scores are shown and the winning player is notified by e-mail and receives an appropriate prize. Ties are decided by considering the player's score only. If there is a tie at this stage, a countback is performed starting from round 4 back to round 1, to determine the player having the best score for a particular round. In the event of there still being a tie, a new card play-off decides the winner.

Ties can alternatively be decided by a countback from the total team score and then by using the scores for the players who are not included in the best 4 scores.

As an alternative to golf, the player can choose other games, such as snooker.

Referring to Figure 5, a column 14 representing fifteen red balls is displayed. Against each red are four scratch-off panels 15, 16, 17, 18 each concealing a coloured ball having a points value as follows:

Yellow - 2, Green - 3, Brown - 4, Blue - 5, Pink - 6, Black - 7

The player selects a scratch off panel and scratches it off in the same way as for the golf game described above. When the colour is revealed, the value is added to the red value (1) and displayed in the Total box 19. The placing of the colours changes with each card. Only black and pink balls are used against the first three reds in equal quantities; black pink and blue are used in equal quantities against the next three reds; black, pink, blue and brown in equal quantities against the next three and finally all the colours in equal quantities against the last six reds. When all fifteen reds have been potted, the total is shown and the player moves to the 'Clear the Colours' section 20.

The 'Clear the Colours' section 20 contains two scratch-off boxes 21, 22 against each colour. Each box can reveal a ball, with a value of the colour shown within the ball shape, indicating that the colour has been potted, or the word "MISS", indicating that the player has failed to pot the colour. When "MISS" appears, the break ends and the break total is displayed in a break total box 23. The two boxes 21, 22 can contain a value/MISS, value/value or MISS/MISS combination, based for example on random generation according to the following rules: Yellow All Hits

Green 80% Hits

Brown 60% Hits

Blue 40% Hits Pink 30% Hits

Black 20% Hits

If the player successfully pots all the colours, the break total is also displayed. The leader board shows the top 20 breaks.

The player is given three opportunities to play the game. On any of these three, the player can proceed with the tournament aspect of the game, unless he decides not to play. In the tournament aspect, the player is presented with five lists of tournament participants and chooses one from each list. The best three breaks achieved by the selected participants are added to the player's own score as his team score. Each day, the best team score achieved is shown. The best breaks for each professional player are shown each day in league form. Likewise, the best players' scratch breaks are shown in league form. Prizes are given for best breaks and overall winners, as well as the scratch break that matches the top actual break.

While the invention has been described in relation to golf and snooker games, it is applicable to any form of game in which a competitor's performance in a real event can be combined with a player's performance in a scratch card type game.

Claims

1. Game apparatus for playing a game in which the game result is dependent on first and second scoring elements, the first scoring element being associated with an action performed by a player and the second scoring element relating to a score achieved by a participant in a competitive event being held substantially concurrently with the game, comprising: means for storing information identifying an event participant selected by the player, means for providing image information defining a game image to be displayed to the player, said image information including information defining an image area associated with the first scoring element; means for determining the first scoring element in response to an action performed by the player in relation to the image area; means for obtaining information relating to the score achieved by the selected participant in the event, said information comprising the second scoring element; and means for determining the game result in dependence on the first and second scoring elements.

2. Game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the player accesses the game over the Internet.

3. Game apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image information includes information defining a plurality of image areas, each of which is associated with a scoring element, wherein the first scoring element is determined in accordance with the image area selected by the player from the plurality of image areas.

4. Game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said storing means is arranged to store information identifying a plurality of event participants selected by the player, said participants together forming the player's team.

5. Game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for determining the team score by combining the player's score with the score of at least one of the participants on the player's team.

6. Game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for determining the team score by selecting a predetermined number of the best scores of the team members.

7. Game apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said action in relation to the image area comprises selecting the image area using a cursor control device.

8. Game apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means configured to display the first scoring element in response to the selection of the image area.

9. A method of providing an interactive game over a communications network, the game result being dependent on first and second scoring elements, the first scoring element being associated with an action performed by the player and the second scoring element relating to a score achieved by a participant in a competitive event being held substantially concurrently with the game, comprising: storing information identifying an event participant selected by the player, providing image information defining a game image to be displayed to the player, said image information including information defining an image area associated with the first scoring element; determining the first scoring element in response to an action performed by the player in relation to the image area; obtaining the second scoring element, comprising a score achieved by the selected participant in the event; and determining the game result in dependence on the first and second scoring elements.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising receiving information defining the action performed by the player and in response to said action removing a first image and replacing it with a second image representing a score achieved by the player.