Abstract:
An environmentally themed interactive computer based game including a web based portal is disclosed. An introduction module accessible through the web based portal is provided and includes a description of the game. Users are authenticated through an authentication module comprising a user id and/or password verification for identifying and/or authenticating users. A navigation module is provided for navigating a plurality of regions accessible to the players. Each region includes one or more game modules, and each of the plurality of regions corresponds to a real world region.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/104,894 filed on Oct. 13, 2008, titled ENVIRONMENTALLY THEMED VIDEO GAME which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present application relates to an educational video game. In particular, the present application relates to an educational video game having an environmental theme. 
         [0003]    Environmentally themed games have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,739, to Mitchell describes a board game for multiple players. The players collaborate to resolve environmental crises. Mitchell, however, does not provide players with a highly variable gaming experience or the opportunity to translate their game play into real world impact on environmental issues. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Some embodiments relate to an environmentally themed interactive computer based game including a web based portal. An introduction module accessible through the web based portal is provided and includes a description of the game. Users are authenticated through an authentication module comprising a user id and/or password verification for identifying and/or authenticating users. A navigation module is provided for navigating a plurality of regions accessible to the players. Each region includes one or more game modules, and each of the plurality of regions corresponds to a real world region. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a flow diagram showing navigation through a computer game registration process. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram showing navigation through a computer game by a registered user. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a screenshot of an environmentally themed video game home page. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing navigation through a computer game by a registered user. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a screenshot of an environmentally themed video game parental education navigation page. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Games, including board games, card games, and video games, can be utilized as educational tools. Such games often provide players with goals to achieve and tasks to complete. In an improved educational video game, a player often achieves the goals by learning information through the game and applying the information to the various tasks. The player may progress through the game by completing tasks that demonstrate a level of mastery of the information provided. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, the improved video game may be web (i.e. internet) based. In such embodiments, one or more servers may be used for the storage of data and/or execution of the game application. Players may access the game servers through web based portals, such as client portals. The players may be provided with an access code such as a user ID or password to access the games. In some embodiments, the access code may be acquired by purchasing a toy or other item in a bricks and mortar store or through a web based store. The toy or other item may include an access code on or otherwise attached to the item. 
         [0012]    Upon accessing the web based game servers, the players may be provided with an introduction module that introduces the game and provides basic game information and/or welcomes the player. The player may then access an authentication module to enter their access code to gain access to the game. After authentication, the player is provided with a navigation module or page for navigating to various parts of the game. 
         [0013]    Upon accessing the web server(s), the player may be presented with an access page. The navigation page includes links to other pages within the game. In some embodiments, the various pages may correspond to real world locations. Each of these location pages are may include further links to games or tasks that the player may accomplish. This allows the player to have a highly variable gaming experience that is not linear in nature. For example, the player may visit locations in the order of their preference, not based on a roll of dice or in a linear fashion. 
         [0014]    Each of the games or tasks is designed to help the player learn information related to the environment of the real world location. For example, if the player enters a page corresponding to a real world location that has problems with air pollution, the virtual location will include such problems as well. The games associated with that location may relate to air pollution causes, abatements, or other aspects of air pollution. According to an exemplary embodiment, the virtual location page may include a link to a utopian version of the same location. The utopian version may show the location in the absence of the pollution problem associated with the real world location. The utopian version may be used to show the impact of various pollution abatements, including the use of alternative fuels or improved pollution controls. 
         [0015]    As a player completes tasks in more virtual locations, the player may be awarded credits. The number of credits obtained by a player may be used to determine which game locations and/or features the player is allowed to access. Also, credits may be redeemed at a web based retailer for game related merchandise. 
         [0016]    In an exemplary embodiment, each virtual location may be associated with one or more game characters. The characters may be provided as guides to help players complete tasks and provide information. In particular, the characters may be used to provide information about the utopian version of the location with which they are affiliated to help the player find ways to develop the virtual location in the utopian version. In some of these embodiments, the characters may be animals that are indigenous to the real world location. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, players may be awarded tokens, such as insignias from the various characters as the player completes tasks. In some embodiments, once a player has achieved a certain level of experience, the player may join other players for cooperative play. A buddy list may be established that allows the player only to communicate through the game with other members of their buddy list. The list may incorporate parental controls such that a parent must approve the addition of new buddies and thereby have some control over the online communications of their minor children. 
         [0018]    The gaming service may be funded from retail sales of toys and other merchandise. Additionally, monthly member charges may be incurred. According to some embodiments, a portion of the proceeds paid to the service may be donated to environmental charities. The total amount to be donated may be allocated according to player preferences as determined by game play. For example, charities may be affiliated with a real world region. The amount donated to each charity may be determined by the relative amount of time spent by players in the region affiliated with that charity. Alternatively, the amount may be determined by the percentage of credits earned by players in that region or by a combination of credits and time. This allows for the players to have a real world impact based on their game play. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an interactive environmentally themed game comprises a plurality of modules. A first time user may visit a web based home page for the game. From there, the first time user can select from the options log-in, site tour, parent information, links to environmental organization sites, and a help module. From the login module a user may select “login” and be transferred to a registrations module that may include a sign up form. Upon completion of registration information which may include but not limited to name, country, state, birth date, gender, user name, and/or password. Upon completing the information the user may be presented with terms of service for use of the web based game and be asked to accept the terms of service. Upon accepting the terms of service the user may be moved to a home page that is generated using the registration information. From the home page the user may proceed to the game which may comprise a plurality of regions, each region corresponding to a geographical region on the earth. Within each region, links to environmental organizations that do work related to those regions may be provided. In each of these regions which may be displayed as a separate web page, a help link may be provided through which the user can access the help module. In some applications, a narrator character may be displayed on top of or in parallel with the user&#39;s unique home page. The narrator may provide information useful to the user for the first time logging in or upon subsequent return to the site. The narrator character may be used as a help icon to lead the user through creating and customizing a home page and/or the user&#39;s character for use in the game. Once these tasks have been completed the narrator character may disappear from the page showing only the customized user home page. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an existing member may log into the web based environmentally themed game. On the login page the member may enter a username or id and password. The user will then be transferred to the user&#39;s unique home page that is based upon the user&#39;s previously made selections regarding character preferences, demographic data and location. A narrator character may be presented to welcome the player back to the game and/or provide the player information on their last visit to the web site. The narrator may optionally lead the player to links for environmental organizations related to the regions most commonly visited by the user or the user&#39;s actual location. In some applications the narrator may provide links to news articles, news letters or information supplied by the environmental organizations and related to the users gaming activity. The narrator character may be used to provide recommendations to the player on regions to visit based upon the players previous game activity. From the user&#39;s unique home page the user may select a point on the world for a region, for example, a polar region. Upon selection a page may be displayed zooming in for presenting more detail about the region selected by the user. From this page related to the region, the user may select from a group of (1) activities (2) learning center, or (3) challenges. Should the user select “activities” a new page will be presented providing a list of activities that are used to convey information to the user about the region. From the learning center, a new page is presented showing the user relevant reading materials related to the region. 
         [0021]    The user may also select the challenge. Upon selection of the challenge the user is presented with a page including a game. To successfully complete the game the user may need to utilize information provided in one or more of the activities or the learning center. Upon completing the challenge successfully the user may be awarded points or tokens that are used to keep track of the user&#39;s progress through the game. Points and/or tokens accumulated by the user are tracked in a database such that every time the user returns to their unique home page they may be presented on the page or in an easily accessed subpage of current total of points and tokens awarded. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary login page. A user may enter an ID or character name and password. The user then clicks the enter button and the character name and password are validated using a database including user data. Once the user has been validated, the user may use the horizontal navigation bar to access various game modules. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a web based environmentally themed game may be provided with functionality for access by a player&#39;s parent, guardian or other responsible adult, to monitor and/or restrict a player&#39;s access to the game. From the game home page, a parent and/or guardian may select to log in using a separate parent id and/or password.  FIG. 5  shows an exemplary navigation page for a parent or other responsible adult who is accessing the game. The responsible adult may access the game by entering a user ID and password at the login page shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0024]    The responsible adult may then be presented with a unique parent home page that may list those accounts, i.e. user names, for players whose accounts may be restricted and/or monitored by the responsible adult. In this page the parent may be presented with a parent education link which may be selected to display the parent education page. On a parent education page, the parent may be provided with plurality of modules. For example, an about module, a privacy policy module, a manage interactive play module, a manage children&#39;s time module, a frequently asked questions module and a help module may be provided. If a parent selects the “about” module an about the game page may be displayed in which information relating to the game, its development, its educational goals and how it is operated may be presented to the parent. A parent may also click on a privacy policy module and be presented with a privacy policy page that provides a written privacy policy including descriptions about the safeguards use on the system to protect the identities of the players and to describe techniques the parents can use to best protect their children online. 
         [0025]    The “manage children&#39;s time” module may also be selected by the parent. 
         [0026]    Upon selection of the “manage children&#39;s time” module the parent may be provided with a “manage children&#39;s time” page. This page may include a parent control panel from which the parent can select one of the user accounts over which the parent or guardian has privileges to restrict and/or monitor. Upon selecting the account to be restricted or monitored a parent may be provided with one or more options including an option to limit the amount of time per day or per week that the user is allowed access to the game. Also, the parent may review a log showing the player&#39;s activity in the game. 
         [0027]    A parent may also select the “manage interactive play” module. Upon selection of the “manage interactive play” module the parent or guardian may restrict the ability of a user to engage in certain interactive applications within the game. For example, a parent or guardian may disable the ability of the player to communicate with other players over the internet within the game. The parent may also view a list of users with whom the player is communicating and also the contents of those communications. A parent may also select a frequently asked question module which provides answers to frequently asked questions especially those relating to parents or guardians. Upon access of the help module a help page is presented which may include index or otherwise categorized links to greater information regarding solving technical issues providing information about the game or use of the parent control module. 
         [0028]    Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents. 
         [0029]    The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. 
         [0030]    Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
         [0031]    It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. 
         [0032]    Moreover, it will be understood that although the terms first and second are used herein to describe various features, elements, regions, layers and/or sections, these features, elements, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one feature, element, region, layer or section from another feature, element, region, layer or section. Thus, a first feature, element, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second feature, element, region, layer or section, and similarly, a second without departing from the teachings of the present invention. 
         [0033]    It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Further, as used herein the term “plurality” refers to at least two elements. Additionally, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0034]    Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow. The scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims.