Patent ID: 8025573

Claim:
A game system, comprising: a. a plurality of electronic game pieces, each comprising a visual representation of a game character and a digital memory, the digital memory containing therein game state information b. a reader/writer apparatus having a power source, a computer and a memory, the memory for configuring the computer having therein a control program to power appropriately located ones of the game pieces, read information from at least a selected one of the game pieces to initiate electronically a game event involving the at least one selected game piece, determine a condition and result of the game event, and write modified game state information data electronically to the at least one selected game piece; wherein the digital memory of at least one electronic game piece further comprises executable programming code that when executed by the reader/writer apparatus provides, separate from the game event, an activity that is related to a particular game character visually represented by the at least one electronic game piece.