Patent ID: 7314407

Claim:
A video game system using trading cards, comprising: a local electronic game system for use with a video screen for displaying the playing of a selected video game featuring characters on trading cards, the characters having associated character information, including characteristics which define the playing of the game, the electronic game system including a control system for carrying out the video game and controlling the display on the screen in accordance with a stored software program and in accordance with the character information associated with the trading cards selected by the players of the game for use in the game; trading cards having characters indicated thereon for playing the video game; an identification system for identifying the trading cards selected by players for playing the video game; a server control unit for connecting the local electronic game system to a website at a remote location through a global computer network; and a processing system at the website for verifying that the players of the video game have the right to use the selected trading cards in the playing of the selected video game, wherein the website includes means for storing information associated with the characters on said trading cards and for downloading said information to the video game control system, which includes means for receiving said downloaded information and which is capable of using said downloaded information and said associated character information from the trading cards to carry out the video game after the selected trading cards have been identified and the player's rights to use the selected trading cards have been verified.