Patent ID: 8333641

Claim:
A method of playing a multi-player video game, the method comprising: establishing an ad-hoc wireless network between a plurality of devices capable of communicating over a wireless network; sharing a video game between members of the ad-hoc network; determining from one or more attributes associated with a user of the multi-player video game, a characteristic of the user; searching the network for user-operated video-game characters having at least one character characteristic that matches the characteristic of the user; presenting a list of user-operated video-game characters to the user, wherein the list includes user-operated video-game characters having the character characteristic which matches the characteristic of the user; receiving a selection of a user-operated video-game character from the list of user-operated video-game characters presented to the user; configuring the selected user-operated video-game character with an additional characteristic derived from the one or more attributes of the user, wherein the additional characteristic varies over time or varies in response to video-game play; presenting a list of computer-operated video-game characters that are independently operated by a processor generating the video game for the user, and are therefore configured to operate independent of user control; receiving, from the user, a selection of a computer-operated video-game character from the list of the computer-operated video-game characters; transferring at least some of the additional characteristic to the selected computer-operated video-game character; and transferring at least some characteristics between the computer-operated video-game character and the user-operated video-game character, wherein the transfer of characteristics between the user-operated video-game character and the computer-operated video-game character changes a personality and a behavior of the user-operated video-game character, and a personality and a behavior of the computer-operated video-game character with respect to the characteristics and the additional characteristic transferred, thereby allowing the user-operated video-game character to assume at least some of the behavior and the personality of the computer-operated video-game character and the computer-operated video-game character to assume at least some of the behavior and personality of the user-operated video-game character.