Patent ID: 8425289

Claim:
A method of operation of a traveling virtual pet game, comprising: receiving virtual pet information via a data network from a first user-operated game device, the received virtual pet information associated with control of a virtual pet by the first user-operated game device; first processing the virtual pet information including processing first geographic trait information associated with the pet, the first geographic trait information relating to a first geographic region associated with use of the first user-operated game device, the first geographic trait information including information indicating a trait of the pet associated with residing in the first geographic region, the first processing the virtual pet information further comprising a coordinator system: storing an indication of the first geographic region in a coordinator data storage system; storing pet attribute information in the coordinator data storage system, the pet attribute information identifying the virtual pet and indicating physical attributes of the virtual pet, the physical attributes including an appearance of the virtual pet; storing the first geographic trait information in the coordinator data storage system, wherein storing the first geographic trait information in the coordinator data storage system occurs in response to receiving first virtual pet information from the first user-operated game device indicating a simulation of the virtual pet participating in an activity in the first geographic region; forming an association among the first geographic trait information, the pet attribute information, and the first geographic region; and storing an indication of the association among the first geographic trait information, the pet attribute information, and the first geographic region in the coordinator data storage system; second processing the virtual pet information including processing second geographic trait information associated with the pet, the second geographic trait information relating to a second geographic region associated with use of a second user-operated game device, the second geographic trait information including information indicating a trait of the pet associated with residing in the second geographic region, the second processing the virtual pet information further comprises the coordinator system, following first processing the virtual pet information: storing an indication of the second geographic region in the coordinator data storage system; storing the second geographic trait information in the coordinator data storage system; forming an association among the second geographic trait information, the pet attribute information, and the second geographic region; and storing an indication of the association among the second geographic trait information and the pet attribute information in the coordinator data storage system; and transmitting the second-processed virtual pet information via the data network to the second-user operated game device.