DE10048807A1 - Conducting electronic game over public communications network involves players establishing communications connections to controler via network(s), exchanging interactive data - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves using a games controler (3) connected via suitable interfaces (5-7) to at least one public communications network (4) and players establishing one or more communications connections to the controler via different terminals (1,2) of one or more communications networks and exchanging interactive games data with the controler and other players. Independent claims are also included for the following: a games controler for conducting an interactive electronic game for several players over at least one public communications network.

Description

The invention relates to a method for performing an electronic game via a public communication network and a game control device for Execution of the procedure.

Electronic games for personal computers and so-called game consoles are well known. It is also known communication terminals, in particular Mobile terminals to use as game consoles. Here are z. B. a or several games programmed in the hardware of the mobile terminal. Out DE-A-196 10 840 describes a method for loading electronic games a mobile terminal is known, the games selected by the user and by a central control device arranged in the mobile radio network for Mobile terminal device transmitted and stored there. They are too electronic games known to multiple players, where players have one Communication link are interconnected. For this, please refer to DE-A- 198 02 684. Previous disadvantage was that the player to exercise Game was always tied to a specific device.

The object of the invention is to provide a method for carrying out a electronic game over a public communication network and one propose appropriate game control device to the player offer the greatest possible flexibility in the practice of the game.

This object is achieved by the features of the independent Claims resolved.  

Advantageous refinements and developments of the method are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the inventive method for performing an interactive electronic game for multiple players via at least one public Communication network, a game control device is set up, which suitable interfaces to at least one public communication network is connected, the players over several different Communication terminals of one or more communication networks Game control device establish at least one communication connection and Interactive game data about game status, game progress, events and / or Control data via this at least one communication link with the Game control device and other players can exchange.

This means that the player is very flexible in the practice of the game as he is almost every available communication terminal and Communication network for querying and entering game data. On Another advantage is that the actual game is not in the device but in the Game control device expires. The terminal essentially serves only as Input / output device.

In the game control device there are scores, game progress and others Game data of the players saved. The game essentially runs only within the game control device. Only data about game status and Events will be communicated to the game participants.

Each player can interactively play the game via his communication terminal and affect the game data, being through a public Communication network, preferably a digital cellular network, takes place.  

Preferably, the game data between the game control device and End devices via fax, e-mail, cell phone short messages and / or Internet and correspondingly equipped end devices exchanged.

A mobile radio terminal and / or can preferably be used as the communication terminal an internet terminal can be used, the game data being visual and / or be output acoustically on the respective communication terminal. The Communication of the players with the game control device, d. H. the input the data and commands can be done via keyboard and / or voice input.

The registration of a fellow player to the game is preferably via his Cellular device or internet terminal by using the game control device connects and there selects a registration procedure, after which of the Game control device added various data of the player become. The player from the game control device through his Mobile phone number (MSISDN) or another unique identifier Number, identified.

A central element for technical implementation is one Game control device, hereinafter also referred to as game server, which in the domain of the mobile operator or operated anywhere on the Internet can be.

Fig. 1 shows an example of the architecture of the communication protocols for the case that the game server 3 irr range of the mobile operator is operated.

The game server 3 can be operated as a standard HTTP web server. It preferably has the following interfaces for communication with different communication networks 4 and communication terminals 1 and 2 :

• - HTTP interface for interaction with the player via a WAP gateway 7 or the Internet 4 ,
• - Interface (e.g. UCP) to short message center 6 (SMSC) for sending or receiving short messages,
• - Interface to a fax gateway 5 (e.g. UCP) for sending faxes to the players,
• - SMTP interface for sending e-mail messages via an e-mail gateway 5 ,
• - LDAP interface for querying customer-specific data from the database 8 of the mobile operator.

The classic notification channels SMS, fax or e-mail can also be used as an interaction channel in that the player uses this to report game actions to the game server 3 .

All actions of a player are recorded in log files, which are stored in the area of the game control device 3 . These can be used in post-processing in order to realize 9 special charging models together with fee entries or to also create playbacks.

The invention is explained using a new mobile game "Mobile Empire". Mobile Empire is a strategy game for 1 to any number of players. One can join the game at any time but also stop actively playing at any time leave without interrupting the game. Each player represents First a planet (here representative of area, area or similar) in one virtual universe.

The aim of the game is to expand its sphere of influence as much as possible. The individual players must try to do this as many planets (areas, areas, to get under his control. A player controls a planet as soon as he owns it militarily, economically and culturally.  

In each of these areas there can be different means of expanding the influence are used, but they also influence each other.

The distances between the planets are in units of travel time made, e.g. B. real days. A player embarks on a journey from a planet another who is 4 days away, this trip will take really real 4 days.

There are inhabited and uninhabited planets. The planets have different properties. These properties are expressed in factors that affect the means of those who rule this planet:

• - economic goods that increase economic production,
• - Fertility factors, which are the multiplication of military units Taxes,
• - Cultural values that can promote cultural influence.

Special events such as natural disasters, scientific discoveries etc., can influence such factors in the positive as well as in the negative. On the The occurrence of such events has no influence on a teammate; Random generator generated from the game logic.

Current events from the actual real world can also be found here flow into the game in order to impress the game with a modern zeitgeist (e.g .: for example, the "scientific discovery" of Viagra could Fertility factors are raised on the planet, the recessions economic factors weaken or public corruption scandals influence cultural values negatively).

The player can form alliances with other teammates to create strategies to coordinate or exchange goods. There are also special ones  The game plan can be displayed on a browser-compatible mobile phone and on a special Internet application, that is a website of Mobile Empire be seen. Only subscribed players have access to this website an access protected by password.

All actions a player takes to intervene in the game can be initiated via his mobile phone or via internet access. He has furthermore the possibility with a browser-compatible (e.g. with WML, HTML or XML browser) mobile phone or other Internet access (e.g. via GPRS, UMTS, CSD, landline ISDN, SMSC) information about the game status and news which help him to better assess certain game situations can. When certain events occur, the player can by one SMS (short message) to be informed.

The game ends for a player when he no longer has any means (see above) that means opportunities to colonize a planet.

The game ends for everyone once a player has a certain percentage of the entire virtual universe. The game can be premature for one individual players end as soon as this player runs out of funds.

A possible technical architecture for realizing and implementing the game is outlined in FIG. 1. However, the type of technical implementation does not affect the general character of the game idea described.

Registration for the game

A player logs in to the game server 3 to the game on his mobile terminal 1 to by surfing Empire via the WAP browser of the terminal 1 on the game Mobile and selects the registration procedure here. Alternatively, the participant can register via the Internet using personal computer 2 .

With this registration procedure, various data of the player can be recorded which are stored in the game control device 3 . Among other things, the player must give himself and his home planet a name. He will also be asked to enter a password for his Internet access 2 to the Mobile Empire game (optional).

When using his mobile radio terminal 1 , a player is identified by his mobile phone number (MSISDN). A player cannot register for the same game multiple times.

After the subscription, the player in the virtual universe receives his start configuration, ie a planet with his chosen name and a position number,

• - a military power with A _M units,
• - an economic power with _AW units,
• - a cultural power with A _K units.

Upon successful registration of the new player, all other players in its immediate vicinity receive a message from the game server 3 on their end devices 1 , 2 about a new planet discovery with corresponding position information.

Exploring the game environment

In order to expand his sphere of influence, a player has to explore his surroundings, d. H. first find out which planet is in its immediate vicinity.

He can

• - by means of WAP browsing 1 : here he receives an overview of his neighboring planets, listed in order of the respective distances in the travel time unit, on the display of the mobile terminal,
• - Internet access 2 to the Mobile Empire Page: here he also gets an overview of his neighboring planets on the screen of the PC 2 , but still enriched with a graphic animation.

To find out more about the individual neighboring planets, he has to send a military force with a _M units (where a _M ← A _M ) to this planet on the way. The player notifies the game server 3 of this via a communication terminal 1 , 2 by means of keyboard or voice input.

The travel time from sending this troop to their arrival on the selected planet corresponds to the specified distance (in units of time). As soon as your own troops arrive on an alien planet, the player from the game control device 3 z. B. informed via his cell phone 1 about the landing of his troops. There are two cases:

Uninhabited planet:

• - Data of the planet (e.g. economic goods, etc.) become known to the player given.
• - The planet is placed under the rule of the player.

Inhabited planet:

• - combat operation
• - victory or defeat
• - Planet data will be announced
• - Possibly. Cellphone number of the planetary ruler

hostilities

Combat operations are fully controlled by the game controller automated from, d. that is, as soon as two generic troops meet it to a dispute in which the troops on both sides are reduced.  

This is done according to a certain random algorithm specified in the game control device 3 . The player whose troops were first decimated to zero has lost. The random algorithm is influenced in favor of the attacked by certain defense factors (see economic power).

Expansion of military power

For each game phase (e.g. 1 day) the troops of a player increase, that of the player stationed on planets. If a planet is not attacked and will not be Withdrawn troops, the number of troops can increase considerably over time.

Expansion of economic power

Each planet owns assets that are "harvested" per game phase and for economic wealth of the player can be added. The amount of the harvest depends also depending on a player’s cultural values.

The greater the economic wealth, the greater the military forces, which serve to defend your own planets (influencing the Hostilities)

Expansion of cultural influence

By increasing the cultural values and fertility factors (see military power) and above all economic harvest factors (economic Power) can be increased. The cultural values increase the longer one peaceful phase for a planet, d. H. no fighting, continues.

Claims (15)

1. Method for carrying out an interactive electronic game for several players via at least one public communication network ( 4 ), a game control device ( 3 ) being set up, which is connected to at least one public communication network ( 4 ) via suitable interfaces ( 5-7 ), and the players set up at least one communication connection via several different communication terminals ( 1 , 2 ) of one or more communication networks to the game control device ( 3 ) and interactively exchange game data about the game status, game history, events and / or control data via this at least one communication connection with the game control device and other players can. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the game control device ( 3 ) score, game history and other game data of the other players are stored. 3. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each player can interactively influence the game flow and the game data via a communication terminal ( 1 , 2 ). 4. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that as a public communication network a digital Cellular network is used. 5. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the game data between the game control device and terminals ( 1 , 2 ) are exchanged via fax, email, short mobile radio messages and / or the Internet. 6. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the game control device ( 3 ) is operated as a standard HTTP web server. 7. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that all game-relevant actions of the players in one Game database (log file) can be recorded. 8. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized characterized that based on the game database, a charge for the Game participation and / or playbacks of certain game sequences can be realized. 9. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a mobile radio terminal ( 1 ) and / or an Internet terminal ( 2 ) is used as the communication terminal. 10. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the game data are output optically and / or acoustically on the respective communication terminal ( 1 , 2 ). 11. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the players communicate via keyboard and / or voice input of the communication terminal ( 1 , 2 ) with the game control device. 12. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a player registers for the game via his mobile radio device ( 1 ) by contacting the game control device ( 3 ) and selecting a registration procedure there in which the Game control device ( 3 ) various data of the player are recorded, the player being identified by his mobile phone number (MSISDN). 13. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that after the registration of a new player, all other players affected in his immediate vicinity receive a message from the game control device ( 3 ) with corresponding information about the new player. 14. Games control means for performing an interactive electronic game for multiple players over at least one public communications network (4), wherein the game controller is connected via suitable interfaces (5-7) at least one public communications network (4), and comprises means with which the Players set up at least one communication connection via several different communication terminals ( 1 , 2 ) of one or more communication networks to the game control device ( 3 ) and interactively play data about the game status, game history, events and / or control data via this at least one communication connection with the game control device ( 3 ) and other players can exchange. 15. Game control device according to claim 14, characterized in that it comprises at least the following interfaces:

• - an HTTP interface for interaction with the player via a WAP gateway ( 7 ) or the Internet,
• an interface to the mobile radio short message center ( 6 ) (SMSC) for sending or receiving short messages,
• - an interface to a fax gateway ( 5 ) for sending or receiving faxes,
• - an SMTP interface for sending or receiving e-mail messages via an e-mail gateway ( 5 ),
• - An LDAP interface for querying customer-specific data from a subscriber database ( 8 ) of the mobile operator.