NL1012128C2 - Network system and software for playing computer game via Internet or infranet, awards prizes to individuals chosen at random from all players - Google Patents

Abstract

The players use their own game stations (2) to access the game server (4) via the Internet (3). The identity and playing records of every player are stored in a database (5) at the server. At intervals, the server makes random selections from all registered players. The selected players are awarded prizes.

Description

Method and assembly of equipment and software for playing a computer game with a chance of winning

The invention relates to an assembly of hardware and software for playing a computer game with a chance of winning, comprising: a computer with a game program installed on the computer, and at least one computer-connectable game station for playing the game. The invention also relates to a method for playing a computer game with a chance of winning.

10 Computer games are well known and are played by many on the Internet, for example. There are sites on which individual games can be played, but there are also sites with competitive games in which multiple players participate simultaneously. Depending on the game results, these games can be used to win prizes. The prizes can consist of products, cash or other 15 credits. In order to determine who is eligible for a promised bonus, one or more players must be selected. The chance of being elected is also referred to as a “chance of winning”. The popularity of a particular site depends partly on the winning chance with which a game can be played. With the existing computer games, a large number of regular players are generally dissatisfied with the fact that the prizes often end up with a selective group of usually highly skilled players.

The object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of hardware and software as well as a method of playing a computer game with a chance of improvement for improving the existing computer games while maintaining the advantages according to the prior art, whereby the winning opportunities are more uniform are distributed among all players.

The invention provides for this purpose an assembly of the type mentioned in the preamble, wherein a game data processing program is also installed on the computer, provided with a database fed with game results, and a selection program for selecting winners with a radio generator, wherein the the data present data affect the chances of winning of the participating players. Preferably, the computer game is arranged for this purpose from the »C Λ - O 'i Λ tj nJ9921038.euio.par

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• control the r -2 game station with which part of a game result the database is fed. Even more preferably, the computer is formed by at least one server placed in a network, for example the internet. In yet another preferred embodiment of the assembly, the game data processing program is accessible from a game station for querying selected winners. Finally, it is also possible that the computer has several databases installed, from which a player can choose which of these databases are fed with game results. With such an assembly, it is feasible that players with less than maximum results also retain chances of winning. As a result, the game is also more attractive for less skilled players than if only the optimum results are honored. It is also possible with the help of the combination that a player plays a certain game several times in order to enter the result of all games in the database and thereby increase the chance of winning. For highly skilled players the chance of winning will decrease compared to the chance of winning in prior art games but a very good result will lead to an increase in the chance of winning so that the attractiveness of the game is guaranteed for these skilled players as well. Such a game lends itself particularly to be played on the Internet because the number of potential players who can use the game there is very large. The provider has the advantage that an increased attractiveness of the game will lead to a more frequent visit of the site 20 on which the game is offered with all the associated advantages. To increase the attractiveness of a computer game even further, it is also possible for the player to choose which database is fed with the game result. It is thus possible to play, for example, for a certain prize in which the player is very interested, while the chance of winning a less attractive prize can be reduced to zero. In order to further increase the involvement of the players and to further increase the visit of a possible site on which the computer game is offered, it is preferable to be able to request the winners via a game station. Which can happen for example after a certain period.

The invention also provides a method for playing a computer game with a chance of success by successively the steps: a) playing a computer game with a determined result, b) storing the game result of the game played in a central database. , c) repeating steps a) and b) until a game period has ended, d) selecting at least one of the players stored in the central database using a random generator and a result-dependent probability distribution, and e) the outputting data from the selected winner. The advantages of such a method have already been explained with reference to the above described assembly according to the invention. In order to increase the involvement of a player, several computer games can be offered from which the player can choose. As described above, it is also possible to positively and negatively influence the probability of certain prizes by selecting from the part of the game result that is supplied to a certain database. The method can be applied for individual games, but it is also possible for several players to compete against each other. It is also possible that several games are played at least partly parallel to each other.

15

In a preferred application of the method, it is also possible for the game to be played remotely from the computer game supporting computer. With one or more central computers, players can thus play games at locations that are loved by the players. For example, it is possible to play via the internet from a domestic environment. Depending on the scope in which the method is applied, one or more local databases can be used for the interim storage of game results before they are fed to the central database. A local database is understood to be a decentralized database that is separate from the game stations.

In yet another preferred application of the method, when feeding a certain database with game results, another database may or may not automatically be fed, which may for instance be referred to as a jackpot. Feeding this other database can result in the reduction of the remaining game result by a fixed number of points or by a percentage. It is also possible to leave the choice to a player whether or not he uses the option of feeding a jackpot.

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The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein: figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an assembly of software and equipment according to the invention, figure 2 a simplified block diagram of the method for playing a computer game in which a player plays the game, figure 3 a simplified block diagram of the method according to the invention in which a player supplies at least part of the game result to a database, and figure 4 shows a simplified block diagram of the method after the end of a game period in which prizes are allocated.

Figure 1 shows an assembly 1 according to the invention in which two game stations 2 are connected to a network 3. This network 3 can for instance be formed by the internet, an intranet or extranet. Connected to the network 3 is a computer 4 on which a game program runs as well as a database 5 in which the game results of games played are stored.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the method of playing a computer game 20 in which a player in block A connects to a computer for playing a computer game. After a player has identified himself (block B), he makes a choice (block C) regarding the game to be played from a number of computer games to be played (blocks SI ... Sn) or another activity is chosen ( block D) such as, for example, saving the score, requesting winners, etc.

25 A third option is to perform other activities in the game program (block E). After playing a game (block F) and ending a game (block G), a player must still identify himself (block H) if this had not happened before. The game result is then linked to the player (block I). This coupling of game result to player can be stored in the database, whether or not under control (block D), whereby it is possible, for example, to link the game result to a chance of winning at a desired price. The player can now make a new choice to play a game (block C) or can leave the -5 game program. Saving the game result (including block D) is further elaborated in figure 3.

Figure 3 shows the saving of the game results in more detail. When choosing 5 to save a part of the game result (block D), a player is shown the total game result (block J) that comes from the database 5. The player then makes a choice (block K) for the a singles (block L) or group of games (block M) allocating part of the game result. You must also choose the size and / or the part of the game result that is allocated (block N). When the actual part of the game result (block O) is actually allocated, this part is removed from the database 5, so that the credit of a player present here decreases. This amount is added to another database 6 selected for this purpose. In addition, it is possible that the allocated amount or part of the game result is also supplied to an extra database 7 for, for example, playing a jackpot. The probability of winning the jackpot (block P) determines whether the player actually wins the jackpot (block Q). Winning or not (block R) results in storing the jackpot (block S) in the central database 5 linked to the winner. If the player wins after completing these actions, the player returns (block T) to the block diagram as shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 4 describes the course of events after the end of a game period (block U). The computer 4 shown in figure 1 requests the data (block V) from the database 6 (see figure 3) and the data of the players are read in. The data read in is then analyzed (block W) and then select a winner (block X). A new game period can now be started (block Z).

Although the invention has been elucidated on the basis of only a single exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent to everyone that the invention is by no means limited to the described and shown exemplary embodiment. On the contrary, many variations are still possible for a skilled person within the scope of the invention.

Claims (14)

An assembly of equipment and software for playing a computer game with a chance of winning, comprising: 5 -a computer with a game program installed on the computer, and -at least one computer station which can be connected to the computer for playing the game, wherein the computer also includes a game data processing program has been installed including a database fed with game results, and a selection program for selecting at least one winner with a random generator, the data contained in the database affecting the chances of winning of the participating players. 2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the computer game is arranged to control from the game station with which part of a game result the database is fed. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the computer is constituted by at least one networked server. The system of claim 3, wherein the network is the internet. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the game data processing program is accessible from a game station for querying selected winners. 25 Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein several databases are installed on the computer from which a player can make a choice to be fed. 7. Method for playing a computer game with a chance of success by successively following the steps: a) playing a computer game with a certain result,, ·, ·?>; * «* ^ B, i / Q'3 * 1 UUI ~ - -7- b) storing the game result of the game played in a central database, c) repeating steps a) and b) until a game period has ended, d) using a random generator and a result select dependent probability distribution of at least one of the players stored in the central database 5, and e) outputting data of the selected winner. The method of claim 7, wherein a player can choose from a number of computer games. 10 The method of claim 8, wherein for storing the result of a game played, a choice is made as to the portion of the game result that is stored. A method according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein steps a) and b) are performed simultaneously by several players. A method according to any one of claims 7-10, wherein the computer game is played at a distance from the computer game supporting computer. 20 A method according to any one of claims 7-11, wherein the central database according to step b) is fed via at least one local database. 13. Method as claimed in any of the claims 7-12, wherein the player can make a choice for one or more databases to be fed from a number of databases. Method as claimed in any of the claims 7-13, wherein when feeding a certain database with game results, another database, for instance referred to as a jackpot, is also fed automatically or not.