WO1992021414A1

WO1992021414A1 - Interactive board-video game

Info

Publication number: WO1992021414A1
Application number: PCT/AU1992/000291
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brett Clements
Original assignee: A Couple 'a Cowboys Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1991-08-30
Filing date: 1992-06-17
Publication date: 1992-12-10
Also published as: CA2095251A1; EP0680369A4; GB9218600D0; EP0680369A1; NZ244140A; GB2260273A; ZA926550B; GB2260273B; IE922620A1

Abstract

A game having a set of game rules and comprising a playing surface having a multiplicity of stations thereon, at least one playing piece sequentially movable from station to station, and scheduling means whereby the set of game rules is periodically altered at predetermined times during the course of the game.

Description

INTERACTIVE BOARD-VIDEO GAME

The invention lies in the field of board games.

Some games of this type are "Snakes and Ladders" in which the object is to be the first player to reach a designated destination on the board, or "Monopoly" (registered trade mark) in which the object is to collect items whilst sequentially moving a playing piece from station to station on the board. In the latter type of game, some stations may reward a player whose playing piece lands at that station, other stations may offer a penalty or enable another player to grant a reward or impose a penalty.

The present invention provides a game for at least one player. The game has a set of game rules and comprises: a playing surface having a multiplicity of stations indicated thereon so as to form a playing path; at least one playing piece provided with identifying means adapted to distinguish it from other playing pieces, said playing piece being sequentially movable from station to station along the playing path in accordance with the set of game rules; and scheduling means whereby the set of game rules is periodically altered at predetermined times during the course of the game. Preferably, the playing surface is in the form of a board, and the scheduling means is a video-tape. Optionally, the game may comprise further elements such as cards, dice, coins and the like.

The invention further provides a method of affecting the progress of at least one playing piece on a playing surface having stations indicated thereon to form a playing path, comprising;

(a) placing a playing piece at a station on the playing surface; (b) sequentially manually moving the playing piece from station to station on the playing path in accordance with a set of game rules;

(c) interrupting step (b) at predetermined times by scheduling means which alter the set of game rules during a single move or sequence of moves of the playing piece; and

(d) manually moving the playing piece from station to station on the playing path in accordance with the altered set of game rules

Each playing piece is provided with primary identifying means to distinguish it from other playing pieces. Such identifying means may comprise colour, shape or markings on the playing piece. In a preferred embodiment, each playing piece has a secondary identifying means associated with it which may be changed independently of the primary identifying means. The secondary identifying means may be, for example, a tag marked with a number which is removably attached to a playing piece.

The stations on the playing surface preferably of at least two distinguishable types. One means of distinguishing stations is to mark some stations with a distinguishing mark, whilst leaving others unaltered. The shape and colour or a combination of shape, colour or marking of the stations may also be used.

In a preferred embodiment of the game, the game also comprises at least one type of collectable element. The elements are collected when certain conditions are met, such as placing a playing piece on a particular type of station. The collectable elements may have their own effect on the play of the game, such as providing victory conditions when a certain number or type of collectable elements have been collected, allowing one player to impose a penalty on another, cancelling a penalty imposed on a player, or rewarding or imposing a penalty on a player.

Alterations to the set of game rules by the scheduling means may include rewards or penalties for particular players. Players are selected for reward or penalty by the scheduling means at predetermined times after commencement of the game. The scheduling means may select players for reward or penalty by redesignating the game effect of a particular type of station on the board at a particular time. Thus, the game effect of a station which normally imposes a penalty upon players whose playing pieces land on that station under the set of game rules may be negated at predetermined times by the scheduling means altering the set of game rules. Alternatively, a station which provides a reward for players whose playing piece is positioned thereon may be redesignated as a penalty station at a predetermined time.

The scheduling means may also use other criteria for selecting players for reward or penalty. The players may be selected on the basis of age, primary and/or secondary identifying means associated with their playing pieces, the player whose turn it is to move, the player who has collected the largest number of collectable elements of a particular type, the player who rolls the highest or lowest on a die and the like.

Rewards in the game may consist of free turns, collectable elements, improved status, or negation of previously applied penalties. Improved status means that the player with this status has some advantage under the set of game rules in relation to other players. Penalties may consist of missed turns, loss of collectable elements or loss of improved status. Rewards or penalties may be awarded or imposed simply on the basis that a player has been selected, or the selected player may have to pass a test to obtain the reward or fail a test to incur the penalty. Such tests may comprise use of further game elements, such as dice or coins, or may involve an actual physical test such as reciting specific words, answering a question, refraining from blinking or breathing for a certain period, and the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the scheduling means comprises an imaging and/or audio storage means, such as a record, compact disc, tape cassette or video tape. Most preferably, a video-tape is used. The video-tape or other storage means is played throughout the course of the game, and depending upon the information recorded thereon directly effects the play of the game in the various ways previously described at predetermined time intervals. One form of game within the scope of the current invention requires players to achieve one or more objectives according to the set of game rules before the playing time of the storage means expires. Physically stopping a device upon which the storage means is played may be one of these objectives. The use of such storage means thus not only effects the rules of the game at predetermined times, but provides a race element to the game.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the scheduling means comprises a video-tape having recorded thereon a time signal. The time signal, may take the form of a visual digital display, which indicates elapsed time in minutes and seconds since commencement of the game. At predetermined times, the set of game rules is altered by spoken and/or visual cues recorded on the video-tape. The game has at least one type of collectable element which may be collected according to the set of game rules. The collectable elements may take the form of cards, which are marked with various times elapsed since commencing play. The cards are in play from the time they are collected until the elapsed time marked on the card has expired, and have a predetermined effect on the course of the game according to the set of game rules. At the time when the time signal matches the time marked on the card, the player holding the card may initiate an effect, as indicated on the card. This only applies to cards in play; cards which have not been collected or which are marked with an elapsed time which has passed have no effect.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the components and rules previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS : -

1. A game having a set of game rules, said game comprising; a playing surface having a multiplicity of stations indicated thereon so as to form a playing path; at least one playing piece provided with identifying means adapted to distinguish it from other playing pieces, said playing piece being sequentially movable from station to station along the playing path in accordance with the set of game rules; and scheduling means whereby the set of game rules is periodically altered at predetermined times during the course of the game.

2. A game according to claim 1 wherein the scheduling means alters the set of game rules so that the effect of placing a playing piece at a predetermined station is changed.

3. A game according to either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the scheduling means includes a time signal relating to the time elapsed since commencing play.

4. A game according to claim 3 wherein during the course of the game, players collect collectable elements in accordance with the set of game rules, said collectable elements being individually marked with various times elapsed since commencing play, each said collectable element having a predetermined effect on the course of the game according to the set of game rules, such that a player may initiate an effect when in possession of a collectable element at the time when the time signal corresponds to the time marked on the collectable element.

5. A game according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each playing piece is provided with primary and secondary identifying means, the secondary identifying means being changeable independently of the primary identifying means.

6. A game according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the scheduling means comprises imaging and/or audio storage means.

7. A game according to claim 6 wherein the imaging and/or audio storage means comprises a video-tape.

8. A game according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein according to the set of game rules, one or more stations allow a player whose playing piece lands thereon to deactivate the scheduling means, thereby winning the game.

9. A method of affecting the progress of at least one playing piece on a playing surface having stations indicated thereon to form a playing path, comprising;

(a) placing a playing piece at a station on the playing surface;

(b) sequentially manually moving the playing piece from station to station on the playing path in accordance with a set of game rules;

(c) interrupting step (b) at predetermined times by scheduling means which alter the set of game rules during a single move or sequence of moves of the playing piece; and (d) manually moving the playing piece from station to station on the playing path in accordance with the altered set of game rules

10. A game kit when used for carrying out the method of claim 9, comprising a playing surface in the form of a board, a set of game rules, at least one playing piece and scheduling means in the form of a pre-recorded video-tape.