Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor – With representations of persons or objects and names...
Reissue Patent
1999-06-29
2003-01-07
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
With representations of persons or objects and names...
C273S259000, C273S277000
Reissue Patent
active
RE037957
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention pertains generally to games that combine chance and strategy, and, more particularly, to a card game that utilize trading cards and to a method of playing the game, as well as alternative embodiments of the same, including different game formats such as electronic games, interactive networks, computer software, board games, and role playing games.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Trading cards are a well-known method of disbursing and collecting information about public figures. A familiar type of trading card is the baseball card that has a photographic depiction of an athlete along with biological and statistical information about the athlete. These baseball cards and other cards dealing with various sports figures are used by sports enthusiasts for gathering information about players and teams. Trading cards have also been developed in other areas, such as the entertainment industry, which depict music performers and television and movie personalities.
Trading cards are typically exchanged among enthusiasts to obtain cards that are needed to complete a set of related cards to collect cards that are not readily available. Collectors buy and sell these cards for their economic and historic value. The cards themselves have varying monetary values, depending on the popularity of the individual depicted thereon and the availability of each card, some being more common than others. Such cards are typically sold through retail game stores and other specialty outlets.
Playing cards, on the other hand, especially the well-known fifty-two deck face cards, are easily and readily available. The cards themselves, individually and collectively, generally have no value other than for amusement. Many different games can be played with a single deck of playing cards, limited generally by the imagination of the players. Some card games require cards especially printed for that game, and these cards have little value outside the playing of that particular game.
Many games played with the more common face cards are games of chance. In other words, these games have rules that require either the random selection of cards or depend on the occurrence of events outside the control of the players. Other games that require some strategy usually limit the level of strategy with restrictive rules of play.
At the present, there are no known games that use freely tradable game elements or components, such as trading cards, and further, games that enable a player to form a unique combination of components that competes against the combinations of other players.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form, the present invention is directed to a game for two or more players. The game components include rules of play and a plurality of game elements, one or more of the game elements having limited availability to the players, the game elements being freely tradable among the players such that each player obtains and constructs their own set of game elements to thereby compete against the set of game elements of other players. The game can also include articles or a method for tracking a life value assigned to each player so players know when life value has been reduced to zero, thereby eliminating the player from the game.
In accordance with another form of the present invention the game is directed to a plurality of game elements, the plurality of game elements further comprising multiple copies of unique individual game elements, with one or more of the unique individual game elements having fewer copies than the other unique individual game elements. Ideally the game elements are freely tradable among players such that each player obtains and constructs their own set of game elements to thereby complete against the set of game elements of other players. This form of the game can also include articles or a method of tracking the life value, such as counters, to enable a player to determine when the player's life value has reached zero and the player is eliminated from the game.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the game elements comprise one or more state-altering elements that enable a player to alter the state of the game elements, the rules of play, and any player. The game elements can also include one or more defense elements that defend against a state-altering element. State-altering effects include modifying the effect of other game elements and rules, and also reducing a players life value, requiring elimination of other game elements, and suspension of one or more rules of play.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the game elements comprise hand-holdable cards.
In another form, the present invention is further directed to a game for two or more players comprising energy elements and command elements, with the command elements having commands associated therewith that utilize the energy elements to effectuate the commands, thereby enabling a player to change the state of and defeat other players. The command elements further include one or more attack elements that enable a player to change the state of the energy elements; the command elements, and any other player, such as reducing a player's life value, eliminating command or energy elements, or modifying the effect of game elements and rules. Preferably, the command elements also include one or more defense elements that enable a player to defend against an attack on the player, the energy elements, and the command elements. The defense elements can be a component of the attack elements.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the game includes rules of play, and the command elements also include one or more commands that enable a player to alter one or more rules of play. In addition, the command elements include one or more effect commands that enable a player to alter the effect of the energy elements, the command elements, and the rules of play. The effect commands can alter the effect of the energy elements, the command elements, and the rules of play for the entire game or for only a potion of the time the game is being played.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the energy elements and the command elements are in the form of hand-holdable cards that comprise command cards having one or more commands associated therewith and energy cards. The command cards include one or more cards having commands that enable a player to attack energy cards, command cards, and any player to thereby inflict damage and defeat opposing players. The attack command cards may enable a player to defend against attack.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the command cards include one or more cards having commands that enable a player to alter the effect of energy cards and command cards, to alter or modify one or more rules of play and the state of a player, or to provide energy.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the energy cards have a playing face with indicia thereon indicating the level of energy provided by the energy card. In addition, one or more of the command cards includes indicia of the level of energy required to effectuate a command associated therewith. In addition, the energy cards may be comprised of a plurality of different types of energy cards, with the type of energy provided by each card being indicated by indicia thereon. The indicia may include symbols, words, numbers, or a color scheme. The one or more command cards may themselves require energy to be put into play, and the amount and type of energy required is indicated on the command card with symbols, words, numbers, a design or a color scheme that matches the indicia on the corresponding energy card.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention, the command cards include a plurality of attack cards that enable a player to alter the state of other attack cards or other players, each attack card having on the face thereof indicia indicating the level of energy required as well as
Layno Benjamin H.
Mendiratta V K
Perkins Coie LLP
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
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