U.S. patent application number 10/326497 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-22 for educational interactive games.
This patent application is currently assigned to Cashflow Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gipp, David A., Herman, Douglas W., Rogan, Philip A..
Application Number | 20040076931 10/326497 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32095722 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040076931 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rogan, Philip A. ; et
al. |
April 22, 2004 |
Educational interactive games
Abstract
An educational interactive game of the invention includes a
system for teaching financial skills to players, and in particular,
children in the context of an interactive electronic game. Each
player is initially provided a predetermined amount of periodic
earned income, periodic expenses and a predetermined amount of cash
on hand. These items are represented by corresponding indicia on an
electronic display. An object of the game is for a player to
generate passive income greater than the player's expenses by
encountering game events that provide a player the opportunity to
make financial choices to affect the desired outcome.
Inventors: |
Rogan, Philip A.; (Bozeman,
MT) ; Gipp, David A.; (Bozeman, MT) ; Herman,
Douglas W.; (Sammamish, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
Two Renaissance Square
Suite 2700
40 North Central Avenue
Phoenix
AZ
85004-4498
US
|
Assignee: |
Cashflow Technologies, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
32095722 |
Appl. No.: |
10/326497 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60420083 |
Oct 18, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
434/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2011/0016 20130101;
A63F 3/00063 20130101; G09B 19/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
434/107 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A game for teaching financial principles, the game comprising: a
plurality of player status indicia which are analogous to financial
status conditions including liquid capital, expenses, and income
producing assets; and a plurality of game event indicia analogous
to events affecting a player's financial status including payday
events, investment opportunity events and expense events, wherein
the plurality of status indicia and game event indicia comprise
indicia not associated with financial subject matter.
2. The game of claim 1 wherein the plurality of player status
indicia and game event indicia reflect subject matter appeasing to
children.
3. The game of claim 2 wherein the plurality of status indicia
comprise indicia of one or more vegetables, indicia of a vegetable
garden and indicia of one or more animals.
4. The game of claim 3 wherein the indicia of one or more
vegetables comprise carrots that represent a player's liquid
capital, wherein the indicia of a vegetable garden comprises a
carrot garden that represents a player's income producing assets,
and wherein the indicia of one or more animals comprise bunnies
that represent a player's expenses.
5. The game of claim 2 wherein the plurality of game event indicia
comprise indicia of an opportunity to trade one or more vegetables
for one or more packets of seeds to grow vegetables, indicia of
encountering a visit from one or ore animals, and indicia of a
harvest.
6. The game of claim 1 wherein the plurality of player status
indicia and game event indicia comprise images generated by a
processor and displayed on a screen.
7. The game of claim 1 further comprising selectable level of play
indicia displayed to a player to select a level of play.
8. The game of claim 1 further comprising tutorial indicia
displayed to a player to instruct the player how to play the
game.
9. The game of claim 1 further comprising selectable coloring book
indicia displayed to a player to enable the player to print a
coloring book image.
10. The game of claim 3 further comprising selectable random
movement indicia displayed to a player to enable the player to
randomly encounter the game event indicia.
11. The game of claim 3 further comprising selectable add and
remove player indicia.
12. The game of claim 3 further comprising player character indicia
and dice indicia, the dice indicia including one or more user
selectable dots a total of which representing a total number of
movements to be moved by the player character indicia, wherein when
each of the one or more dots is selected by a player, the player
character indicia moves once.
13. A method of playing a game comprising: initiating a game event
sequence generator; encountering various game events designated by
the game event sequence generator, wherein the various game events
comprises indicia representing (i) receiving food, harvesting food
and feeding one or more hungry characters, (ii) visits from
additional hungry characters, and (iii) opportunities to trade food
on hand for objects to improve an amount of food that may be
harvested; and growing enough food to feed all of the one or more
hungry characters.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the various game events
encountered further comprises bonus opportunity events.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the various game events
encountered further comprises unexpected visits from an undesirable
character.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the food comprise vegetables and
wherein the objects comprise one or more seeds for growing
food.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the player luring the
undesirable character to leave.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the undesirable character
comprises a skunk.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the undesirable character
comprises a skunk and wherein the player lures the skunk to leave
using a vegetable.
20. The method of claim 14 wherein the bonus opportunity event
comprises one of an award of one or more vegetables, an award of
one or more vegetable seeds, or an opportunity to get rid of at
least one of the one or more hungry characters.
21. An interactive electronic game for teaching financial skills to
one or more players, the game comprising: indicia of cash on hand;
indicia of a financial statement for each player including indicia
of passive income, periodic expenses, assets and liabilities
associated with a player; indicia of a plurality of game events
potentially affecting at least one of the indicia of cash on hand
or an aspect of the indicia of the financial statement, said
plurality of game events including an opportunity to purchase
assets with cash on hand to generate passive income; and user
selectable payment indicia comprising various selectable
denominations to apply toward payments required for certain ones of
the plurality of game events.
22. The interactive electronic game of claim 21 wherein the user
selectable payment indicia comprise balance sheet indicia and
denomination indicia.
23. The interactive electronic game of claim 22 wherein the balance
sheet indicia comprises numerical amounts for a player's original
cash on hand, selected cash and remaining cash on hand.
24. The interactive electronic game of claim 23 wherein the user
selectable payment indicia further comprises remaining payment
indicia.
25. The interactive electronic game of claim 22 wherein the user
selectable payment indicia further comprise reset indicia and
cancel transaction indicia.
26. The interactive electronic game of claim 21 further comprising
banker indicia appearing when a financial transactions occurs, said
banker indicia including visual indicia of a background portion and
one or more slots in the background portion corresponding to one or
more banking aspects including paid expenses, earned salary and
earned passive income.
27. The interactive electronic game of claim 26 wherein the banker
indicia further comprises and one or more money indicia animated to
move between the background portion and the indicia of the
financial statement.
28. The interactive electronic game of claim 27 wherein the
animated money indicia comprises red colored money indicia entering
the one or more slots and green colored money indicia exiting the
one or more slots.
29. The interactive electronic game of claim 21 further comprising
user selectable add player and remove player indicia.
30. The interactive electronic game of claim 21 wherein the
plurality of game events further includes a bonus opportunity
comprising a monetary award.
31. The interactive electronic game of claim 30 wherein an amount
the monetary award is identified by user selectable random cash
award indicia.
32. The interactive electronic game of claim 31 wherein the user
selectable random cash award indicia comprise spinner indicia
including a user initiated animated needle for animating spinning,
spinner background indicia identifying various cash awards and a
spinner initiation selector indicia for initiating the movement of
the animated needle.
33. The interactive electronic game of claim 21 further comprising
computer generated audible and visual character indicia animated to
comment on progress a player is making during game play.
34. A system for teaching financial principles, the system
comprising: processing means for generating a plurality of video
game indicia based on machine-readable code; storage means
communicatively coupled to said processing means, said storage for
storing the machine readable code; and the machine readable code
for generating the plurality of video game indicia comprising:
selectable indicia for initiating a game event sequence generator;
indicia of various game events designated by the game event
sequence generator, the indicia of various game events comprising
indicia representing (i) receiving food, harvesting food and
feeding one or more hungry characters, (ii) visits from additional
hungry characters, and (iii) opportunities to trade food on hand
for objects to improve an amount of food that may be harvested; and
indicia of growing food to feed the one or more hungry
characters.
35. The system of claim 34 further comprising output means for
outputting the plurality of video game indicia to a player.
36. The system of claim 35 wherein the output means comprises a
display screen and one or more audio speakers.
37. The system of claim 34 further comprising network means for
providing the plurality of video game indicia to a user from a
remote location.
38. A computer program product comprising machine-readable code
stored on a tangible medium, the machine-readable code comprising:
code for generating and outputting financial game indicia; code for
accepting user input in response to the outputted financial game
indicia; and code for updating the outputted financial game indicia
based on the accepted user input and specified random events,
wherein the financial game indicia comprises: indicia for selecting
a level of play; indicia for tutoring a player how to play; indicia
for opening a saved game, if any; indicia for optionally selecting
a character to play; indicia for optionally inputting a name of the
selected character to play; indicia of cash on hand; indicia of a
financial statement including indicia of income assets, and
periodic expenses, if any, associated with a player; indicia of a
plurality of game events potentially affecting at least one of the
indicia of cash on hand or an aspect of the indicia of the
financial statement, said plurality of game events including an
opportunity to purchase assets with cash on hand to generate
passive income; and user selectable payment indicia to make
payments required for certain ones of the plurality of game
events.
39. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein the user
selectable payment indicia comprise a plurality of selectable
denominations of money.
40. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the user
selectable payment indicia comprise balance sheet indicia and
denomination indicia.
41. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the
denomination indicia comprise a plurality of note indicia having
various denominations, wherein the plurality of monetary note
indicia includes one or more highlighted bills for available
denominations and one or more de-highlighted bills for denomination
bills that are not available.
42. The computer program product of claim 41 wherein a highlighted
bill of the monetary note indicia becomes de-highlighted when
selected.
43. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein the various
denominations comprise denominations of tens, twenties, fifties,
hundreds, five hundreds and thousands.
44. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein the indicia
for selecting a level of play comprises selectable indicia of three
levels of game play.
45. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein the indicia
for selecting a level of play comprises selectable indicia of three
levels of game play including indicia of a first level of game play
that, when selected, directs a player to indicia of a first
financial education game for children having subject matter
analogous to financial principles but without including terms
associated with financial subject matter.
46. The computer program product of claim 45 wherein for the first
level of game play, the indicia of cash on hand is represented by
indicia of available food, the indicia of income assets is
represented by indicia of a food producing nature, and the indicia
of periodic expenses is represented by indicia of consumers of
food.
47. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein the available
food comprises vegetables.
48. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein the financial
game indicia further comprises banker indicia appearing after one
of the plurality of game events occurs.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 119(e) from copending application Ser. No. 60/420,083
entitled Educational Interactive Games, which was filed by the same
inventors on Oct. 18, 2002.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND AUTHORIZATION
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the
Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to interactive games and
methods for teaching. More particularly, but not exclusively, the
invention relates to teaching others through the use of digital
interactive media.
[0005] 2. Related Art
[0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,826,878, and 6,032,957 to Kiyosaki et al.,
and incorporated herein by their reference, disclose respective
methods and games for teaching personal finance, investing and
accounting (collectively and individually referred to herein as
"financial principles") to others. These games and methods have
proven to be successful from both educational and commercial
perspectives. These patents disclose board games and associated
methods in which players learn and reinforce financial principles
through game play using inanimate objects such as various game
cards, boards, tokens and game pieces.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,300, also to Kiyosaki et al. and
incorporated herein by its reference, discloses a mechanism for
teaching financial skills to players, and in particular, to
children, in the context of a game. This patent discloses not only
the use of a board game but also an electronic implementation of
the game that can be actuated or visualized on a display.
[0008] Video games and other types of "interactive" electronic
media have become a primary form of entertainment in the modern
world. As used throughout this disclosure, "interactive" means an
environment in which audio, video, activities and/or other actions
are automatically performed in response to a student, game player,
or other type of participant's input. The use of interactive media
could be important in various educational products or methods.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to utilize interactive media to
teach and/or educate others.
[0009] Additionally, there are significant costs associated with
conventional games, methods and systems used for education. For
example, the financial and environmental costs of producing,
distributing and using educational and gaming materials such as,
paper (e.g., training materials or playing cards), cardboard (e.g.,
book covers or game boards and associated packaging), plastic
(e.g., game pieces, spinners, dice) can be significant. Moreover,
there can be significant costs associated with the design,
manufacture, warehousing and shipping such materials. It would be
beneficial to have educational products and methods that do not
require as great an investment in, or consumption of, these
resources.
[0010] Moreover, conventional systems for educating others have
been traditionally associated with person-to-person contact and/or
required one's presence in a particular physical location, e.g.,
instruction in a classroom or playing a board game in a location
where another person is present. It would be advantageous to
provide methods and systems for providing education in a digital
medium so that students or participants could learn and be educated
at any location with only minimal investment or infrastructure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention addresses one or more of the foregoing
concerns by providing interactive active electronic media, and
tools therefor, that facilitate a user learning one or more
financial lessons. In one example embodiment the lessons correspond
to mathematics, accounting, personal finances and business
opportunities. As used herein, the term "lesson" means learning
instruction related to a selected subject matter. A "curriculum" is
a set of lessons directed toward a selected subject matter.
[0012] The invention includes a system for teaching financial
skills to players, and children in particular, in the context of an
interactive electronic game. Each player is initially provided a
periodic earned income, periodic expenses and an amount of cash on
hand. These items are represented by corresponding indicia on an
electronic display.
[0013] One object of the game is for a player to generate passive
income greater than the player's expenses by encountering game
events which provide the player the opportunity to make financial
choices to affect a desired outcome.
[0014] The game comprises a plurality of electronically displayed
indicia including indicia representing an animated player
character, indicia representing a financial statement associated
with each player, indicia representing a money changing selector,
indicia representing a one or more game events, and indicia
representing a random event selection mechanism. The game may
further include electronically displayed indicia representing game
control features, which may include controls for selecting one or
more of the following options relating to user help, printing,
saving, parental information, and quitting the game.
[0015] The game events may relate to at least one of passive
income, expenses, assets and liabilities of the players and
preferably include opportunities to generate passive income by
purchasing income-producing assets. The financial statement may
include modifiable indicia representing units of passive income,
units of periodic expenses, assets and liabilities and units of
earned income for the player associated with the financial
statement.
[0016] The indicia representing a money changer/selector preferably
includes indicia representing an amount of cash on hand and player
modifiable indicia representing currency denominations for
selecting to pay expenses and making change.
[0017] Also disclosed herein are interactive games using one or
more animated characters for teaching financial principles. In a
preferred embodiment, select animated characters provide advice
and/or commentary on financial principles including income types
and debts, among others.
[0018] The interactive game according to the invention may, in
order for younger children to learn financial principles, not use
financial terms but instead use themes analogous to financial
principles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0019] Additional aspects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description of
the invention in reference to the appended drawings in which like
reference numerals denote like elements and in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for interactive
educational games according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for interactive
education according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for selecting a level
of play according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates indicia for selecting a level of play in
accordance with the method for selecting a level of play described
in reference to FIG. 3;
[0024] FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate flow diagrams for an educational
interactive game according to a first embodiment;
[0025] FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate indicia and sequences of playing a
game according to a first embodiment of the invention; and
[0026] FIGS. 7A-7J illustrate sequences, player actions and game
indicia of an educational interactive game according to various
other embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] A game in accordance with the present invention preferably
teaches money management including how to develop passive income
and/or investment techniques. Additionally, the game may teach
students the nature of salary income (as used herein, salary income
means revenue obtained from working), income assets (as used
herein, this is defined as things that generate revenue without
requiring work), liabilities (as used herein, this is defined as
things that require the player to expend revenue), how earn more
money through acquisition of income assets and basic accounting and
money exchange skills. In general, each player encounters game
events in turn. The player's cash on hand and/or financial
statement are adjusted based upon each game event. The game is
preferably structured so that the first player to achieve a passive
income greater than his or her expenses (or liabilities) wins.
[0028] An interactive educational game according to the invention
may teach basics of money management and money exchange without
requiring pencil, paper, tokens, boards, books, and paper money by
employing electronically displayed visual representations of units
of respective financial status factors including earned income,
passive income, expenses, assets and liabilities. The
electronically displayed visual representations have distinguishing
characteristics from one another, including for example, shape,
size and/or color. Additionally, the educational interactive game
preferably includes visually coordinated (e.g., color/shape coded)
event designators to facilitate association of financial factors
with game events.
[0029] Referring to the block diagram of FIG. 1, one preferred
example of an educational interactive game system 100 of the
present invention includes screen 110, processor 115, one or more
input devices 120, 125, media storage 130, 135 and optionally,
audio output device 140 and/or network 150.
[0030] Screen 110 serves the purpose of facilitating display of
visual game indicia to a game player. Screen 110 may be any type of
device or combination of devices suitable for serving this purpose
including a CRT, LCD, LED display, projector screen and
accompanying projector, plasma display and so on.
[0031] Processor 115 generates visual and/or audible game indicia
based on the media stored in media storage 130, 135 including
processing information to output to screen 110 for displaying the
visual game indicia; processing user input from input device 120,
125, updating the information for output to screen 110 based on
user input; and retrieving and/or reading information from media
storage/reader 130, 135 for generating and processing visual, and
optionally audible, game information. Processor 115 may also
control communications between various system components and
optionally controls: (i) output information to media storage 130,
135 to save game information if desired or a printer (not shown);
and/or (ii) process information for outputting audible game
information to audio output device 140 (if present). Processor 115
may be any single device or combination of devices capable of
performing these functions including one or more microprocessors,
micro-controllers, programmable logic arrays, and optionally any
respective processing peripheral components such as RAMS, ROMS,
data buses, interfaces, power supplies, and/or cabling for
accomplishing the same.
[0032] Input device 120, 125 allows a player to provide interactive
input in response to game indicia displayed on screen 110 and/or
audible indicia output from audio device 140. Input device 120, 125
may be any single device or combination of devices capable of
performing this function including one or more of the following: a
keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a touch screen, interactive motion
detector sensors (e.g., virtual reality sensor components), a
joystick, a gamepad and so on. In one preferred embodiment, a mouse
or joystick 120 is used in conjunction with a keyboard 125.
[0033] Media storage 130, 135 functions to provide information to
processor 115 for processing and outputting visual and/or audible
information to the user and to provide information regarding game
sequencing and game control. Media storage 130, 135 may be any
device or medium for performing these functions (or combination
thereof) including an electronic media reading and/or writing
device for retrieving and storing game information, a media storage
medium such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk or the like which
may be read by an electronic media reading device, and/or any
combination of the two. Media storage 130, 135 may be connected to
processor 115 directly, for example via a bus, parallel port, or
USB connection, or remotely, for example via optional network 150,
such as a LAN or WAN. With remote connection via network 150, media
storage 130, 135 may further include its own respective processing
device (not shown) to facilitate communications with processor 115,
for example, a web server, database server, or other type of
network processing device.
[0034] Optional audio output device 140 functions as a transducer
to convert electrical audio information output by processor 115
based on information from media storage 130, 135, into physical
sound waves to output audible game information to a player. Device
140 may be any single device or combination of devices to
accommodate this function including one or more personal computer
speakers, auxiliary powered speakers, headphones, or, mobile
processing device speakers (e.g., cell phone, or PDA speaker).
[0035] System 100 may be an existing standalone processing device
such as a personal computer, laptop, palm computer, personal
digital assistant, cell phone, hand-held game, electronic board
game, or video game system and accompanying screen that is suitable
for running the interactive gaming software of the present
invention. Alternatively, system 100 may be a network-based system
having distributed components interconnected through network 150.
In one embodiment of a distributed system 100, network 150 is the
Internet.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 2, an overall method 200 for an
educational interactive game may include, from a user perspective,
selecting 210 a level of game play; receiving 220 a tutorial about
financial concepts involved in the level of game play selected;
optionally, selecting 230 a player/character for game play;
optionally, inputting 240 a name for the player or player
character; and playing 250 the educational interactive financial
game until an objective is achieved 255 or the player quits 260.
Method 200 may further include a player retrieving 222, 226
information from a previously saved game as opposed to creating and
naming a new character for game play.
[0037] Turning to FIGS. 3-4, a method 300 and corresponding
electronically displayed indicia 400 for selecting a level of game
play (action 210; FIG. 2) according to one embodiment of the
invention may include an animated character 405 asking (action 310)
the game player to choose a level to play. Animated character 405
may present textual indicia 408 and most preferably, accompanying
audible instructions to the player to accomplish this end. In one
embodiment, an age level of the game player is used for
categorizing the levels of play available for a player to select.
However, any level-distinguishing criteria could also be used such
as grade levels, easy, medium and difficult skill levels and so
on.
[0038] If a player desires to open a previously saved game, method
300 may not be performed and indicia 400 may not be displayed to a
user since the user may have already selected a level of play
and/or character prior to saving the game.
[0039] Notwithstanding, if the player is selecting a level of play,
in preferred embodiments, the player will presented with various
skill level categorizing indicia 410, 415 and 420 to enable a
player to select one of several available levels of play, for
example, by moving a cursor 10 over the desired area and clicking
with a mouse (e.g., 120; FIG. 1) or entering a corresponding digit
or arrow selection using a keyboard (e.g., 125; FIG. 1) to select a
level of play corresponding to indicia 410, 415 and 420.
[0040] In one embodiment, the player is given three levels of
educational interactive game play from which to choose, a first
level (represented by indicia 410 as being suitable for ages five
through seven), a second level (represented by indicia 415 as being
suitable for ages eight through ten) and a third level (represented
by indicia 420 as being suitable for ages 11-14). The number of
skill levels available for play as well as the age group or school
level associated with each skill levels is discretionary and may be
adjusted as desired or as suitably appropriate.
[0041] The player selects 320 the skill level desired to play. In
the preferred embodiment, if the player selects indicia 410,
representing the first or beginning level of play (decision 322),
the player is then presented 324 with the beginning sequences and
animations of that corresponding skill level (e.g., action 220,
FIG. 2). In a preferred embodiment, the beginning level of play is
a game directed toward younger children that may not be familiar
with general financial concepts. This game is referred to herein as
Carrots and Bunnies and is described in further detail
hereafter.
[0042] If the player selects indicia 415, representing the
intermediate level of play (decision 326), the player is then
presented 328 with the beginning sequences and animations of the
game corresponding to an intermediate skill level. In the preferred
embodiment, the intermediate level of play is referred to as
CASHFLOW FOR KIDS for ages eight through ten.
[0043] However, if the player selects indicia 420, representing the
highest level of play, the player is then presented 329 with the
beginning sequences and animations of the game corresponding to
that skill level. In the preferred embodiment, the highest level of
play is referred to as CASHFLOW FOR KIDS for ages eleven through
fourteen.
[0044] Each educational interactive game preferably begins with a
tutorial 220 (FIG. 2) that explains the displayed indicia (and
their respective purposes), definitions, rules, and/or objectives
of the game. This tutorial may be provided using audio and/or
visual information from one or more animated characters and
examples of sequences occurring during actual game play. The
tutorial facilitates a player's rapid understanding of rules,
objects and indicia of actual game play.
Carrots and Bunnies
[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6A-6F, a method of play 500 and
corresponding game indicia 600 for a beginner's level interactive
financial education game will now be described. The beginner's
level is preferably configured to convey financial principles
without the use of money and finance lexicon or symbols, but rather
financial principles are conveyed using symbols and objects that
are more familiar and likeable to a younger age group. These
familiar and likable objects and symbols however are presented to a
young player in a manner in which a game player may associate
principles that are analogous to actual financial principles as
will be better understood from the following description of one
example embodiment.
[0046] In this embodiment, an animated game narrator character
named Toki has a farm for kids to take care of bunnies. The bunnies
however, need carrots to stay in a player's bunny pen. Toki
provides the player a certain number of carrots each harvest day to
take care of the bunnies. However, the player can use the carrots
for buying things such as seeds to grow their own carrots. The
player may also invite more bunnies to come to the pen. The player
must have enough carrots to feed all the bunnies in the bunny pen
or the bunnies will leave. The object of this beginner's
interactive financial education game is to grow enough carrots to
keep the bunnies in the bunny pen.
[0047] When a player's turn begins 502, the player initiates 504 a
random movement generator, for example by positioning cursor 10
over the associated indicia and clicking with a mouse or pressing
enter (see for example FIG. 6A) or some other mechanism for
conveying the players's desire to initiate action. The random
movement generator identifies a game event to be encountered by the
player character. In preferred embodiments, four game events are
possible, a harvest 622 (FIG. 6B), a seed trade 623, a sunshine
event 624 and/or a bunny visit 625.
[0048] In this embodiment, one game event is when Toki periodically
gives the players a certain number of carrots each time a certain
space is landed on or passed. Toki provides four carrots each time
the player passes or lands on a blue harvest space ("harvest"). The
harvest represents payday and the carrots given by Toki represent a
player's salary.
[0049] Another game event is an optional trade for carrot seeds.
Each time the player lands on a carrot seed space, the player is
offered the opportunity to trade carrots (from the player's the
carrots on hand) for carrot seeds to plant in the player's garden.
The cost of the carrot seeds may vary during game play and by the
specific directions of the game event encountered. Each seed packet
will grow a carrot in the player's garden during each harvest.
[0050] Another game event is referred to as a "bunny visit." Each
time a player lands on a bunny visit space, the player has the
choice of inviting a specified number of bunnies to stay or give
the bunnies a specified number of carrots to come back later. Every
bunny in a player's garden eats one carrot during every harvest. If
there are not enough carrots on hand to feed every bunny in the
pen, the bunnies without carrots will leave. Randomly, throughout
the game, a skunk may enter the game and play cannot continue until
the skunk is dispensed with. The skunk represents unexpected
expenses and can be lured off the player's screen, for example into
a hole or through a gate, by dangling a carrot in front of the
skunk in the direction desired to lure the skunk.
[0051] Yet another game event is a sunshine event. Each time a
player lands on, and in certain embodiments passes by, a sunshine
space, the player is offered a bonus. The bonus may include
awarding a specified number of carrots to add to the player's
existing carrots on hand or awarding one or more carrot seed
packets to the player for growing carrots in the player's garden.
The bonus associated with a sunshine card may also include the
opportunity to pay a specified amount of carrots to send bunnies
already in the player's bunny pen away.
[0052] In a preferred embodiment and from a player perspective,
Carrots and Bunnies includes a plurality of electronically
displayed indicia 600 (FIGS. 6A-6F) for representing: periodic
income 602 (e.g., harvest carrots); expenses 604 (e.g., bunnies
that consume carrots); income assets 606 (e.g., carrot seeds
planted in a garden); an amount existing liquid capital 608 (e.g.,
carrots on hand); random player movement generator 612, game event
sequencer 620 and corresponding game event identifier cards (FIGS.
6C-6E).
[0053] Optionally, Carrots and Bunnies further includes one or more
animated character images 610 representing a game character played
by a player, corresponding character name 611 and game menu 650.
Also, optional but preferable, are selectable add and remove player
indicia 630, 631.
[0054] Indicia representing periodic income 602, expenses 604,
income assets 606 and liquid capital (referred to herein as
"carrots on hand" or in later embodiments, "cash on hand") 608
serve the purpose of indicating a player's financial status, and
changes thereto. Preferably indicia 602, 604, 606 and 608 reflect
respective age appropriate symbols that are analogous to financial
aspect associated with each symbol, for example, carrots in
baskets, planted carrots and/or bunnies. These symbols preferably
are accompanied by a numeric value that corresponds to the status
of the financial aspect, for example, the numeral eight adjacent
the bucket of carrots represents that the player has eight carrots
on hand. In a preferred embodiment, a player may start a game with
eight carrots on hand 608, four salary harvest carrots 602, two
bunnies 604, and no carrots planted in the garden 606, however, the
starting values and symbols used are discretionary and may be
changed as desired.
[0055] Indicia for random player movement generator 612 may be any
suitable image or images to reflect randomly distanced movements
for a player's character to navigate game event sequencer 620;
examples of which include numbered or color-coded spinners or die.
Indicia for random player movement generator 612 may be omitted and
in its stead, the player character moves about game event sequencer
620 randomly, i.e., without showing any movement generating
indicia. Alternatively, game sequencer 620 may rotate to identify
random game events encountered by a player. In a modified
embodiment, the player may be presented with a question about game
play or financial principles, for which a correct answer will allow
the player to move a predetermined distance and/or a wrong answer
another predetermined distance.
[0056] Game event sequencer 620 functions to identify the random
game events that are encountered by a player based on the player
character's movement determined by random movement reflected by
indicia 612. For example, if indicia 612 reflect a number, the
player's character will encounter the game event (e.g., events
621-627) corresponding to the space on which the character lands
after moving that number of spaces. Alternatively, if indicia 612
are color-coded, the player's character may encounter the game
event determined by the next space on game event sequencer 620 that
corresponds to the color reflected by indicia 612. In one preferred
embodiment, indicia 612 is a die animated to roll and display a
number when a player initiates the roll (e.g., by clicking on
suitable indicia with a mouse). The player may click on each dot
representing the number shown on the rolled die to move the
player's character by increments of one and audible and/or visual
indicators count the player's movement. This embodiment may
facilitate improved counting skills for young players.
[0057] Optional indicia for animated character image 610 and
corresponding character name 611 function to identify a particular
player's turn as well as potentially providing entertainment to the
player. For example, character image 610 may be animated dancing,
talking and moving about event sequencer 620.
[0058] Indicia 650 for game menu functions are also optional and
serve to provide a player with game control options and additional
features. In preferred embodiments, indicia 650 may include menu
buttons 651, 652 and 653 for respective, player help, saving and/or
quitting game options. Additional menu buttons 654, 655 may be made
available for parental information (e.g., lesson content and/or
updating) and/or coloring book printouts options, among others.
100561 Selectable add player indicia 630 and subtract player
indicia 631 are optionally included amongst game indicia 600 to
enable players to begin or leave during a game without effecting
other players' games. In one preferred embodiment, up to five
players may be added by selecting add player indicia 630. Upon
selection of add player indicia 630, each new player is able to
select a predefined game character (e.g., one of variously colored
boy or girl mice) and input a name for the character (e.g., 230,
240; FIG. 2).
[0059] Normal game play (action 250; FIG. 2) resumes after any new
player has been added.
[0060] In a similar manner, when remove player indicia 631 are
selected, indicia for identifying which player to remove (not
shown) are presented on the screen. In a preferred embodiment,
cursor 10 changes from its normal shape (e.g., arrow) into a remove
player/character pointer indicia which may then be moved over the
player character that is desired to be removed and selected, for
example by clicking a mouse button. Selectable confirm player
removal indicia (not shown) may then optionally appear on the
screen to confirm that the selected player/character should be
removed from game play. After confirming removal of the
player/character, game play resumes.
[0061] If the player's character passes or lands 508 on a harvest
space (e.g., 622; FIG. 6B), the player receives 512 an amount of
carrots identified by indicia 602 into the player's carrots on hand
608. The player further receives 516 a carrot for each seed planted
in garden 606 and a carrot is subtracted 520 (from carrots on hand
608) for each bunny present in pen 604. If it is determined 524
that there are enough carrots are on hand to feed all the bunnies,
play continues. However, if the player does not have enough carrots
on hand to feed all the bunnies, the game is over and may be
restarted 528 from the beginning. In an alternate embodiment, the
number of bunnies without carrots will leave the players bunny pen.
In this alternate embodiment, the player must accumulate a certain
amount of bunnies in the bunny pen (e.g., by encountering bunny
visit game events) in order to be eligible to win.
[0062] If the player's character lands 532 on a bunny visit space
(e.g., 621, 625; FIG. 6B), the player is given the choice 536
whether to invite a stated number of bunnies to the player's bunny
pen or give the bunnies a stated number of carrots (from carrots on
hand 608) to go away and come back later (see, e.g., FIG. 6C). If
the player invites 536 the bunnies to visit his/her bunny pen, it
is determined 540 whether the player has enough carrots on hand to
feed all the bunnies, including the newly invited bunnies. If not,
the game ends and is restarted 528 as discussed above.
Alternatively, if the player does have enough carrots on hand, the
bunnies are added to the pen 542 and the player's turn ends while
play passes 544 to the next player if any. The determination of
whether the player possesses enough carrots on hand to feed the
bunnies may be made after passing or landing on a harvest space. If
however, the player chooses not to invite the bunnies, the number
of carrots specified is deducted 548 from the player's carrots on
hand and play passes to the next player if any 544.
[0063] When the player's character lands 552 on a carrot seed
space, the player is offered the opportunity to trade a specified
number of carrots for a specified number of carrot seeds to plant
in the player's garden (see, e.g., FIG. 6D). If the player decides
to make the trade 556, the specified number of carrot seeds are
added 560 to the player's garden and the number of carrots required
for the trade are deducted from the player's carrots on hand (see
FIG. 6E).
[0064] When the player's character lands 568 on a sunshine space
(e.g., 624; FIG. 6B), the player is offered an added bonus such as
those previously specified. The bonus event is performed, for
example adding carrots to carrots on hand, and the player's turn
ends followed by the next player's turn 544, or if there are no
other players, the current player's next turn 502. In certain other
embodiments, if a player passes the sunshine space, the player is
awarded the bonus and further encounters the game event of the
space on which he/she landed.
[0065] Referring to FIGS. 5B and 6F, an optional random event that
may be included in the interactive financial education games of the
present invention includes the occurrence of unexpected expenses
during game play. In a preferred embodiment of Carrots and Bunnies,
unexpected expenses take the form a skunk attack (method 580, FIG.
5B; indicia 670; FIG. 6F). At random times during the course of
method 500 (FIG. 5A) of game play, skunk attack indicia 670 may
appear (action 582) on the player's screen. Skunk attack indicia
670 preferably includes indicia representing an animated skunk 672,
and indicia representing a skunk attack background portion 674
including indicia representing a skunk hole 676.
[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the player uses cursor 10 to
selectably drag (action 584) a carrot (e.g., carrot 609; FIG. 6F)
from the player's carrots on hand to skunk attack indicia 670.
Using cursor 10, the player positions (action 586) carrot 609 near
skunk 672 in a direction the player desires to lure skunk 672
(e.g., towards skunk hole 676). If carrot 609 is not placed close
enough to skunk 672 it may be ignored. However, if carrot 609 is
place too close to skunk 672, the skunk will eat the carrot
(decision 588). If the carrot is consumed, the player must use
another carrot from the available carrots on hand to repeat the
processes until skunk 672 is lured into skunk hole 676 (decision
590). If the player runs out of carrots on hand (decision 592), the
player is no longer able to lure skunk 672 into hole 676 and must
quit the current game.
[0067] The games, methods and systems of this embodiment of the
invention are directed to familiarize young children, e.g., ages
5-8, with basic principles used in financial accounting and cash
flow management.
Cashflow for Kids
[0068] The interactive educational game Cashflow for Kids for
intermediate and upper skill level players conveys similar
principles about financial education as Carrots and Bunnies, except
that Cashflow for Kids ages 8-10 and ages 11-14 utilizes actual
financial terms instead of symbolic analogies.
[0069] Turning to FIGS. 7A-7J, in a preferred embodiment, game 700
includes electronically displayed indicia representing: a financial
statement 701; random movement selector 712; game event sequencer
720 and corresponding event identifying spaces and optionally,
animated character image 710; corresponding character/player name
711 and game menu controls 750.
[0070] Financial statement indicia 701 may include any mechanism
for providing suitable visual of an associated player's financial
status. In a preferred embodiment, financial statement indicia 701
include a compilation of indicia representing, by way of example:
periodic income 702; expenses 704; passive income from investments
706; an amount liquid capital 708 (i.e., cash on hand) and in the
most preferred embodiments, indicia 709 representing current levels
of assets and liabilities in the respective player's
possession.
[0071] Indicia representing periodic income or salary 702, expenses
704, passive income 706 and cash on hand 608 serve the purpose of
indicating a player's financial status, and changes thereto during
game play. Preferably indicia 702, 704, 706 and 708 depict a
player's status in regard to the respective economic aspect using
shape-coded and/or color-coded spaces and tokens as well as a
numeric value associated with each financial aspect. For example,
earned income (e.g., salary) indicia 702 may comprise tokens and
spaces therefor in the form of blue triangles, passive income
indicia 706 in the form of green circles and corresponding tokens,
and expenses indicia 704 in the form of red squares and
corresponding tokens.
[0072] Indicia for random movement selector 712 may be any suitable
image or images to reflect randomly generated movement distances
for a player's character to navigate game event sequencer 720.
Indicia 712 may be similar to those previously discussed in respect
to the Carrots and Bunnies embodiments of the invention.
[0073] Game event sequencer 720 functions to identify random game
events encountered by a player based on random movement selector
indicia 712 and may comprise any suitable indicia to serve this
function. For example, if indicia 712 reflect a number, the
player's character will encounter the game event corresponding to
the space on sequencer 720 that the player's character lands after
moving from a beginning point, the number of spaces identified by
indicia 712. Alternatively, if indicia 712 are color-coded, the
player's character may encounter the game event determined by the
next space on game event sequencer 720 that corresponds to the
color reflected by indicia 712. Optional indicia for animated
character image 710 and corresponding character name 711 function
to identify a particular player's turn as well as potentially
providing entertainment to the player, e.g., character image 710
may be animated during game play to dance, talk and move about
event sequencer 720.
[0074] Game event sequencer 720 may include a plurality of spaces,
e.g., spaces 721-724, corresponding to various game event
categories. In a preferred embodiment, event categories include
Investments, Expenses, Sunshine events, and Paydays. In one
preferred embodiment, sequencer 720 includes two blue payday spaces
721, fourteen green Investment spaces 722, six red Expenses spaces
723 and one yellow Sunshine card space 724, although the number of
each type of space and respective colors can vary. However, as
specified above, each event category corresponds to its respective
subject matter by color; e.g., green representing revenue or money
opportunities, red representing debt, or yellow represent
sunshine.
[0075] Indicia 750 for game menu functions are optional (e.g., game
menu functions would not be present in traditional board game
implementations) and serve to provide a player with game control
options and additional features. In preferred embodiments, game
control indicia 750 may include menu buttons 751-753 for
respectively, player help, and saving/quitting games. Additional
menu buttons 754, 755 may be made available for parental
information, e.g., lesson content, updating game versions via a
website, and/or various printing options, among others.
[0076] At the beginning of play, each player is provided with an
amount of the following: earned income 702 (e.g., $1000.00);
expenses 704 (e.g., $700.00); and cash on hand 708 (e.g.,
$3000.00), but any amounts may be used and different players could
have different amounts.
[0077] A player's turn begins by initiating random movement
selector 712, for example, by moving cursor 10 over indicia 712 and
clicking with a mouse (e.g., 120; FIG. 1) or pressing enter on a
keyboard (e.g., 125; FIG. 1) or selecting indicia 712 with some
other input device. The game responds to the players input by
generating a random movement identifier, using basic random
generating algorithms, and displays the random movement identifier
as indicia 712, e.g., roll of eight on dice (FIG. 7B).
[0078] In one embodiment, the player's character 710 is animated to
move to the position on sequencer 720 that corresponds to the
random movement indicia 712; for example, eight spaces from
position A to position B. At position B, character 710 lands on a
green Investment space 722 and encounters a game event specified on
subsequently displayed Asset Card indicia 731. In an example
embodiment depicted in FIG. 7C, the game event specified by Asset
Card indicia 731 offers the player an opportunity to buy an income
asset, e.g., securities.
[0079] In preferred embodiments, Asset Card 731 includes a visual
and/or audible description of an arbitrary income asset, the price
it will cost the player to purchase, and the amount of passive
income that will be derived from purchase of the income asset.
[0080] The player may decide not to buy the available income asset
by selecting the appropriate indicia, e.g., selectable indicia 733
indicating "no thanks" or other similar indicia for the player to
decline the offer. Alternatively, the player may decide to buy the
offered securities by selecting offer acceptance indicia 732, which
indicates the player's willingness to buy the available income
asset.
[0081] If the player selects offer acceptance indicia 732, the
player pays for the asset using available cash on hand 708. In a
preferred embodiment user selectable payment indicia 760 (FIG. 7D)
appears on the player's screen to accomplish this end. User
selectable payment indicia 760 serves to allow the player to select
various denominations of money for paying owed amounts, e.g., newly
encountered income assets and/or expenses. Indicia 760 further
serve the purpose of reinforcing and/or educating the player about
mathematics involved with various monetary denominations including
counting and making change.
[0082] User selectable payment indicia 760 may be any suitable
image or combination of images and corresponding user interface
code to serve these purposes. In one embodiment, indicia 760
comprises a combination of informational and user selectable
indicia including balance sheet indicia 762, denomination indicia
764, remaining payment indicia 766, reset indicia 768 and cancel
transaction indicia 769.
[0083] Balance sheet indicia 762 preferably reflects to the player,
the amount of cash on hand available before the payment
transaction, the amount of cash currently selected for payment, and
the amount of cash on hand remaining after the cash selected for
payment is deducted from starting value of cash on hand. Indicia
762 may be any visual image or combination of images to serve these
purposes including numerical expressions and/or graph
expressions.
[0084] Denomination indicia 764 are presented for a user to select
denominations of available cash on hand for paying expenses.
Denomination indicia 764 may be any suitable visual representation
and corresponding user interface code suitable for this purpose. In
a preferred embodiment, denomination indicia 764 include
representations of a plurality of monetary denominations including
tens, twenties, fifties, hundreds, five hundreds and thousand
dollar bill denominations. Indicia 764 preferably comprise a
plurality of bill faces, e.g., five, for each denomination. The
bill faces are highlighted depending on the number and type of bill
denominations available to the player. A user may select a
highlighted bill, e.g., using cursor 10, to add the amount of bill
face value to the total of cash selected and subtract from the
amount of cash on hand remaining (represented by indicia 762).
[0085] Once a highlighted bill is selected, that bill is
de-highlighted. When only one bill of a particular denomination
remain highlighted, and if that bill is selected, user selectable
payment indicia 760 will make change from one or more higher
denomination bills, if available, thereby de-highlighting the
higher denomination bill(s) used to make change, and highlighting
at least one bill of the denomination desired. User selectable
payment indicia 760 is preferably configured to maintain at least
one highlighted bill for each denomination available based on the
player's cash on hand. For example, if a player only has two
hundred dollars cash on hand, the thousand denomination and five
hundred denomination would not have any highlighted bills while the
one hundred, fifty, twenty and ten denominations would preferably
each have at least one highlighted bill.
[0086] In one version of the code supporting the functionality of
user selectable payment indicia 760, a de-highlighted bill may be
selected by the user to remove that amount from the cash previously
selected by the player (reflected by indicia762). For example, if
the player has a payment balance of $80 and selected a $100
denomination bill for payment, the player would have a balance of
plus $20. The player could then select a de-highlighted bill from
the $20 denomination indicia which would then subtract a value of
$20 from the cash selected (originally $100, now $80) and the
selected de-highlighted twenty would become highlighted.
[0087] Remaining payment indicia 766 reflects the amount of money
left to pay for the purchase. In preferred embodiments, a user is
forced to manipulate the denomination indicia 764 individually to
select the exact value represented by remaining payment indicia
766. Once the item has been paid for with the appropriated amount
of money, a user selectable "OK" may appear in the remaining
payment indicia 766. When the player selects the "OK" represented
by indicia 766, e.g. using cursor 10, user selectable payment
indicia 760 are removed from the screen and the user continues with
his/her turn.
[0088] Reset indicia 768 are provided for a player to selectably
reset indicia 760 to its original display of bill denomination
indicia 764, remaining payment indicia 766 and balance sheet
indicia 762, i.e., before the user selected any denominations of
cash to apply towards the purchase price. Indicia 768 may be any
image or combination of images and corresponding user interface
code to accomplish this purpose.
[0089] Cancel transaction indicia 769 are provided for a user to
selectably cancel the current payment transaction and return the
player back to the previous screen, e.g., view the game event card
731. Indicia 768 may be any suitable image or images and
corresponding user interface code suitable for this purpose.
[0090] The money-changing/selecting features of the present
invention utilize machine readable code executed by a computer
processor (e.g., processor 115; FIG. 1) to perform the foregoing
functions. The program for supporting the money-changing
functionality may have a wide range of purposes outside that of
educational interactive games, such as currency exchange and/or
other financial applications. Notwithstanding, for the educational
interactive games of the present invention, money changer/selector
indicia and corresponding computer coded functionality assists
children in developing/reinforcing mathematics and accounting
skills during game play.
[0091] Play continues after paying for the item and removal of the
user selectable payment indicia 760 from the screen by updating
game event indicia 731 to reflect the purchased items (FIG. 7E). In
preferred embodiments, the player drags passive income token
indicia 734, representing the newly purchased passive income items,
to appropriate spaces in passive income indicia 706 and the
numerical amount of the player's passive income is updated
accordingly. Additionally, the player drags a displayed asset
indicia 735, representing the newly acquired asset, to a
corresponding portion of asset and liabilities indicia 709 of
balance sheet indicia 701. Once balance sheet indicia 701 are
updated to reflect the encountered game event, the player's turn
ends and play passes to the next player, if any.
[0092] In a similar fashion, when a player's character encounters a
game space 723 of the Expenses game event category (FIG. 7F),
Expense Card indicia 741 are displayed to the player. Expense Card
indicia preferably include a textual description of the type of
expense encountered, e.g., buy new wheels for your skateboard, and
the option of: (i) paying for the expense over the course of time;
or (ii) paying for the expense out of available cash on hand. The
player may chose the manner of paying desired by selecting either
add to expense indicia 742 or pay now indicia 743. Selectable
payment indicia 742 and 743 may be presented using any visual
representation and corresponding user interface code suitable for
these purposes. In preferred embodiments, add to expense indicia
include tokens corresponding to shapes of expenses indicia 704, in
balance sheet indicia 701, e.g., red squares, as well as numerical
identifiers identifying the dollar amount for each expense
token.
[0093] If the player decides to add the expense to periodic expense
indicia 704, the player selects add expense indicia 742, using for
example, cursor 10, and then drags the corresponding tokens to
provided spaces of expense indicia 704 and/or liability image (not
shown) to the assets and liabilities section of. If however, the
player selects "pay now" indicia 743, user selectable payment
indicia 760 (FIG. 7D) are displayed to the player for paying the
encountered expenses from cash on hand (not shown). By way of
example, in the depicted embodiment (FIGS. 7F-7G), the player chose
to add the incurred expenses to his/her periodic expense indicia
704 rather than pay it directly out of available cash on hand
708.
[0094] In the preferred embodiments, the other two game event
spaces, i.e., Payday spaces 721 and Sunshine spaces 724, on game
sequencer 720 are encountered by the player's character whenever
they are landed on OR passed. This is optional but preferred in
embodiments when there are fewer Payday spaces 721 and Sunshine
spaces 724 than Expense spaces 723 and Investment spaces 722.
[0095] When a player passes or lands on blue Payday space 721, the
player receives a net income into their cash on hand 708. The net
income received equals the sum of the players earned income
(represented by indicia 702) and passive income if any,
(represented by indicia 706) less the player's expenses
(represented by indicia 704). The player's cash on hand (indicia
708) is updated to reflect the net income; that is cash on hand is
incremented by the net income if the player's total income exceeds
his/her expenses and/or decremented by a net loss if the player's
expenses exceed the total income
[0096] When a player's character lands on or passes a Sunshine
space 724, game 700 displays Sunshine Card indicia 771 to the
player (FIG. 7G). Sunshine Card indicia 771 preferably includes a
description of a random game event encountered by a player and one
or more selector indicia 772 to enable the player to accept the
random game event and continue on. Any visual image or combination
of images as well as corresponding user interface code may be used
that are suitable for these purposes. As shown in the depicted
example of FIG. 7G, Sunshine Card indicia 771 indicates that the
player has received a two hundred dollar raise in salary. The
player is then prompted to select indicia 772 and drag tokens
presenting the added salary to corresponding spaces in periodic
income indicia 702.
[0097] Turning to FIGS. 7H-7I, another type of Sunshine Card
indicia 775, by way of example, informs the player via textual
and/or audible indicia that the player will receive a cash reward
for finding a lost wallet. The user is then prompted to select
selector indicia 777, to find out how much cash the player will
receive into his/her cash on hand. Upon selection of indicia 777,
random cash award indicia 780 is presented to the user for randomly
determining the amount for the reward (or other type of random cash
award) (FIG. 7I). The user then initiates the random cash award
indicia 780 to identify the amount of the cash award at random.
Indicia 780 may be any image or combination of images,
corresponding code for generating the images and functionality and,
if desired accompanying audible sound to serve this purpose.
[0098] In a preferred embodiment random cash award indicia 780
comprises spinner indicia 782 including an animated needle 783 for
animating the spinning, spinner background indicia 784 illustrating
various cash award available to be awarded depending where needle
783 ends up, and a spinner initiation selector 786 for the player
to initiate the movement of animated needle 783.
[0099] Sunshine events are unexpected events randomly selected by
the game (based on random selection programming techniques). In
preferred embodiments, Sunshine events are good things that may
happen to a user throughout the course of game play. However,
Sunshine events could also include any random event that happens to
a player during game play, or another category of spaces for random
bad events could be included on game sequencer 720.
[0100] A player wins when he/she has enough passive income (indicia
706) to pay for all expenses (indicia 704). In preferred
embodiments, the player is notified that they have succeeded in
obtaining financial freedom by having a greater passive income than
their expensive but is allowed to continue playing if the player so
desires.
[0101] Turning to FIG. 7J, in certain embodiments of the invention,
indicia 790 for representing an automated banker may be presented
on the screen when financial transactions occur, e.g., when a
player passes a payday space and receives income and/or when a
player pays for an asset or expense. In the preferred embodiments,
banker indicia 790 includes a background portion 791, one or more
slots 792 corresponding to one or more banking aspects, for
example, expenses, salary, investments and/or expenses, and one or
more money indicia 796 animated to move between background portion
791 and the player's financial statement. In the most preferred
embodiments, animated money indicia 796 is colored red going into
the bank, for example for paying expenses and colored green when
coming out of the bank and into the player's financial statement.
When financial transactions are complete, banker indicia 790 are
removed from the screen. This aspect of the invention demonstrates
to the player where the player's money goes and where it comes
from.
[0102] Differences between the Cashflow for Kids intermediate level
of play (328; FIG. 3) and advanced level of play (329; FIG. 3) may
include varying the difficulty of the game. Such variances might
include: (i) varying data for game events to be more suitable for
an older age group; (ii) more sophisticated financial terms and
game events; (iii) increasingly difficult starting values, such as
lower salary and higher starting expenses; (iv) increasingly
difficult game event sequencing layout, such as more expenses
spaces than investment spaces and others; and (v) adding additional
types of game event categories.
[0103] In optional embodiments of the games described herein, an
animated character, e.g., Toki, appears after each player's turn
and complements the player on what they are doing well and/or
points out potential problems with the player's balance sheet or
strategy. By way of example, an image of Toki appears after a
player's turn accompanied by an audible voice and says,
"congratulations, you are doing well, you are increasing your
passive income" or "be careful, you may not have enough carrots to
lure the skunk away."
[0104] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the methods/games
described herein are performed using a system described in
reference to FIG. 1, wherein the media processed by processor 115
is a machine-readable code stored on media storage 130, 135.
However, the present invention is not limited only to
computer-based implementations. In fact the methods and games
described herein may be implemented using traditional formats such
as board games, card games and the like where applicable.
[0105] The machine-readable code in exemplary embodiments of the
invention is produced on a CDROM, DVDROM or other memory medium
using an interactive video presentation tool that enables the
author to create user interactive presentations based on a
scripting language. In the preferred embodiments, DIRECTOR version
8.5 available from MACROMEDIA, was used to create the code for the
interactive educational games of the present invention.
[0106] Additionally, a lip sync tool was used for importing
animated character lip sync files into a lip sync library
referenced by the presentations prepared using DIRECTOR. DIRECTOR
does not have any existing way to lip sync animated characters
accurately. Consequently, the present inventors used a third party
video-audio synchronization tool for synchronizing certain audio
presentations of the educational interactive games with video
animation. In particular, the mouth movements of the animated
characters were synchronized with character voice files using a
commercially available program known as MAGPIE Pro version 1.25
available from Third Wish Software and Animation. MAGPIE Pro
outputs a text synchronization file that may be adapted to be
referenced by a presentation created in DIRECTOR.
[0107] Unless contrary to physical possibility, the inventor
envisions that (i) the methods and systems described herein may be
performed in any sequence and/or combination; and (ii) the
components or items of respective embodiments may be combined in
any manner.
[0108] Although there have been described preferred embodiments of
this novel invention, many variations and modifications are
possible and the embodiments described herein are not limited by
the specific disclosure above, but rather should be limited only by
the scope of the appended claims and legal equivalents thereof.
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