Electronic game system using a trading-card-type electronic recording medium

Abstract

Game control section executes a game program on the basis of data relating to an object appearing in a game and a control signal given from a controller, to cause the game to progress and generate an image signal and sound signal. Display and sound generating section visually displays the image signal and audibly reproduce the sound signal. Electronic recording medium, in the form of a trading card, stores the data relating to the object that is caused to vary as the game progresses, and contains a memory capable of rewriting data stored therein. This electronic recording medium has an outer appearance similar to that of ordinary commercially-available trading cards. One object is allocated to a single electronic recording medium. The object-relating data represent values that define the attributes of the object appearing during the progression of a game. The attribute values are designed to vary as the game progresses. Data read/write section writes or reads, on the electronic recording medium, the object-relating data stored in the game control section.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic game system comprising: 
 game control section that executes a game program on the basis of data relating to an object appearing in a game and a control signal given from a controller, to cause the game to progress and generate an image signal and a sound signal;    a display and sound generating section that visually displays the image signal and audibly reproduce the sound signal;    a trading-card-type electronic recording medium that stores thereon the data relating to the object caused to vary as the game progresses; and    a data read/write section that writes, onto said electronic recording medium, the data relating to the object stored in said game control section, or reads out, from said electronic recording medium, the data relating to the object.    
     
     
         2 . An electronic game system as recited in  claim 1  wherein a character image and/or design of the object appearing in the game are visibly provided on a surface of said electronic recording medium.  
     
     
         3 . An electronic game system as recited in  claim 2  which can vary a character characterizing an attribute of said electronic recording medium by sticking, onto a surface of said electronic recording medium, an adhesive seal that has the character image and/or design printed thereon.  
     
     
         4 . An electronic game system as recited in  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the objects can appear in the game program and an electronic recording medium with a different data content can be used for each of the objects, and wherein, at least upon start of the game, the data relating to one or more of the objects are read out, via said data read/write section, from one or more of the electronic recording media so that the read-out data are used in the game.  
     
     
         5 . An electronic game system as recited in  claim 1  wherein when the attribute of the object stored on said electronic recording medium is caused to vary during progression of the game, data representative of the varied attribute is written into said electronic recording medium via said data read/write section in the course of the game.  
     
     
         6 . An electronic game system as recited in  claim 1  wherein when the attribute of the object stored on said electronic recording medium is caused to vary during progression of the game, data representative of the varied attribute is written into said electronic recording medium via said data read/write section upon termination of the game.  
     
     
         7 . A trading card for use with an electronic game device comprising: 
 a card surface bearing a character image and/or design of an object appearing in a game to be played on said electronic game device; and    an electronic storage section that is provided within said trading card and stores therein data relating to the object appearing in the game in such a manner that the data can be read and written via said electronic game device.    
     
     
         8 . A machine-readable recording medium containing a group of instructions of a game-performing program to be executed by a processor, said game-performing program comprising: 
 a first step of reading out, from a trading-card-type electronic recording medium, data relating to an object appearing in a game and loading the read-out data into an internal register, a character image and/or design of the object being visibly provided on a surface of said electronic recording medium;    a second step of executing a given game program on the basis of said data relating to the object appearing in a game loaded by said first step, to thereby generate image and sound signals during the course of the game; and    a third step of writing, onto said electronic recording medium, said data relating to the object caused to vary in accordance with progression of the game.    
     
     
         9 . A machine-readable recording medium as recited in  claim 8  wherein said game-performing program further comprises a step of loading the given game program from an external memory into an internal memory and said second step executes the game program loaded in said internal memory.  
     
     
         10 . A machine-readable recording medium as recited in  claim 8  wherein a plurality of the objects can appear in said game program and a trading-card-type electronic recording medium with a different data content can be used for each of the objects, and wherein said first step reads out data relating to one or more of the objects from one or more of the electronic recording media.