Interactive games for teaching financial principles

Abstract

Electronic media for teaching others financial principles includes an interactive game that includes a financial lesson. The interactive game may be remotely accessed by users via a network such as the Internet. In certain embodiments the interactive game includes (i) a lesson portion; (ii) a game play portion; and, optionally, (iii) a lesson reinforcement portion. In other embodiments the interactive game includes one or more rewards for successfully completing each interactive game. Such rewards may include a certificate of achievement and/or access to an otherwise inaccessible game.

1 . A method for teaching financial principles, the method comprising: 
 enabling a user to access, through a communications medium, an interactive game implemented in a computer system, the interactive game having one or more game characters animated to (i) convey one or more financial lessons to the user and (ii) ask the user to provide input about the one or more financial lessons.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising rewarding the user for successfully providing the input.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the rewarding comprises enabling the user to access an otherwise inaccessible game.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the rewarding comprises issuing an achievement award to the user.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the achievement award comprises a certificate including a name of the user and a description of the one or more financial lessons for which the user successfully provided the input.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more game characters are further animated to reinforce the one or more financial lessons to the user.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the enabling of the user to access the interactive game comprises: 
 allowing the user to select one of a plurality of available interactive games to play; and    allowing the user to select a level of the selected interactive game.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more financial lessons pertain to at least one financial principle selected from the group consisting of debts, return on investment, earned income, charity, profit, elasticity of price and demand, and asset income.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more game characters comprise a first interactive game character that conveys the one or more financial lessons to the user and a second interactive game character that the user is requested to assist.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the user is asked to provide the input about the one or more financial lessons by assisting the second interactive character to make at least one selection.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the at least one selection comprises a selection of one or more available displayed indicia representing one or more products to sell, the selection for enabling the second interactive game character to make the greatest profit.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the interactive game further includes a measuring tool for the user to evaluate an elasticity of price and demand of the one or more products represented by the displayed indicia.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more game characters convey the one or more financial lessons by demonstrating to the user different ways to obtain money.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the different ways to obtain money include one or more working, borrowing and investing.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the demonstrating to the user of how to obtain money by working includes having the user perform a repetitive task.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the repetitive task comprises the user clicking a displayed symbol a plurality of times.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more game characters convey at least one of the one or more financial lessons by explaining to the user to put money aside for one or more of charity, expenses and retirement.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the user provides the input by controlling a user character through a side-scrolling game environment to collect a plurality of desirable items and avoid certain undesirable items.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the user is asked to provide the input by placing one or more indicia representing an income asset at a position on a displayed map where an income from the income asset is maximized.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the one or more indicia comprise a depiction of a gumball machine.