Electronic mail-based adventure game and method of operation

Abstract

An electronic adventure gaming system and methods of operation communicate with a player using a plurality of media forms. A character invites the player to participate in an adventure and appears to communicate personally with the player. A puzzle is presented by the character for the character and the player to derive a solution of an alphanumeric answer key. A plurality of messages relate to the clues, and permit the character and the player to determine the clues and ultimately derive the alphanumeric answer key. An input means allows the player to provide the alphanumeric answer key to the server system and records the date and time of the server system receiving the alphanumeric answer key. The input means also associates the received alphanumeric answer key uniquely with the player's identity information to award the player in the event that the player inputs the alphanumeric answer key by a predetermined time.

1 . An electronic adventure gaming system, comprising: 
 a server system for hosting an electronic adventure game, said server system associated with a communications network and accessible by a player via said communications network;    a website associated with said server system for communicating with a player using a plurality of media forms;    an applications system associated with the electronic adventure gaming system;    a database system associated with said website, applications, and said server system for communicating and storing individual identity information relating to the player and game information relating to said electronic adventure game;    a character associated with said electronic adventure game for communicating with the player and inviting the player to participate in an adventure, said character appearing to communicate personally and directly with the player using said plurality of media forms;    a puzzle presented by the character for the character and the player to cooperate with one another to derive a solution to said puzzle;    an alphanumeric answer key associated with said puzzle representing the solution for said puzzle and the result of said character and the player cooperating with one another;    a plurality of clues for deriving said alphanumeric answer key;    a plurality of messages deliverable using at least a subset of said plurality of media forms and relating to said clues for permitting said character and the player to determine said clues and, thereby, derive said alphanumeric answer key;    input means for the player to provide said alphanumeric answer key to said server system, said input mean recording the date and time of said server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key and associating said received alphanumeric answer key uniquely with the player's identity information;    a plurality of rewards associated with the server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key by a predetermined time, at least a portion of said plurality of rewards for awarding to the player in the event of that the player inputs the alphanumeric answer key by said predetermined time.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a game broadcast management system.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting player registration and authentication system.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an email system.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a puzzling system.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a website system.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a contest management system.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       12 . An electronic adventure gaming system, comprising: 
 hosting an electronic adventure gaming system using a server system, said server system associated with a communications network and accessible by a player via said communications network;    communicating with a player using a plurality of media forms using a website associated with said server system;    operating an applications system in association with said server system and said electronic adventure gaming system;    associating a database with said website, said applications system, and said server system for communicating and storing individual identity information relating to the player and game information relating to said electronic adventure gaming system;    associating a character with said electronic adventure game for communicating with the player and inviting the player to participate in an adventure, said character appearing to communicate personally and directly with the player using said plurality of media forms;    presenting a puzzle using said character for the character and the player to cooperate with one another to derive a solution to said puzzle;    associating an alphanumeric answer key with said puzzle representing the solution for said puzzle and the result of said character and the player cooperating with one another;    deriving said alphanumeric answer key a plurality of clues;    delivering a plurality of messages to said player using at least a subset of said plurality of media forms and relating to said clues for permitting said character and the player to determine said clues and, thereby, derive said alphanumeric answer key;    providing said alphanumeric answer key to said server system, said input mean recording the date and time of said server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key and associating said received alphanumeric answer key uniquely with the player's identity information;    associating a plurality of rewards with the server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key by a predetermined time, at least a portion of said plurality of rewards for awarding to the player in the event of that the player inputs the alphanumeric answer key by said predetermined time.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a game broadcast management system.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting player registration and authentication system.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting an email system.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein s said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a puzzling system.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a website system.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a contest management system.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said applications system operating step further comprises the step of operating at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       23 . An electronic adventure gaming network, comprising a plurality of client computers and at least one server system: 
 at least one server system for hosting an electronic adventure game, said server system associated with a communications network and accessible by a player via said communications network;    a website associated with said server system for communicating with a player using a plurality of media forms;    an applications system associated with the electronic adventure gaming system;    a database system associated with said website, applications, and said server system for communicating and storing individual identity information relating to the player and game information relating to said electronic adventure game;    a character associated with said electronic adventure game for communicating with the player and inviting the player to participate in an adventure, said character appearing to communicate personally and directly with the player using said plurality of media forms;    a puzzle presented by the character for the character and the player to cooperate with one another to derive a solution to said puzzle;    an alphanumeric answer key associated with said puzzle representing the solution for said puzzle and the result of said character and the player cooperating with one another;    a plurality of clues for deriving said alphanumeric answer key;    a plurality of messages deliverable to at least a subset of said plurality of client computer systems using at least a subset of said plurality of media forms and relating to said clues for permitting said character and the player to determine said clues and, thereby, derive said alphanumeric answer key;    input means associated with at least a subset of said plurality of client computers for the player to provide said alphanumeric answer key to said server system, said input mean recording the date and time of said server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key and associating said received alphanumeric answer key uniquely with the player's identity information;    a plurality of rewards associated with the server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key by a predetermined time, at least a portion of said plurality of rewards for awarding to the player in the event of that the player inputs the alphanumeric answer key by said predetermined time.    
   
   
       24 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a game broadcast management system.  
   
   
       25 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting player registration and authentication system.  
   
   
       26 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an email system.  
   
   
       27 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       28 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting an advertising system.  
   
   
       29 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a puzzling system.  
   
   
       30 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a website system.  
   
   
       31 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a contest management system.  
   
   
       32 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       33 . The electronic adventure gaming network of  claim 23 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a payment management system, a player tracking system.  
   
   
       34 . A computer readable magnet medium comprising an electronic adventure gaming system, comprising: 
 computer readable instructions for hosting an electronic adventure game on a server system, said server system associated with a communications network and accessible by a player via said communications network;    computer readable instructions for operating a website in association with said server system for communicating with a player using a plurality of media forms;    computer readable instructions for associating an applications system with the electronic adventure gaming system;    computer readable instructions for associating a database system with said website, applications, and said server system for communicating and storing individual identity information relating to the player and game information relating to said electronic adventure game;    computer readable instructions for associating a character with said electronic adventure game for communicating with the player and inviting the player to participate in an adventure, said character appearing to communicate personally and directly with the player using said plurality of media forms;    computer readable instructions for presenting a puzzle for the character and the player to cooperate with one another to derive a solution to said puzzle;    computer readable instructions for associating an alphanumeric answer key with said puzzle representing the solution for said puzzle and the result of said character and the player cooperating with one another;    computer readable instructions for associating the derivation of a plurality of clues for said alphanumeric answer key;    computer readable instructions for assisting with the delivery of a plurality of messages using at least a subset of said plurality of media forms and relating to said clues for permitting said character and the player to determine said clues and, thereby, derive said alphanumeric answer key; and    computer readable instructions associated with the player providing said alphanumeric answer key to said server system, said input mean recording the date and time of said server system receiving said alphanumeric answer key and associating said received alphanumeric answer key uniquely with the player's identity information.    
   
   
       35 . An electronic adventure gaming system, comprising: 
 a server system for hosting an electronic game, said server system associated with a communications network and accessible by a player via said communications network;    a website associated with said server system for interfacing with a player using a plurality of media forms;    an applications system associated with the electronic gaming system;    a database system associated with said website, applications and said server system for communicating with said player and storing player and game information relating to said electronic game;    a host, guide, avatar or assistant of said electronic game for communicating with and assisting or directing said player via a plurality of media forms;    an electronic game segment or round presented by the host, guide, avatar or assistant to solve by the player;    input means for the player to provide answers to said server system for the electronic game segment or round; and    a plurality of rewards awarded to the player for successfully completing a segment or round of the electronic game.    
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein a plurality of clues for deriving an answer for an electronic game segment or round is provided to the player.  
   
   
       37 . The System of  claim 35 , wherein said input means forwards the player's answers which are dated and time stamped and stored in the server system.  
   
   
       38 . The System of  claim 35 , wherein the server system provides the player with the capability of inviting a plurality of players to assistant the player in solving the segment or round.  
   
   
       39 . The System of  claim 38 , wherein the assisting players share in any prize award to the player by the server system for successfully completing a segment or round or the electronic game.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting a game broadcast management system.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said applications system comprises at least one software application supporting player registration and authentication system.