System and method for creating an affinity between persons and an online entity

Abstract

A method and system associated with creating an affinity between persons and an online entity through a multi-team game. In one embodiment, the steps of the multi-team game involve at least in part some interaction between the players playing the game and the online entity, so as to engender an affinity between them. In another embodiment, the online entity is associated with online services and thus, affinity is engendered between these online services and the players.

1 . A method for creating an affinity between persons and an online entity comprising:
 receiving data representing a team formation action indicating a desire for a player to join a team in a multi-team game, each team comprising at least one player and having a team roster, said multi-team game comprising one or more episodes ending in a final episode, each episode comprising one or more episode content releases and associated team responses; for each episode except the final episode, performing the steps of:   publishing an episode content release to each player of said multi-team game, said episode content release being associated with a correct episode response, said correct episode response being associated with an episode time period for receiving said correct episode response, wherein if said correct episode response is to be published, said correct episode response is not published prior to the end of said episode time period,   receiving an episode team response during said episode time period;   scoring, at the end of said episode time period, each player of each team, said episode player score being based in part upon an episode team score and said episode team roster, said episode team score based in part upon whether said episode team response is correct or incorrect, and a temporal factor; and   receiving, during a second time period, data representing a subsequent team formation action during which players may effect changes to team rosters so as to change a player's team association, but wherein each player's score remains individual to that player throughout the duration of said game regardless of any change in team association during the game; and   for the final episode, or if the game comprises only a single episode, performing only the steps of, publishing content, receiving team responses, and scoring players, wherein the scoring of players that occurs after said final episode yields a final player score comprising all episode players scores for said game and wherein all of said above steps involve at least in part some interaction between said players playing said game and said online entity, so as to engender an affinity between said players and said online entity.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said online entity is associated with at least one online service. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said online service comprises email. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said online service comprises instant messaging. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said online service comprises really simple syndication. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said affinity causes said players to select advertisements displayed by said online entity. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said affinity causes said players to join services associated with said online entity. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein during said predetermined episode time period, a player submitting a submitted episode team response does not know if said submitted episode team response matches said correct episode response. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said episode content release comprises a clue. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said episode content release comprises a puzzle. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said episode team response comprises an answer. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said episode team response comprises a solution. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subsequent team formation action comprises a player joining another team. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subsequent team formation action comprises a player forming a new team. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subsequent team formation action comprises a player leaving the game. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein only one designated player on each team can submit an episode team response on behalf of each team. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein any player on each team can submit can an episode team response on behalf of each team. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising disbanding all teams at the beginning of said final episode so that each player is competing individually for the highest individual player score aggregated among of all said episodes. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a player with the highest aggregated individual player score at the end of said final episode is a winner of said multi-team game. 
   
   
       20 . A system for creating an affinity between persons and an online entity comprising:
 a server operated by said online entity and associated with said online entity, said server comprising code operable upon execution to:   receive data representing a team formation action indicating a desire for a player to join a team in a multi-team game, each team comprising at least one player and having a team roster, said multi-team game comprising one or more episodes ending in a final episode, each episode comprising one or more episode content releases and associated team responses;   for each episode except the final episode, performing the steps of:   publishing an episode content release to each player of said multi-team game, said episode content release being associated with a correct episode response, said correct episode response being associated with an episode time period for receiving said correct episode response, wherein if said correct episode response is to be published, said correct episode response is not published prior to the end of said episode time period,   receiving an episode team response during said episode time period;   scoring, at the end of said episode time period, each player of each team, said episode player score being based in part upon an episode team score and said episode team roster, said episode team score based in part upon whether said episode team response is correct or incorrect, and a temporal factor; and   receiving, during a second time period, data representing a subsequent team formation action during which players may effect changes to team rosters so as to change a player's team association, but wherein each player's score remains individual to that player throughout the duration of said game regardless of any change in team association during the game; and   for the final episode, or if the game comprises only a single episode, performing only the steps of, publishing content, receiving team responses, and scoring players, wherein the scoring of players that occurs after said final episode yields a final player score comprising all episode players scores for said game and wherein all of said above steps involve at least in part some interaction between said players playing said game and said online entity, so as to engender an affinity between said players and said online entity.