System and method for online competition

Abstract

Users play a role-playing video game which can in principle be of a variety of types but will generally involve the player controlling the actions of an avatar such as a duck. After finishing a number of tasks, levels, or the like, the avatar is given entrance to a virtual shopping mall. The avatar, which again may take the form of a mangy duck, traverses the premises of the mall, beholding the merchandise displayed within the various shops and food court, and chooses items over which to compete. The winner of such competitions wins the items which are delivered or picked up in actual physical reality.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of online gameplay comprising steps of:
 a. providing a server connected to the internet;   b. connecting a number of users to said server by means of computing devices;   c. registering said users on said server;   d. said users playing a preliminary game to meet mall entrance requirements;   e. entering a virtual mall upon meeting said mall entrance requirements;   f. selecting item(s) to compete for in said mall;   g. competing for said items;   whereby users may compete for real items they have chosen, online.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said preliminary game comprises a role playing game. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said preliminary game comprises one or more bonus rounds. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said bonus rounds involve a duck required to clean a carpet being rendered filthy by a cat vomiting hairballs thereupon. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said competing for said items is accomplished by means of a game having multiple levels. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mall entrance requirements consist of elements selected from the group consisting of: monetary payment; point accumulation; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said gameplay involves: single player gaming; team gaming; tournament competition; tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mall comprises stores carrying goods selected from the list consisting of: clothing, consumer goods, electric appliances, travel products including tickets and tours, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods, painting supplies, plants, artwork, galleries, stationary, novelties, whoopie cushions, books, movie tickets, transportation services, transportation machines, insurance services, computers and peripherals, office supply, fuel, recreational services, music services, gym, seasonal tickets to sporting and entertainment events. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said competition for said items involves maximizing items selected from the group consisting of: points accumulated; victories achieved; money paid; credits won; wins attained; matches won. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wheren said computing devices are selected from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine. 
     
     
         11 . A system of online gameplay comprising:
 a. a server connected to the internet   b. means for allowing said users to geister on said server   c. means to conduct a preliminary game to meet mall entrance requirements   d. means to enter a virtual mall upon meeting said mall entrance requirements;   e. means for selecting item(s) to compete for in said mall;   f. means for competing for said items;   whereby users may compete for real items they have chosen, online.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said preliminary game comprises a role playing game. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said preliminary game comprises one or more bonus rounds. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said bonus rounds involve a duck required to clean a carpet being rendered filthy by a cat vomiting hairballs thereupon. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said competing for said items is accomplished by means of a game having multiple levels. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said mall entrance requirements consist of elements selected from the group consisting of: monetary payment; point accumulation; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said gameplay involves: single player gaming; team gaming; tournament competition; tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said mall comprises stores carrying goods selected from the list consisting of: clothing, consumer goods, electric appliances, travel products including tickets and tours, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods, painting supplies, plants, artwork, galleries, stationary, novelties, whoopie cushions, books, movie tickets. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said competition for said items involves maximizing items selected from the group consisting of: points accumulated; victories achieved; money paid; credits won; wins attained; matches won. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said computing devices are selected from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine.