Patent Application
20240165494
The present invention relates to board games and in particular relates to a tabletop board game that allows players to manage their finances and invest in various assets, in order to gather credit points and make a profit in a competitive environment with multiple options and scenarios.
It is well known that most individuals and families have difficulty in handling personal finances so as to accumulate significant wealth; indeed, most individuals and families deem the attainment of wealth an impossible goal to achieve and do not even seriously consider the possibility. It is their belief that all their income must be dedicated to the ongoing requirements of life, and they consider themselves fortunate if they can retire after many years of labor based upon some sort of pension augmented with Social Security or the like. Often, such retirements turn out to be insufficiently funded such that a “retired” person may be forced to continue to work, at least part time, and a mature retired couple may find their standard of living reduced and yearly deteriorating as the effects of inflation and other factors, such as increased medical costs, take effect.
Nonetheless, a few individuals and families do, over a period of time and with the application of certain principles, attain wealth and are thus able to eliminate or greatly reduce the necessity to work at a formal job and are also able to realize their individual “dreams” of the sort that require such wealth. Correspondingly, they also achieve the sort of long-term security that results from the elimination of financial worries.
The differences between those individuals and families who are able, over time, to accumulate substantial wealth (live on the Fast Track) and those who do not (and thus are doomed to live the so-called lives of quiet desperation; life in the Rat Race) is that the former somehow understand the dynamics of personal finance and investing. This understanding may be more or less self taught or intuitive, and the degree of success of a given individual or family usually depends upon just how well the dynamics of personal finance are really understood.
These principles of personal finance, investing, accounting and the accumulation of wealth can be taught although they are certainly not taught in most formal institutions of learning and are, to some extent, inconsistent with the hard work ethic practiced by the majority of individuals and families. Of course, hard work is almost always a start to the accumulation of wealth, but it can be demonstrated that it is not necessary for one to work hard all his/her life if the known principles of personal finance, investing and accounting leading to the accumulation of wealth are carefully practiced.
These principles are sometimes taught in expensive and time-consuming seminars. Or, they may be taught in more or less well-written books. Some individuals, however, do not have the time or ability to spend the sums needed or even the inclination to attend such seminars or the ability to learn the principles from a book. By looking at prior art multiple advancements have been seen to provide games that provide learning in a fun and educational ways.
For instance, Business board game bearing U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,234A is issued to Artur Adam Siofer. The invention discusses a business board game in which players attempt to win the game by transforming industries into cartels. Transformation of industries into cartels is by means of buying the majority of partnership stocks of all companies placed within specific industries. Controlling cartels enable players to sell essential products to their fellow players that own the partnership stocks in companies of other industries for a very high price to eventually cause bankruptcy. Such cartel product selling to other players is possible because the partnership stocks carry with them an unlimited liability. The game further includes cards that affect company book values per partnership stocks to further affect the market price of partnership stocks. Also, stock trading between players and the bank is involved where players try to make money by buying low and selling high, liquidate to cover expenses or just sell to escape the unlimited liability that comes along with owning partnership stocks. Players try to own as many partnership stocks as possible because they are the biggest source of income in the form of dividends. In addition, the game has a few companies that do not belong to any of the industries whose function is to provide services to the players for a fee.
Another patent on Wealth board game bearing US patent 2,007,0045953A1 is issued to Derel Alleyne. The patent is on a board game and method of playing the board game wherein players move their game pieces in a path on the game board having landing spots in accordance with a combination of a numbers die and a words die. A spinner having a finger-activated spinning arrow pivotally attached at the center is used in conjunction with the words die. Play money in a plurality of denominations is awarded or taken away in accordance with the consequences determined by the dice, the spinner, and the instructions on the landing spot.
A Multi-level marketing game bearing US patent 2,003,0075868A1 is issued to Lawrence Lipps. The game teaches network marketing concepts includes a game board, a plurality of game pieces, a plurality of game cards and a success determination device. At least one of the pluralities of game cards allows an active one of a plurality of players to build an associated business by adding distributors. The success determination device is used to determine the number of distributors added when an appropriate one of the game cards is selected.
Another patent on Board game bearing U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,177A is issued to 4871177A. The patent is on a business board game in which players attempt to win the game by either purchasing a controlling share of stock of a particular industry or by purchasing a sufficient amount of stock in each industry so as to block any other player from gaining control of an industry; as opposed to merely amassing assets or forcing other players out of the game. The game further includes a variety of cards which effect the profits and losses of the various players owning stocks. Also, the game provides bankruptcy proceedings which enable a player to continue the game and still win.
Another patent on Credit card debt management board game bearing U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,336B2 is issued to Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta Inc. The patent implies a board game comprising a board with a path having spaces thereon, wherein the path is navigated around the board by rolling dice, with the purpose being to teach the management and elimination of credit card debt. The game incorporates real life situations requiring the increase of debt due to both external events and personal choices, and further permits the use of discretionary income to decrease credit card debt, and subsequently the accumulation of wealth.
A Street business board game bearing US patent 2,007,0267814A1 is issued to Kelvin Johnson. The patent is on a board game, for play by competing players and in which each player conducts business in an urban environment for the purposes of accumulating greater wealth than competitors, includes: a plurality of tokens, a game board having a plurality of marked spaces on which the tokens may sit or be moved by the players, a form of currency that the players use to conduct business, a chance device that is used by a player to determine the movement of his/her token, wherein the business actions that can be taken in the game are chosen from the group of business actions identified herein as “connecting,” “taking a street risk,” “vending,” “promoting,” “gambling” or establishing a “street business.”
A patent on Credit score simulation bearing U.S. Pat. No. 8,321,334B1 is issued to Experian Information Solutions LLC. The patent implies systems and methods that simulate a credit score. The system enables a user to modify a credit data element in order to determine its effect on a credit score. The user can modify the element directly or simulate an action that, if performed, would modify the element. Since the number of possible modifications and actions can be overwhelming, in one embodiment, the system suggests modifications and actions to be simulated. These suggestions can be tailored to a user's goal, such as increasing a credit score by a particular number of points or allocating a particular sum of money in order to maximize a credit score. In one embodiment, the system obtains credit data from multiple credit bureaus and can determine credit scores using different algorithms, such as the different algorithms used by the different credit bureaus.
There are multiple patents that have been found in prior art regarding the utilization of multiple methods to enhance the real-time environment and interest in board games. Moreover, the recent decline in prices of projectors, such as digital light processors, LCD projectors, and flat panel displays, coupled with the need to simplify and facilitate the interactivity ad graphical interface of gameplay has sparked interest in increasing the interactivity of gameplay through computer-enhanced graphics and sound. This has reduced the interest of consumers in typical board games.
Accordingly, a more convenient and cost-effective approach to providing better board games to the public is called for. The current invention proposes a new way of building credit just like in real life environment. The players manage their finances and invest in various assets, in order to gather credit points and make a profit. They also deal with debt, which can make them go bankrupt, and life cards, which need to be resolved and may be helpful or not. There are also global events, affecting all players simultaneously, which occur each round. Players advance on the credit track, by scoring CP points from purchased assets, events, and life cards.
None of the previous inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Hence, the inventor of the present invention proposes to resolve and surmount existent technical difficulties to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings of prior art.
In light of the disadvantages of the prior art, the following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a hill description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, and abstract as a whole.
The primary desirable object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved form of hoard games.
The main objective of the invention is to provide an improved real-time interactive board game that provides a portrayal of the real-life simulation of financial management.
It is further the objective of the invention to provide a variety of techniques that enables a user to manage their finances and invest in assets in order to gather credit points and make a profit.
Accordingly, a feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to teach adults and children how to manage their credit card debt.
A further feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide a road map for the accumulation of wealth while multiple real-life scenarios are presented during the game.
A second. Objective of the present invention is to allow players to become involved in the game through role-playing and configurable action figures, money and devising multiple winning strategies.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to be utilized by educational facilities or by individuals.
It is also the objective of the invention to provide a unique inventive game that is visually exciting, durable and has a relatively low cost of manufacture.
A further feature and advantage of the present invention is that it can be utilized to teach cash flow management.
It is also the objective of the invention to provide engage users and make them equally competitive regardless of their role in the game.
An additional feature and advantage of the present invention are that it is fun to play.
Thus, it is the objective to provide a new and improved gaming method of real-life board games with personal financial management techniques. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying claims.
This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The present invention is directed to a board game that portrays the simulation of real-life assets, credit, life and money matters.
The invention is a board game and a method of playing the board game for entertainment and educational purposes.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the game apparatus comprises a board with the credit, phase, and debt track. The game includes 166 cards wherein, 96 Asset Cards, are divided in 3 decks, categorized by the number of stars (1-3). These cards represent all the assets that players can acquire during the game. The 1-star deck has 48 cards, the 2-star deck has 30 cards, and the 3-star deck has 18 cards.
The 32 Life Cards as per its further embodiments are things that could happen through any phase of a person's life. May hold good or bad fortune. The 32 Event Cards are things that may happen to many people in any economy, society or country. The 6 Avatar Cards are a deck of cards that represent different people of varied backgrounds.
As per its further embodiments, the 30 Pawns represent the player on the board. There are 6 pawns per player, in 5 different player colors. Each player uses 1 pawn on the credit track, 1 on the debt track, 3 on the income track, and 1 on their avatar. 3-Dice—Rolling the dice determines the amount of money each player gains from their job each round. The 1 First player token, indicates the player who starts the round. The 100 Coins are game currency. (20×$1, 15×$5, 15×$10, 15×$20, 15×$50, 10×$100, 5×$200, 5×$500). The 1 Phase marker is used for tracking the round phase on the board.
As per its further embodiments, the board has 4 tracks. All players are represented on the tracks by their pawns. THE Credit track has 100 spots, which represent the credit level of each player. The higher spots have higher requirements, but allow players to buy higher star assets and roll more dice for income. The first player who reaches the final spot wins the game.
The Debt Track as per its further embodiments allows players to track their total debt on this track. It has tiers, so the price of debt changes, depending on your total debt number. The Income track allows players to track their total income on this track, by using up to 3 markers, so they won't have to calculate it every round. The track can count income with 3 digits, each column representing 100, 10 and 1.
The Phase Track as per its further embodiments, has 6 spots, 1 for each phase and 1 “end phase” spot. Indicates the active phase of each round, starting from the first (event phase). Use the phase marker to indicate the active phase. When a phase is complete, move the marker to the next phase. When the 5th phase ends, move marker to “end phase”. When a new round starts, place the marker on the 1st spot. Repeat for every phase/round, until the game is over.
As per its further embodiments, there is a coin token stack close to the board, which is the “game bank”, which serves for paying and being paid. When you buy assets or pay life cards, you must pay the coins to the bank, when receiving income, you must receive coins from the bank.
As per its further embodiments, the setup of the gane includes placing the board on the table.
As per its further embodiments, during a round, these 5 phases must be played in order which includes the event phase, income phase, life card phase, market phase, and scoring phase. A round ends when all players have taken a turn. The players must check the following:
As per its further embodiments, there are multiple types of tracks presented to users to assess their financial standings which includes credit track, debt tracking, and income track.
As per its further embodiments, there is Asset Deck cards that list assets both tangible and intangible. In order to acquire them, during the market phase, the player must pay a cost, which is listed on the card.
There are 3 decks, the 1, 2 and 3-star deck. Each deck has a range of costs/values of assets:
As per its further embodiments, the Avatars represent a set of characteristics of 6 different backgrounds. Each avatar has a unique ability and some starting resources. There are 6 avatar cards in the deck, 1 for each background.
The Money chips or money tokens as per its further embodiments, represent the in-game currency and are used for all transactions between the players and the bank. Depending on their value, coins have colors as well. They come in these values:
As per its further embodiments, when a player reaches or passes the 100th space of the Credit track on the board, the game ends after the scoring phase of the ongoing round is over.
All players who pass 100, keep counting by using the track from the start (always add 100 to your number, so 3 means 103).
After the final round's scoring phase is over, all players must:
While a specific embodiment has been shown and described, many variations are possible. With time, additional features may be employed. The particular shape or configuration of the platform or the interior configuration may be changed to suit the system or equipment with which it is used.
Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
