Self-organizing turn base games and social activities on a computer network

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a method for creating a system of self-organizing colonies of players engaged in turn based games and other social activities performed within a web browser is provided. The approach described here partitions the game site population into distinct colonies with the appropriate activities and design such that the players create a community environment. Playing online games and chatting are examples of social networking activities; therefore, an invention that combines self-organizing capabilities to these activities will enhance the social experience. Essentially, the notion becomes a game within a game where the players change aspects of the rules governing the site and the games themselves. In particular, tests have demonstrated that game players create their own distinct communities just as thermodynamic theory predicts.

Description

REFERENCES CITED Related U.S. Application Data [0001] Provisional Application 60 / 723,963 filed on Oct. 6, 2005. PRIORITY CLAIM [0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 723,963 filed on Oct. 6, 2005, entitled “Self-Organizing Turn Based Games and Social Activities on a Computer Network.” OTHER PUBLICATIONS [0003] Ashby W. R. (1962): “Principles of the Self-Organizing System,” in: Principles of Self-Organization. von Foerster H. & Zopf G. W. (eds.) (Pergamon, Oxford), p. 255-278. [0004] Eigen M. and Schuster P. (1979): The Hypercycle: A principle of natural self-organization (Springer, Berlin). [0005] Lendaris G. (1964): “On the Definition of Self-Organizing Systems,” IEEE Proceedings 52, p. 324-325. [0006] Nicolis G. and Prigogine I. (1985): Self-Organization in Non-Equilibrium Systems (Wiley, New York). [0007] Turing, A. M., (1950): “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” Mind, 59:433-460, reprinted in E. A. Feigenbaum and J. Feldman eds. (1960): Co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0038] Limits on player behavior The ability to fashion online communities represents a powerful attraction to Internet users. The game play becomes more intimate where users get to know each other as in any other social club.

Problems solved by technology

The problem essentially boils down to limitations of the Internet as viewed by Web browsers.

Unfortunately, the delays inherent to blogging fall well short of the dynamics of human conversation.

The problem with browsers supporting chat rooms and responsive server-side games is the fact that the Web was not designed to support real-time, peer-to-peer communication.

Generic push, however, has never come to be a protocol for the Web.

Web browsers were not designed to synchronize real-time events and manipulate communication sockets in the way that instant messaging applications do.

Many domain experts have come to the conclusion that Web browsers and IM are incompatible because IM essentially follows a push model.

The problem with this top-down approach is that it violates two basic features of biological (and many physiochemical) phenomena: individuality and locality.

These small differences in the micro-scale can lead to larger differences in the macro-scale.

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