Constructible Strategy Games?

[Scribble]

What exactly does this mean?

Company Events And Corporate Actions:

Hasbro, Inc's Wizards of the Coast, the hobby gaming, and a subsidiary of the Company announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it a patent U.S. Patent No. 7,201,374, on game play design for constructible strategy games.

 

[Stormborn]

Things like WizKids Pirate (and NASCAR) cards or like WotC's announced Star Wars ships game and Transformers.

Basically a miniatures game (complete with point values, unique models, etc) played with minis you build from styrene cards. They can be (theoretically) built and then snapped back into their cards. A typical pack of Pirate Cards, for example, come with 2 ships, the rules, an island, and treasure/crew cards.

 

[Scribble]

Things like WizKids Pirate (and NASCAR) cards or like WotC's announced Star Wars ships game and Transformers.

Basically a miniatures game (complete with point values, unique models, etc) played with minis you build from styrene cards. They can be (theoretically) built and then snapped back into their cards. A typical pack of Pirate Cards, for example, come with 2 ships, the rules, an island, and treasure/crew cards.

Interesting.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Kind of cool that WOTC made the headlines in a stock report page...

 

[Asmor]

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...7,201,374.PN.&OS=PN/7,201,374&RS=PN/7,201,374

Here's the actual patent, which is a bit more informative. Of note is that the patent was filed in October of 2003, and according to Boardgame Geek Pirates of the Spanish Main came out in 2004. I'm pretty sure that's the first of Wizkid's games, isn't it? I know Pirates has some expansions too, so is that the first one?

If so, they could potentially be in hot water if WotC/Hasbro's legal department puts some pressure on them.

It's not exactly the same, though. This mentions that the pieces start out constructed, and that pieces are removed as damage is taken. Actually, it sounds a lot like this "game" (I use the term lightly) I bought on the cheap at KB a long time ago. You bought an action figure which could be reconfigured (every piece was either set up for a ball-and-socket joint or a peg that fit into a hole). You could of course combine pieces from various action figures. When actually playing, you needed to make a figure with exactly 25 pieces, and as you took damage you removed pieces until you lost them all and then you lose.

EDIT: I just realized there's a lot more in-depth info on that link... I only noticed and read the summary at the top. Don't have time right now to examine the bulkier stuff, but it should prove much more enlightening. Of note, the patent makes reference to some of WizKid's games (Mage Knight, Shadowrun, etc), but not Pirates.

 

[kenobi65]

Here's the actual patent, which is a bit more informative. Of note is that the patent was filed in October of 2003, and according to Boardgame Geek Pirates of the Spanish Main came out in 2004. I'm pretty sure that's the first of Wizkid's games, isn't it? I know Pirates has some expansions too, so is that the first one?

Nope, WizKids had already brought out several miniatures-based games before Pirates, including Mage Knight (their first), HeroClix, and a Shadowrun game that used action figures on big bases. They also brought out a plastic-minis-based Mechwarrior game, though I can't remember if it predated Pirates or not.

Pirates of the Spanish Main was the first release in their Pirates series, yes, and it was their first game that exclusively used the styrene cards for the playing pieces, though they'd been using some styrene cards for magic items in Mage Knight for a little while before then.

 

[Asmor]

Nope, WizKids had already brought out several miniatures-based games before Pirates, including Mage Knight (their first), HeroClix, and a Shadowrun game that used action figures on big bases. They also brought out a plastic-minis-based Mechwarrior game, though I can't remember if it predated Pirates or not.

Pirates of the Spanish Main was the first release in their Pirates series, yes, and it was their first game that exclusively used the styrene cards for the playing pieces, though they'd been using some styrene cards for magic items in Mage Knight for a little while before then.

Sorry, I should have been more clear... I meant that Pirates was the first of WizKids "constructible" games.

 

[CaptainChaos]

And now (according to Gaming Report) Wizkids is suing Wotc over this patent. Time to get out the popcorn.

 

[sydbar]

WizKids Shadowrun figures were just dolls(no base) that came with weapons and items that had point costs, that you could use to equip with. It was a cool game, but people just couldn't get past the fact that you played with dolls.

 

[Asmor]

WizKids Shadowrun figures were just dolls(no base) that came with weapons and items that had point costs, that you could use to equip with. It was a cool game, but people just couldn't get past the fact that you played with dolls.

ACTION FIGURES!

*cry*

 

[Mark CMG]

O, what a courtroom web is weaved, when law is practised, loopholes reeved!