Multi-player, multi-character cooperative play video game with independent player entry and departure

Abstract

A multi-player, multi-character video game where the games rules force the players to cooperate in negotiating the maze at least until the characters reach a portion of the maze where a specific objective is located. Certain limited resources to change the attributes of the characters or to increase their longevity are displayed in a maze. The players may compete to obtain possession of these limited resources when the characters have cooperated in their movements sufficiently to move to the location of the limited resources. Cooperation among the characters is forced by forcing all characters active in the game to remain visible in the displayed window. Players may enter the game at any time, and they may leave the game at any time without affecting the status of the game or the status of the other characters in the game. All active players may simultaneously, independently control their characters so long as they do not attempt to move their characters outside the currently displayed window.

Description

or is nor its affect on attributes is critical to the invention. Typically collisions with such entities do any of the following things: increase longevity; decrease longevity; enhance other attributes such as magical powers; decrease attributes; add new attributes such as different movement abilities, e.g., jumping or flying; change fighting ability; change armor capacity; and/or provide the ability to leave the maze through an exit.

If the answer to the test of block 142 is yes, control flows on a path 144 to a block 146 where the attribute is changed accordingly by accessing the data record for the character and adjusting the field of the attribute affected to implement the change. After this process is completed, control flows on path 66 to block 62 on FIG. 3.

If the answer to the test of block 142 is no, control flows on path 147 to the test of block where a determination is made of whether the proposed move would cause a collision of the character or character shot with another player. In the preferred embodiment, one character may push another character and move that character's position in the maze until such a time as the pushed character begins to push back. In other embodiments, the characters may be able to shoot and damage or destroy each other or otherwise hinder the progress of other characters toward their objectives. This feature provides for the competitive aspects of the game once a desired attribute affecting entity is located within the perimeter of the current window. If the answer to the test of block 148 is yes, control flows to a block 150 along path 152 where the characters have their attributes and/or positions changed in accordance with whatever competitive rule is adopted for the particular embodiment implemented. Of course player competition can take many other forms as well. For example, one character may refuse to move when that character is preventing movement of the current window toward the objective of another player. Further, one character may refuse to cooperate in shooting or fighting monsters which are attacking another character. Also some characters may be faster or be able to jump or fly, and these characters may speed ahead of another character which is headed for a longevity increasing entity and take possession of the entity for itself.

If the answer to the test of block 148 is no, control flows on a path 154 to a block 156. There the proposed move is tested to determine if it would cause the character or character shot to collide with an exit. If the answer is yes, control flows on a path 158 to a block 160. There the appropriate action for the rule adopted for the particular embodiment at hand is performed. The particular rule adopted for processing in block 160 is not critical to the invention. The processing for block 160 in the preferred embodiment is shown in more detail in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, the processing of collisions between characters or character shots and exits is detailed for the preferred embodiment. The processing of FIG. 6 is to determine if the game conditions, e.g. attribute status of the character such as possession of a key, are such that the character may pass through the exit, and to determine what to do for a shot/exit collision. Accordingly, the first step in the processing is to determine if a shot/exit collision has occurred as symbolized by block 159. If the answer is yes, processing proceeds to block 160 where an appropriate shot/exit collision routine is performed. In some embodiments, the shot may disappear, and in other embodiments, the exit may be destroyed. The possibilities are numerous, and any may be used in equivalent embodiments of the invention. If the answer is no to the test of block 159, control flows to a test symbolized by a block 161 to determine if predefined conditions for exit by a character are satisfied. The predefined conditions may be anything the game designer desires, and the exact conditions selected are not critical to the invention. For example, in some embodiments a character may not be allowed to leave through an exit until a particular monster holding the key for that exit is destroyed and the character picks up the key. If the answer to the test of block 161 is no, control flows on a path 66 to block 62 of FIG. 3, and now movement of the character through the exit results. If the answer to the test of block 161 is yes, control flows on a path 164 to a block 166 where a test is made to determine if the other characters have left the maze. If the answer is no, the character desiring to exit is allowed to exit and is placed on another level in a safe haven where the character cannot be attacked by monsters as symbolized by block 168. There the character awaits the arrival of the other characters.

If the answer to the test of block 166 is yes, then processing proceeds to block 170 where a new maze is drawn. In some embodiments, the new maze will have different kinds of monsters and attribute affecting entities therein and usually will have exits, monsters and entities placed differently. The character exiting is then placed in the next maze. In some embodiments, the characters may only move forward to new mazes which they have not previously occupied. In other embodiments, the characters may move back to levels or mazes which they have previously occupied. Control then flows on a path 168 to block 33 on FIG. 2 and processing continues as previously described for the new maze. In some embodiments the characters attributes remain the same in the new maze, and, in some other embodiments, the character's attributes are changed. The order of exit may be determine in some embodiments the position the characters will assume in the new maze.

Returning to FIG. 5, if the answer to the test of block 156 is no, control flows on a path 170 to a block 172 where a test is performed to determine whether a character's shots or character have collided with a monster. If the answer is yes, control flows on a path 174 to a block 178 where an attempt is made to damage the monster. In embodiments where the characters have different attributes, often the shots of one character may not be powerful enough to kill a monster whereas the shots of another character may be powerful enough to kill a monster. Further, some monsters may be stronger than others. To account for these embodiments, the process of block 178 is implemented to perform damage routines to monsters which have collided with characters or shots. After the process of block 178 is performed, control flows along path 180 to the test of block 182 to determine if the monster was destroyed. If not, then control flows to block 62 in FIG. 3 along path 184/176 to path 66. If the answer to the test of block 182 was yes, control flows along path 186 to a routine symbolized by block 188 which deletes the monster. Control then flows on a path 176/66 to block 62 and processing continues as described above.

Although the invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment herein and the other alternative embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate still other equivalent embodiments which may be implemented. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the claims appended hereto. ##SPC1##

Claims

1. A video game comprising:

a central processing unit;

a video display;

a plurality of sets of controls coupled to said central processing unit;

sofware means run by said central processing unit and coupled to said controls, and to said video display for reading player input from said controls and generating, storing, changing and outputting data for causing said video display to display a maze populated by a plurality of different kinds of characters each having attributes, said maze also being populated by a plurality of attribute-affecting entities including monsters, each said character having attributes including longevity and abilities including the ability to fight and to move, said attributes defined by stored data, said longevity attribute defined by stored data and decreasing over time and when that character is damaged by a monster, and including means for displaying different types of resources having characteristics defined by stored data and displayed on said video display throughout said maze in quantities and loctions established by said software means, said resources increasing the longevity attribute or otherwise affecting the attributes of the first character which is displayed to have obtained possession of them, and for causing said video display to display action by said characters and said monsters in accordance with rules of said game implemented by the following included means:

first means for allowing a plurality of players to each simultaneously and independently control the movements and actions of one of said plurality of characters in the video game via said controls;

second means for allowing any one of said plurality of players to enter the game at any time and simultaneously and independently control the movements and actions of one of said characters independently of when the other players started playing or when any other said player or players stops playing; and

third means for encouraging the players to cooperate during play by displaying on said video display only a window portion of said maze which is related to the relative positions of all the characters being active in that they are controlled by a player at that time and by not allowing any active character to move outside the bounds of said window portion and by moving the window portion to display different portions of said maze only so long as all the active characters are contained in said window portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for independently changing the stored data regarding the attributes of each character based upon events which happen to that character and actions taken by that character during the game.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein characters which are under control of any player are active characters and further comprising means in said software means for reading player command inputs indicating a desire to cause the character under that player's control to appear on said video display to shoot and for causing the appropriate active character to appear to shoot, and if the character appearing to shoot is displayed on said video display as pointing at other characters or any said limited resource or a monster, for causing the video display to show the character appearing to shoot the other character or said limited resource or monster being pointed at and for causing the stored data corresponding to the other character, monster or limited resource so shot to be altered and to drive said video display according to said altered data so that said limited resource or said monster that was shot appears to be altered or the longevity attribute of the character which was shot is altered.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising fourth means in said software means for allowing any of said plurality of players to stop playing at any time regardless of whether the other players are or are not still playing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said software means includes means for displaying limited resources and means for reading player control inputs controlling the corresponding character is a manner to appear to take possession on said video display of one or more of said displayed limited resources where taking possession occurs when said character is displayed to have entered an area around the displayed location of said limited resource, and further includes means to alter the stored data associated with that character's attributes by increasing the character's longevity or by otherwise affecting the character's attributes in a positive manner to help avoid reduced longevity of that character resulting from attacks from said monsters, and wherein these effects may be the same on each character which possesses that limited resource, and further comprises means for altering the data associated with said limited resource to alter the availability of said limited resource to other characters who attempt to take possession of said limited resource.

6. The apparatus of claims 5 wherein said software means includes means for displaying a window portion of at least one maze occupied with attribute-affecting entities including said monsters or other entities and for causing said attribute-affecting entities to appear on said video display to attack and otherwise harm said characters by altering the stored data associated with the longevity attribute of each character so attacked or harmed thereby shortening the longevity attribute of any character which is affected by said attribute-affecting entity, and further comprising means in said software means for driving said video display in such a manner as to display only said window portion of said maze, said windown portion selected to encourage the players which are controlling the characters which are active in the game to cooperate with each other to avoid the effect of said attribute-affecting entities by not allowing a player to move his or her controlled character outside the bounds of the currently displayed window portion and by selecting the portion of said maze which will be displayed as said window portion as a function of the collective positions of all the players such that said window portion cannot be moved to encompass the area in said maze where said limited resources are located until all the characters are moved on said video display such that said window portion can encompass all said characters and said limited resource or any other object in the maze which the players desire their characters to be able to reach, wherein said software means moves a character under player control by altering stored data defining the character's position on said video display in accordance with player control inputs indicating the direction to move the controlled character, and wherein said software means includes means for altering the stored longevity data to increase the longevity of any character which first obtains possession of at least one type of said limited resources.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising means for allowing each player to control his character to either cooperate or compete with the other characters independently of the actions of the other characters in either cooperating or competing with each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising collision means in said software means for allowing a first player to hinder the progress of a second player's character which may independently be attempting to obtain possession of said limited resources or otherwise attempting to move through said maze, said hindrance caused by reading the control inputs of the first player to move the first player's character into the path of the second player's character or to such a position that a wall portion of the maze and the first player's character together block the path of the second player's character, including means to check for collisions between the second player's character and another character or a wall of the maze and to prevent movement of the second player's character if such movement would cause such a collision, said collision means also for allowing one player to impede free movement of the other player's characters throughout the displayed maze by refusing to move so that said window portion cannot move to display another portion of the maze thereby letting the other players move their characters into said other portion of the maze until said first player chooses to move his character so as to allow the window portion to both display said portion of said maze as well as all active characters within the perimeter of said window portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said fourth means includes means to independently calculate said longevity attribute data for each character based at least upon events which happen in the game to each character and wherein said events may include the receipt of new coins for a character, said fourth means also responding to the receipt of new coins for a particular character by increasing that character's longevity attribute.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means in said software means for reading each player inputs from said controls indicating that the player desires, the character being controlled to take possession of a limited resource displayed on said video display and to cause said video display to depict a scene wherein said character appears to have taken possession of the limited resource and for causing said attribute data defining the ability to fight and to move for the character taking possession of said limited resource to be altered upon appearing to gain possession of one or more of said limited resources and further comprising means in said software means for establishing multiple levels of maze between which the characters may move.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for independently changing the stored data defining the attributes of each character based upon events which happen to each character and actions taken by each character during the game.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said software means drives said video display to display at least one maze occupied with entities including said monsters and includes means for altering the longevity data associated with characters attacked by said monsters by shortening the longevity attributes of any character which is affected by any said attribute-affecting entity, and further comprising means in said software means for driving said video display in such a way as to encourage the players which are active in the game to move their characters so as to cooperate with each other to avoid the effect of said displayed attribute-affecting entities in attempting to get to move their characters to an area in said displayed maze where said resources which increase longevity are displayed, but for allowing each player to independently attempt to move his or her character through said displayed maze and avoid the effect of said attribute-affecting entities in an effort to first obtain possession of said resource where possession occurs when the player moves his or her character on the display so to enter an area around the displayed location of said resource.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising means for displaying at least one exit door and at least one key in said maze for unlocking said exit door.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means for allowing each player to control his character to either cooperate or compete with the other characters in performing actions in the game including, for example, defeating monsters, obtaining possession of limited resources or moving through the maze independently of the actions of the other players in controlling their characters to either cooperate or compete with the other active characters.

15. A video game comprising:

control means including one set of controls for each of a plurality of characters for generating signals in response to player manipulation of said controls;

means for displaying a maze, limited resources in said maze and the movements and actions of a plurality of characters in a maze;

movement means for receiving player inputs from said control means and for causing said display means to display said maze, limited resources in said maze and one or more characters in said maze, each character with different attributes in terms of ability to move, shoot and otherwise fight in said maze and for independently calculating a longevity attribute and recording same in the form of stored longevity data for each character which decreases with time and decreases with damage from entities and increases with obtaining possession of said limited resources where obtaining possession of a limited resource means moving a character into an area including said limited resource within its perimeter and for causing said display means to stop displaying movement and actions by each said character when said longevity attribute for that character reaches zero, and for causing each said character to move in said maze displayed on said means for displaying in response to player input from a corresponding set of said controls, and including means for controlling said means for displaying to display only a window portion of said maze related to the position of all the characters in said maze, and for restricting movement on said display means of each said character to the bounds of said window portion as determined by the positions of all said characters;

coin accepting means corresponding to each said character and coupled to said movement means for the corresponding character for accepting coins which bring the corresponding character to life by increasing its longevity in the game and allowing said movement means to move said character on said display means in response to player inputs on the corresponding set of controls;

first means in said movement means and coupled to said control means for responding to a plurality of players each having his or her own controls so that each player may independently, simultaneously control the movements and actions of at least one of said plurality of characters in the video game each of which has a longevity attribute independently calculated for that character based upon at least the events which happen in the game affecting that character and for responding to any player who wishes to join the game and control an unused character at any time regardless of when the game started or to leave the game when the player's character's longevity attribute decreases to zero or at any other time;

maze means in said movement means for driving said display means to display said maze through which said characters move and in which are displayed said limited resources in quantities and locations determined by said maze means which affect at least the longevity attribute of any character having said limited resources in its possession, and further driving said display means to display a plurality of different types of entities in said maze which shorten the longevity attributes of said characters if not avoided by said characters; and

second means in said movement means for driving said display means in a limited fashion such that players whose characters have non zero longevity attributes in the game may either cooperate or compete in avoiding said entities to reach the area of said maze where said limited resources are displayed including means for causing possession of the same type of limited resource to affect the attributes of different characters differently, and means for allowing any character to appear on said video display to push any other character to change that character's position on said display means to move said character in said maze against the wishes of the player whose character has been pushed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means in said second means for driving said display means in a limited fashion such that said players are encouraged to manipulate their characters so as to cooperate for the good of the group of characters to defeat the entities in said maze until they reach the area of any one or more of said limited resources, but to drive the display means in such a manner as to allow the players to independently decide to manipulate their characters so as to either cooperate or compete with each other to obtain possession of said limited resources when the manipulated character group successfully reaches the location of said limited resources including means for allowing any player's character to destroy the limited resources sought by another character by appearing to shoot said limited resources where said movement means maintains stored data defining the attributes and location of said limited resources and where the movement means includes means to modify the attribute data of any limited resources which have been shot by a character to alter the limited resources in some way such as by rmvoing said limited resources from the displayed maze, and means in said movement means for shortening the longevity on said display means of any character which appears to have been shot or otherwise attacked by any other character by altering stored longevity data defining the longevity attribute corresponding to the character which appears to have been shot or otherwise attacked.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for allowing any player to enter an unused character in the game or withdraw a character controlled by a player at that time from the game independently of when the game started, and independently of how many other characters are in the game and further comprising means for allowing any character to independently stay in the game as other characters are placed in or withdrawn from the game.

18. A video game subsystem for providing a facility for game play of a video game involving multiple displayed characters each of which has a set of attributes and each of which may be separately controlled by one of a plurality of players and each of which has a separate longevity attribute in said game defined by corresponding longevity data, comprising:

a computer system including a plurality of control sets each of which corresponds to one of said characters, a display and a plurality of coin receiving mechanisms each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of characters, each of said plurality of control sets, said display and said plurality of coin receiving mechanisms being coupled to a CPU;

software means controlling said CPU for reading player control inputs from said control sets and from said plurality of coin receiving mechanisms and for driving said display to control said game play by displaying a maze and said characters and by moving said characters through said maze and by changing the appropriate longevity data stored for each said character including the following elements:

first means for responding to the control inputs from said plurality of control sets where each said control set is manipulated by one of a plurality of players and where each said player has a separate control set, and for responding to control inputs generated by dropping a coin into any of said plurality of coin receiving mechanisms by altering stored longevity data corresponding to the characater assigned to the coin receiving mechanism in which said coin was dropped, said first means also for driving said display so that each said player may appear to bring a character to life on said display so as to respond to player control commands entered via the corresponding one of said control sets by dropping a coin into a coin receiving mechanism corresponding to the character to be controlled by said player, said first means also for responding to said control inputs from said control sets and from said coin receiving mechanisms so that each player may independently and simultaneously control the displayed movements and actions of a character in said video game and for driving said display such that each said character is displayed as having a plurality of different attributes defining the ability of each said character to move through, fight and shoot in said maze and for separately calculating a longevity attribute for each character based upon at least the events which happen affecting that character in the game and automatically decreasing over time and for appropriately altering said stored longevity data in accordance with said calculation, and for driving said display means so as to display actions by said character only so long as said longevity attribute is satisfying a predetermined criterion;

maze means for driving said display means so as to display a maze through which said characters move and in which are displayed one or more limited resources which affect the displayed attributes of any character having a sought after one of said limited resources in its possession where possession is defined as movement of a characater into an area of the display wherein said sought after one of said limited resources is displayed, and for driving said display means such that possession of said sought after one of said limited resources appears to affect the attributes of different characters differently, and for further driving said display to show entities in said maze which shorten the longetivy attributes of said characters if not avoided by said characters; and

means for driving said display means in such a fashion that the characters displayed are encouraged to cooperate to maximize their longevity attribute to move through the maze until they reach the area of any of said limited resources, said encouragement including driving said display to display only a window portion of said maze, which portion is related to the positions of all the characters, while not allowing any character to move outside the bounds of said window portion, but for driving said display in such a manner as to allow said characters to either cooperate or compete with each other to obtain possession of any of said limited resources by driving said display so as to allow any character to shoot and destroy said limited resources or shoot any other character when the characters collectively move so that said window portion can be moved so as to allow the limited resource being sought to be displayed in said window portion thereby allowing any of said characters to individually reach the area of said maze displayed in said window portion where said limited resource being sought is displayed;

means for driving said display so as to establish different attributes for each character defining each character's characteristics and abilities to move and fight in said maze when manipulated by the player;

means for independently changing the attributes of each character on said display based upon events which happen to each character and actions taken by each character during the game; and

means for driving said display for allowing any player to enter an unused character in the game being displayed or withdraw a player controlled character from the game independently of when the game started, and independently of how many other characters are in the game, and to allow any player to independently stay in the game as other characters are placed in or are withdrawn from the game as long as the player's character still has a longevity attribute which satisfies a predetermined criteria.

19. A video game subsystem for providing a facility to display video game action by a plurality of characters each of which has a changeable longevity attribute which determines how long that character may be manipulated by a player to perform action on a displayed playfield having one or more limited resources displayed thereon comprising:

means for displaying said playfield having resources thereon, the quantities and locations of which are automatically predetermined by said means for displaying;

multiple control means each corresponding to a particular character and each allowing any player manipulating said control means to control the movements and actions of the corresponding character, each said control means for allowing a player manipulating said control means to control the movements and actions of a corresponding character on said display;

means for driving said display means so as to allow each of a plurality of players to join the game and to appear to bring one of a plurality of characters selected by the player to life on said display means at any time by providing a predetermined control input thereby allowing control of the corresponding selected character on said display means, each of said characters having different attributes on said display means including a longevity attribute which decreases automatically with time, and said means for driving also for responding to player inputs from one of said control means by controlling the character corresponding to said control means on said display means simultaneously with control of other characters by other players through manipulation of their respective control means;

means for limiting said display means so that it display only a portion of said playfield at any particular time in a window and for causing said display means to move the window across the playfield in response to the movements of said characters; and

means for driving said display means so as to force all the currently player controlled characters with non zero longevity attributes to remain visible in said window all the time when said game is played and only allowing a character to obtain one or more of said limited resources if a sought after one of said limited resources is showing in said window and for causing the attributes of the first character obtaining the resource to be affected by obtaining possession thereof.

20. A video game subsystem including a display comprising:

first means for allowing a plurality of players to simultaneously and independently control the movements and actions of a plurality of characters each of which has one or more attributes defining said character in a maze in said video game;

second means for allowing any one of said plurality of players to enter the game at any time and to simultaneously and independently control the movements and actions of one of said characters independently of when the other players started playing or when any other said player or players stop playing;

third means for forcing the players to cooperate during play by not allowing any character to move outside a window portion of said maze and by allowing the window to move only in response to the collective positions of all the players, and for providing a facility by which any player may manipulate his or her character to appear to move any other player's character by appearing to push said other player's character on the display and for providing a facility by which a first player's character may appear to damage the character of another player by appearing to shoot and other character on said display, said third means also for causing said display to display one or more limited resources in said maze which alter the attributes of any said character having one or more of said limited resources in the possession of said character, where possession occurs when said character is moved on said display into an area on said display containing one or more of said limited resources, but said third means allowing any said character to take possession of a limited resource only when the sought after limited resource is visible in said window portion; and

coin accepting means for receiving coins for each character in the game and for adding longevity to any character for which coins are received in proportion to the amount of money received.

21. A method of operating a video game having a display and controls comprising the steps of:

displaying a playfield containing different kinds of monsters and one or more characters having attributes including a longevity attribute which characters may be moved on said playfield by players manipulating said controls and displaying predetermined amount of different limited resources on said playfield;

limiting the displayed portion of the playfield in accordance with the collective positions of all said characters which are active in that they have longevity attributes which allow said characters to be moved on said playfield by said players by manipulation of said controls, said limitation of the displayed portion of the playfield being such that all the characters must be visible at all times in the displayed portion of said playfield;

reading control inputs from multiple control mechanisms and controlling the movements and actions of said multiple characters each of which has different attributes including the ability to fight and move and each of which responds to control inputs from a corresponding set of control mechanisms;

reading start data from multiple start mechanisms at the beginning of said game and during said game so as to allow new players to join the game at any time and begin controlling an unused character; and

forcing the players to cooperate during play of the game by limiting the life of each character by decreasing said longevity attribute automatically over time or when the character is damaged by said monsters and by allowing a character to increase its longevity attribute by taking possession of predetermined types of said limited resources where taking possession of any said limited resource is accomplished when a character enters the area on said display where said limited resource is displayed, but only allowing a character to take such possession of a limited resource when the limited resource is showing in the window of said playfield which is currently displayed based upon the collective positions of all the active characters and by not allowing any active character to move to a position on said playfield outside the bounds of the currently displayed portion.

22. A system for multi-player competition, comprising:

a video display;

means for allowing a plurality of players to simultaneously and independently control the movement of a plurality of characters in a playfield displayed on the video display; and

computer means, connected to the video display and the allowing means, for encouraging the players to cooperate during play to reach predetermined objectives on the playfield, the means for encouraging including means for displaying on the video display only a portion of the playfield at any one time, and wherein the portion of the playfield that is displayed is determined by the relative positions of all the characters on the playfield and wherein the characters are restricted from moving outside the bounds of the displayed portion of the playfield.

23. A computerized system for competition, comprising:

a video display;

means for allowing a plurality of players to simultaneously and independently control the movements of a plurality of characters in a playfield displayed on the video display; and

computer means, connected to the video display and the allowing means, for encouraging the players to cooperate during play to reach predetermined objectives on the playfield, the means for encouraging including means for displaying on the video display only a window portion of the playfield which is smaller than the playfield and which has a position on the playfield that is determined by the relative positions of all the characters on the playfield and wherein the position of the window is changed only when all of the characters are simultaneously contained in the window.

24. The system defined in claim 23, further comprising means for allowing any of the plurality of players to start playing at any time by selecting a character to control which is not being controlled by another player. 25. The system defined in claim 23, further comprising means for independently calculating attributes, including a longevity attribute, for each character based at least upon events affecting each character, the means for independently calculating also for responding to longevity increasing events relating to a particular character by increasing the character's longevity attribute. 26. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising means for displaying a limited resource on the playfield when the position of the limited resource is within the window, and wherein possession of the limited resource by a character changes at least one of the character's attributes. 27. The system defined in claim 26, further comprising means for providing on the playfield at least one maze occupied with negative entities for hindering the characters by shortening the longevity attribute of any character which is affected by the entity, and further comprising means for encouraging the players to compete with each other to avoid the effect of the negative entities by allowing each character to independently attempt to move through the maze and avoid the effect of the negative entities while seeking to obtain possession of the

limited resource. 28. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising at least one limited resource positioned on the playfield, and wherein the limited resource increases the longevity of a character affected thereby. 29. The system defined in claim 28, wherein the means for encouraging players to cooperate includes means for encouraging competition among the players by preventing character access to the limited resource unless all characters move so that the limited resource is within the window, and the means for encouraging players to cooperate also including means for increasing the longevity attribute of any character which first obtains possession of the limited resource. 30. The system defined in claim 23, further comprising means for establishing different attributes for each character including characteristics and abilities which are controlled by a player. 31. The system defined in claim 30, further comprising means for independently changing the attributes of each character based upon events affecting each character or actions taken by each character. 32. The system defined in claim 30, further comprising attribute affecting entities for affecting the characters by changing an attribute of a selected character. 33. The system defined

in claim 23, wherein the playfield comprises a maze. 34. The system defined in claim 33, further comprising means for displaying at least one key in the maze for unlocking at least one exit from the maze.

35. A multi-player competitive system using a video display, the system comprising:

means for allowing a plurality of players, each player having separate controls, to independently and simultaneously control the movements of a plurality of characters; and

computer means, coupled to the allowing means, comprising:

means for providing on the video display a playfield through which the characters move and in which are placed limited resources; and

means for restricting movements of all the characters to a window portion of the playfield and for moving the window portion based upon the collective positions of all the characters, thereby encouraging the players to cooperate to move the characters through the playfield until they reach positions such that the limited resources are displayed within the window portion, thereby allowing the players to independently decide to either cooperate or compete with each other in moving their characters

to obtain possession of the limited resources. 36. The system defined in claim 35, wherein each character has a set of attributes. 37. The system defined in claim 36, further comprising means for independently changing the attributes of each character based upon events affecting the character or actions taken by the character. 38. The system defined in claim 36, wherein at least one of the limited resources affects at least one of the attributes when one of the limited resources is possessed by one of the characters. 39. The system defined in claim 38, further comprising entities on the playfield which affect at least one of the attributes of the characters if the entity is not avoided by the characters. 40. The system defined in claim 35, further comprising means for establishing different attributes for each character which determine a limited range for each character's movement and other abilities of the characters which are controlled by the players. 41. The system defined in claim 35, further comprising means for allowing any player to enter a character on the playfield or withdraw a character from the playfield independently of when any other player started playing, and independently of how many other characters are on the playfield, and for allowing any player to independently stay on the playfield as other characters are placed on or withdrawn from the

playfield. 42. A computerized system for competition, comprising:

means for displaying a playfield;

multiple control means each for allowing a player to control the movements of a corresponding character on the playfield; and

a computer coupled to the display means and the allowing means, comprising:

means for displaying attribute affecting entities and resources on the playfield;

means for displaying only a portion of the playfield at any particular time in a window and for moving the window across the playfield in response to the movements of the characters; and

means for forcing all currently active characters to remain visible in the window at substantially all times when the game is being played by preventing characters from leaving the window and by preventing movement of the window until the collective position of all characters is such that the window may be moved without causing a character to pass outside a pre-determined area and for not allowing any character to take possession of a resource unless the resource is visible within the window.

43. The system as defined in claim 42, further comprising means for allowing characters to enter the playfield at any time, and for bringing an unused character to life and for beginning control of the character simultaneously with continuing control of other characters

already on the playfield. 44. A video game comprising:

a video display;

first means for allowing a plurality of players to simultaneously and independently control the movement of a plurality of characters on the video display; and

a computer, coupled to the video display and the first means, comprising:

second means for allowing any one of the plurality of players to enter the game at any time and to simultaneously and independently control the movements of one of the characters on the video display independently of when the other players started playing or when any other player stops playing; and

means for populating a playfield, a window portion of which is displayed on the video display, with resources which affect the characters, and for restricting movements of the characters such that no character can enter any portion of the playfield which is outside the window portion, and for moving the window portion over the playfield as a function of the position of the characters, and for not allowing any character to obtain possession of any resource or reach any other objective on the playfield unless the resource or objective is visible in the window portion, thereby encouraging the players to cooperate during play to reach predetermined

objectives. 45. A method of operating a video game having a computer, a video display, multiple control mechanisms and multiple start mechanisms, the method comprising the steps of:

reading control inputs from the control mechanisms;

controlling the movements of multiple characters each of which responds to control inputs from the corresponding control mechanisms and each of which is displayed on the video display;,

reading start data from the start mechanisms at the beginning of the game and during the game so as to allow new players to join the game at any time and select an inactive character simultaneously with control of other characters by other players;

encouraging the players to cooperate during play of the game by displaying on the video display only a portion of the playfield in a window which can be moved by the computer to display different portions of the playfield;

restricting movement of the characters such that no character can venture outside the window; and

moving the window as a function of the positions on the playfield of all active characters. 46. The method as defined in claim 45, wherein the encouraging step includes populating the playfield with entities which negatively affect at least one of the characters and with resources which positively affect at least one of the characters when the position of at least one of the characters is in a predetermined relationship to that of one or more of said entities or resources, and allowing each character to be in said predetermined relationship with said resource or entity only when the positions of all the active characters on the playfield are such that the window portion encompasses resource or entity. 47. The method as defined in claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

providing each character with certain attributes; and

providing attribute affecting entities in the playfield which will change at least one of the attributes of each character if the character collides with any one of the entities. 48. The method as defined in claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

providing a longevity attribute for each character that controls how long that character may be active in the game;

providing limited longevity enhancing resources in the game which may be possessed by each character to thereby increase that character's longevity; and

providing longevity decreasing entities on the playfield which will decrease the longevity of each character if not avoided by the character.

49. A video game, comprising:

a display;

a plurality of controls by which a plurality of players may control the movements and other attributes of a plurality of corresponding characters shown on the display; and

a computer having a memory and coupled to the display and to the controls, comprising a software program executed by the computer for generating data to drive the display and to read the controls and create the characters in the memory, each character having various attributes wherein the program creates in the memory a playfield populated by attribute affecting entities such as at least one limited resource which affects one or more attributes of any character, and wherein the program drives the display of a window portion of the playfield and at least two characters in the window portion, and provides for simultaneously controlling the displayed movements of all the characters in accordance with the manipulations of the corresponding controls, and provides for moving the window portion in accordance with the positions of the characters and restricting the movements of the characters such that no character can travel to any position of the playfield not displayed in the window portion.

50. The video game defined in claim 49, wherein the software program includes means for preventing each character from obtaining possession of a selected limited resource unless the limited resource is displayed in the window portion and for restricting the movement of the window portion to display other portions of the playfield such that the window portion may be moved only to the extent that all characters having a selected attribute status may be simultaneously displayed within the window portion and such that the window portion moves over the playfield subject to the restriction on movement of the characters. 51. The video game defined in claim 49, wherein the software program includes program code which defines in the computer memory a playfield having multiple mazes or levels connected by exits on each level, and wherein cooperation of players is forced by restricting movement of each character to a different level until all characters have been moved such that the window portion is over the exit on any particular level of the maze and all characters have been moved through the exit. 52. The video game defined in claim 49, wherein the software program includes program code which changes a selected attribute of each character which collides with or is successfully attacked by any one of a plurality of attribute affecting entities. 53. The video game defined in claim 49, wherein one of the attributes is character longevity and the software program includes program code to automatically decrease the longevity attribute of each character at selected times. 54. The video game defined in claim 53, wherein the software program includes program code to allow characters to increase their longevity attributes by taking possession of certain limited resources, wherein all the players cooperate by moving their characters such that the window portion can be moved to include the limited resource

within the perimeter of the window portion. 55. A video game, comprising:

a video display;

a plurality of controllers, each controller independently operable by a player; and

a computer having a memory, the computer connected to the video display and the controllers, the computer comprising program means, stored in the memory, for displaying a window portion of a playfield populated by at least two characters, and for moving the characters over the playfield in response to manipulation by at least two players of the corresponding player controls, and permitting all characters to be simultaneously and independently controlled and to enter and leave the game at will, but restricting the movements of the characters and the window portion over the playfield such that no character can move outside the bounds of the window and such that the window moves with the characters thereby allowing movement of the window to be blocked by any player who refuses to move

their character with the other characters. 56. The video game definedin claim 55, wherein each character has a set of attributes including a longevity attribute and wherein the playfield is further populated by a limited number of positive attribute affecting entities which increase the longevity attribute or enhance other attributes of any character affected by one or more of the positive attribute affecting entities, and further populated by negative attribute affecting entities which adversely affect the longevity or other attributes of any character affected by one or more of the negative attribute affecting entities. 57. The video game defined in claim 56, wherein the program means includes means for calculating and displaying a score for each character and for establishing and updating data defining the status of all attributes for each character based upon events affecting each character during operation of the game. 58. The video game defined in claim 56, wherein the program means includes means for restricting the action of the positive attribute affecting entities from affecting any character until the position of the positive attribute affecting entity is within the window portion. 59. The video game defined in claim 56, wherein the program means includes means for storing and displaying data defining multiple different levels of the playfield which are connected by at least one path from one level to a different level. 60. The video game defined in claim 59, wherein the program means includes means for causing at least some of the negative attribute affecting entities to seek out and attack any character active in the game and further includes means to restrict the movement of one character through a path to another level of the playfield until all the characters have moved to positions on the playfield such that the window portion includes the path within its perimeter. 61. The video game defined in claim 56, wherein the program means includes means for selectively increasing the longevity attribute of any character. 62. The video game defined in claim 55, wherein each character has a longevity attribute and the program means includes means for automatically decreasing the longevity attribute over time or when a character is affected by a negative attribute affecting entity and means for increasing the longevity attribute of any character taking into its possession a positive attribute affecting entity.