EA Working On Innovative Turn-Based Football Card Game

Rundown:

• Electronic Arts’ patent hints at a turn-based football card video game involving preconfigured sets of virtual entities with diverse attributes like effects and overall values.
• In the online multiplayer video game, players strategically deploy virtual entities in turn-based battles, where turn priority hinges on marker placement and possession.
• Players guide virtual entities to advance a marker toward goals, with added features like goal requests, scoring probabilities, and zone selections for strategic decision-making.
• The patent underscores a matchmaking process reliant on player profiles, ensuring balanced gameplay experiences with each profile linked to specific data for personalisation.
• The patent also introduces the innovative aspect of displaying virtual entities face down, adding mystery and emphasising strategic planning and adaptability.

Today, we discovered a patent filed by Electronic Arts in July 2023, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A NETWORK-BASED VIDEO GAME APPLICATION.” Recently published, the patent hints at the possibility that the company is developing a turn-based football card video game.

“Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein provide a game that includes at least two users that each have a preconfigured set of playable virtual entities. The users draw playable virtual entities from each of their respective sets of playable virtual entities, and can play the playable virtual entities in one or more battles to facilitate moving a virtual positional marker towards a goal or shooting a goal, wherein the battle procedures are based on a turn priority,” reads the patent’s abstract.

“Certain attributes are associated with the playable virtual entities so that playable virtual entity effects, OVR values, and salary values can affect which playable virtual entities are in a deck and how the playable virtual entities are affected by the location of the virtual positional marker and/or other playable virtual entities.”

The patent’s central concept involves a network-based video game application where at least two players engage in battles using preconfigured sets of playable virtual entities. These virtual entities, which can be cards or characters, possess various attributes influencing gameplay, such as effects, overall values (OVR), and salary values.

Players connect through a network, and the video game system facilitates a connection between their devices. The interactive user interface, comprising shared and individual portions, serves as the battleground where players strategically deploy their virtual entities. The turn-based nature of the video game adds a layer of strategy, with turn priority determined by factors like the placement of virtual entities and possession of a virtual positional marker.

The heart of the video game lies in the turn-based battles between players, where virtual entities are played to either move a virtual positional marker towards a goal or shoot a goal. The marker’s location is crucial, and players can request modifications to its position, adding a tactical dimension to the gameplay.

The patent introduces the concept of goal requests, scoring probabilities, and zone selections, further enhancing the strategic decision-making process. If a goal is scored, the scoring player retains the turn priority and the virtual marker resets to a starting location, adding an element of persistence and continuity to the gaming experience.

One of the patent’s innovative features is the matchmaking process based on player profiles. The system facilitates connections between players by matching their profiles, ensuring a balanced and competitive gaming experience. Each player’s profile is associated with specific data, creating a personalised gaming environment.

Additionally, the patent outlines methods for displaying virtual entities face down in the interface, adding an element of mystery and surprise to the gameplay. This not only introduces a psychological aspect to the video game but also emphasises the importance of strategic planning and adaptability.

In the previous month, Electronic Arts unveiled EA SPORTS FC Tactical, a free-to-play football video game with turn-based role-playing video game (RPG) elements designed for mobile devices. Nonetheless, in contrast to EA SPORTS FC Tactical, the video game outlined in the patent showcases player cards offering a bird’s-eye view of the playing field. Furthermore, the images included in the patent hint at the possibility that this could be an entirely distinct video game.

The Electronic Arts patent marks the advent of a new era in sports video games, presenting a novel approach to interactive and competitive gameplay. In the ever-expanding and diverse gaming industry, such innovations play a pivotal role in shaping the broader evolution of gaming experiences.

This patent not only provides insight into the future direction of Electronic Arts’ products but also establishes a precedent for the entire industry. It’s crucial to recognise that, as of now, this is solely a patent and offers no assurance of eventual release or development. Only time will reveal how precisely the company transforms this patent into a potential new franchise.

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