Episodic delivery of content

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus are provided that allow episodic delivery of entertainment content to a user. More specifically, an application module is created with episodic content technology, which can be purchased as a CD-ROM or downloaded from a remote server. The application module contains a current episode of the game and a technology shell to allow future episodes to be downloaded and executed. The entertainment content delivery system is implemented through a centralized server that provides new episodes of the content available for downloading at regularly scheduled intervals to the users' computers. The current instantiation of the application module segregates technology components from content components of the application module to allow independent modification of either. Technological advancements are incorporated as they occur into the new episodes and are executed by the application module. An Internet-enabled game using the entertainment content delivery system communicates with users through various mechanisms, including e-mail, voice mail, fax machines, web sites, and the like.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a network comprising a content server and a plurality of connected user terminals, a method for delivering content comprising a storyline for an electronic game to at least one user, the method comprising: 
 deconstructing the storyline into a plurality of episodes;    implementing an episode into an episodic game module; and    transmitting the episodic game module to at least one user terminal.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 scheduling intervals for generation and transmission of episodic game modules.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 responsive to a technological improvement occurring during a first part of an interval for generation and transmission of an episodic game module, incorporating the technological improvement into the episodic game module scheduled for generation and transmission for that interval.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 responsive to a technological improvement occurring during implementation of an episode incorporating the technological improvement into the episodic game module scheduled for generation and transmission for that interval.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 responsive to a real world event occurring related to the storyline of the game during an interval, incorporating the event into the episodic game module scheduled for generation and transmission for that interval.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating episodic game modules further comprises: 
 generating a technology module and content module for each episodic game module to allow modification of the technology module without requiring modification of the content of an episodic game module.  
 
     
     
         7 . In a network comprising a content server and a plurality of connected user terminals, a method for delivering content comprising a storyline for an electronic game to at least one user comprising: 
 constructing a plurality of episodes to relate the storyline;    implementing an episode into a game module; and    transmitting the episodic game module to at least one user terminal.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein an episodic game module is transmitted at periodically scheduled intervals.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the episodic game modules are transmitted monthly.  
     
     
         10 . A method of providing an Internet-enabled game comprising: 
 receiving information regarding a user's current state in the game; and    responsive to the current state, enabling episodic content to be accessed by a user.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 responsive to the current state, transmitting a voice mail message related to the user.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 responsive to the current state, transmitting a voice mail message related to the user.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 responsive to the current state, transmitting a pager message related to the user.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 receiving a search request from a user; and  
 responsive to the current state of the user in the game, transmitting search results to the user.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the search results are game-related responsive to the search request being game-related and the current state of the user indicating that the user is permitted to receive game-related search results.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the search results are not game-related responsive to the current state of the user indicating that the user is not permitted to receive game-related search results responsive to the search term entered by the user.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein current state information comprises a notification from an application module resident on a user's terminal that the user has accessed a web page.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein current state information comprises a user action.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the user action is calling a predefined telephone number.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the user action is accessing a predetermined web site.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the user action is requesting a specific search term.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 10  wherein episodic content is stored within a third-party website that is content-related to the storyline, and the users are directed to the web-site to discover the episodic content.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  episodic content is placed on a third party web site for compensation related to user traffic to the web site related to users searching for the episodic content.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 10  wherein an episode is made available responsive to determining whether a user has submitted payment for the episode.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for delivering episodic content comprising: 
 a content server for storing a plurality of episodic gaming modules to which user terminals may have access responsive to receiving authorization, the episodic gaming modules having a related storyline, and in which authorization is granted to access the episodic gaming modules serially.    
     
     
         26 . A method of episodically delivering entertainment content to a plurality of users comprising: 
 delivering an initial episode of content, wherein the initial episode comprises an initial set of technology for enabling an initial episode of content; and    delivering subsequent episodes at periodically scheduled intervals to at least one user.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 obtaining an e-mail address from a user; and  
 delivering information related to the entertainment content to the obtained e-mail address.  
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 providing an e-mail address to a user; and  
 delivering information related to the entertainment content to the provided address.  
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 placing information relevant to content of the episode on a web site maintained by a third party; and wherein the information comprises a request that the user access the web site to find the relevant information.  
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  comprising: 
 identifying a relevant current event news story; and  
 transmitting information regarding the current event news story to at least one user to provide additional information related to the episode content.  
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 determining a link to a web site containing the news story; and wherein transmitting information comprises transmitting link information to the web site containing the news story to at least one user.  
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30  further comprising: 
 creating a false news story related to the identified news story, wherein the false news story links the content of the episode to the identified news story.  
 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising: 
 publishing the false news story on a web site maintained by a developer of the entertainment content.  
 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 sending a message to a user's voice mail box, wherein the message is related to the entertainment content.  
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising the step of: 
 providing a user with a voice mail box.  
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein sending message further comprises sending a message to the user's voice mail wherein the message is represented to be from a character in the entertainment content.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 obtaining a facsimile number from a user; and  
 transmitting information relating to the entertainment content to the obtained facsimile number.  
 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 providing a facsimile number from a user; and  
 transmitting information relating to the entertainment content to the providing facsimile number.  
 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 26  wherein new technology is used to implement an episode, further comprising: 
 incrementally delivering data to related to enabling the new technology as part of a plurality of episodes to a user.  
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 26  wherein an episode requires a video file to be played by a user, further comprising: 
 incrementally delivering data comprising the video file as part of a plurality of episodes to a user.  
 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 26  wherein an application developer implements the episodes delivered to the users using technology from at least one third-party vendor, and the third-party vendor updates the technology delivered to the users without participation of the application developer.  
     
     
         42 . In a network comprising a content server and a plurality of connected user terminals, a method for delivering content comprising a storyline for an electronic game to at least one user, the method comprising: 
 deconstructing the storyline into a plurality of episodes;    implementing an episode into a sequence of episodic game modules; and    periodically transmitting to one of the episodic game modules to at least one user terminal.    
     
     
         43 . In a network comprising a content server and a plurality of connected user terminals, a method for delivering content comprising a storyline for an electronic game to at least one user, the method comprising: 
 deconstructing the storyline into a plurality of episodes;    implementing an episode into an episodic game module; and    periodically permitting access to one of the episodic game modules by at least one user terminal.    
     
     
         44 . In a network comprising a content server and a plurality of connected user terminals, a method for providing entertainment content comprising a storyline for an electronic game to at least one user, comprising: 
 receiving a request from a user to gain access to an episode of the electronic game; and    delivering an episode of the electronic game to the user.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising: 
 receiving an access code from a user to gain access to an episode of entertainment content;  
 verifying validity of the access code; and responsive to the access code being validated, allowing access to the episode of entertainment content.  
 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising: 
 determining a date for the request received from the user; and  
 permitting access to the requested episode responsive to the determined date being within a permitted window for delivery.