A game progress information generation system for a game, in which players compete against each other while respectively arranging physical game media in a field, configured to generate progress information for specifying progress status of the game, and comprising: a medium information acquiring device acquiring medium information required for identification of the arranged game medium; a medium identification device identifying the arranged game medium based on the acquired medium information; an action information acquiring device acquiring action information required for identification of action of the player; an action identification device identifying the action of the player based on the acquired action information; and a progress information generation device repeatedly determining the progress status of the game while referring to an identification result of each of the medium identification device and the action identification device, and generating the progress information based on a determination result to be obtained.

Disclosed is an online crane game apparatus. The crane game apparatus includes: a body accommodated therein with prizes; a camera for photographing an inside of the body to generate a game play image; a screen unit provided on at least one surface of the body and having a single color; a communication unit for synthesizing a background video or image to an area corresponding to the screen unit in the game play image to transmit the synthesized background video or image to an outside; and a control unit for controlling the communication unit. Accordingly, the user plays the game while watching the game play image that is more exciting, so that a dynamic and realistic game is implemented.

A skills game includes at least a trackable drawing device and an electronic device. The trackable drawing device includes one or more illumination sources configured to illuminate an illumination area of the trackable drawing device. The electronic device is configured to track a location of the illumination area when the illumination area is illuminated a specific frequency by the one or more illumination sources. The electronic device also generates a drawing on a display of the electronic device based on tracking of the location.

Pinball machines are described. A method includes detecting an event during a game played at least in part over a surface of a playfield in a pinball machine. The playfield has first and second playfield portions. In response to the event, a playfield reducer located between the first and second portions is electronically activated in a manner sufficient to prevent a pinball from traveling between the first and second playfield portions. A pinball machine includes a playfield reducer that is operable to be in and transition between first and second positions during normal gameplay. When the playfield reducer is in the first position, the pinball is capable of rolling into and out of a portion of the playfield surface, and when the playfield reducer is in the second position, the playfield reducer prevents the pinball from accessing or from leaving the portion of the playfield surface.

Connector element includes an enclosure made of a generally non-magnetic material having an open face; an insulating plate with a plate aperture; a permanent magnet placed inside the enclosure, the magnet dimensions preventing egress from the enclosure through the plate aperture; a washer made of a conductive soft ferromagnetic material with a washer aperture being larger than dimensions of said permanent magnet, placed inside the enclosure. Also disclosed are transformable electronic devices, optionally including displays, toys and educational kits built using the self-actuating connector elements.

A toy construction system comprising toy construction elements, comprising coupling means for releasably interconnecting the toy construction elements, one or more marker construction elements comprising such coupling means and each having a visual appearance recognizable by an image processing means, and a data processing system adapted to process a captured image of a toy construction model constructed from the toy construction elements to detect at least a presence of at least one of the marker construction elements within the captured image, and responsive to the detected marker construction element, generate a computer-generated image, wherein the marker construction element comprises a visually detectable feature and a movable element movable between a first and a second position, wherein the movable element, when positioned in the first position, causes the visually detectable feature to be visible and, when positioned in the second position, causes the visually detectable feature to be obstructed from view.

The word building games system, apparatus, carrier, method, and process provides a plurality of characters comprising at least a first language and a second or different language. The characters of the first language and the characters of the second or different language are used non-simultaneously. A playing environment comprises a plurality of character areas. The character areas include one or more change language areas. During game play, if the characters selected from the first language engages the one or more change language areas, the characters from the second or different language are subsequently used to build a word.

Systems and techniques for enhancing the physical games with augmented reality is described. A system identifies a characteristic of a physical object that is located on a physical surface. The system obtains, based on the characteristic, information indicative of a rule set for the game and a state of the game based on the characteristic. A game engine is initialized based on the rule set and game state. The game engine generates a subsequent state for the game. The system renders, based on the subsequent state, an augmented reality display that incorporates the physical surface and physical object.

A portal device for a video game includes a pad with different zones that can be illuminated by selectable colors, a toy sensor (e.g., an RFID tag sensor) associated with each zone, a controller and a communications port for communicating with a video game process executing on a game machine. The colors of each zone can be configured to one or a combination of three primary colors during game play, based on the game process. The portal device reacts to placement of tagged toys on zones and the color of the zones during play, and provides sensor data to the game process. The game process controls the game state in part based on data from the portal device and in part on other user input.

A toy construction system comprising toy construction elements, comprising coupling means for releasably interconnecting the toy construction elements, one or more marker construction elements comprising such coupling means and each having a visual appearance recognizable by an image processing means, and a data processing system adapted to process a captured image of a toy construction model constructed from the toy construction elements to detect at least a presence of at least one of the marker construction elements within the captured image, and responsive to the detected marker construction element, generate a computer-generated image, wherein the marker construction element comprises a visually detectable feature and a movable element movable between a first and a second position, wherein the movable element, when positioned in the first position, causes the visually detectable feature to be visible and, when positioned in the second position, causes the visually detectable feature to be obstructed from view.