- Gaming customers are willing to pay to race a car over the Web or Internet as they are already used to paying significant amounts to race cars (purchase of a car, batteries, etc.) at existing hobby race tracks.
- Hobby race track sites are not always close to interested racers.
- With the RAIG system, gaming customers would not have to buy an expensive car or travel long distances to a competitive race track club.
- Gaming customers can race people from different countries.
- Racers can play from the comfort of their homes.
- Only a low investment is required. The RAIG Web site could lease the track or enter a revenue sharing arrangement with the race track owner, where the race track owner would receive a percentage of revenues generated by his or her track in exchange for managing the site and the races. Such a method would additionally reduce upfront set-up costs. The actual game would be an extension from virtual racing simulations such as Sega Sports CART presently sold for the Dreamcast console. A cross promotion strategy may also provide high synergies to boost sales of simulation games.

The race car game may also be accessed in an arcade connected by the Web or Internet to the RAIG Web site. Because of the quick response time needed for car racing, these races preferably have a fast Web or Internet connection at both the uploading and downloading sides. Therefore, these car races may be best implemented in an arcade environment or in a special game centre that can be offered as a franchise to reduce investment. The games would be played on an arcade computer with a large screen that already exists at reasonable prices. This computer would be connected to a fast Web or Internet connection such as a T1, a DSL, or ATM line. An arcade game like this in an arcade would be a unique and exciting phenomenon and would be an instant hit with the new Internet generation. It would also be very profitable because it would provide the additional benefit of being in an arcade environment in which people are already accustomed to paying for game play. It should be noted that this race car game can also be easily played from a home PC as long as it has a fast Internet connection which are widespread today.

In addition, the investment would not be very large for each arcade computer set-up and would be considerably less than for an average arcade game. Additionally, gaming customers would have the option of playing different games from the same computer. Alternatively, a particular game that is played can be rotated at regular intervals, by just linking to different software. It should be noted that most of the other games and activities that will be described below can be easily played from the gaming customer's home.

Additional games are also contemplated. One such game is bass fishing. The RAIG system can actually allow a gaming customer to fish from the luxury of his or her office or home. What executive wouldn't like to try that sometime on a nice warm day when he or she is thinking about doing some relaxing fishing. He or she can simply access the RAIG Web site and rent an actual fishing rod and fish in a real lake or river. The fishing rod with hundreds of others will be placed in different locations around a beautiful lake or along a stream. The gaming customer simply clicks on a key on his or her computer or game console to cast the line. He or she can then go back to work or linger a bit taking in the landscape sent by the Web video camera. While back at work, a remote sensor will notify the gaming consumer when a fish is on the line. He or she will then reel in the fish by clicking on another key. In addition, a service may be provided to deliver the gaming customer's catch on ice to him or her. The gaming customer can then show the fish at his or her office or home and even cook the fish and enjoy the fish at a meal. The real action fishing experience is quite feasible and profitable, and surveys of people document that the fishing concept appeals to them.

Surveys and feasibility and profitability research show that there are many other games with high profit potential. They include the following.

Another game is boat races. The boat race is similar to race car races but smaller response time is required. The remotely controlled boats and sites already exist, and so the RAIG system would be inexpensive and easily implemented. The RAIG system may provide international long term competitions to draw more traffic and generate sustained long term cash flows.

Yet another game is an automobile crash derby. There is a great deal of interest in being able to participate in an actual crash derby. Participants can purchase inexpensive remote controlled cars online and enter the event. The winner moves on to other competitions. Winners' circles, tournaments, and prizes can be incorporated.

A further game is rocket launches. Gaming customers as well as rocket hobbyists can launch an actual model rocket at a distant launching pad for a fee and view the rocket ascend. He or she can, in addition, download the video of the launch onto his or her computer's hard disk or to a writable CD ROM for future viewing and showing to friends. He or she may also easily e-mail a video file to whomever he or she wants. Again, rocket launching is expected to prove profitable because of the small investment required, as the launch site and launches are to be managed by the site's owner. Additionally, launching rockets is anticipated to generate high revenues as people are already accustomed to paying significant fees for launching rockets.

The RAIG Web site may also have conventional but actual board games to allow gaming customers the opportunity to play games on real boards, including such games as Monopoly™, chess, checkers, and other games. The RAIG Web site would cater to a large market of game players who would prefer to play with distant people on actual boards instead of on virtual ones on which they are forced to play at present. These people want to experience actual physical movement of pieces on actual boards. They are not psychologically satisfied with the virtual playing of such games, as their experience is playing with actual game boards. Research shows the above to be true and reveals that the market for such actual gaming is large. Moreover, the investment is low as many of these games already exist in virtual forms.

The RAIG system is also conducive to implementation as actual entertainment park activities. For example, the RAIG Web site can allow gaming customers to have online access to an actual entertainment park. They may play competitive games such as a water pistol balloon filling game, and other games and activities that are already automated or can be automated with minimal investment. The preferred games include ones that:

- allow multiple players to participate in order to maximize game revenues;
- are already automated, thus allowing easy connection to the RAIG Web site and minimal investment to set up;
- allow for tournaments, and a learning curve, which generate long term gaming revenues and increased Web site traffic;
- accommodate forming teams around each actual player, which would also increase revenues and traffic to the Web site;
- one does not have easy access to entertainment park activities; and
- one normally pays a fee to play such entertainment park activities, so people will be willing to pay a fee here also.
  The RAIG system can also incorporate arcade games. Some arcade games such as table hockey may be connected to the RAIG Web site allowing one-on-one games as at present, or multiple player teams, for example, one person per hockey player. Each player can signal to his team mates that he or she would like a pass by causing his helmet to light, for example. This popular but basic game is quite popular because of the real action that many people still crave. Available at the RAIG Web site, this game would be quite popular and profitable. In addition, it lends itself well to tournaments and competitions.

The RAIG system also accommodates third-party game development and management. As indicated above, one option to develop new games and keep the original investment to a minimum is to enable third-party development of new games. Any person or entity having a race track or other already existing game site, that wants to be part of the RAIG Web site, can arrange to become a game provider. They would be required to manage the game venue and the daily events taking place, in exchange for a percentage of revenues generated from using that game site, for example. Research of goods and services suppliers and vendors has been conducted, and this concept has been found to be quite feasible. The software needed for the game may also be open to third-party development. Goods and services suppliers and vendors simply have to place the Web video cameras and remote control devices linked to a computer at each site and handle the traffic from the RAIG Web site. It is also contemplated that the investment can be further reduced by having the site owner set up and handle the Web video cameras and onsite computer functions so that the RAIG Web site simply manages the RAIG Web site and marketing.

The RAIG system may also be configured to allow participation in war games to start a simulated war or enable a gaming customer to at least defend his or her nation against a hostile enemy. A gaming customer can actually be part of an army and control his or her own remote controlled military vehicle. Employing existing tanks and jeeps with infrared laser beam guided weapons and receptors that are programmed to count hits, gaming customers can have two or more armies engage in a realistic play war resulting in counted fatalities, destroyed vehicles, and a victor at the end of the battle. This is all technically and economically feasible as these war games actually take place at certain hobby clubs. To minimize cost and investment, the RAIG Web site may enter an arrangement with the owner of the club to manage the battle venue for a percentage of revenues, for example. A computer to manage remotely controlled devices and Web video cameras is connected over the Web or Internet to the RAIG Web site to the scene to enable the gaming customers to participate.

Below is an example of an implementation of one embodiment of the RAIG system for war games. In the following war games example, gaming customers from different locations on the globe can control in substantial real time over the Web or Internet actual remote control tanks, jeeps, or other vehicles and engage each other in actual battle in a common location with real winners and losers. Each person would control his vehicle or artillery device and be part of an army. Typically, there would be two armies with each army having approximately 10 persons or more battling each other on a common physical terrain. The remote military vehicles would include current off-the-shelf remote controlled tanks and jeeps that can fire actual airsoft bb's and move on the terrain as the vehicles battle each other. The terrain of the battle site would be ground and sand with pits and other small obstacles. Each army has its fortress with five targets on its side of the field. To emerge victorious, an army must achieve an objective such as shooting down the five targets on top of the enemy's fortress. The tanks and jeeps are allowed to shoot each other and ram each other into the pits. Below are more details as to implementation. Alternatives are possible.

- 1) Physical location: approximately 100 feet by 100 feet square. Preferably, the terrain is flat hard earth.
- 2) Web video cameras: One or two high quality digital video cameras for live streaming video of the battle scene mounted at elevated level. An example is a StarDot netcam digital Internet camera with integrated Web server which can send the video to the Web or Internet where it will be sent to the players PCs, appearing on their monitors as a substantial real time viewing of the battle scene and their vehicles. Some details are IP addressable, built in Web server. The Web video cameras provide up to 640×480 resolution with easy set-up.
- 3) Remote controlled battle vehicles: One example is the Panzer Giant airsoft RC Battle tank which is off-the-shelf for approximately $100. This tank has a working gun turret which fires small pellets up to 28 yards. The size is two-and-one-half feet. Another vehicle is the Military truck which is also off-the-shelf such as the remote control airsoft Military truck which has revolving gun turret and fires bb's.
- 4) Users need an average home PC with a Web or Internet connection to play. A fast connection such as a DSL connection is preferred for better video. A joystick such as the Logitech Dexxa joystick with a cable interface type and six buttons is optional.
- 5) Game Server Portal: Players' control signals are sent from their PC keyboards, joysticks, or game pads over the Web or Internet to the main “game server portal” located on the Web, which in turn redirects the signals to an on-site computer located at the game site (here the war games location). The “game server portal” is where gaming customers register as members; enter credit or debit card information; where members' statistics are listed, bulletin boards are provided, etc., and where members go to select which game they wish to play. In this case they select war games and then which nation's army they wish to join and which vehicle they wish to control.
- 6) On-Site Gaming Computer: As mentioned above the players' control signals are sent from their PC's to the “game server portal” which then redirects the signals to the “on-site gaming computer” (hosted on a game server) and located at the war game site. The “on-site gaming computer” then converts these control signals to specific radio frequency control signals that are then transmitted by radio frequency transmitters to the remote controlled vehicles causing them to move or fire their weapons in battle.
- 7) Once one army wins, the game ends and the results are declared on-line, and the statistics are imputed to the “game server portal.” Points are counted and tournaments held where others battle each other and the winners battle each other in quarter and semi finals through the final battle for the championship.

These war games played over the Web or Internet would be popular for the following reasons:

- their high action level;
- their team involvement and cooperative component;
- they allow people the luxury of playing them from the comfort of their homes or the excitement of an arcade;
- players can build armies with other players from anywhere in the world;
- war games are already popular among the youth and middle aged market segments;
- there is a large untapped market for war games among gaming customers who would like to play this type of game but find the physical sites too far away; and
- gaming customers are already willing to spend significant amounts to play this type of game.

Another application of the RAIG system is wish fulfilment. The RAIG Web site can be applied to another field which is expected to be groundbreaking and very profitable, namely, the RAIG Web site can be employed to allow people to do things that they really wish they could do but can't for different reasons including distance or cost. For example, the theme could be, for example, “What would you like to do today?” Thus, the RAIG Web site can basically function as a wish fulfilment Web site. For example, the RAIG system can be applied to allow participants to:

- Plant a Flag in the Sahara Desert or upon Mount Everest. One flag planting device would not require a very large investment. A printer would print the name of the gaming customer on the flag. One would see his or her flag being planted.
- Pitch a Ball at Wrigley's Field. An existing remote controlled pitching machine can be connected to the RAIG system via the Web or Internet. The investment would not be large and would lend itself to volume business due to the short duration of each pitching event.
- Drop a Penney in a Certain Distant Well. The penny dropping mechanism already exists and would be controlled remotely by a gaming customer through the RAIG Web site. Thus, the investment would be minimal. The use of third-party management and multiple machines would keep the cost low and increase the capacity for gaming customers and thereby increase revenues.
- Shout into the Grand Canyon, and Hear an Echo. Very little investment would be required, and gaming customers would find the activity fun. The small investment of a speaker system and microphone would draw a large amount of traffic to the RAIG Web site, and the activity could be provided for a nominal charge.
- Anyone for Skeet Shooting? This game would lure executives in the office and allow the RAIG system to provide an entry into this potentially lucrative executive entertainment market, composed of professionals and businessmen who are willing to pay significant fees to play executive style games. Tournaments by company, and other tournament ideas with sponsorship potential, are possible and potentially lucrative. A section of the RAIG Web site, or another Web site, may be dedicated to executive entertainment, which would include skeet shooting and other actual entertainment. A fast corporate Internet connection would be best for this activity.

Additionally, analysis shows that the RAIG system integrates very well with products produced by toy companies, such as Sega Toys, specifically, adapted versions of the “Poo-chi” robot dog and humanoid toy robots (“BOTS”) and should be very successful and profitable if applied to them. For example, visualize the following robotic toy scenarios when the RAIG system is applied to robotic toys. It would expand the scope of the robotic toy industry and further place the toy company at the forefront of robotic toys.

Imagine friends controlling a Web or Internet adapted W-BOT over the Web or Internet and racing their friends' BOTS in real time, seeing the actual action as it unfolds at a real location using Web video cameras to catch all the action. Gaming customers would enter into different events that are limitless, including obstacle courses, picking up blocks competitions, and the like. The RAIG system can also continue the theme of communication that is being displayed by the present BOTS; for example, one person can communicate over the Web or Internet to the other person's BOT which transfers one's feelings and emotions and message in real time to a receiver implanted in the friend's BOT. In actuality, the RAIG system would be employed to create a robotic message and communications zone in which people can communicate with each other in real time, also expressing emotions, over the Web or Internet, as will be described in more detail below.

- 1) The RAIG system can create a toy farm or robot village in which all the humanoid robots and Poo-chis or other animals are located. A gaming customer would access the Web or Internet and log in to a special Web site, e.g., www.RobotVillage.com. Once at the site, the gaming customer may select from a list of robots such as which Poo-chi or humanoid BOT he or she wants to control or which game he or she wants to play. One could select a humanoid robot like W-BOT and choose to enter a robot race with other robots controlled by other gaming customers from around the world. Visualize racing a dog or humanoid robot against 5-10 others remotely controlled by others from across the globe in real time. Such a Web site would be very exciting and profitable. As mentioned, a gaming customer could choose from a list of activities such as:
  - a) Communicate with someone: A selection would bring the gaming customer into a private chat room with BOTS that one can use to communicate with the other party. A Web video camera would show all the action, and the messages would be seen live and transmitted over the Web or Internet.
  - b) Community building activities: One selects a robot to be part of a family of robots. For example, one gaming customer chooses the baby, and in that special family room there are other robots already placed. For example, someone from England selects to be the older brother, and from Japan, someone selects to be the father, etc. Subsequently, the gaming customers can move the robots around the family room, including a play kitchen, TV room, and the like. The masters of the robots can communicate with each other and (by a remote transmitter implanted in his or her BOT and controlled in real time by the master over the Web or Internet) the master of the BOT can turn the TV on and off, and conduct other activities such as make the BOT move and talk with the other BOTS. The action would last, say, 10-15 minutes, and would be satisfying. The activity would finally provide a means for people to cause actual action and movements over the Web or Internet as opposed to presently where mostly everything is virtual (non-real), leaving that basic human need for actual movement and contact unsatisfied. And, it is evident that whenever a presently unsatisfied basic need can be satisfied, as here, there lies the potential for a very profitable opportunity.
  - c) Another exciting activity is for the current owner of an already purchased BOT (with the aid of a Web video camera that can transmit the actions and emotions of his or her BOT located at his or her home in front of a Web video camera) over the Web or Internet to his or her friend's computer monitor allowing live real time communication. One can talk to his or her BOT and tell it what to say to his or her friend, i.e., his BOT might say “How are you?” The message is then transmitted including the sound (picked up by the microphone attached to the computer) to his or her friend's BOT as the sound is transmitted over the Web or Internet and reproduced by the speaker at the friend's home. The other BOT then responds on behalf of his master “I am fine.” This activity is very inexpensive and would provide an exciting avenue over the Web or Internet to enhance communications between friends utilizing an already existing and popular BOT robot.
- d) The list of potential activities that can be played over the Web or Internet with these BOTS is limited only by the imagination.

Market research shows that people are willing to pay significant fees to be able to play these kinds of games over the Web or Internet. The revenues can be generated in different manners. A monthly membership fee may be charged to join the RAIG Web site, and monthly fees may be charged which give one the right to use the robots for a certain amount of time. There can be basic to deluxe packages with the latter providing more time and/or access to more types of robots. Fees of $10-$30 a month would be acceptable and could result in significant revenues, and the revenues would be continuous as opposed to only a one-time purchase of the BOT. One can also buy BOTs, which would be showcased at the center, thus leading to multiple BOT purchases per consumer. Lastly, one may promote the sale of the BOTs over the RAIG Web site resulting in increased exposure and sales, and it is roughly estimated, due to the present popularity of robotic toys, that the robotic embodiment can generate approximately $100-$150 million of revenues starting the second year of the launch. Revenue growth of between 20-35% is expected for following years as more games and activities are added. The popularity of this concept should have a spillover effect (cross-promotional effect) and increase the sales of the actual BOTs, as the robotic embodiment would provide the gaming customer with the ability to test and play with robots, which should encourage purchases of the robot at a later stage.

It would be relatively inexpensive to set up such a Web site and set up the activity centers containing the BOTs. To adapt the BOT, one would implant into the current models or future models produced specifically for this embodiment a receiver to receive messages and commands sent from a gaming customer's computer over the Web or Internet. A transmitter at the location would convey the signal to the BOT. This technology all exists and is quite inexpensive. In addition, the onsite Web video cameras that transmit over the Web or Internet presently exist and are inexpensive. Costs of the RAIG system for the robotic embodiment are estimated to be about 10-20% of revenues such that the net present value (market value) is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.

The RAIG system supports various business models for interactive gaming over the Web or Internet with a central operating Web site. There are several options in order to maximize the profits and value of the business. Three basic approaches that apply to real action Web or Internet gaming are as follows.

One business model is to generate net cash inflows and profits by generating revenues either by charging game participants monthly subscription fees to participate in games or other activities, or by selling the software on line for each game or activity. Gaming customers would download the software for a particular game or activity and then participate. In addition, the RAIG Web site can benefit from the high traffic at the site to sell other products and games. Banner advertising, links, and the like, can also be used to generate cash flow. Even T-shirts, etc., can be sold to this new and large community of players and fans.

A second business model is to set up the RAIG Web site as a separate division or subsidiary of a gaming entity and use it to maximize traffic (eyeballs) to the site, from game players and viewers. A Web site that can generate a great deal of traffic draws interest from major portals such as Microsoft Corp., Yahoo!, and AOL who actively seek out and pay top dollar for such high traffic sites. Thus, other Web sites may be willing to pay a substantial sum (roughly in the hundreds of millions of dollars) to acquire such a division or to merge it in an already existing gaming network for several reasons:

- The high traffic the Web site is generating would be very attractive as an acquiring entity would want to direct those (eyeballs) to its networks and services. This is substantiated by the experience of “Hotmail”, the free e-mail service that was bought by Microsoft Corp. for four hundred million dollars for the high traffic generated by that Web site. And Hotmail is just one acquisition out of a list of over 2,600 technology acquisitions completed in 1999, with over 300 of them worth over one hundred million dollars.
- The eyeballs would be considered “very sticky.” That is, the people watching the games would spend time on the Web site and be involved at a higher level than with most sites. Portals favour sticky eyeball traffic.
- The RAIG Web site would draw attention as eyeballs would see it as something new that must be added to the portfolio of Web services that they want.

A third business model is to set up the RAIGS system as a new entity and have in mind the possibility of an IPO. An IPO would lend itself well for this business due to:

- potential high brand name recognition;
- perception of the RAIG Web site as an innovator;
- perception of the RAIG entity as a firm that will be able to make the business very profitable in gaming entertainment; and
- an Internet business such as this has a high perceived market value.

The RAIG system and Web site support high forecasted profits. Some reasons and estimates indicated by market research and cost benefit analysis are low game development costs and upfront risk due to third-party development. Even if an entity is established to set up each RAIG site (Web video cameras, computer, etc.) the estimate is less than three months to profitability assuming just moderate game success. Almost all game revenues after that point in time will be profits. It is estimated that these new games should generate tens of millions of dollars in online gaming revenues with a high profit margin from subscription fees (not including potential for software sales), during the first three years after launch. Sales and profits should steadily but rapidly increase as the RAIG Web site develops and the market expands.

While the foregoing description has been with reference to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes in these embodiments may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention can only be ascertained with reference to the appended claims.