How to do a patent search Tips

I've got a concept for a new game. Math seems to work.
The only problem is It's so simple, that surely somebody must have already come up with it already.
I've tried patent searches, but ultimately I have no idea what I'm doing.
Any Advice on doing patent searches??
Cheers

Quote: kingcreights

I've got a concept for a new game. Math seems to work.
The only problem is It's so simple, that surely somebody must have already come up with it already.
I've tried patent searches, but ultimately I have no idea what I'm doing.
Any Advice on doing patent searches??
Cheers

It takes a lot of patience to do your own patent searches.. Find any games that you think might have some similar characteristics and look at their patent and all of the patents that are cited by them, The key is the claims of the patent because that is the only thing protected. If you can afford to spend $2000 or so have a company do the aptent seach for you. Any patent attorney can help with that or just do an internet search for "patent searches"

I probably spent 300 hours searching patents for the first one that I did myself and when I filed the examiner found many more that I should have looked at.