Systems and/or methods for stock portfolio based competitive simulations

• US 20080207333A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Augustus C. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Augustus C. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Augustus C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,113,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments described herein relate to systems and/or methods for competitive simulations and, more particularly, to systems and/or methods in which users build stock portfolios that compete against each other, with the performance of each user'"'"'s stock portfolio being based on one or more stock market related metrics (e.g., price per share, market capitalization, volume of trade, etc.). A user'"'"'s portfolio may be formed and/or reformed so as to comply with certain predefined criteria (e.g., company traded on a particular exchange, company belonging to a particular market sector, etc.). The performance of each team/portfolio may be depicted using sports-related imagery (e.g., as teams on a football field, a basketball court, around a baseball diamond, etc.).

Claims

1. In a computer-mediated network environment, a method of conducting a competitive simulation between a plurality of users, each said user having an associated team, the method comprising:

selecting a sport to be simulated as a part of the competitive simulation;

building at least two teams, each said team comprising a plurality of player stocks and each said team being built in dependence on the selected sport;

defining games to be played over a predetermined game time by two of said teams;

while a game is being played, tracking a stock market related metric for each player stock of each team playing in the game;

comparing the stock market related metrics for each team playing in the game over one or more predefined periods of the game time;

awarding points to each team playing in the game based on the comparison; and

determining a winner based on the total number of points awarded to each team over the entire game time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sport is at least one of football, basketball, baseball, racing, soccer, and ice hockey.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing built teams into one or more leagues, each said league having one sport associated therewith.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined game time is a five-day period from Monday through Friday.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each predefined period of the game time corresponds to one day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stock market related metric of each player stock is purchase price of stock.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the player stocks on a field arranged according to the selected sport; and

animating the displayed player stocks in dependence on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing a player stock on a first team to a player stock of the second team located in a corresponding position on the field.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing multiple player stocks on each of the two teams, each said compared player stock of the two teams being in corresponding locations.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

matching a comparison to a predefined pattern; and

displaying a scripted animation in dependence on the matched pattern

11. A computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions for performing a competitive simulation based on a sport, the instructions being executable so as to cause a computer in a network environment to perform the steps of:

filling a plurality of positions on a team via a draft, the team comprising a plurality of player stocks, each said player stock being assigned a position on the team in dependence on a characteristic of the player stock;

selecting a starting lineup of drafted players on the team, the starting lineup being selected so that each position of the team is filled with a player stock assigned to that respective position;

tracking a stock market related metric for each player stock in the starting lineup during a predefined game scenario of the competitive simulation, the game scenario occurring over a predetermined time period; and

simulating team performance in dependence on the tracked stock market related metrics of the team during the game scenario.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the team is rewarded with a bonus situation, the bonus situation being provided randomly or in dependence on a predetermined event.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the bonus situation is one or more of a corner-kick, a penalty kick, a free throw attempt, and a power play.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a team is penalized randomly or in dependence on a predetermined event.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the team is penalized with one or more of a technical foul, a player stock being placed in a penalty box, and an ejection of a player.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each said player stock is assigned to a position on the team in dependence on a sector of the player stock.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising displaying programmed logic circuitry for displaying the simulated team performance on a field appropriate for the sport.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the starting lineup is changeable during a game via a substitution.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the player stocks on a team are changeable based on trades of the player stocks.

20. In a computer-mediated network environment, a method of conducting a competitive simulation between a plurality of users, each said user having an associated team, the method comprising:

selecting a sport to be simulated as a part of the competitive simulation;

building at least two teams, each said team comprising a plurality of player stocks and each said team being built in dependence on the selected sport;

dividing built teams into one or more leagues, each said league having one sport associated therewith;

defining games to be played over a predetermined game time by two of said teams for each said league;

while a game is being played, tracking a stock market related metric for each player stock of each team playing in the game;

comparing prices of the player stocks for each team playing in the game over one or more predefined periods of the game time;

awarding points to each team playing in the game based on the comparison;

determining a winner based on the total number of points awarded to each team over the entire game time;

displaying the player stocks on a field arranged according to the selected sport; and

animating the displayed player stocks in dependence on the comparison.