Method for Conducting Challenges in a Fantasy Simulation

Abstract

A fantasy simulation allows participants to challenge each other by comparing the performance of one participant's reality-based selection to another participant's reality-based selection. The simulation also allows participants to wager a limited or unlimited amount of simulated funds on the outcome of the challenge. Participants challenge other, individual participants or groups of participants while the simulation measures a reality-based metric associated with all challenge participants' reality-based selection over a period of time. At the conclusion of the period of time, a challenge winner is determined from the change of the metric.

1 . In a stock market simulation including a first participant having a first stock portfolio and a second participant having a second stock portfolio, each of the first and second stock portfolios having a performance indicator, a method for imposing a challenge between the first and second participant comprising:
 communicating a proposal that the first stock portfolio will outperform the second stock portfolio;   communicating the proposal from the first participant to the second participant;   receiving an acceptance of the proposal;   monitoring the first and second stock portfolio performance indicator for a period of time; and   determining a winner of the challenge based on a difference between the performance indicator at the beginning of the period of time and the performance indicator at the end of the period of time;   wherein the first stock portfolio outperforms the second stock portfolio when, at the end of the period of time, the difference of the performance indicator associated the first stock portfolio is greater than the difference of the performance indicator associated with the second stock portfolio.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first participant includes a first participant account and the second participant includes a second participant account. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first participant account includes a first account total value and the second participant account includes a second account total value. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein proposing that the first stock portfolio will outperform the second stock portfolio includes the first participant placing a wager on the proposal that the first stock portfolio will outperform the second stock portfolio. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining a lowest account total value between the first account total value and the second account total value; and   limiting the wager to the lowest account total value.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising limiting the wager to an amount between $200,000 and $2,000,000. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the wager does not include a maximum or a minimum value. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising proposing that the first stock portfolio will outperform a plurality of second stock portfolios, each of the plurality of second stock portfolios belonging to a different participant. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising limiting the plurality of second stock portfolios to three. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the period of time includes one week. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a start date and an end date for the period of time. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performance indicator includes at least one of a first or second stock portfolio net gain, a percent gain, a first or second stock portfolio relative performance, or a first or second stock portfolio equity ratio. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second stock portfolios include a plurality of stocks. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting a subset of the plurality of stocks, wherein each stock of the subset includes a stock sector, wherein the stock sector includes at least one of a technology sector, a stock type, or a stock classification;
 wherein monitoring the first and second stock portfolio performance indicator for a period of time comprises monitoring the performance indicator for the subset of the plurality of stocks.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the first participant sending a private electronic message to the second participant. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the first participant posting a public message, the public message including content associated with the second participant. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the second participant restricting the first participant from at least one of communicating the proposal from the first participant to the second participant, or sending a private electronic message to the second participant. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying advertising related to at least one of the first stock portfolio, the second stock portfolio, or a requested stock quote. 
   
   
       19 . A method for comparing a first selection belonging to a first participant with a second selection belonging to a second participant, the first and second selections including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements including a reality-based equivalent element that includes a plurality of performance metrics, the method comprising:
 the first participant formulating a challenge, wherein the challenge includes a prediction that at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the first selection will achieve a result while the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the second selection will not achieve the result;   the first participant communicating the challenge to the second participant;   the second participant evaluating the challenge;   the second participant accepting the challenge;   the first and second participants agreeing to a period of time over which the challenge will occur, the period of time including a start time and an end time;   measuring a first difference of the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the first selection over the period of time;   measuring a second difference of the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the second selection over the period of time;   comparing the first difference to the second difference; and   determining if the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the first selection achieved the result while the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the second selection did not achieve the result.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second selection comprises a plurality of market-traded stocks. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the first and second participants wagering an amount on the outcome of the challenge, the wager including a value. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wager does not have a maximum or a minimum value. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first participant formulating a challenge, wherein the challenge includes a prediction that at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with the first selection will achieve a result while the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics associated with a plurality of second selections will not achieve the result. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of performance metrics includes at least one of a first or second selection net gain, a percent gain, a first or second selection relative performance, or a first or second selection equity ratio. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying advertising related to at least one of the first selection, the second selection, or a requested selection. 
   
   
       26 . A stock portfolio challenge apparatus comprising:
 a memory that stores computer executable instructions;   a processor being adapted to the execute computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
 formulating a proposal indicating that, based on a stock performance indicator common to at least a subset of both a first stock portfolio belonging to a first participant and a second stock portfolio belonging to a second participant, the first stock portfolio will outperform the second stock portfolio; 
 communicating the proposal from the first participant to the second participant; 
 initiating a challenge between the first participant and the second participant based on the proposal; 
 monitoring the first and second stock portfolio performance indicator for a period of time; and 
 determining a winner of the challenge based on a difference between the performance indicator at the beginning of the period of time and the performance indicator at the end of the period of time. 
   
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for wagering an amount on the outcome of the challenge, the wager including a value. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
 communicating the proposal from the first participant to a plurality of second participants; and   initiating a challenge between the first participant and the plurality of second participants based on the proposal.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the first and second stock portfolio performance indicator includes at least one of a first or second selection net gain, a percent gain, a first or second selection relative performance, or a first or second selection equity ratio. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for displaying advertising related to at least one of the first stock portfolio, the second stock portfolio, or a requested stock quote.