Interactive sports-themed game

Abstract

An interactive sports-themed game is disclosed. The virtual game is associated with a real game, such as a baseball or golf game. Users play the virtual game, which is based on events in a real game that is followed by the users simultaneously as they play the virtual game. In one embodiment, the real game is a baseball game. In another embodiment, the real game is a golf game. A server communicates with clients to allow multiple users to compete in the virtual game via the use of client devices. In one embodiment, the game involves generating a list of predicted outcomes of the next play of a live sporting event, ranking the list, selecting one or more of the predicted outcomes to form a subset list. The outcome of the next play of the live sporting event is then compared to the subset list, and the player of the interactive sports-themed game is awarded points if the outcome of the play of the live sporting event matches one of the predictions in the subset list.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a computer system, the computer system configured to receive live game data via a communications network; and   a statistics database, the statistics database configured and disposed to communicate with the computer system;   wherein the computer system is configured to execute instructions that, when executed, perform the step of:   causing display of a plurality of possible outcomes, wherein there are associated point values for each of said outcomes;   wherein each outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes is associated with a point value such that higher point values are associated with outcomes having a lower probability of occurrence.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:
 receiving information indicative of a user selection of an outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes; and 
 responsive to receiving live game data via the communications network indicating that the outcome selected by the user occurred in the live game, adding the point value associated with the outcome selected by the user to a point total associated with the user to create an updated point total associated with the user. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:
 causing the display of the updated point total associated with the user. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of possible outcomes are displayed on a mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the information indicative of a user selection of an outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes is received from a mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the live game data comprises data related to a baseball game. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the list of possible outcomes comprises outcomes corresponding to an out, a walk, and a base hit. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the list of possible outcomes comprises outcomes corresponding to a strike out, a foul out, and a ground out. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the list of possible outcomes comprises outcomes corresponding to a single, a double, a triple, and a home run. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a point value related to at least one possible outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes is determined based upon statistics from the statistics database regarding a player expected to be involved in the at least one outcome. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of possible outcomes is determined at least in part based upon a selected game difficulty level. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the associated point values for each of said outcomes are not displayed prior to selection by the user of an outcome. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 receiving live game data related to a live game via a communications network;   causing display of a plurality of possible outcomes associated with the live game, wherein there is a point value associated with each outcome of said plurality of possible outcomes, and wherein higher point values are associated with outcomes having a lower probability of occurrence;   receiving information indicative of a user selection of one outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes; and   responsive to receiving live game data via the communications network indicating that the corresponding outcome occurred in the live game, adding the point value associated with the user-selected outcome to a point total associated with the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:
 receiving information indicative of a user selection of one of the possible outcomes; and 
 responsive to receiving live game data via the communications network indicating that the outcome selected by the user occurred, adding the point value associated with the outcome selected by the user to a point total associated with the user to create an updated point total associated with the user. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the instructions, when executed, further perform the steps of:
 causing the display of the updated point total associated with the user. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of possible outcomes are displayed on a mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the information indicative of a user selection of an outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes is received via a mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the associated point values for each of said outcomes are not displayed prior to selection by the user of an outcome. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the list of possible outcomes comprises outcomes corresponding to a) an out, a walk, and a base hit, b) a strike out, a foul out, and a ground out, or c) to a single, a double, a triple, and a home run. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein a point value related to at least one possible outcome of the plurality of possible outcomes is determined based upon statistics from a statistics database regarding a player expected to be involved in the at least one outcome.