Systems and methods wherein a player positions an item in a list during game play

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided wherein a player positions an item in a list during game play. According to one embodiment, a list of item descriptions is provided to the player. Each item description is positioned in the list according to an associated item value. For example, each item description may comprise an event description and each item value may be an event date associated with an event description. An additional item description, associated with an additional item value, is also provided to the player. An indication of a list position associated with the additional item is received from the player. If the received indication is correct, the additional item description is added to the list and another additional item description is provided to the player.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of facilitating game play, comprising: 
 providing a list of item descriptions to a player, each item description being positioned in the list according to an associated item value;    providing an additional item description to the player, the additional item description being associated with an additional item value;    receiving from the player an indication of a list position associated with the additional item; and    if the received indication is correct, adding the additional item description to the list and providing another additional item description to the player.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein indications are provided to and received from a player until an incorrect list position is received.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein indications are provided to and received from a player until a predetermined condition occurs.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein th e predetermined condition comprises at least one of: (i) receiving a predetermined number of incorrect list positions from the player, (ii) receiving a predetermined number of correct list positions from the player, (iii) receiving a predetermined number of incorrect list positions from another player, (iv) receiving a predetermined number of correct list positions from another player, (v) a predetermined time, and (vi) a predetermined period of time.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing an additional item description comprises providing a set of additional item descriptions to the player, and said receiving comprises receiving (i) a selected additional item description and (ii) an indication of a list position associated with the selected additional item.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each of the set of additional item descriptions are associated with a difficulty level and a score.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 evaluating the received indication based on the list position, the additional item value, and the item values associated with the item descriptions.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining a game result.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein indications are received from the player until an incorrect indication is received, and the game result comprises a number of correct indications received from the player.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the game result is based on at least one of the following: (i) a number of correct indications received from the player, (ii) a time, (iii) a difficulty level associated with an additional item, and (iv) a score associated with the additional item.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 arranging for the player to receive a prize based on the game result.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 comparing the game result with a game result associated with another player.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining a level of difficulty associated with at least one of: (i) the list, (ii) the additional item description, and (iii) a set of additional item descriptions.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 selecting at least one of: (i) an item description on the list, (ii) the additional item description, and (iii) a set of additional item descriptions.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said selecting is based on at least one of: (i) an item value, (ii) an item description indicated to the player in a current game, (iii) an item description indicated to the player in a prior game, (iv) an item description indicated to another player, (v) a player category, and (vi) demographic information associated with the player.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said selecting is based on a level of difficulty.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each item description comprises an event description, and each item value comprises an event date associated with the event description.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each item value comprises a physical measurement associated with an item description.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the physical measurement comprises one of: (i) a size, (ii) a height, (iii) a weight, (iv) a temperature, (v) a distance, (vi) a speed, and (vii) a geographic location.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each item value comprises one of: (i) a monetary amount associated with the item description, (ii) population information associated with the item description, and (iii) opinion information associated with the item description.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of an item description and the additional item description comprises at least one of: (i) text information, (ii) audio information, and (iii) image information.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the player plays a game at a remote player device in communication with a game controller, and at least one of said providing and said receiving comprises: 
 exchanging information with the remote player device via a communication network.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the remote player device comprises at least one of: (i) a personal computer, (ii) a portable computing device, (iii) a personal digital assistant, (iv) a telephone, (v) a wireless telephone, (vi) a game terminal, (vii) an interactive television device, and (viii) a kiosk.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the communication network comprises at least one of: (i) the Internet, (ii) a public network, (iii) a public switched telephone network, (iv) a proprietary network, (v) a cable television network, (vi) a wireless network, and (vii) a local area network.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 arranging for the player to provide a payment in exchange for playing a game.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing information enabling the determination of at least one of: (i) the list, (ii) the additional item description, (iii) a set of additional item descriptions, and (iv) the received indication.    
     
     
         27 . A game apparatus, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: 
 provide a list of item descriptions to a player, each item description being positioned in the list according to an associated item value;  
 provide an additional item description to the player, the additional item description being associated with an additional item value;  
 receive from the player an indication of a list position associated with the additional item; and  
 if the received indication is correct, add the additional item description to the list and providing another additional item description to the player.  
   
     
     
         28 . The game apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said storage device further stores at least one of: (i) a player database, (ii) an item database, and (iii) a game database.  
     
     
         29 . The game apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 a communication device coupled to said processor and adapted to communicate with at least one of: (i) a player device, (ii) a game controller, and (iii) a payment device.    
     
     
         30 . A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to facilitate game play, said method comprising: 
 providing a list of item descriptions to a player, each item description being positioned in the list according to an associated item value;    providing an additional item description to the player, the additional item description being associated with an additional item value;    receiving from the player an indication of a list position associated with the additional item; and    if the received indication is correct, adding the additional item description to the list and providing another additional item description to the player.    
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method of conducting a game, comprising: 
 arranging for a player to provide a payment in exchange for playing a game;    transmitting a list of event descriptions to a remote player device via a communication network, each event description being positioned in the list in accordance with an event date associated with the event description;    transmitting an additional event description;    receiving from the remote player device a list position associated with the additional event description;    evaluating the received list position based on an event date associated with the additional event description;    if said evaluating indicates that the received list position is correct, updating the list to include the additional event description and transmitting another additional event description; and    arranging for the player to receive payment of a prize amount based on a number of correct list positions received from the player.    
     
     
         32 . A method of facilitating game play, comprising: 
 providing a first indication of a first item associated with a first value;    providing a second indication of a second item associated with a second value;    providing an additional indication of an additional item associated with an additional value; and    receiving an indication of (i) a relationship between the additional value and the first value and (ii) a relationship between the additional value and the second value.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein a relationship between the first value and the second value is indicated to a player.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the first value, the second value, and the additional item value are not indicated to a player.  
     
     
         35 . A method of facilitating game play, comprising: 
 providing a first indication of a first item to a player, the first item being associated with a first value;    providing a second indication of a second item to the player, the second item being associated with a second value, wherein (i) the first value and the second value are not indicated to the player, and (ii) a relationship between the first value and the second value is indicated to the player;    providing an additional item to the player, the additional item being associated with an additional value that is not indicated to the player; and    receiving from the player an indication of (i) a relationship between the additional value and the first value and (ii) a relationship between the additional value and the second value.    
     
     
         36 . A method of facilitating game play, comprising: 
 providing a list of item descriptions to a player, each item description being positioned in the list according to an associated item value;    providing an indication of a list position to the player;    providing a set of additional item descriptions to the player, each of the additional item descriptions being associated with an additional item value;    receiving form the player an indication of one of the additional item descriptions; and    if the received indication is correct, adding the appropriate additional item description to the list and providing another indication of a list position to the player along with another set of additional item descriptions.    
     
     
         37 . A method of playing a game, comprising: 
 receiving a list of item descriptions, each item description being positioned in the list according to an associated item value;    receiving an additional item description, the additional item description being associated with an additional item value;    providing an indication of a list position associated with the additional item; and    if the provided indication is correct, receiving: (i) an updated list including the additional item description, and (ii) another additional item description.