Method for Guiding Gameplay of Players Participating in a Computer-Implemented Virtual Game

A computer implemented method for a game having at least one component that is outcome dependent on updating player population data, comprising:

• establishing a population of players;
• collecting at least one element of player information from the population of players to compile aggregate player population data, wherein the game is hosted by a computer system that stores aggregate player population data in a data storage system;
• defining at least one statistical reference distribution to be extracted from the aggregate population data;
• constructing a linking function that determines the relationship between an individual player gameplay and the at least one reference distribution to determine at least one gameplay outcome of the individual player;
• using at least one computer to apply the linking function and reference distribution to individual player gameplay to determine individual players' outcomes based on the aggregate population data;
• updating the aggregate population data and the at least one reference distribution for additional evaluations of successive player gameplay inputs;
• and
• using at least one screen to display at least one individual player gameplay outcome during the course of the game.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor of a machine;
• and
• a game networking system configured to:
• establish a population of players;
• query multiple players on a selected topic;
• collect player responses to assemble aggregate response data;
• determine one or more statistical reference distributions to be extracted from the aggregate response data;
• define a linking function that determines the relationship between individual player input and the one or more reference distributions to determine at least one gameplay polling outcome of individual players;
• apply the linking function and reference distribution to individual player input to determine individual players' polling outcomes based on the aggregate response data;
• update the aggregate population data and associated reference distributions for successive evaluations of successive player inputs;
• and
• display at least one individual player gameplay polling outcome during the course of the polling game.