Get json data and convert to array using Laravel

I am trying to use typeahead. How to fetch json data and convert to jquery array like states? I have read the documentation but no luck with this. (I use, 1.9.1 jquery, Laravel 5.1)

The below is working but the states array is static. I want to fetch data from MySql database async. How to do this?

jquery:

var substringMatcher = function(strs) {
  return function findMatches(q, cb) {
    var matches, substringRegex;

    // an array that will be populated with substring matches
    matches = [];

    // regex used to determine if a string contains the substring `q`
    substrRegex = new RegExp(q, 'i');

    // iterate through the pool of strings and for any string that
    // contains the substring `q`, add it to the `matches` array
    $.each(strs, function(i, str) {
      if (substrRegex.test(str)) {
        matches.push(str);
      }
    });

    cb(matches);
  };
};

var states = ['Alabama', 'Alaska', 'Arizona', 'Arkansas', 'California',
  'Colorado', 'Connecticut', 'Delaware', 'Florida', 'Georgia', 'Hawaii',
  'Idaho', 'Illinois', 'Indiana', 'Iowa', 'Kansas', 'Kentucky', 'Louisiana',
  'Maine', 'Maryland', 'Massachusetts', 'Michigan', 'Minnesota',
  'Mississippi', 'Missouri', 'Montana', 'Nebraska', 'Nevada', 'New Hampshire',
  'New Jersey', 'New Mexico', 'New York', 'North Carolina', 'North Dakota',
  'Ohio', 'Oklahoma', 'Oregon', 'Pennsylvania', 'Rhode Island',
  'South Carolina', 'South Dakota', 'Tennessee', 'Texas', 'Utah', 'Vermont',
  'Virginia', 'Washington', 'West Virginia', 'Wisconsin', 'Wyoming'
];

$('#the-basics .typeahead').typeahead({
  hint: true,
  highlight: true,
  minLength: 1
},
{
  name: 'states',
  source: substringMatcher(states)
});

My route is:

Route::get('search', array('as' => 'searchlive', 'uses' => 'HistoryController@searchlive'));

My controller:

public function searchlive(Request $request)
    {
        $search = $request->thesearch;
        $games = Game::where('id', 'LIKE', '%' . $search . '%')
            ->orwhere('name', 'LIKE', '%' . $search . '%')
            ->orwhere('title', 'LIKE', '%' . $search . '%')->take(5)->get();

        return Response()->json($games);
    }

via Vasilis Greece