Patent Application
20100069135
This invention relates to gaming devices, such as slot machines, and, in particular, to a secondary game that grants awards to a player based upon the player's selection of hidden objects.
Common slot machines randomly select and display an array of symbols on a video screen, then grant an award to a player based on the occurrence of certain symbol combinations across pay lines. Typically, the game ends after the symbols are displayed and the award, if any, is granted. Although these types of games are highly successful, it is advantageous to provide additional special games that infrequently occur to make the game more interesting to a player. A more interesting game will generate increased revenue to the casino by its increased play.
Bonus games are common, where, upon a certain outcome of the main game, the bonus game is initiated. In one type of known bonus game, the player is presented with an array of icons representing hidden awards. The player successively selects icons until a terminating icon is selected. The bonus game then ends, and normal play resumes. Such bonus games do not motivate a player to keep playing the gaming machine, since the bonus game is extinguished prior to the player making a next wager to play the main game again.
Disclosed herein is a secondary game played on a gaming device, such as a video slot machine or a video monitor connected to a computer for on-line gaming. The main game may be a conventional a reel-type game that displays a randomly selected array of symbols, where combinations of symbols across one or more pay lines are evaluated by circuitry to determine an award to be granted.
The secondary game is displayed on a display screen of the gaming machine. The display screen is preferably separate from the main game screen. The secondary game, in one embodiment, is a state map showing various counties (e.g., the 56 counties of Montana). Each of the counties represents a hidden award. The awards in the secondary game may range from $2 to $100, with many more low value awards than high value awards. In one embodiment, every one of the 56 counties grants an award (e.g., credits or money) when selected. In another embodiment, one or more selected counties grant no award or grant other than credits or money, such as five free spins of the reels. Upon a triggering event occurring, the player then touches one of the counties via a touch screen, and the hidden award is granted to the player. The selected county is then grayed-out and disabled. The awards that remain available to be selected in the secondary game are displayed to the player separate from the map. After the selection, the player then continues to wager and play the main game, while the map continues to be displayed.
In one embodiment, the trigger event that allows the player's to select a county is independent of any outcome of the main game or any outcome of a bonus game. The player's participation in the secondary game may be triggered at a randomly selected accumulated wager amount, such as between $250-$2000 since the last trigger event, or by another event. This makes the main game irrelevant, so that the same secondary game may supplement any main game without modification to the main game. The interval between the player's participation in the secondary game should be frequent enough for the player to participate in the secondary game multiple times during an average playing session. The secondary game may be funded by a percentage of the wagers made at the eligible gaming machine or machines.
In one embodiment, the secondary game is permanently displayed and continuously played, where the map will typically show that a number of the counties have already been selected and large awards still remain to be selected in the map to keep the player interested in continued play. The secondary game is not reset or extinguished after the player cashes out. Cashing out means that the player has pressed a cash-out button (or other actuator) to signal to the slot machine that the player wants all the stored credits to be delivered to the player as payment, either in coins, a printed coupon, a download to a card or account, or other related means. Cashing out, for purposes of this disclosure, also includes the player having no stored credits due to the player having wagered and lost all stored credits. The next player may continue the secondary game. The secondary game is only reset after the player selects the top prize or after all the high value awards are granted. Since the number of awards of each type remaining is displayed to the player, and the top award (e.g., $100) is shown to have yet to be selected, the player is motivated to keep playing to win the top award. There is a guarantee that a player will win the top prize of $100 within 56 selections, so the player's motivation to keep playing continually increases as the odds of selecting the top prize increases.
If the gaming machine offers a variety of main games, the player may select any of the main games while the secondary game remains displayed without being reset. The player's participation in the secondary game is not related to the particular main game chosen since the player's participation is based on the accumulated amount wagered.
The secondary game may also be adapted to be played on linked gaming machines. The same map is displayed on all the linked gaming machines' displays. Upon a triggering event specific to each player, that player selects a county and receives the associated award. All players see the selected county award being granted to the selecting-player, and that county is disabled for further selection by all the players. The secondary game is reset when the top prize is granted or the high prizes are granted to maintain player interest. Each gaming machine (or a central server) randomly determines the time that a player gets to make a selection based on the player's accumulated wager amounts (e.g., a random amount between $250 and $2000). Therefore, a player wagering $1 per play on one of the linked machines will, on average, make four times as many selections in the secondary game as a player wagering 25¢ per play. This results in fair participation in the shared secondary game.
Although a map with counties has been described in the example, any other form of the secondary game may be used. Other variations of the game and trigger event are described.
Although the invention can typically be implemented by installing a software program in most types of modern video gaming machines, one particular gaming machine platform will be described in detail.
A top display 14 is a video screen, which may be identical to the display 12, that displays the secondary game, described below. The display 14 is preferably a touch screen to allow the player to make a selection by touching a particular area on the display 14.
A coin slot 16 accepts coins or tokens in one or more denominations to generate credits within the machine 10 for playing games. An input slot 18 accepts various denominations of banknotes or machine-readable tickets, and may output printed tickets for use in cashless gaming. A coin tray 20 receives coins or tokens from a hopper upon a win or upon the player cashing out. Player control buttons 22 include any buttons needed for the play of the particular game or games offered by machine 10 including, for example, a bet button, a spin reels button, a cash-out button, and any other suitable button. Buttons 22 may be replaced by a touch screen with virtual buttons.
The game controller board 30 transmits and receives signals to and from a network 56 via a communications board 58. The network 56 includes servers and other devices that monitor the linked gaming machines 10 and GM1-GM-N and provide communications between the machines 10 and GM1-GM-N. The network 56 processes the secondary game so that the same game appears on the displays of the eligible linked gaming machines, enabling all players to interact in the same game. In one embodiment, the network server determines when each player is allowed to participate in the secondary game.
In the below scenario, it is assumed that the software program for playing the main game and secondary game is installed in a standalone gaming machine, such as shown in
The secondary game, in one embodiment, displays a map of the state of Montana and its 56 counties on the top display 14, as shown in
In another embodiment, one or more selected counties grant no award or grant other than credits or money, such as five free spins of the reels. Some awards (e.g., free spins) may be surprise awards that are not previously displayed to the player in display 14.
In the example of
The program then selects another random accumulated wager amount between $250-$2000 as a trigger value, and the player's actual accumulated wager amount is reset to zero. When the player's accumulated wagers reach the randomly selected threshold amount, the player is notified by an animation that the player can select another county and receive the hidden award. The map may be continuously displayed. The process is repeated until the top prize of $100 is selected by the player. The player is motivated to keep playing until the top prize is received since the player does not want the next player to win the top prize. The player is guaranteed the top prize within 56 selections.
The secondary game does not reset upon the player cashing out, so a new player will continue the secondary game left by the previous player. Therefore, the secondary game will be a constant motivator for players to continue playing, at least until the map is reset by the player selecting the top prize, and for new players to start playing.
Once the top prize is won, the motivation for playing the secondary game is drastically reduced, so the secondary game is automatically reset (all counties now enabled), and the hidden awards are randomly distributed among the counties 60.
In another embodiment, the secondary game is reset when all or some of the top awards have been won, or all awards have been won, or all progressive awards have been won.
Since the main game is not relevant to the secondary game, the main game can be any type of game. In one embodiment, the gaming machine 10 offers the player a selection of main games or variations, such as a 3-reel game, a 5-reel game, various card games, keno, or other games. Even when the player switches to a different type of main game with different odds of winning, the secondary game is unaffected, since play of the secondary game is preferably based on the accumulated amount wagered by the player.
Also, by giving the player one selection after a certain amount has been bet, the secondary game awards may be the same for 25¢ machines as well as $1 machines. The player betting $1 per game will play the secondary game, on average, four times as often as a player betting 25¢ per game.
In another embodiment, the triggering of each play of the secondary game is based on the number of plays or a random time. In another embodiment, the trigger for playing the secondary game is (or includes) the occurrence of a special outcome (e.g., symbol combination) in the main game or a bonus game. The trigger could also be generated based on a threshold size of a progressive jackpot award in the secondary game, or based on a random outcome of a random number generator, or based on the outcome of a ticket pool engine where the machine dispenses winning or losing tickets.
In another embodiment, the player may get multiple selections of counties in certain instances, such as at random. In one embodiment, some special awards may require a certain combination of counties to be selected, such as if matching hidden objects were needed for the player to win a single high award. Requiring such a combination allows larger awards to be available since the odds of the combination occurring are less that that for a single particular selection.
In another embodiment, there is a plurality of high value awards, and when a certain number of the high value awards are won, the game is reset.
In one embodiment, when the player is allowed to make a selection in the secondary game, the map replaces the main game on the display 12 (having a touch screen), and the remaining awards 64 are displayed on the top display 64. This allows the map to be larger for easier selection and increased excitement. After the selection, the map may be reduced and moved to the top display 14.
In another embodiment, the same secondary game may be simultaneously played by multiple players playing linked gaming machines, illustrated by linked machines GM1-GM-N, as well as the machine 10, in
The same map 62 and remaining awards 64 are displayed on each of the linked gaming machines, as shown in
In another embodiment, the trigger for a player's selection is not based on the accumulated amount bet, and to keep the participation fair for players betting different amounts, the players betting larger amounts per game are allowed to make X times the number of selections per trigger as the players betting lower amounts, in direct proportion to the amount bet immediately prior to the trigger. In such a case, the random trigger may be the number of plays, a random time, or a special outcome of the main game or any bonus game, or a random event independent of the outcome of any game. Other triggering events have also been described herein.
In another embodiment, the amount wagered by a particular player determines the amounts represented by each county. The award associated with each county for a player betting $1 per game will be four times larger than the award associated with each county for a player betting 25¢ per game. This could apply to standalone machines as well as the linked machines.
After any player selects a county, that county is disabled for all of the players. When the top prize is awarded to any player, the counties are reset and the secondary game continues.
In one embodiment, certain awards in the secondary game may be won only by selecting a combination of counties. This combination prize would typically be relatively high. For example, a $50 award may be won only by selecting three matching objects revealed by three counties. In such an event, only the player to select the final county for achieving the three matching objects wins the $50. The other players that selected the other two counties may win a lesser amount, such as based on how many of the counties in the combination were selected by the player. Alternatively, all players whose selections contributed matching counties would evenly split the award amount. If one of the players that contributed a matching county cashed out prior to the award being granted, the award would be split between the remaining contributing players.
Matching counties may be distributed randomly in the map, or the matching counties needed for an award may be placed adjacent one another for an increased incentive to play once one the counties has been selected. The players now know the area in which to select the next county and will continue playing, hoping for the big prize.
In one embodiment, some of the prizes (or just the top prize) includes progressive awards.
In another embodiment, all participating players are allowed to separately select a county when there is a single trigger event. The order of player selection may be random or based on another factor. Once a player selects a county, that county is immediately disabled for the other players; the other players must select counties that are not disabled.
As in the standalone machine embodiment, there is a guarantee that the top prizes will be won within 56 selections. Cashing out of a machine does not change the secondary game map for that machine, since all players of the linked machines play with the same map. However, cashing out by a player may reset the accumulated wager amount so that a new player may have to wager at least $250 to be eligible to match the randomly selected amount. This applies to the standalone machine embodiment as well.
In the preferred embodiment, there are no special terminating objects (e.g., a hidden stop symbol) that prematurely reset the secondary game prior to the top prizes being won, since the goal of the secondary game is to motivate the player(s) to keep playing until the top prizes are won, and the odds of winning the top prizes improve after the lesser prizes have been selected and the number of remaining eligible counties is reduced.
A percentage of the wagers from all the linked gaming machines may be used to fund the secondary game.
In one embodiment, the secondary game is also displayed on a large overhead display so non-participants may see the game being played.
Although the example herein involves a map and staking claims to certain counties, the game may take any form (e.g., a simple array) where players select hidden awards and the game continues for a relatively long period of time prior to being reset. This retains players who have a stake in the secondary game, especially if the odds of the player winning the top prize improve by the player selecting many low value prizes.
In step 70, the map of Montana is displayed with its various counties that can be selected by the player upon a triggering event occurring. Each county is associated with a hidden award. Also displayed, separately from the counties, are the awards still available for selection by the player.
In step 71, a secondary game trigger signal is generated, such as by the player's wagers since the last triggering event exceeding a randomly selected value. The trigger signal enables the player to select at least one of the displayed counties.
In step 72, the player selects at least one of the available counties using a touch screen overlying the display of the map.
In step 73, the revealed award is granted to the player, the selected county is disabled for further selection until the map is reset, and the display of the awards still available is updated.
In step 74, it is determined whether a terminating condition has occurred, such as the top prize being awarded, but not due to the player cashing out. If so, the map is reset (step 75) so that any of the counties can be selected, and the hidden awards are randomly associated with the counties. If the terminating condition has not occurred, the secondary game progresses with fewer and fewer available counties to select.
In step 80, the map of Montana is displayed on all of the linked gaming machines, with its various counties that can be selected by any player upon a triggering event occurring. Each county is associated with a hidden award. Also displayed, separately from the counties, are the awards still available for selection by any player.
In step 81, a secondary game trigger signal for a particular one of the gaming machines is generated, such as by a player's wagers since the last triggering event exceeding a randomly selected value. The trigger signal enables the player of that gaming machine to select at least one of the displayed counties.
In step 82, the player that caused the trigger signal selects at least one of the available counties using a touch screen overlying the display of the map. All the players see the selection by the single player.
In step 83, the revealed award is granted to the player, the selected county is disabled for further selection until the map is reset, and the display of the awards still available is updated. All players see the same display.
In step 84, it is determined whether a terminating condition has occurred, such as the top prize being awarded, but not due to the player cashing out. If so, the map is reset (step 85) so that any of the counties can be selected, and the hidden awards are randomly associated with the counties. If the terminating condition has not occurred, the secondary game progresses with fewer and fewer available counties to select.
The term “random” as used herein includes pseudo-random.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
