Patent Application
20150065224
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materials which are subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present disclosure relates generally to wagering games, as well as wagering game devices and gaming systems, computer program products, and method for conducting wagering games. More particularly, aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for playing wagering games with a symbol collection feature.
Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have become a cornerstone of the gaming industry. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Thus, gaming manufacturers continuously endeavor to develop new games and improved gaming features and enhancements that will attract frequent play and player loyalty through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “primary” or “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome during play of the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video and/or audio features. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other game features, and because bonus games offer greater flexibility to game designers and operators, there is continuing development of new types of bonus games to satisfy player and operator demand.
Another concept that has been employed is the use of progressive jackpots. In the gaming industry, a “progressive jackpot” involves collecting coin-in data from participating gaming device(s), such as slot machines, contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to a progressive jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a player upon the occurrence of a jackpot-winning event. A jackpot-winning event typically occurs when a “progressive winning position” is achieved at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example, correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along an active payline. The initial progressive jackpot is a predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming machines are linked together such that several players at several gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate.
Many gaming machines offer players the opportunity to win various awards and prizes in both primary games and bonus games. In reel-type gaming machines (more commonly referred to as “slot machines”), special symbols, such as wild symbols and win multiplier symbols, are used to increase the frequency and size of awards to players and thereby create player excitement, anticipation and enjoyment during play of the wagering game. One problem that arises is that special symbols in the wagering game are often unused or “lost” when they appear in a game outcome but do not form part of a winning combination. This can create disappointment for the player who visually perceives the special symbol but does not receive any of the attendant benefits. Another problem that exists is that special symbols are limited in number and, thus, appear with limited frequency. In addition, on any one play of the wagering game, special symbols are oftentimes limited in the size of award which can be generated.
Disclosed herein are wagering games with a primary game, a bonus game, and a symbol collection and activation feature. During play of either the primary game or the bonus game, or both, when a designated “collectable” symbol lands on the symbol array as part of a primary/bonus game outcome, a transparent “ghosted” symbol remains on the symbol array, superimposed in front of the array position on which the collectable symbol landed, for future plays. In the course of subsequent plays of the wagering game (e.g., during completion of a free-spin bonus game), a player can continue to collect these ghosted symbols at various positions on the symbol array. When a designated “activator” symbol appears in a future game outcome (e.g., on the rightmost reel of a multi-reel-game implementation or in another designated location or designated position), each collected ghost symbol turns their corresponding array position into a special symbol (e.g., a wild symbol) and then may concurrently disappear. In some implementations, the activator symbol may also act as or turn its corresponding array position into a special symbol. The game outcome is then evaluated (or reevaluated) for winning symbol combinations. At this juncture, the ghosted symbols may reappear and continue to operate in a similar manner for one or more subsequent plays of the primary/bonus game, for example, until a designated “deactivator” symbol appears or until the current bonus-game sequence ends.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gaming system for conducting a wagering game is disclosed. The gaming system includes one or more input devices configured to receive a wager to play the wagering game, and one or more display devices operable to display aspects of the wagering game. The gaming system also includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: direct at least one of the one or more display devices to display a symbol array having a plurality of symbols located therein, the plurality of symbols being indicative of a randomly determined outcome of the wagering game, the symbols being selected from a plurality of available symbols including one or more standard game symbols, one or more collectable symbols, and one or more activator symbols; for each collectable symbol that is displayed in the symbol array as part of the wagering game outcome, display a respective transparent symbol superimposed in front of a corresponding array position of the collectable symbol; display in the symbol array a new plurality of symbols indicative of a new randomly determined outcome of the wagering game; in response to an activator symbol being displayed in the symbol array as part of the new wagering-game outcome, display each of the transparent symbols turning their corresponding array position into a respective special symbol; and, evaluate the new wagering-game outcome for one or more winning symbol combinations.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a gaming system for conducting a wagering game is presented. The gaming system includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices. The one or more memory devices store instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to: in response to an indication of a wager received via an input device, determine a first outcome of the wagering game, the wagering game including a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, and the first outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of available wagering-game outcomes; direct a display device to display the reels populating a symbol array with symbols indicative of the first wagering-game outcome, the symbols being selected from a plurality of available symbols which includes one or more standard game symbols, one or more special game symbols, one or more collectable symbols, and one or more activator symbols; for each collectable symbol displayed in the symbol array as part of the first wagering game outcome, if any, direct the display device to display a respective transparent symbol superimposed in front of a corresponding array position of the collectable symbol for one or more subsequent plays of the wagering game; determine a second randomly selected outcome of the wagering game; direct the display device to display the symbol-bearing reels spinning while each of the transparent symbols remains immobile, superimposed in front of the symbol array; direct the display device to display the reels populating the symbol array with symbols indicative of the second wagering-game outcome; in response to an activator symbol being displayed within a predetermined activator-symbol area in the symbol array as part of the second wagering-game outcome, if any, direct the display device to display each of the transparent symbols turning their corresponding array position into a respective special symbol; and, evaluate the second wagering-game outcome for one or more winning symbol combinations.
Other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming system. The gaming system includes one or more input devices, one or more display devices, and one or more processors. The method includes: receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an indication of a wager to play the wagering game; determining, via at least one of the one or more processors, an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly determined from a plurality of available wagering-game outcomes; displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, a symbol array populated with a plurality of symbols indicative of the randomly determined wagering-game outcome, the symbols being selected from a plurality of available symbols including one or more standard game symbols, one or more collectable symbols, and one or more activator symbols; displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices for each collectable symbol displayed in the wagering game outcome, a respective transparent symbol superimposed in front of a corresponding array position of the collectable symbol; displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, the symbol array populated with a new plurality of symbols indicative of a new randomly determined outcome of the wagering game; displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices in response to an activator symbol displayed in the new wagering-game outcome, each of the transparent symbols turning their corresponding array position into a respective special symbol; and, evaluating, via at least one of the one or more processors, the new wagering-game outcome for one or more winning symbol combinations.
In accordance with additional aspects of this disclosure, one or more physical non-transitory machine-readable storage media are featured that include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to direct a gaming terminal and/or a gaming system to perform any of the methods and/or operations disclosed herein. For example, the operations may comprise: receiving from at least one input device an indication of a wager to play the wagering game; determining an outcome of the wagering game, the outcome being randomly determined from a plurality of available wagering-game outcomes; directing at least one display device to display a symbol array populated with a plurality of symbols indicative of the randomly determined wagering-game outcome, the symbols being selected from a plurality of available symbols which includes one or more standard game symbols, one or more collectable symbols, and one or more activator symbols; for each collectable symbol displayed in the wagering game outcome, directing at least one display device to display a respective transparent symbol superimposed in front of a corresponding array position of the collectable symbol; directing at least one display device to display the symbol array populated with a new plurality of symbols indicative of a new randomly determined wagering-game outcome; in response to an activator symbol displayed in the new wagering game outcome, directing at least one display device to display each of the transparent symbols turning the corresponding array position into a respective special symbol; and, evaluating the new game outcome for one or more winning symbol combinations.
The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, this summary merely provides an exemplification of some of the novel features presented herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present invention, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and modes for carrying out the present invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
While aspects of this disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. There are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail representative embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. To that extent, elements and limitations that are disclosed, for example, in the Abstract, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference or otherwise. For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed: the singular includes the plural and vice versa; the words “and” and “or” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the word “all” means “any and all”; the word “any” means “any and all”; and the words “including” and “comprising” mean “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like, can be used herein in the sense of “at, near, or nearly at,” or “within 3-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example.
For purposes of the present detailed description, the terms “wagering games,” “gambling,” “slot game,” “casino game,” and the like include games in which a player places at risk a sum of money or other representation of value, whether or not redeemable for cash, on an event with an uncertain outcome, including without limitation those having some element of skill. In some embodiments, the wagering game may involve wagers of real money, as found with typical land-based or on-line casino games. In other embodiments, the wagering game may additionally, or alternatively, involve wagers of non-cash values, such as virtual currency, and therefore may be considered a social or casual game, such as would be typically available on a social networking web site, other web sites, across computer networks, or applications on mobile devices (e.g., phones, tablets, etc.). When provided in a social or casual game format, the wagering game may closely resemble a traditional casino game, or it may take another form that more closely resembles other types of social/casual games. It should also be noted that the recitation of a gaming terminal, machine, device or system can be used interchangeably in the specification and claims, unless explicitly delimited.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like features throughout the several views, there is shown in
The gaming terminal 10 illustrated in
Video images in the primary display area 14 and/or the secondary display area 16 can be rendered in two-dimensional (e.g., using Flash Macromedia™) or three-dimensional graphics (e.g., using Renderware™). In various aspects, the video images are played back (e.g., from a recording stored on the gaming terminal 10), streamed (e.g., from a gaming network), or received as a TV signal (e.g., either broadcast or via cable). Such images can take different forms, such as animated images, computer-generated images, or “real-life” images, either prerecorded (e.g., in the case of marketing/promotional material) or as live footage. The format of the video images can include any format including, but not limited to, an analog format, a standard digital format, or a high-definition (HD) digital format.
Input devices, such as the touch screen 18, buttons 20, a mouse, a joystick, a gesture-sensing device, a voice-recognition device, and a virtual input device, accept player input(s) and transform the player input(s) to electronic data signals indicative of the player input(s), which correspond to an enabled feature for such input(s) at a time of activation (e.g., pressing a “Max Bet” button or soft key to indicate a player's desire to place a maximum wager to play the wagering game). The input(s), once transformed into electronic data signals, are output to a CPU for processing. The electronic data signals can be selected from a group consisting essentially of an electrical current, an electrical voltage, an electrical charge, an optical signal, an optical element, a magnetic signal, and a magnetic element.
Turning now to
The CPU 30 is also connected to an input/output (I/O) bus 36, which can include any suitable bus technologies, such as an AGTL+ frontside bus and a PCI backside bus. The I/O bus 36 is connected to various input devices 38, output devices 40, and input/output devices 42 such as those discussed above in connection with
The external system 48 includes, in various aspects, a gaming network, other gaming terminals, a gaming server, a remote controller, communications hardware, or a variety of other interfaced systems or components, in any combination. In yet other aspects, the external system 48 may comprise a player's portable electronic device (e.g., cellular phone, electronic wallet, etc.) and the external system interface 46 is configured to facilitate wireless communication and data transfer between the portable electronic device and the CPU 30, such as by a near-field communication path operating via magnetic-field induction or a frequency-hopping spread spectrum RF signals (e.g., Bluetooth, etc.).
The gaming terminal 10 optionally communicates with the external system 48 such that the terminal operates as a thin, thick, or intermediate client. In general, a wagering game includes a random number generator (RNG) for generating a random number, game logic for determining the outcome based on the randomly generated number, and game assets (e.g., art, sound, etc.) for presenting the determined outcome to a player in an audio-visual manner. The RNG, game logic, and game assets are contained within the gaming terminal 10 (“thick client” gaming terminal), the external system 48 (“thin client” gaming terminal), or are distributed therebetween in any suitable manner (“intermediate client” gaming terminal).
The gaming terminal 10 may include additional peripheral devices or more than one of each component shown in
Referring now to
In response to receiving a wager, the reels 52 are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with paylines such as paylines 58. The wagering game evaluates the displayed array of symbols on the stopped reels and provides immediate awards and bonus features in accordance with a pay table. The pay table may, for example, include “line pays” or “scatter pays.” Line pays occur when a predetermined type and number of symbols appear along an activated payline, typically in a particular order such as left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, etc. Scatter pays occur when a predetermined type and number of symbols appear anywhere in the displayed array without regard to position or paylines. Similarly, the wagering game may trigger bonus features based on one or more bonus triggering symbols appearing along an activated payline (i.e., “line trigger”) or anywhere in the displayed array (i.e., “scatter trigger”). The wagering game may also provide mystery awards and features independent of the symbols appearing in the displayed array.
In accord with various methods of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system in accord with the present concepts, the wagering game includes a game sequence in which a player makes a wager and a wagering game outcome is provided or displayed in response to the wager being received or detected. The wagering game outcome is then revealed to the player in due course following initiation of the wagering game. The method comprises the acts of conducting the wagering game using a gaming apparatus, such as the gaming terminal 10 depicted in
In the aforementioned method, for each data signal, the CPU (e.g., CPU 30) is configured to process the electronic data signal, to interpret the data signal (e.g., data signals corresponding to a wager input), and to cause further actions associated with the interpretation of the signal in accord with computer instructions relating to such further actions executed by the controller. As one example, the CPU causes the recording of a digital representation of the wager in one or more storage media (e.g., storage unit 44), the CPU, in accord with associated computer instructions, causing the changing of a state of the storage media from a first state to a second state. This change in state is, for example, effected by changing a magnetization pattern on a magnetically coated surface of a magnetic storage media or changing a magnetic state of a ferromagnetic surface of a magneto-optical disc storage media, a change in state of transistors or capacitors in a volatile or a non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., DRAM), etc. The noted second state of the data storage media comprises storage in the storage media of data representing the electronic data signal from the CPU (e.g., the wager in the present example). As another example, the CPU further, in accord with the execution of the instructions relating to the wagering game, causes the primary display 12, other display device, or other output device (e.g., speakers, lights, communication device, etc.) to change from a first state to at least a second state, wherein the second state of the primary display comprises a visual representation of the physical player input (e.g., an acknowledgement to a player), information relating to the physical player input (e.g., an indication of the wager amount), a game sequence, an outcome of the game sequence, or any combination thereof, wherein the game sequence in accord with the present concepts comprises acts described herein. The aforementioned executing of computer instructions relating to the wagering game is further conducted in accord with a random outcome (e.g., determined by an RNG) that is used by the CPU to determine the outcome of the game sequence, using a game logic for determining the outcome based on the randomly generated number. In at least some aspects, the CPU is configured to determine an outcome of the game sequence at least partially in response to the random parameter.
The display device 114 displays or otherwise visually depicts a wagering game 130, which in this example is a reel-type “slot” wagering game. The slot game 130 includes a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, designated as 121-525 in
The symbols on the reels 121-125, when part of a wagering-game outcome, are arranged in an array 132, which in this embodiment is a 4×5 matrix—four rows by five columns—of distinct array positions (20 total array positions in
Within the scope of this disclosure, the wagering game 130 can include greater or fewer than five symbol-bearing reels (simulated, mechanical, or otherwise), each of which may include greater or fewer reel positions and reel symbols than those described with respect to
The primary display 114 further includes certain display features for providing information and options to a player. For example, the display 114 features may include a MENU/HELP button 180, a WIN meter 182, a CREDITS meter 184, and a TOTAL BET meter 186. The MENU/HELP button 180 can be pressed and activated (e.g., through an overlying touch screen) by a player desiring to access other control menus, preferences, help screens, informational menus, etc. For example, the player can change a theme of the wagering game 130 via the MENU button 180, or change the type of the wagering game (e.g., to video poker, keno, etc.). The WIN meter 182 displays to the player the amount of the total win (if any) from the most recent play of the wagering game 130. The CREDITS meter 184 displays to the player the total amount of credits (if any) remaining and available to the player for play of the wagering game 130. The TOTAL BET meter 186 displays to a player the current size of his/her wager (in credits). Once a number of paylines are selected and a wager is placed, a SPIN button 188 can be pressed or otherwise activated by a player to effectuate rotation of the reels 121-125. In an optional configuration, selection of a SPIN button will automatically effectuate rotation of the reels 121-125 without requiring prior selection of a wager and/or a number of paylines (e.g., a default wager and a default number of payline(s) are automatically chosen upon selection of the SPIN button 188).
Fewer, additional, or alternative display features may be included for presenting information and/or options to a player. In one specific instance, a row of player-selectable LINES buttons can be provided to give players the option of quickly selecting and activating a predetermined number of paylines (e.g., 1, 5, 9, 20 or 40 lines). Another option would be to display a row of player-selectable bet PER LINE buttons, which gives a player the option of quickly selecting a predetermined bet per active payline (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 credits per activated payline). The primary display 114 can also include, for example, an optional CHANGE DENOM button that can be utilized to change the denomination of each wagered credit (e.g., from 1¢ per credit to 25¢ per credit) which the player is inputting into the system 500. For a free-spin bonus game implementation, the display 114 may also include a FREE SPINS PLAYED meter 190, which displays to the player the number of bonus game spins that have been completed (if any) in a current bonus round, a WIN MULTIPLIER meter 192, which shows the size of a bonus-game-award multiplier available (if any) in a current bonus round, and a FREE SPINS REMAINING meter 194, which displays to the player the number of bonus game spins that have yet to be completed to finish a current bonus round. Other features may include, in some non-limiting examples, one or more bet change buttons that permit a player to incrementally increase and/or decrease the size of his/her wager, a MAX BET SPIN button for wagering a maximum number of credits and contemporaneously varying the reels of the wagering game, as well as any of the other buttons and meters presented herein or other features now known or hereinafter developed.
The wagering game 130 is shown in
A local controller (e.g., CPU 30 of
As indicated above,
The symbols borne by the reels 121-125 may include a variety of graphical symbols, including one or more standard game symbols, one or more special game symbols, one or more collectable symbols, and/or one or more activator symbols. Some of the standard symbols that are shown in
By way of contrast, one or more of the symbols borne by the reels 121-125 are “special symbols,” which are given additional functionality, purpose, weight, and/or evaluation as compared to “standard symbols.” One example of a special symbol shown in
Amongst the symbols borne by the reels 121-125 are one or more designated “collectable” symbols, some of which are identified in the drawings with reference numeral 166, and one or more designated “activator” symbols, some of which are identified in the drawings with reference numeral 175. In
Subsequent to collecting the collectable symbols 166, but prior to populating the symbol array 132 with new symbols as part of a new randomly determined wagering-game outcome, the symbol-bearing reels 121-125 are shown in
In accordance with the illustrated example, the collectable symbols 166 are collected, then stored, and later redeemed to the same locations from which they were collected. Optionally, or alternatively, the collectable symbols 166 may be redeemed at other predetermined or randomly determined locations. With reference to
The appearance of an activator symbol 175 in a game outcome operates to redeem all (or select ones) of the collectable symbols 166 that have been collected during one or more or all of the heretofore completed spins of the bonus game. As seen in
Turning next to
For some implementations, triggering redemption of the collectable symbols 166 may require that the activator symbol 175 appear within a predetermined activator-symbol area (e.g., anywhere within the fifth column of the symbol array's 132 five-column matrix) or on a predetermined activator-symbol location (e.g., on a designated position of the symbol array 132). Alternatively, redemption may require that a minimum number of activator symbols 175 appear within the symbol array 132, e.g., either aligned side-by-side along an active payline or “scattered” anywhere within the array 132. Another optional limitation may require that all of the special symbols generated during redemption (i.e., those provided by the transparent symbols 176) be the same type of special symbol (e.g., a wild symbol). While some embodiments may limit availability of the symbol collection and activation feature to a secondary bonus game (e.g., appearance of the collectable symbols 166, the transparent symbols 176, and the activator symbols 175 only occur during a free-spin bonus game), other embodiments may offer the same (or similar or different) symbol collection and activation feature during the base game.
In the illustrated example, the transparent symbols 176 disappear prior to and/or substantially concurrent with the evaluation of the new game outcome for winning symbol combinations. Optionally, the transparent symbols 176 can be shown disappearing after the aforementioned evaluation. What's more, the manner in which the transparent symbols 176 disappear can in-and-of itself take on various formats, including the symbols 176 disappearing in an abrupt flash or a slow fadeout or a transition to somewhere off-screen and outside of the player's view, all of which may coincide with a visually appealing and entertaining graphical display. For some preferred embodiments, the transparent symbols 176 are continuously displayed superimposed in front of the symbol array 132, e.g., for one or more subsequent plays of the wagering game 130, until the activator symbol 175 is displayed in the symbol array 132 as part of a new wagering game outcome. Alternatively, the transparent symbols 176 can be continuously displayed superimposed in front of the symbol array 132, e.g., for one or more subsequent plays of the wagering game 130, until a deactivator symbol is displayed as part of a wagering game outcome.
The collectable symbols 166 are once again redeemed to the same locations from which they were collected, as shown in
There are numerous optional and alternative embodiments that are possible for the core functionality of the disclosed concepts. By way of example, and not limitation, the special symbols that are provided during redemption of the collectable symbols could take on various alternative forms, including bonus-game-triggering symbols, progressive-jackpot-triggering symbols, special evaluation symbols, win-multiplying symbols, symbol upgrade symbols, etc., in addition to or instead of wild symbols. Moreover, more than one type of special symbol could be provided at a given time. As another option, rather than disappearing, the special symbols that are provided as a result of the redemption of the collectable symbols could remain for the remainder of the free spins in the free-spin bonus and be evaluated for every spin. For some embodiments, various solutions could be implemented if a collectable symbol lands in an already designated position (e.g., the resultant transparent “ghosted” symbol will generate a win-multiplying wild for that array position upon the appearance of an activator symbol).
In alternate embodiments, collection of the collectible symbols need not occur only during free spins, as shown in the FIGURES, but could also occur during regular plays of the wagering game. Collection of collectible symbols may require other criteria be met, such as only occurring if the collectible symbol(s) appear on active/designated paylines, only occurring if certain betting criteria have been satisfied, etc. Similarly, redemption may occur in a multitude of different ways, including after a predetermined number of activator symbols have been collected, upon player selection, or randomly executed. Moreover, redemption may be limited to partial redemption of some, but not all of the collected symbols on one play of the wagering game, as opposed to redemption of all of the collected symbols in a single play. In addition, the redemption of collected symbols may occur by distributing the transparent symbols into the matrix according to a defined formula, pattern, and/or algorithm. Moreover, the player may be permitted to select where the redeemed symbols are placed in the matrix. Many alternative collection and redemption mechanisms may be employed.
With reference now to the flow chart of
The method 200 begins at step 201 with receiving (e.g., via at least one of one or more input devices, such as touch screen 18, bill validator 22, information reader/writer 24, etc.) an indication of a wager to play the wagering game. For some embodiments, the wagering game includes a number of symbol-bearing reels, each of which has a plurality of distinct reel positions populated by various symbols. Examples of such wagering games, including an assortment of features, options and alternatives that may be incorporated into the method 200, have been described in extensive detail hereinabove with reference to
At step 203, an outcome of the wagering game is determined, e.g., via at least one of the one or more processors. For instance, an outcome of a base-game portion (or, alternatively, a bonus-game portion, a progressive-game portion, a community-game portion, etc.) of the wagering game is randomly determined from a plurality of available wagering-game outcomes. This may include, as indicated above, an RNG generating a random number, game logic for determining the outcome based on the randomly generated number, and the CPU 30, the external system 48, or both, in alternative embodiments, operating to execute a wagering game program, and game assets (e.g., art, sound, etc.) for presenting the determined outcome to a player in a visual manner.
In step 205, the method includes displaying, via at least one of one or more display devices (e.g., the primary display 114 of gaming terminal 110 of
At step 207, at least one display device displays, for each collectable symbol that is displayed in the wagering game outcome, a respective transparent symbol superimposed in front of a corresponding array position of the collectable symbol. As noted above, the reels 121-125 include various types of symbols, including one or more designated “collectable” symbols 166. For each collectable symbol 166 that is displayed in the symbol array 132 as part of a wagering game outcome, a respective transparent “ghosted” symbol 176 is subsequently shown superimposed in front of the corresponding array position of the symbols 166, as seen in
The method 200 then includes, at step 209, randomly determining a new outcome of the wagering game. This determination sequence can be conducted in any manner described above or in any manner otherwise known in the art. Contemporaneous with this determination, or at some point thereafter, the method 200 further comprises, in step 211, displaying the symbol array being varied while the aforementioned transparent symbols remain superimposed in front of the symbol array. The symbol-bearing reels 121-125 of
In accord with step 213 of
In some embodiments, the method includes at least those steps enumerated above. It is also within the scope and spirit of the present invention to omit steps, include additional steps, and/or modify the order presented above. It should be further noted that the foregoing method can be representative of a single sequence for playing a wagering game. However, it is expected that the method will be practiced in a systematic and repetitive manner.
Aspects of this disclosure can be implemented, in some embodiments, through a computer-executable program of instructions, such as program modules, generally referred to as software applications or application programs executed by a computer. The software can include, in non-limiting examples, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The software can form an interface to allow a computer to react according to a source of input. The software can also cooperate with other code segments to initiate a variety of tasks in response to data received in conjunction with the source of the received data. The software can be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as CD-ROM, magnetic disk, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).
Moreover, aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced with a variety of computer-system and computer-network configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable-consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. In addition, aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced in distributed-computing environments where tasks are performed by remote-processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed-computing environment, program modules can be located in both local and remote computer-storage media including memory storage devices. Aspects of the present disclosure can therefore, be implemented in connection with various hardware, software or a combination thereof, in a computer system or other processing system.
Any of the methods described herein can include machine readable instructions for execution by: (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and/or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, or method disclosed herein can be embodied in software stored on a tangible medium such as, for example, a flash memory, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory devices, but persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the entire algorithm and/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than a controller and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in a well known manner (e.g., it can be implemented by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable logic device (FPLD), discrete logic, etc.). Also, some or all of the machine readable instructions represented in any flowchart depicted herein can be implemented manually. Further, although specific algorithms are described with reference to flowcharts depicted herein, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many other methods of implementing the example machine readable instructions can alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks can be changed, and/or some of the blocks described can be changed, eliminated, or combined.
It should be noted that the algorithms illustrated and discussed herein as having various modules or blocks or steps that perform particular functions and interact with one another are provided purely for the sake of illustration and explanation. It should be understood that these modules are merely segregated based on their function for the sake of description and represent computer hardware and/or executable software code which can be stored on a computer-readable medium for execution on appropriate computing hardware. The various functions of the different modules and units can be combined or segregated as hardware and/or software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium as above as modules in any manner, and can be used separately or in combination.
While many embodiments and modes for carrying out the present invention have been described in detail above, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/871,048, which was filed on Aug. 28, 2013, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61871048 | Aug 2013 | US |
