WAGERING GAMES FEATURING AUDIOVISUAL OUTPUT AND INDICIA RELATED THERETO

• US 20080058075A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: JORASCH, James A., PATTERSON, Michael W., TEDESCO, Daniel E., WALKER, Jay S., TEDESCO, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US11/845,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming device is thematically tied to audiovisual content that has been repurposed from its original use and adapted to use with the gaming device. For example, the gaming device may be thematically tied to a television situational comedy. Instead of making a general wager and spinning the reels, a player selects particular symbols or characters that are thematically tied to the audiovisual content, and places a wager on the selected symbols or characters. The reels of the gaming device spin and a random selection of symbols and images of characters are presented on a payline of the gaming device. If the player has selected an image or symbol that lands on the payline, an audiovisual clip based on the theme is played and the player is informed of her winning outcome.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a player of a gaming device an indication as to which selected one of a plurality of symbols on which the player is wagering;

initiating a game start;

determining an outcome for the game start; and

providing the outcome to the player by;

displaying a plurality of reels with at least a subset of the plurality of symbols on a payline;

if the selected one of the plurality of symbols is positioned on the payline, displaying an output audiovisual clip to the player, wherein the output audiovisual clip features a characteristic indicated by the selected symbol; and

informing the player of the outcome.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the player of the gaming device indications as to a plurality of selected symbols on which the player is wagering.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the outcome comprises determining a random number.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising using the random number to determine which of the plurality of symbols to display on the payline and which of a plurality of audiovisual clips to display as the output audiovisual clip to the player.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising indicating that certain ones of the plurality of symbols act as multipliers on a base payout.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising indicating to the player the base payout after displaying the plurality of reels with at least the subset of the plurality of symbols on the payline.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein informing the player of the outcome comprises showing the player the base payout being multiplied by the multiplier to provide a final payout.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein informing the player of the outcome comprises showing the player the base payout being multiplied by the multiplier and by a wager amount.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving from the player the indication comprises receiving an input through at least one of:

a touch screen and a button.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of symbols are thematically tied to the output audiovisual clip.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one of the plurality of symbols comprises at least one of, a character, an object, a color, or a stylized representation of an action taken by a character.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the output audiovisual clip from amongst a plurality of audiovisual clips.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the audiovisual clip comprises at least one characteristic from a set of characteristics including a character, an object, a color, an utter of a word, an utterance of a phrase, laughter, music, a sound effect, and an action taken by a character.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the plurality of reels comprises displaying at least one of a physical reel and a virtual reel.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein informing the player of the outcome comprises informing the player through a mobile terminal.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing a database of audiovisual clips.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein accessing the database of audiovisual clips comprises accessing a local database.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein accessing the database of audiovisual clips comprises accessing a database on a central server.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein output audiovisual clip comprises an audiovisual clip that has been repurposed from its original purpose for use on the gaming device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the audiovisual clip has an original purpose of:

a television show, a movie, a sporting event, a comedian sketch, and music concert.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the symbol selected by the player is marked by a graphical change to both the symbol as depicted by the reels and the symbol as depicted by an input device used to select the symbol.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the graphical change comprises at least one of:

darkening, illuminating, outlining, highlighting, changing a color, and changing a size.

23. A system comprising:

a user interface; and

a control system operatively coupled to the user interface and adapted to;

receive from a player of a gaming device an indication as to which selected one of a plurality of symbols on which the player is wagering;

initiate a game start;

determine an outcome for the game start; and

provide the outcome to the player by;

display a plurality of reels with at least a subset of the plurality of symbols on a payline;

if the selected one of the plurality of symbols is positioned on the payline, display an output audiovisual clip to the player, wherein the output audiovisual clip features a characteristic indicated by the selected symbol; and

inform the player of the outcome.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the user interface comprises a mobile terminal.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the control system comprises a central server.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the control system is further adapted to access electronic memory comprising a plurality of audiovisual clips.

27. A computer readable medium comprising software with instructions to:

receive from a player of a gaming device an indication as to which selected one of a plurality of symbols on which the player is wagering;

initiate a game start;

determine an outcome for the game start; and

provide the outcome to the player by;

display a plurality of reels with at least a subset of the plurality of symbols on a payline;

if the selected one of the plurality of symbols is positioned on the payline, display an output audiovisual clip to the player, wherein the output audiovisual clip features a characteristic indicated by the selected symbol; and

inform the player of the outcome.

28. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of thematically linked audiovisual clips that have been repurposed from their original purpose for use on a gaming device;

presenting a plurality of inputs on a gaming device, wherein each input corresponds to a different element, each of the different elements being present in at least one of the plurality of thematically linked audiovisual clips;

associating the different elements with reels of the gaming device;

receiving from a player an actuation of one or more of the plurality of inputs thereby indicating on which of the different elements the player is wagering;

determining a winning outcome; and

providing the winning outcome to the player by;

visually spinning the reels;

stopping the reels such that at least some elements are positioned on a payline;

if the at least some elements positioned on the payline correspond to the different elements on which the player is wagering, playing an audiovisual clip selected from the plurality of thematically linked audiovisual clips; and

informing the player of a payout.