SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING ONE OR MORE DIFFERENT TOURNAMENTS

• US 20080070692A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: MacVittie, Michael, Schneider, Richard, Graham, Jacob, Manfredi, Vince, Schlottmann, Greg, Iddings, Cara, Baerlocher, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/830,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070692A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3283 wherein the number of active machines is limited

Abstract

A gaming system includes a central server or controller operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming machines to provide non-tournament game play and to provide tournament game play on the same gaming machines.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) enabling a plurality of players to play non-tournament games at a plurality of gaming machines;

(b) providing tournament play to enable each of a plurality of qualified tournament players to play tournament games in a tournament on said plurality of gaming machines;

(c) upon an occurrence of a triggering event at one of the tournament player'"'"'s gaming machines during the tournament, changing an aspect of at least one other tournament player'"'"'s tournament play in the tournament;

(d) at an end of the tournament, determining a tournament winner;

(e) notifying said tournament winner that the tournament winner wins an award; and

(f) displaying an indication of the award to be provided to said tournament winner.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes providing tournament play by sending at least one command to each of said plurality of gaming machines to switch to tournament play.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one command to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play to provide non-tournament play after the tournament.

5. The method of claim 1, which includes sending at least one non-tournament game program to each of said plurality of gaming machines that provided tournament play after the tournament.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tournament is selected from the group consisting of:

a synchronized tournament, a self-scheduled tournament, and a bonus tournament.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes causing a plurality of said gaming machines to provide tournament play upon an occurrence of a tournament designated event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tournament designated event is selected from the group consisting of:

a passage of an amount of time, a generation of a game outcome, a number of non-tournament games played, an operator input, and a designated amount wagered at the gaming machines.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one central controller and the gaming machines are configured to determine player qualification for said tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said tournament play does not require wagers by the players.

11. The method of claim 1, which includes generating one of a plurality of tournament game outcomes and display said tournament game outcome to at least one player.

12. The method of claim 1, which includes enabling each of said players to play said tournament simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said aspect is selected from one of the group consisting of:

a number of non-redeemable credits, a tournament game function, a tournament game bonus, a tournament game turbo mode, a paytable for said tournament, a number of tournament points, a tournament rank, an entry into a tournament, a tournament game played, a number of winning tournament game outcomes, a number of active paylines, a symbol being designated as a wild symbol, and a multiplier for at least one tournament game.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of:

a generation of a designated tournament game outcome, a generation of a designated symbol, a symbol generation along an active payline, a generation of a designated number of a designated symbol, a designated number of accumulated points, a designated number of accumulated credits, a designated number of generations of a designated symbol combination, and a generation of a designated symbol in a designated location.

15. The method of claim 1, which includes changing a feature of tournament play of the player of the gaming machine with the occurrence of the triggering event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said feature is selected from the group consisting of:

a tournament duration, a tournament point amount, a tournament credit amount, a number of winning tournament outcomes, and number of plays of games in the tournament.