Gaming system with savable game states

• US 20080227534A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Kelly, Bryan M., Kroeckel, John G., Link, John E., Petermeler, Norman B.
• Application Number:
  US11/981,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The invention provides a prize redemption system for use with one or more game apparatuses. A game is provided on a game apparatus for a player to play in exchange for monetary input, and prize credits are credited to the player based on the game outcome. A prize selection menu is then displayed by the game apparatus, the menu including one or more prizes, where the player may select a prize that has a prize cost within the player'"'"'s prize credit amount. The player is dispensed a specific prize ticket that is redeemable for the selected prize. The game apparatus can also provide specific prizes and tournament games played for a tournament prize contributed to by multiple players. An operator can adjust prizes and payout percentages of the system to achieve a desired profitability for game apparatuses. Prize input is entered into a prize table describing multiple available prizes and also describing payout information that indicates a desired amount of payout that the operator wishes to provide back to players of the game apparatus in terms of the value of the prizes. Prize information, such as prize costs and specific prize win ratios, is automatically determined by the system for each of the prizes in view of the desired profitability of the game apparatus.

Additionally, the invention provides method and article of manufacture for implementing a user profile-driven gaming and prize redeeming system. The user profile-driven gaming and prize redemption system allows for the tailoring of a user'"'"'s experience of playing a computer implemented game on a network gaming system by first receiving an identifier selected from a group of identifiers including a user identifier relating to the user (i.e., player) of the network gaming system, a game identifier relating to a particular game played by the user of the network gaming system, and a site identifier relating to the location (i.e. web site) from which the game is being played. The network gaming system then alters the computer-implemented game played by the user in a manner based upon the selected identifier. The foregoing technique may also be applied to a prize redemption system.

Claims

1. A gaming system that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, wherein the game system includes multi-player games to which the multiple game units are linked, and wherein the game server stores game state data and controls prize information.

2. A gaming system that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, wherein the game system includes multi-player tournaments to which the multiple game units are linked, and wherein the game server stores game state data and controls tournament information.

3. A gaming system that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played, the gaming system comprising:

a game server; and

a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, wherein the game system enables game units to save a current game state.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the gaming system enables a save game state option that stores data regarding prize credits won on a local or a remote storage device, and also stores player identification information to link the prize credit data with an associated player.

5. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the stored player identification information includes player name, player address, player account number, player password, player rating, or combinations thereof.

6. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the current game state is saved to a central datastore.

7. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the current game state is saved to a player account.

8. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the current game state is saved to a portable storage medium.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the portable storage medium is a smart card.

10. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the saved game state is later accessible by an authorized player.

11. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the saved game state is later accessible by an authorized player, wherein any additional winnings may be added to previously stored winnings, and wherein a combined amount of prize credits are exchangeable for a more valuable prize.