Interactive Feature Game

• US 20090239610A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Mezen, Brett, Olive, Scott Christopher, Glasson, Naomi
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/00 Game accessories of general use , e.g. score counters, boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• 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 machine comprises a display, a game player input means and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display. The game controller controls play of a game in which a winning game result causes a prize to be awarded to a game player. The game comprises an interactive sequence related to a tournament in which a representation of a first video-player of one team is displayed. An action of the first video-player to be executed is selected by the game player via the game player input means and the game controller selects an action to be performed by another video-player. Depending on an outcome resulting from the selected actions, an award is made to the game player.

Claims

1. A gaming machine which comprises a display, a game player input means and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display, the game controller controlling play of a game in which a winning game result causes a prize to be awarded to a game player, wherein the game comprises an interactive sequence related to a tournament in which a representation of a first video-player of one team is displayed, an action of the first video-player to be executed being selected by the game player via the game player input means and in which the game controller selects an action to be performed by another video-player and, depending on an outcome resulting from the selected actions, an award is made to the game player.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the game comprises a plurality of game sequences each of which is awarded points.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2 in which the points are accumulated and a prize awarded depending on the number of points accumulated by one of (a) the end of the game sequences and (b) when some other predetermined milestone has been reached.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3 in which the prize to be awarded is dependent on in which one of a plurality of ranges of values the accumulated points tally falls.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4 in which the ranges correspond to different categories of jackpot pools with a top range corresponding to a top jackpot pool, and the other ranges corresponding to jackpot pools of correspondingly lower values, at least the top jackpot being a progressive pool.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the action selected by the gaming machine in response to the game player selected action is an action by a video-player in the same team or the opposing team depending on the type of tournament.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6 in which the action required to be selected by the game player is the direction in which a penalty goal in a soccer tournament is to be aimed.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7 in which the controller selected response is to make a goalkeeper move either in a direction to “

save”

the goal or in a direction to miss saving the goal.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which each video-player has an indicium associated with it, the indicium being representative of a number of points to be awarded to the game player in the event of a successful outcome.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which each video-player for which the game player selects an action is allocated by the game controller.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which the game player selects the video-player to take the action.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which a score allocated to a successful game sequence is also related to the action selected by the game player.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1 in which additional bonus points are awarded to the game player if an additional bonus event occurs during a game sequence.

14. The gaming machine of claim 13 in which the additional bonus event is randomly triggered.

15. A gaming system which includes

a gaming server;

a plurality of gaming machines; and

a communications system connecting each of the plurality of gaming machines to the gaming server, each gaming machine comprising a display, a game player input means and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display, the game controller controlling play of a game on the gaming machine in which a winning game result causes a prize to be awarded to a game player, wherein the game played on at least one of the gaming machines comprises an interactive sequence related to a tournament in which a representation of a first video player of one team is displayed, an action of the first video player to be executed being selected by the game player via the game player input means and in which the game controller selects an action to be performed by another video player and, depending on an outcome resulting from the selected actions, an award is made to the game player.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 in which the game comprises a plurality of game sequences each of which is awarded points.

17. The gaming system of claim 16 in which the points are accumulated and a prize awarded depending on the number of points accumulated by one of (a) the end of the game sequences and (b) when some other predetermined milestone has been reached.

18. The gaming system of claim 17 in which the prize to be awarded is dependent on in which one of a plurality of ranges of values the accumulated points tally falls.

19. The gaming system of claim 18 in which the ranges correspond to different categories of jackpot pools with a top range corresponding to a top jackpot pool, and the other ranges corresponding to jackpot pools of correspondingly lower values, at least the top jackpot being a progressive pool.

20. The gaming system of claim 15 in which the action selected by the gaming machine in response to the game player selected action is an action by a video-player in the same team or the opposing team depending on the type of tournament.

21. The gaming system of claim 20 in which the action required to be selected by the game player is the direction in which a penalty goal in a soccer tournament is to be aimed.

22. The gaming system of claim 21 in which the controller selected response is to make a goalkeeper move either in a direction to “

save”

the goal or in a direction to miss saving the goal.

23. The gaming system of claim 15 in which each video-player has an indicium associated with it, the indicium being representative of a number of points to be awarded to the game player in the event of a successful outcome.

24. The gaming system of claim 15 in which each video-player for which the game player selects an action is allocated by the game controller.

25. The gaming system of claim 15 in which the game player selects the video-player to take the action.

26. The gaming system of claim 15 in which a score allocated to a successful game sequence is also related to the action selected by the game player.

27. The gaming system of claim 15 in which additional bonus points are awarded to the game player if an additional bonus event occurs during a game sequence.

28. The gaming system of claim 27 in which the additional bonus event is randomly triggered.

29. The gaming system of claim 15 which includes a player tracking arrangement in communication with the gaming machines and the gaming server via the communications network.