Gaming Machine Having A Community Game With Side Wagering

• US 20100267442A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy M., Englman, Allon G., Anderson, Peter R., Pacey, Larry J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming system includes at least one community display, a first gaming machine, and a second gaming machine. The at least one community display displays a communal game that includes a plurality of elements. At least some of the plurality of elements have a communal value associated therewith. The first and second gaming machines have a respective first and second video display for displaying the plurality of elements. At least some of the plurality of elements have a first and second player value associated therewith. The first and second gaming machines determine the first and second player values by applying a respective first and second value-enhancement parameter to the communal values associated with at least some of the plurality of elements. The first value-enhancement parameter is different than the second value-enhancement parameter.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for conducting a communal game, a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming machines participating in the communal game, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, for each of the plurality of participating players a respective value-enhancement parameter, the value-enhancement parameter being a first value-enhancement parameter for the first player based on the first player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the first player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game, the value-enhancement parameter being a second value-enhancement parameter for the second player based on the second player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the second player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game;

displaying, on at least one display, the communal game; and

awarding, by one or more processors, a first award from the communal game to the first player, the first award being determined in part by the first value-enhancement parameter.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the displaying includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of the communal game, the randomly selected outcome including a plurality of game play symbols.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the awarding includes awarding a second award from the communal game to the second player, the second award being determined in part by the second-value enhancement parameter.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game, and wherein the second award is determined by applying the second value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the second player from the communal game.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the base award of the first player is the same as the base award of the second player.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second value-enhancement parameters are respective multipliers for multiplying the first and second players'"'"' respective base awards from the communal game.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the first value-enhancement parameter is different from the second value-enhancement parameter.

30. A method for conducting a communal game, a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming machines participating in the communal game, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, for each of the plurality of participating players a respective value-enhancement parameter based on the player'"'"'s respective game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the player'"'"'s respective gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game such that the value-enhancement parameters for the participating players may be different from each other;

displaying, on at least one display, the communal game; and

awarding, by one or more processors, an award from the communal game to at least one of the participating players, the award being determined in part by that player'"'"'s value-enhancement parameter.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the displaying includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of the communal game, the randomly selected outcome including a plurality of game play symbols.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the award is determined by applying the player'"'"'s value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the player from the communal game.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the awarding includes awarding respective awards from the communal game to the respective participating players, the respective awards being determined in part by the respective value-enhancement parameters of the respective participating players.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the respective awards are determined by applying the respective value-enhancement parameters to base awards of the respective participating players from the communal game.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the base awards of the respective participating players are the same.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the respective value-enhancement parameters are respective multipliers for multiplying the respective participating players'"'"' base awards from the communal game.

37. A system for conducting a communal game, a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming machines participating in the communal game, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player, the system comprising:

at least one display operative to display the communal game; and

one or more processors operative to determine for each of the plurality of participating players a respective value-enhancement parameter and to award a first award from the communal game to the first player, the value-enhancement parameter being a first value-enhancement parameter for the first player based on the first player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the first player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game, the value-enhancement parameter being a second value-enhancement parameter for the second player based on the second player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the second player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game, the first award being determined in part by first value-enhancement parameter.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the display is operative to display a randomly selected outcome of the communal game, the randomly selected outcome including a plurality of game play symbols.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the one or more processors are operative to award a second award from the communal game to the second player, the second award being determined in part by the second-value enhancement parameter.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game, and wherein the second award is determined by applying the second value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the second player from the communal game.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the first player'"'"'s base award and the second player'"'"'s base award are the same.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the first and second value-enhancement parameters are respective multipliers for multiplying the first and second players'"'"' respective base awards from the communal game.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the first value-enhancement parameter is different from the second value-enhancement parameter.

45. One or more machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on at least one display, a communal game in which a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming machines participate, the plurality of players including a first player and a second player; and

determining for each of the plurality of participating players a respective value-enhancement parameter and to award a first award from the communal game to the first player, the value-enhancement parameter being a first value-enhancement parameter for the first player based on the first player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the first player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game, the value-enhancement parameter being a second value-enhancement parameter for the second player based on the second player'"'"'s game play activity, over a plurality of plays of a respective wagering game played via the second player'"'"'s gaming machine, prior to conducting the communal game, the first award being determined in part by first value-enhancement parameter.

46. The machine-readable media of claim 45, wherein the operation of displaying includes displaying a randomly selected outcome of the communal game, the randomly selected outcome including a plurality of game play symbols.

47. The machine-readable media of claim 45, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game.

48. The machine-readable media of claim 45, wherein the operation of awarding includes awarding a second award from the communal game to the second player, the second award being determined in part by the second-value enhancement parameter.

49. The machine-readable media of claim 48, wherein the first award is determined by applying the first value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the first player from the communal game, and wherein the second award is determined by applying the second value-enhancement parameter to a base award of the second player from the communal game.

50. The machine-readable media of claim 49, wherein the first player'"'"'s base award and the second player'"'"'s base award are the same.

51. The machine-readable media of claim 49, wherein the first and second value-enhancement parameters are respective multipliers for multiplying the first and second players'"'"' respective base awards from the communal game.

52. The machine-readable media of claim 45, wherein the first value-enhancement parameter is different from the second value-enhancement parameter.