CHARACTERS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL GAMING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20100279755A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pacey, Larry, Hornik, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US12/063,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

Methods and apparatus affecting the interaction between characters and a three-dimensional wagering game environment are described herein.

Claims

1. In a gaming machine that displays a gaming outcome on a display, a method comprising:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

displaying a character in a three-dimensional environment associated with the wagering game; and

modifying a feature of the character responsive to one of a monetary event occurring within the wagering game or an event occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature of the character includes at least one of a color, a position, a velocity, a texture, a viewpoint, a rule of motion, a capability, a lifetime, a transparency, a size, an intelligence level, a gender, a strength level, a lifetime duration, or a shape.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

sharing the character created by a first player with a second player.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

displaying an interaction between the character created by a first player in the three-dimensional environment and a second character created by a second player.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

maintaining the character across a series of completed gaming sessions associated with the wagering game and a unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

modifying a feature of the three-dimensional environment responsive to the feature of the character.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a motion of the character is determined according to one of a random element or a feature of the three-dimensional environment.

8. In a gaming machine that displays a gaming outcome on a display, a method comprising:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

displaying a three-dimensional environment associated with the wagering game; and

evolving a feature of a character in the three-dimensional environment to provide an evolved character responsive to one of a plurality of sequential monetary events occurring within the wagering game or a plurality of sequential events occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

sharing the evolved character created by a first player with a second player.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

joining an environment created by the first player to the evolved character to interact with another character created by the second player.

11. The method of claim 8, further including:

maintaining the evolved character across a series of completed gaming sessions associated with the base game and a uniquely identified player.

12. A wagering gaming system, comprising:

a player-input device;

a display; and

a processor to conduct the wagering game responsive to the player-input device, to initiate display of a character in a three-dimensional environment on the display, and to modify a feature of the character responsive to one of a monetary event occurring within the wagering game or an event occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

13. The wagering gaming system of claim 12, wherein the display and the processor are included in an enclosure.

14. The wagering gaming system of claim 12, wherein the wagering game is selected from the group consisting of slots, poker, black jack, roulette, bingo, and keno.

15. A wagering gaming system, comprising:

a player-input device;

a display; and

a processor to conduct the wagering game responsive to the player-input device, to initiate display of a character in a three-dimensional environment on the display, and to evolve a feature of the character in the three-dimensional environment to provide an evolved character responsive to one of a plurality of sequential monetary events occurring within the wagering game or a plurality of sequential events occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

16. The wagering gaming system of claim 15, wherein the player-input device and the processor are included in an enclosure.

17. The wagering gaming system of claim 15, further including:

a player-tracking device to store cumulative information associated with the wagering game and an identified player.

18. An article comprising a machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, create a system for executing the method of:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

displaying a character in a three-dimensional environment associated with the wagering game; and

modifying a feature of the character responsive to one of a monetary event occurring within the wagering game or an event occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, create a system for executing a method, including:

soliciting information associated with an identified player.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, create a system for executing a method, including:

modifying the feature of the character responsive to the information associated with the identified player.

21. An article comprising a machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, create a system for executing the method of:

receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

displaying a three-dimensional environment associated with the wagering game; and

evolving a feature of a character in the three-dimensional environment to provide an evolved character responsive to one of a plurality of sequential monetary events occurring within the wagering game or a plurality of sequential events occurring within the three-dimensional environment.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the wagering game is selected from the group consisting of slots, poker, black jack, roulette, bingo, and keno.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, create a system for executing a method, including:

evolving the evolved character responsive to information associated with an identified player.