GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD PROVIDING COMPETITIVE WAGERING GAMES

• US 20100304825A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Dzurella, Palmer A., Davis, Dwayne A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,292,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a player with an opportunity to compete against an opponent (either a virtual opponent or a human opponent). In one embodiment, the gaming system and method provide a competition game that operates concurrently with a wagering game. In one embodiment, the competition game includes a turn-based video game which enables a player to compete against an opponent. Different generated symbol combinations for the wagering game represent different game actions or sequences for the competition game. That is, the symbols or symbol combinations generated in the wager game determine which game actions or sequences the gaming system causes to occur for the competition game. Based on such displayed game actions and sequences, the disclosed gaming system and method determines whether the player or the opponent wins that competition for the competition game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a competition game between a player and an opponent,

(b) display a wagering game, the wagering game being operable upon a wager placed by the player, the wagering game associated with a paytable,

(c) for the wagering game;

(i) generate a first symbol combination associated with the wagering game for the player,

(ii) determine a wagering game outcome for the player based on the generated first symbol combination, and

(iii) provide the player any award resulting from the determined wagering game outcome based on the paytable,

(d) for the competition game;

(i) display a first game event associated with the competition game based on the generated first symbol combination for the player,

(ii) generate a second symbol combination associated with the wagering game for the opponent, and

(iii) display a second game event associated with the competition game based on the generated second symbol combination for the opponent,

(e) determine a competition outcome based on the first game event and the second game event, and

(f) provide the player any award resulting from the determined competition outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the display of the first game event before the display of the second game event.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds, a plurality of the rounds being associated with a same opponent for the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds, each one of the rounds being associated with a different opponent for the player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds and wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for a plurality of the rounds, to:

(i) determine a competition outcome based on the generated first game event and the generated second game event,

(ii) compare the generated first symbol combination with the generated second symbol combination,

(iii) display at least one competition game event based on the comparison, and

(iv) repeat (i) to (iii) until a designated ending condition occurs.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to place an additional wager when the designated ending condition occurs to continue the competition game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds and if the player is successful in a first one of the rounds of the competition game, then, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to utilize an enhanced feature for a second one of the rounds of the competition game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to save any progress for the competition game.

9. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a competition game between a player and an opponent,

(b) display a player eligibility meter associated with the competition game, the meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining the competition game,

(c) display an opponent eligibility meter associated with the competition game, the meter indicating the opponent'"'"'s eligibility remaining the competition game,

(d) display a wagering game, the wagering game being operable upon a wager placed by the player, the wagering game associated with a paytable,

(e) for the wagering game;

(i) randomly generate a first symbol combination associated with the player,

(ii) determine any award for the player based on the first symbol combination and the paytable, and

(iii) provide any determined award to the player,

(f) for the competition game;

(i) display a first game event associated with the competition game based on the first symbol combination,

(ii) randomly generate a second symbol combination associated with the opponent,

(iii) display a second game event associated with the competition game based on the second symbol combination,

(iv) determine whether to modify at least one of the player eligibility meter and the opponent eligibility meter based on the displayed first game event and the displayed second game event,

(v) if the determination is to modify at least one of the player eligibility meter and the opponent eligibility meter, display at least one of the modified player eligibility meter and the modified opponent eligibility meter, and

(vi) determine a competition outcome between the player and the opponent based on the displayed player eligibility meter and the displayed opponent eligibility meter.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase a bonus triggering event progress meter if the determination is to modify the player eligibility meter.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase a bonus triggering event progress meter if the determination is to modify at least one of the player eligibility meter and the opponent eligibility meter.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the determined competition outcome.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) associate a first competition game event with the first symbol combination, (ii) associate a second competition game event with the second symbol combination, (iii) display the first competition game event in association with the player, and (iv) display the second competition game event in association with the opponent.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the first competition game event before the second competition game event.

15. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a competition game between a player and an opponent,

(b) display a bonus triggering event progress meter associated with the competition game,

(c) for the competition game;

(i) display a first one of a plurality of events for the player,

(ii) display a second one of the plurality of events for the opponent, and

(iii) determine a competition outcome based on the displayed first event and the displayed second event,

(d) increase the bonus triggering event progress meter based on the determined competition outcome,

(e) determine whether the bonus triggering event progress meter reaches a designated value, and

(f) if the bonus triggering event progress meter reaches the designated value, cause a bonus award to be provided to the player.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the bonus award includes at least one of a progressive award, a bonus game, and an enhanced feature for competition game.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of the events, to display at least one symbol generator for the player and to display at least one symbol generator for the opponent.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of events, to randomly generate a symbol combination for the player and to randomly generate another symbol combination for the opponent.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, if the bonus triggering event progress meter reaches the designated value, to display at least one additional symbol generator for the player and to randomly generate at least one additional symbol combination for the player.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display a player eligibility meter associated with the competition game, the player eligibility meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause a plurality of the events for the competition game, and (iii) for each event which decreases the player eligibility meter, repeat (e) to (f).

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display a player eligibility meter associated with the competition game, the player eligibility meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause an event to decrease the player eligibility meter to a designated value, and (iii) if the player eligibility meter reaches the designated value, end the competition game.

22. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display an opponent eligibility meter associated with the competition game, the opponent eligibility meter indicating the opponent'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause an event to decrease the opponent eligibility meter to a designated value, and (iii) if the opponent eligibility meter reaches the designated value, cause an award to be provided to the player.