PRESENTING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WAGERING GAMES

• US 20110045895A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Griffin, John L., Gagner, Mark B., Shi, Victor T., Gura, Damon E.
• Application Number:
  US12/741,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for presenting primary and secondary wagering game content is described herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary wagering game unit configured to determine results for a first group of primary wagering games in a first wagering game session. The first wagering game session can be associated with a player identifier. The primary wagering game unit can be further configured to determine results for a second group of primary wagering games in a second wagering game session that is associated with the player identifier. The apparatus can also include a secondary wagering game unit configured to, after certain of the results in the first wagering game session, cause presentation a first episode of a group of episodes, and to, after certain of the results in the second wagering game session, cause presentation a second episode of the group of episodes.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a wagering game session in which certain results from a plurality of primary wagering games trigger a secondary wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving selections indicating the plurality of wagering games and the secondary wagering game, the selections associated with a player account;

causing content related to the primary wagering games to appear on a terminal;

detecting player inputs for one or more of the primary wagering games;

determining results for those of the primary wagering games for which player inputs were received;

determining that at least one of the results is a trigger for the secondary game;

determining a result of the secondary wagering game;

selecting content with which to present the result of the secondary wagering game; and

causing presentation of the content to appear on the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein results of the secondary wagering game increase odds of winning a wager in one or more of the primary wagering games.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes an episode of a group of episodes, wherein the selecting of the content is based on an episode identifier residing in the player account, and wherein the episode identifier indicates an episode of the group that has been presented in an earlier wagering game session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the content is based on an episode identifier in the player account, and wherein the content includes an episode of a group of episodes.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

modifying the episode identifier to indicate another episode in the group of episodes.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

terminating the wagering game session;

initiating another wagering game session;

presenting the other episode to reveal results for another secondary wagering game.

7. An wagering game system comprising:

a primary wagering game unit configured to determine results for a first group of primary wagering games in a first wagering game session that is associated with a player identifier, and to determine results for a second group of primary wagering games in a second wagering game session associated with the player identifier;

a secondary wagering game unit configured to, after certain of the results in the first wagering game session, cause presentation a first episode of a group of episodes, and to, after certain of the results in the second wagering game session, cause presentation a second episode of the group of episodes.

9. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the first episode indicates results for a secondary wagering game, and wherein the second episode represents results for another secondary wagering game.

10. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein each episode of the group of episodes follows a common storyline.

11. The wagering game system of claim 7, wherein the group of episodes are organized in a sequence, and wherein according to the sequence, the second episode comes after the first episode.

12. The wagering game system of claim 7 further comprising:

a wagering game terminal configured to receive player input and provide the player input to the primary wagering game unit and the secondary game unit.

8. The wagering game system of clam 7 further comprising:

an accounting routing system unit configured to notify the secondary wagering unit about the results for the first and second groups of primary wagering games;

a random number generator service unit configured to provide random numbers to the primary and secondary wagering game units, the random numbers for use in determining the results for the first and second groups of primary wagering games.

13. A machine-readable medium including instructions executable by a machine, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, in a wagering game session, a selection indicating a persistent secondary wagering game;

instructions for detecting an event triggering the persistent secondary game;

instructions for generating a game element based on information in a player account, the information indicating a state of the game element at the end of an earlier wagering game session involving the persistent secondary wagering game;

instructions for determining an intermediate result for the persistent secondary wagering game, wherein the intermediate result is based partially on a state of the game element;

instructions for causing presentation of the intermediate result.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the presentation of the result includes presentation of an episode of a group of episodes, wherein the episode is selected based on information in the player account.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the persistent secondary game continues to affect the game element after the presentation of the intermediate result.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein presentation of the intermediate result includes presentation of content representing the game element.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the event is selected from one or more of a result of a primary wagering game, input associated with a primary wagering game, and monetary value received.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

instructions for modifying the game element based on the event.