Wagering Game For Awarding Positional Game Modifiers In A Plurality Of Plays

• US 20110098101A1
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gomez, Benjamin T., SeLegue, Dylan B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3267 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A method for conducting a wagering game includes awarding a plurality of positional game modifiers and a plurality of plays of the wagering game. Each play includes a set of assignable positions such that a plurality of sets of assignable positions occur over the plurality of plays, at least some of the assignable positions bearing symbols. The plurality of positional game modifiers are randomly assigned to positions in the plurality of sets of assignable positions. The plurality of plays are displayed on a display device. A processor is used to determine an outcome of each of the plays taking into account any of the positional game modifiers assigned to the positions in the set of assignable positions of each play.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

awarding a plurality of positional game modifiers;

awarding a plurality of plays of the wagering game, each play including a set of assignable positions such that a plurality of sets of assignable positions occur over the plurality of plays, at least some of the assignable positions bearing symbols;

randomly assigning the plurality of positional game modifiers to positions in the plurality of sets of assignable positions;

displaying, on a display device, the plurality of plays; and

using a processor to determine an outcome of each of the plays taking into account any of the positional game modifiers assigned to the positions in the set of assignable positions of each play.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers is a progressive award that increments in response to one or more processor-controlled wagering games or gaming devices linked to the progressive award, and wherein the awarding of the plurality of positional game modifiers occurs in response to a triggering event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers are selected from a group consisting of wilds, non-wild special symbols, and multipliers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plays includes N plays and each set of positions includes M positions, the number of positions over the plurality of plays being equal to N×

M, and wherein the randomly assigning includes randomly assigning the plurality of positional game modifiers to the N×

M positions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of positions in each play is an array of fixed display positions, and wherein each play includes a spin of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place the symbols on the reels in visual association with the display positions in the array.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of positions in each play are distributed among a plurality of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place a subset of the symbols on the reels in visual association with a display area.

7. A method for conducting a wagering game, comprising:

awarding a progressive award including a plurality of positional game modifiers;

assigning the positional game modifiers to a total number of symbol-bearing positions achieved during a plurality of awarded free plays;

displaying the plurality of free plays on a display; and

determining an outcome for each of the free plays, the outcome being based on any positional game modifiers assigned to symbol-bearing positions of each of the free plays.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the progressive award increments in response to one or more processor-controlled wagering games or gaming devices linked to the progressive award, and wherein the awarding of progressive award occurs in response to a triggering event.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers are selected from a group consisting of wilds, non-wild special symbols, multipliers, and payline activator symbols.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of free plays includes N free plays, each of the N free plays having a set of M symbol-bearing positions, the total number of symbol-bearing positions being an array equal to N×

M, and wherein the assigning includes randomly assigning the plurality of positional game modifiers to the N×

M positions.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the free plays has a set of symbol-bearing positions displayed in the form of an array of fixed display positions, and wherein each of the free plays includes a spin of reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place symbols on the reels in visual association with the display positions of the array.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the free plays has a set of symbol-bearing positions, the set of symbol-bearing positions in each play being distributed among a plurality of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place a subset of symbols on the reels in visual association with a display area.

13. A gaming system comprising:

a wager input device configured to receive a wager from a player for playing a wagering game;

a display configured to display a plurality of plays of the wagering game, each play including a set of assignable positions such that a plurality of sets of assignable positions occur over the plurality of plays, at least some of the assignable positions bearing symbols; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the display, at least one of the processors being operative to

award the plurality of plays and a plurality of positional game modifiers,

randomly assign the plurality of positional game modifiers to positions in the plurality of sets of assignable positions, and

determine an outcome of each of the plays taking into account any of the positional game modifiers assigned to the positions in the set of assignable positions of each play.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers is a progressive award that increments in response to one or more processor-controlled wagering games or gaming devices linked to the progressive award, and wherein the awarding of the plurality of positional game modifiers occurs in response to a triggering event.

15. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers are selected from a group consisting of wilds, non-wild special symbols, multipliers, and payline activator symbols.

16. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of plays includes N plays and each set of positions includes M positions, the number of positions over the plurality of plays being equal to N×

M, and wherein the at least one of the processors is further operative to randomly assign the plurality of positional game modifiers to the N×

M positions.

17. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the set of positions in each play is an array of fixed display positions, and wherein each play includes a spin of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place the symbols on the reels in visual association with the display positions in the array.

18. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the set of positions in each play are distributed among a plurality of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place a subset of the symbols on the reels in visual association with a display area.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having an instruction set borne thereby, the instruction set being configured to cause, upon execution by a controller, the acts of:

awarding a plurality of positional game modifiers;

awarding a plurality of plays of the wagering game, each play including a set of assignable positions such that a plurality of sets of assignable positions occur over the plurality of plays, at least some of the assignable positions bearing symbols;

randomly assigning the plurality of positional game modifiers to positions in the plurality of sets of assignable positions;

displaying, on a display device, the plurality of plays; and

determining an outcome of each of the plays taking into account any of the positional game modifiers assigned to the positions in the set of assignable positions of each play.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers is a progressive award that increments in response to one or more processor-controlled wagering games or gaming devices linked to the progressive award, and wherein the awarding of the plurality of positional game modifiers occurs in response to a triggering event.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the plurality of positional game modifiers are selected from a group consisting of wilds, non-wild special symbols, and multipliers.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the plurality of plays includes N plays and each set of positions includes M positions, the number of positions over the plurality of plays being equal to N×

M, and wherein the randomly assigning includes randomly assigning the plurality of positional game modifiers to the N×

M positions.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the set of positions in each play is an array of fixed display positions, and wherein each play includes a spin of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place the symbols on the reels in visual association with the display positions in the array.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the set of positions in each play are distributed among a plurality of symbol-bearing reels that are rotated and stopped to randomly place a subset of the symbols on the reels in visual association with a display area.