GAMING SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE WAGERING GAMES WITH SHARED FEATURES

• US 20110105218A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Jaffe, Joel R., Englman, Allon G., Gomez, Benjamin T., Anderson, Peter R., Louie, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,435 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 17/3267 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: Y10T 436/106664 Blood serum or blood plasma standard or control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/109163 Inorganic standards or controls

Abstract

A method of playing a wagering game comprises receiving a wager, and generating a randomly selected first outcome of a first wagering game, the first outcome comprising a first plurality of symbols arranged in a first matrix. The method further comprises generating a randomly selected second outcome of a second wagering game, the second outcome comprising a second plurality of symbols arranged in a second matrix, and simultaneously displaying the first outcome and the second outcome on at least one display. The method further comprises detecting an occurrence of a triggering event, in response to the triggering event, copying a first special symbol occurring in the first outcome into the second outcome to yield a modified second outcome, and evaluating the first outcome and the modified second outcome for winning combinations of symbols.

Claims

1. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving a wager;

generating a randomly selected first outcome of a first wagering game, the first outcome comprising a first plurality of symbols arranged in a first matrix;

generating a randomly selected second outcome of a second wagering game, the second outcome comprising a second plurality of symbols arranged in a second matrix;

simultaneously displaying the first outcome and the second outcome on at least one display;

in response to an occurrence of a triggering event, copying a first special symbol occurring in the first outcome into the second outcome to yield a modified second outcome; and

evaluating the first outcome and the modified second outcome for winning combinations of symbols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first special symbol replaces a first standard symbol occurring in the second outcome.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises the occurrence of the first special symbol in the first outcome.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first special symbol replaces a first standard symbol occurring in the second outcome, and wherein the first special symbol occupies a position in the first matrix which is the same as a position in the second matrix occupied by the first standard symbol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first standard symbol is included in a group of standard symbols for which winning combinations are paid in accordance with a pay table associated with the first and second wagering games.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first special symbol is selected from the group consisting of a WILD symbol, a BONUS symbol, an expanding WILD symbol, a multiplying WILD symbol, a SUPER WILD symbol, a SUPER BONUS symbol, a CLUMPED symbol and a SUPER CLUMPED symbol.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the triggering event, copying a second special symbol occurring in the second outcome into the first outcome to yield a modified first outcome.

8. A gaming system comprising:

a wager input device;

at least one gaming terminal including at least one display; and

at least one controller operative to;

generate a randomly selected first outcome of a first wagering game, the first outcome comprising a first plurality of symbols arranged in a first matrix;

generate a randomly selected second outcome of a second wagering game, the second outcome comprising a second plurality of symbols arranged in a second matrix;

cause the at least one display to simultaneously display the first outcome and the second outcome;

in response to an occurrence of a triggering event, copy a first special symbol occurring in the first outcome into the second outcome to yield a modified second outcome; and

evaluate the first outcome and the modified second outcome for winning combinations of symbols.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the first special symbol replaces a first standard symbol occurring in the second outcome.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first special symbol occupies a position in the first matrix which is the same as a position in the second matrix occupied by the first standard symbol.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first standard symbol is included in a group of standard symbols for which winning combinations are paid in accordance with a pay table associated with the first and second wagering games.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the first special symbol is selected from the group consisting of a WILD symbol, a BONUS symbol, an expanding WILD symbol, a multiplying WILD symbol, a SUPER WILD symbol, a SUPER BONUS symbol, a CLUMPED symbol and a SUPER CLUMPED symbol.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the at least one controller is further operative to, in response to the triggering event, copy a second special symbol occurring in the second outcome into the first outcome to yield a modified first outcome.

14. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving a wager;

generating a plurality of randomly selected outcomes in a plurality of wagering games, each of the plurality of wagering games comprising a plurality of symbols arranged in a matrix;

simultaneously displaying the plurality of randomly selected outcomes on at least one display;

in response to a triggering event, copying a first special symbol occurring in the outcome of a first one of the matrices into each outcome of a remainder of the plurality of matrices, wherein the first special symbol replaces one or more standard symbols occurring in the outcomes of the remainder of the plurality of matrices; and

evaluating the outcome of the first one of the matrices and the modified outcomes of the remainder of the plurality of matrices for winning combinations of symbols.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one occurrence of the first special symbol in the plurality of matrices.

16. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving a wager;

generating a randomly selected first outcome of a first wagering game, the first outcome comprising a first plurality of symbols arranged in a first matrix;

displaying a plurality of copies of the first matrix on at least one display;

detecting the occurrence of a re-spin triggering event;

in response to the detection, revising each copy of the first matrix by replacing a subset of the first plurality of symbols with a plurality of independently randomly selected replacement sets of symbols to create a plurality of second outcomes;

displaying the plurality of second outcomes; and

evaluating each of the second outcomes for winning combinations of symbols.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the re-spin triggering event comprises a first predetermined number of bonus-triggering symbols appearing in the first matrix.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first predetermined number is less than a second predetermined number of bonus-triggering symbols required to trigger an associated bonus event.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the re-spin triggering event comprises at least one winning combination of symbols occurring in the first matrix.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of independently randomly selected replacement sets of symbols comprises award enhancement symbols.

21. A method of playing a wagering game, the method comprising:

receiving a wager;

generating a randomly selected first outcome of a first wagering game, the first outcome comprising a first plurality of symbols arranged in a first matrix;

generating a randomly selected second outcome of a second wagering game, the second outcome comprising a second plurality of symbols arranged in a second matrix;

simultaneously displaying the first outcome and the second outcome on at least one display;

awarding a first award for a winning combinations of symbols included in the first outcome;

evaluating a first eligibility criteria for the player to receive a second award for a winning combination of symbols included in the second outcome, and if the eligibility criteria is satisfied, awarding the second award to the player.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a randomly selected third outcome of a third wagering game, the third outcome comprising a third plurality of symbols arranged in a third matrix;

simultaneously displaying the third outcome with the first and second outcomes on the at least one display; and

evaluating a second eligibility criteria for the player to receive a third award for a winning combination of symbols included in the third outcome, and if the eligibility criteria is satisfied, awarding the third award to the player.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first eligibility criteria comprises a first predetermined number of occurrences of a first special symbol in the first outcome.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second eligibility criteria comprises a second predetermined number of occurrences of the first special symbol in the first outcome.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first wagering game is associated with a first payback percentage and the second wagering game is associated with a second payback percentage different from the first payback percentage.

25. (canceled)

27. (canceled)