Community Picking Game With Individual And Community Awards

• US 20110105233A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Dion K.
• Application Number:
  US12/913,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105233A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method is directed to conducting a community event in which a plurality of players at respective gaming terminals are participating. The method includes displaying the community event on one or more displays, and displaying a plurality of player-selectable elements for ach participating player on at least one of the one or more displays. The player-selectable elements include elements of a first type and a second type. In response to any participating player selecting an element of the first type, a controller is used to award an individual award associated with the selected element only to the selecting player. In response to any participating player selecting an element of the second type, a controller is used to award a community award associated with the selected element to all participating players.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a community event in which a plurality of players at respective gaming terminals are participating, the method comprising:

displaying the community event on one or more displays;

displaying a plurality of player-selectable elements for each participating player on at least one of the one or more displays, the player-selectable elements including elements of a first type and a second type;

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the first type, using a controller to award an individual award associated with the selected element of the first type only to the selecting player; and

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the second type, using a controller to award a community award associated with the selected element of the second type to all participating players.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual award and the community award are in form of one or more of a credit award, a multiplier, and game play.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing each participating player with a predetermined number of selections.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each participating player receives a plurality of individual awards in accordance with selections made by the respective participating player.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each participating player receives a plurality of community awards in accordance with selections made by all participating players.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each participating player receives a total award that is the sum of the individual award and the community award.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding another community award in response to another participating player selecting another element of the second type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding another community award in response to the participating player selecting another element of the second type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the community award is randomly selected from a group of community awards displayed on the one or more displays.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

randomly selecting a first community award from a first group of community awards associated with a first participating player; and

randomly selecting a second community award from a second group of community awards associated with a second participating player;

wherein both the first community award and the second community award are randomly selected in response to the participating player selecting the element of the second type, the community award being the sum of the first community award and the second community award.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising revealing the individual award upon the player selecting the element of the first type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable elements are displayed in the form of an array.

13. The method of claim 1, further including triggering the community event while the plurality of participating players are playing wagering games at the respective gaming terminals.

14. A gaming system for playing a community event in which a plurality of players at respective gaming terminals are participating, comprising:

one or more displays for displaying the community event thereon, the community event including a plurality of player-selectable elements having elements of a first type and a second type; and

at least one controller in communication with the one or more displays, the controller being operative to

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the first type, award an individual award associated with the selected element of the first type only to the selecting player, and

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the second type, awarding a community award associated with the selected element of the second type to all participating players.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the individual award and the community award are selected from a group consisting of a credit award, a multiplier award, and a game play award.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein a predetermined number of selections is displayed on each of the one or more displays, the predetermined number being specific to each participating player.

17. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of player-selectable elements are displayed in the form of an array, the array being displayed on the community event and on each of the one or more displays.

18. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the individual award and the community award is a mystery award.

19. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operative to, in response to the selecting of the element of the second type, randomly select the community award from a group of awards displayed on the community display.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein the group of awards includes a set of awards displayed for each of the participating players, the community award having a total value including at least one award randomly selected from each of two or more sets of awards.

21. 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:

displaying on one or more displays a community event in which plurality of players at respective gaming terminals are participating;

displaying on at least one of the one or more displays a plurality of player-selectable elements for each participating player, the player-selectable elements including elements of a first type and a second type;

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the first type, awarding an individual award associated with the selected element of the first type only to the selecting player; and

in response to any participating player selecting an element of the second type, awarding a community award associated with the selected element of the second type to all participating players.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the individual award and the community award are in form of one or more of a credit award, a multiplier, and game play.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising awarding to each participating player a total award that is the sum of the individual award and the community award.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising awarding another community award in response to another participating player selecting another element of the second type.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising awarding another community award in response to the participating player selecting another element of the second type.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising randomly selecting the community award from a group of community awards displayed on the one or more displays.