Gaming System Having Virtual Assets and Achievements

• US 20110207525A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Angelo, Stephen P., Gagner, Mark B., Thomas, Alfred, Anderson, Peter R., Allen, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,422 B2
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A gaming system having virtual assets comprises a wager input device, at least one gaming terminal comprising a display for displaying a wagering game, and a virtual asset server in communication with the at least one gaming terminal, the virtual asset server storing and managing one or more types of virtual assets, each type of virtual asset having a different plurality of attributes associated therewith. The system comprises at least one controller operative to cause the first display to display the first wagering game, in response to a first triggering event, award one or more of the virtual assets to a player of the first wagering game, store information regarding the awarded virtual assets in a player account associated with the player and accessible to the virtual asset server, and provide a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the first wagering game.

Claims

1. A gaming system having virtual assets, comprising:

a wager input device;

at least one gaming terminal comprising a display for displaying a wagering game;

a virtual asset server in communication with the at least one gaming terminal, the virtual asset server storing and managing one or more types of virtual non-monetary assets, each type of virtual non-monetary asset having a different plurality of attributes associated therewith; and

at least one controller operative to;

(i) cause the first display to display the first wagering game;

(ii) in response to a first triggering event, award one or more of the virtual non-monetary assets to a player of the first wagering game;

(iii) store information regarding the awarded non-monetary virtual assets in a player account associated with the player and accessible to the virtual asset server; and

(iv) provide a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the first wagering game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further operative to permit consumption and redemption of the awarded virtual assets by the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the virtual assets stored in and managed by the virtual asset server are controlled in response to a master rule set governing permissible actions with the virtual assets.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the awarded virtual assets is associated with a local rule set for interacting with other ones of the virtual assets stored on the virtual asset server.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the local rule set interacts with other ones of the virtual assets stored on the virtual asset server independently of the master rule set.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the local rule set is downloaded and stored in memory of the gaming terminal in response to the player account being accessed.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of persistence, tradability, expected value and virtual value.

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. A method of conducting a wagering game comprising:

accessing and recalling a player account in response to receiving a player identifier;

receiving a wager;

displaying a wagering game on a display of a gaming terminal;

storing and managing one or more types of virtual non-monetary assets on a virtual asset server in communication with the gaming terminal, each type of virtual asset having a different plurality of attributes associated therewith;

in response to a triggering event, awarding one or more of the virtual non-monetary assets to the player;

storing information regarding the awarded virtual non-monetary assets in the player account associated with the player and accessible to the virtual asset server; and

providing a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the first wagering game.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein virtual assets stored in and managed by the virtual asset server are controlled in response to a master rule set governing permissible actions with virtual assets.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the awarded virtual assets is associated with a local rule set for interacting with other ones of the virtual assets stored on the virtual asset server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the local rule set is downloaded and stored in memory of the gaming terminal in response to the player account being accessed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of attributes are selected from the group consisting of persistence, tradability, expected value and virtual value.

12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

18. A gaming system having virtual non-monetary assets, comprising:

a wager input device;

a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal comprising a display for displaying a wagering game;

a virtual asset server in communication with the plurality of gaming terminals, the virtual asset server storing a plurality of player accounts and a set of virtual non-monetary assets associated with each player account, the virtual asset server further storing a master rule set for management of virtual non-monetary assets; and

at least one controller operative to;

in response to input of a player identifier, identify a player at one of the plurality of gaming terminals;

recall a player account associated with the player;

recall a set of virtual non-monetary assets associated with the player account;

modify the set of virtual non-monetary assets based upon the player'"'"'s collection, redemption and disposition of virtual non-monetary assets during play of the wagering game;

provide a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the wagering game; and

store the modified set of virtual non-monetary assets in the virtual asset server upon the player concluding play of the wagering game.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein each virtual asset stored on the virtual asset server is selected from a master group of types of available virtual assets, at least two of the types of virtual assets in the master group having differing sets of attributes.

21. The gaming system of claim 20, wherein the master group of types of available virtual assets comprises things, keys, achievements, and points.

22. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein each virtual asset stored on the virtual asset server has associated therewith a plurality of attributes selected from the group consisting of persistence, tradability, expected value and virtual value.

23. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein at least one virtual asset stored on the virtual asset server is associated with a local rule set for interacting with other ones of virtual assets stored on the virtual asset server.

24. The gaming system of claim 23, wherein the local rule set is downloaded and stored in memory of the gaming terminal at which the player has been identified.

25. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the virtual asset server is further in communication with one or more computers over the internet, said one or more computers displaying virtual asset information associated with at least one player account stored on the virtual asset server.

19. (canceled)

26. A method of conducting a wagering game having virtual non-monetary assets, comprising:

receiving at least one wager;

displaying a wagering game on a plurality of gaming terminal displays;

storing (i) a plurality of player accounts, (ii) a set of virtual non-monetary assets associated with each player account, and (iii) a master rule set for management of virtual non-monetary assets, on a virtual server in communication with the plurality of gaming terminals;

identifying a player at one of the plurality of gaming terminals in response to input of a player identifier;

recalling a player account associated with the player;

recalling a set of virtual non-monetary assets associated with the player account;

modifying the set of virtual non-monetary assets based upon the player'"'"'s collection, redemption and disposition of virtual non-monetary assets during play of the wagering game;

providing a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the wagering game; and

storing the modified set of virtual non-monetary assets in the virtual asset server upon the player concluding play of the wagering game.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein each virtual asset stored on the virtual asset server is selected from a master group of types of available virtual assets, at least two of the types of virtual assets in the master group having differing sets of attributes.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the master group of types of available virtual assets comprises things, keys, achievements, and points.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein each virtual asset stored on the virtual asset server has associated therewith a plurality of attributes selected from the group consisting of persistence, tradability, expected value and virtual value.

27. (canceled)