GAMING SYSTEM, GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD INCLUDING A COMMUNITY TRAIL GAME

• US 20120108319A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Lafky, Ernest M., Nicely, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,888,580 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 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein provides a community game having a trail or path. The community game enables a plurality of players to each simultaneously pick one or more directions of movement along the trail or path (i.e., pick or designate a destination position which that player wants to move to). If the picked directions of movement for more than one player result in more than one player each designating the same destination position, the gaming system determines which player is moved to the designated destination position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that position) and which player is moved to an alternative position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that alternative position).

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a matrix including a plurality of different starting positions and a plurality of outcome positions, each of said outcome positions associated with one of a plurality of different outcomes;

(b) display;

(i) a player symbol at one of the plurality of different starting positions, and

(ii) at least one participant symbol at least one of the plurality of different starting positions;

(c) randomly generate a quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol;

(d) for each of the quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol, enable a player to input a direction of movement;

(e) for each of the participant symbols;

(i) determine a quantity of position moves, and

(ii) for each of the quantity of position moves associated with the participant symbol, determine a direction of movement;

(f) determine a movement order for each of the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol;

(g) display the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol each moving to a separate one of the outcome positions, wherein;

(i) the outcome position the player symbol is moved to is based, at least in part, on the player inputted direction of movement,

(ii) for each participant symbol, the outcome position said participant symbol is moved to is based, at least in part, on the determined direction of movement for said participant symbol, and

(iii) if the inputted directed of movement for the quantity of positions moves associated with the player symbol corresponds to one of the outcome positions and the determined direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with one of the participant symbols corresponds to said same outcome position;

(A) display one of the player symbol and the participant symbol at said outcome position, and

(B) display the other one of the player symbol and the participant symbol at another one of said outcome positions, wherein which of said player symbol and said participant symbol is displayed at which of said outcome positions is based on the determined movement order; and

(h) provide the player the outcome associated with the moved to outcome position of the player symbol.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the outcomes associated with the outcome positions are selected from the group consisting of:

an award, a modifier, a quantity of free spins, a quantity of free activations, an additional quantity of position moves, a quantity of picks, and a reduced quantity of position moves.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the participant symbols is associated with another player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine the quantity of position moves for at least one of the participant symbols.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the movement order based on each symbols relative position to at least one of the outcome positions.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display a plurality of participant symbols.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the inputted direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with a first one of the participant symbols corresponds to one of the outcome positions and the determined direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with a second one of the participant symbols corresponds to said same outcome position, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display one of the first participant symbol and the second participant symbol at said outcome position, and

(ii) display the other one of the first participant symbol and the second participant symbol at another one of said outcome positions, wherein which of said first and second participant symbols are displayed at which of said outcome positions is based on the determined movement order.

8. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a matrix including a plurality of different positions, a plurality of said positions each being associated with one of a plurality of different outcomes;

(b) display;

(i) a player symbol at one of the different positions, and

(ii) at least one participant symbol at least one of the different positions;

(c) randomly generate a quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol;

(d) determine a plurality of said positions available for the player symbol to move to, said determination based on the position the player symbol is displayed at and the generated quantity of position moves;

(e) enable a player to designate one of the determined plurality of said positions available for the player symbol to move to as a player destination position;

(f) for each participant symbol;

(i) determine a quantity of position moves, and

(ii) designate one of the positions to move to as a participant destination position, said designation based on the position said participant symbol is displayed at and the determined quantity of position moves for said participant symbol;

(g) determine a movement order for the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol;

(h) display at least one of the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol moving to at least one of the designated destination positions, wherein if the designated player destination position is the same position as one of the designated participant destination positions;

(i) one of the player symbol and the participant symbol is displayed at said designated destination position, and

(ii) the other one of the player symbol and the participant symbol is displayed at another one of said positions, wherein which of said player symbol and said participant symbol is displayed at the designated position is based on the determined movement order; and

(i) provide the player the outcome associated with the moved to position of the player symbol.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the outcomes associated with the positions are selected from the group consisting of:

an award, a modifier, a quantity of free spins, a quantity of free activations, an additional quantity of position moves, a quantity of picks, and a reduced quantity of position moves.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the participant symbols is associated with another player.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine the quantity of position moves for at least one of the participant symbols.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the movement order based on each symbols relative position to at least one of the positions.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor operate with the at least one display device to display a plurality of participant symbols.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the designated destination position of at least two of the participant symbols is the same position, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display one of the participant symbols at said designated destination position, and

(ii) display the other one of the participant symbol at another one of said positions, wherein which of said participant symbols is displayed at the designated position is based on the determined movement order

15. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display;

(i) a matrix including a plurality of positions, a plurality of said positions each associated with one of a plurality of different outcomes,

(ii) a player symbol at a current one of the positions, and

(ii) at least one participant symbol at a separate current one of the positions;

(b) for the player symbol;

(i) randomly generate a quantity of position moves, and

(ii) for each of the generated quantity of position moves, enable a player to input a direction of movement;

(c) for each participant symbol;

(i) determine a quantity of positions moves, and

(ii) for each of the quantity of position moves associated with the participant symbol, determine a direction of movement;

(d) determine a movement order for the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol;

(e) display the player symbol moving to one of the positions, wherein the position the player symbol is moved to is based on at least a plurality of;

the current position of the player symbol, the player inputted direction of movement and the determined movement order;

(f) display each participant symbol moving to a separate one of the positions, wherein the position each participant symbol is moved to is based on at least a plurality of;

the current position of said participant symbol, the determined direction of movement for said participant symbol and the determined movement order; and

(g) repeat (b) to (e) at least once and until a terminating event occurs.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the participant symbols is associated with another player.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the participant symbols is associated with a bot.

18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor when the terminating event occurs, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor provide the player any outcomes associated with any moved to positions.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the outcomes are selected from the group consisting of:

an award, a modifier, a quantity of free spins, a quantity of free activations, an additional quantity of position moves, a quantity of picks, and a reduced quantity of position moves.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the movement order is determined based on each symbols relative position to at least one of the positions.

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the inputted direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol corresponds to one of the positions and the determined direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with one participant symbol corresponds to said same position, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the display device to:

(i) display one of the player symbol and the participant symbol at said position, and

(ii) display the other one of the player symbol and the participant symbol at another one of said positions, wherein which of said player symbol and said participant symbol is displayed at which of said positions is based on the determined movement order.

22. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the display device to display each of a plurality of participant symbols.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the inputted directed of movement for the quantity of positions moves associated with a first one of the participant symbols corresponds to one of the positions and the determined direction of movement for the quantity of position moves associated with a second one of the participant symbols corresponds to said same position, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the display device to:

(i) display one of the first participant symbol and the second participant symbol at said position, and

(ii) display the other one of the first participant symbol and the second participant symbol at another one of said positions, wherein which of said first and second participant symbols are displayed at which of said positions is based on the determined movement order.