GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING A WAGERING GAME INCLUDING A SKILL-BASED GAME HAVING A PLAYER-SELECTED DIFFICULTY LEVEL AND DURATION

• US 20180012454A1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Thirumaleshwar, Laxmish
• Granted Patent: US 10,204,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing a wagering game including a skill-based game having a player-selected difficulty level and duration. The skill-based game contributes to the average expected payback percentage of the wagering game such that the average expected payback percentage of the wagering game can vary within a predetermined range from player-to-player based on the players'"'"' skill levels. The gaming system enables each player to obtain the AEP %_{WAGERING GAME} at or near the upper end of the predetermined range, regardless of the player'"'"'s skill level.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

place a wager on a play of a wagering game for a player responsive to an actuation of a wager button of the at least one input device, the wagering game including a primary game and a skill-based bonus game;

responsive to placement of the wager, initiate a play of the primary game, randomly determine a primary game outcome, and cause the at least one display device to display the primary game outcome;

determine and cause the at least one display device to display any primary awards associated with the primary game outcome, wherein a credit balance increasable by any primary awards;

responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event, enable the player to pick one of a plurality of different versions of the skill-based bonus game to play, each version having a different degree of difficulty and a different time period, wherein a first time period of a first version with a first degree of difficulty is less than a second time period of a second version with a second, greater degree of difficulty;

responsive to receiving a pick of one of the versions of the skill-based bonus game;

initiate a play of the picked version of the skill-based bonus game;

enable the player to input at least one quantifiable skill input, via the at least one input device, during the play;

terminate the play upon expiration of the time period for the picked version;

determine a bonus game outcome based at least in part on any received quantifiable skill inputs; and

determine and cause the at least one display device to display any skill awards based at least in part on the bonus game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any skill awards; and

initiate a payout associated with the credit balance responsive to receipt of an actuation of a cashout button.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein an average expected payback percentage of the wagering game is variable between a minimum available average expected payback percentage and a maximum available average expected payback percentage.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the maximum available average expected payback percentage of the wagering game is the same regardless of which version of the skill-based game is picked.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the same maximum available award can be won in all versions of the skill-based bonus game.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein a player'"'"'s probability of achieving the maximum available award is highest when the player picks the version of the skill-based bonus game that most closely corresponds to the player'"'"'s skill level.

6. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the primary game has an average expected payback percentage that does not change and that is equal to the minimum average expected payback percentage of the wagering game.

7. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein the player'"'"'s quantifiable skill inputs control whether average expected payback percentage of the wagering game for the player is the minimum available average expected payback percentage, the maximum available average expected payback percentage, or in between.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, responsive to the occurrence of the triggering event, enable the player to play a trial of one or more of the versions of the skill-based bonus game before receiving the player'"'"'s pick.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the player'"'"'s skill level based on play during the trial and display a recommended version of the skill-based bonus game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the recommended version of the skill-based bonus game has a difficulty level that most closely corresponds to the player'"'"'s skill level.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device includes an accepter configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to establish the credit balance based on the monetary value responsive to receipt of the physical item by the accepter.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one display device comprises part of a mobile device.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to communicate with the mobile device via a wireless network.

14. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

establishing, by at least one processor, a credit balance;

receiving an actuation of a wager button;

placing, by the at least one processor, a wager on a play of a wagering game for a player responsive to the actuation of the wager button, the wagering game including a primary game and a skill-based bonus game;

responsive to placement of the wager, initiating, by the at least one processor, a play of the primary game and randomly determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by at least one display device, a primary game outcome;

determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, any primary awards associated with the primary game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any primary awards;

responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event, enabling the player to pick one of a plurality of different versions of the skill-based bonus game to play, each version having a different degree of difficulty and a different time period, wherein a first time period of a first version with a first degree of difficulty is less than a second time period of a second version with a second, greater degree of difficulty;

responsive to receiving a pick of one of the versions of the skill-based bonus game;

initiating, by the at least one processor, a play of the picked version of the skill-based bonus game;

enabling the player to input at least one quantifiable skill input during the play;

terminating, by the at least one processor, the play upon expiration of the time period for the picked version;

determining, by the at least one processor, a bonus game outcome based at least in part on any received quantifiable skill inputs; and

determining, by the at least one processor, and displaying, by the at least one display device, any skill awards based at least in part on the bonus game outcome, the credit balance increasable by any skill awards;

receiving an actuation of a cashout button; and

initiating, by the at least one processor, a payout associated with the credit balance responsive to receipt of the actuation of the cashout button.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein an average expected payback percentage of the wagering game is variable between a minimum available average expected payback percentage and a maximum available average expected payback percentage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the maximum available average expected payback percentage of the wagering game is the same regardless of which version of the skill-based game is picked.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the same maximum available award can be won in all versions of the skill-based bonus game.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a player'"'"'s probability of achieving the maximum available award is highest when the player picks the version of the skill-based bonus game that most closely corresponds to the player'"'"'s skill level.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the primary game has an average expected payback percentage that does not change and that is equal to the minimum average expected payback percentage of the wagering game.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the player'"'"'s quantifiable skill inputs control whether average expected payback percentage of the wagering game for the player is the minimum available average expected payback percentage, the maximum available average expected payback percentage, or in between.

21. The method of claim 14, which includes, responsive to the occurrence of the triggering event, enabling the player to play a trial of one or more of the versions of the skill-based bonus game before receiving the player'"'"'s pick.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes determining, by the at least one processor, the player'"'"'s skill level based on play during the trial and displaying, by the at least one display device, a recommended version of the skill-based bonus game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the recommended version of the skill-based bonus game has a difficulty level that most closely corresponds to the player'"'"'s skill level.

24. The method of claim 14, which includes establishing, by the at least one processor, the credit balance based on a monetary value associated with a physical item responsive to receipt of the physical item by an accepter.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one display device comprises part of a mobile device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating with the mobile device via a wireless network.