Video game with bonusing or wild feature

• US 6,311,976 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartl, Josef Alexander, Dunn, Russell B., Yoseloff, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US09/654,193
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138.2, 273/143.R, 273/292, 463/12, 463/13, 463/20
• US Class Current: 273/138.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A method of playing a wagering game comprises placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and playing a first game segment in the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player. At least some displayed symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols, and after playing the first game segment, the player may accumulate the non-monetary credit symbols. Upon the occurrence of a special feature or event, a monetary value is randomly assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols, and a payout is resolved, based at least in part on the monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols. The method may have the player accumulate non-monetary credits in a first game segment, and the random assignment of a monetary value or values to the non-monetary credits occurs in a second game segment.

Claims

1. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and

playing a first game segment in the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols, and during play of the first game segment, the player may accumulate the non-monetary credit symbols,

upon the occurrence of a special feature or event, randomly assigning a monetary value to the non-monetary credit symbols, and

resolving a payout based at least in part on the monetary value assigned to accumulated non-monetary credit symbols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the player accumulates non-monetary credits in the first game segment, and the random assignment of a monetary value or values to the non-monetary credits occurs in a second game segment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a predetermined event must occur in the play of the first game segment to allow resolution of the payout for the accumulated non-monetary credit symbols.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the resolution of the payout for the accumulated non-monetary credit symbols includes displaying a variation of the apparent value of the non-monetary credit symbols and then displaying a final valuation of the non-monetary credit symbols.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the monetary value assigned is randomly selected after playing the first game segment.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein an artificial monetary value is assigned during play of the first game segment and the resolution of the payout provides a different monetary value than the artificial monetary value.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein an artificial monetary value is assigned to non-monetary credit symbols before they are accumulated before play of the first game segment.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein non-monetary credit symbols are collected in at least two consecutive games and at the conclusion of the at least two consecutive games a payout is reconciled with the player with respect to a monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein there is more than one type of non-monetary credit symbol(s) that may be awarded to the player.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the more than one non-monetary credit symbol(s) has a monetary credit value assigned at the conclusion after playing said first game segment and the monetary value for each non-monetary credit symbol has the possibility of being different from the monetary credit value for at least one other non-monetary credit symbol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the monetary credit values for at least two non-monetary credit symbols are different.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the monetary credit values for at least two non-monetary credit symbols are randomly selected.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein a total number of each type of non-monetary credit symbols is calculated, a value is assigned to each type of non-monetary credit symbols, and that value is multiplied by the total number of each type of non-monetary credit symbol.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein accumulated non-monetary credit symbols are displayed during play of the wagering game.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein play of the wagering game also allows a player to earn a bonus spin.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the payout is resolved based only in part on the determined monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the payout is resolved based only on the determined monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits in a special feature or special event.

18. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and

playing a first game segment in the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols, and after or during play of the first game segment, the player may accumulate the non-monetary credit symbols,

upon the occurrence of a special feature or event, randomly assigning a monetary value to the non-monetary credit symbols, and resolving a payout based at least in part on the monetary value assigned to accumulated non-monetary credit symbols, wherein a first monetary credit value is shown for the non-monetary credit symbol, and that first monetary credit value is displayed to the player as changing.

19. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and

playing reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be used in defining monetary payouts and at least some symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols,

also having morphing wild symbols available for display, the morphing wild symbols transforming to non-monetary credit symbols during game play.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein, the player may accumulate the non-monetary credit symbols, with or without using morphing wild credit symbols.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a payout is resolved with the player with respect to a monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols after completion of play of the first game segment.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein resolution of the payout for the non-monetary credit symbols shows a variation of the apparent value of the non-monetary credit symbols and then a final valuation of the non-monetary credit symbols.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein a payout is reconciled with the player with respect to a monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols after completion of play of the first game segment.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein morphing wild symbols are displayed in a first game segment.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising a second gaming segment where the non-monetary credit symbols are assigned a monetary value, and wherein the non-monetary credits are converted to monetary credits.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein a payout is awarded with respect to a monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols after completion of play of the first game segment.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein a payout is resolved with the player with respect to a monetary value assigned to the non-monetary credit symbols after completion of play of the first game segment.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein resolution of the payout for the non-monetary credit symbols shows a variation of the apparent value of the non-monetary credit symbols and then a final valuation of the non-monetary credit symbols.

29. The method of claim 19 and further comprising the morphing wild symbol changing into another game symbol to cause or increase a payout in the game.

30. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game,

playing the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be used in defining monetary payouts and at least some symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols,

also having morphing wild symbols available for display, the morphing wild symbols morphing into at least one of other game symbols and non-monetary credit symbols.

31. The method of claim 30, and further comprising the step of assigning a monetary value to the non-monetary credit symbols.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein a payout is based on one or more of a) ordinary game symbol combinations;

2) a combination of game symbols and morphing wild symbols; and

c) the monetary value of the non-monetary credit symbols.

33. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and

playing a first game segment in the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some symbols available for display are non-monetary credit symbols, and where non-monetary credit symbols are accumulated as the non-monetary credit symbols are displayed during game play, wherein an accumulation of non-monetary game credits continues until occurrence of a special feature or event that provides a monetary award based upon a number of non-monetary credits accumulated;

in the special event or feature, monetary value is randomly assigned to non-monetary credit symbols and the monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits is determined, and

a payout is resolved based at least in part on the determined monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the payout is resolved based only in part on the determined monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the payout is resolved based only on the determined monetary value of accumulated non-monetary credits in a special feature or special event.

36. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a reel-type video wagering game, and

playing a first game in the reel-type video wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols, and the player accumulates non-monetary credits and information is stored on the total of each type of non-monetary credit accumulated,

only upon the occurrence of a special feature or special event, randomly assigning a monetary value to the non-monetary credit symbols,

the player selecting at least one non-monetary credit symbol for play in a payout feature that occurs after the special feature or special event, and

resolving in a payout feature a payout based at least in part on the monetary value assigned to accumulated non-monetary credits associated with the selected non-monetary credit symbols.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the player selects only one non-monetary credit symbol for play in the payout feature.

38. A method of playing a wagering game comprising:

placing a wager in a wagering game, and

playing a first game segment in the wagering game in which symbols are randomly displayed to the player,

wherein at least some displayed symbols may be non-monetary credit symbols, and during play of the first game segment, the player may accumulate the non-monetary credit symbols,

upon the occurrence of a special feature or event, randomly assigning a monetary value to the non-monetary credit symbols, and

resolving a payout based at least in part on the monetary value assigned to accumulated non-monetary credit symbols.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the wagering game is computer controlled.