Maze-based game for a gaming machine

• US 6,554,704 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Peter R., Nicastro, John P., Nicastro, John P. II, Giobbi, John J., Casey, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUECHNER, PATRICK M
• Application Number:
  US09/911,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20020022509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/15-20, 463/36-38, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/3267 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 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A maze-based game of chance for a gaming machine is controlled by a processor in response to a wager. The maze-based game includes an award-generating indicator movable along a plurality of different intersecting paths. The plurality of paths contain a plurality of consumable elements. The award-generating indicator generates an award based on a randomly selected outcome as the award-generating indicator visually consumes the elements.

Claims

1. A game of chance for a gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising:

a basic game including a plurality of possible randomly-selected basic game outcomes, the plurality of possible basic game outcomes including a start-bonus outcome; and

a maze-based bonus game triggered by the start-bonus outcome and indicated on a visual display, the bonus game including a bonus-generating indicator movable along a plurality of different intersecting paths containing a plurality of consumable elements, the bonus-generating indicator generating an award based on a randomly-selected bonus game outcome as the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes the elements; and

at least one bonus-ending indicator movable along the plurality of different intersecting paths, said bonus game ending in response to said bonus-ending indicator intersecting said bonus-generating indicator; and

a player interface to allow a player to manually control the direction of movement of said bonus-generating indicator along the plurality of different intersecting paths;

wherein said processor determines the outcome of the bonus game and entirely controls the movement of the bonus-ending indicator along the plurality of different intersecting paths to achieve the bonus game outcome determined by said processor regardless of the directional control exerted by the player over said bonus-generating indicator through said player interface.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different paths define a maze.

3. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor substantially controls when the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator in accordance with a predetermined outcome.

4. The game of claim 1, wherein at a beginning of the bonus game the bonus-generating indicator and the bonus-ending indicator are located in different areas of the plurality of paths.

5. The game of claim 1, wherein the basic game includes a plurality of symbol-bearing reels rotated and stopped to place objects on the reels in visual association with one or more pay lines.

6. The game of claim 5, wherein the reels are simulated on a video display.

7. The game of claim 1, wherein the bonus-generating indicator stops consuming the elements in response to being intersected by a bonus-ending indicator also moving along the plurality of different intersecting paths.

8. The game of claim 7, wherein the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator after the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

9. The game of claim 8, wherein the predetermined number of consumable elements is based on the randomly selected bonus game outcome.

10. The game of claim 1, wherein the bonus game includes one or more bonus rounds, one of the rounds of the bonus game ending in response to the bonus-ending indicator intersecting the bonus-generating indicator.

11. The game of claim 10, wherein the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator after the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

12. The game of claim 10, further including a reserve bonus-generating indicator, and wherein the bonus-generating indicator is replaced with the reserve bonus-generating indicator for a succeeding round of the bonus game after the one of the rounds of the bonus game ends.

13. The game of claim 12, wherein the plurality of basic game outcomes includes a reserve bonus-resource outcome that earns the reserve bonus-generating indicator for use in the bonus game.

14. A game of chance for a gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising:

a basic game including a plurality of possible randomly-selected basic game outcomes, the plurality of possible basic game outcomes including a start-bonus outcome; and

a maze-based bonus game triggered by the start-bonus outcome and indicated on a visual display, the bonus game including a bonus-generating indicator movable along a plurality of different intersecting paths containing a plurality of consumable elements, the bonus-generating indicator generating an award based on a randomly-selected bonus game outcome as the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes the elements; and

at least one bonus-ending indicator movable along the plurality of different intersecting paths, said bonus game ending in response to said bonus-ending indicator intersecting said bonus-generating indicator;

wherein said processor determines the outcome of the bonus game and entirely controls the movement of both the bonus-generating indicator and the bonus-ending indicator along the plurality of different intersecting paths to achieve the bonus game outcome determined by said processor.

15. The game of claim 14, wherein the plurality of different paths define a maze.

16. The game of claim 14, wherein the processor substantially controls when the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator in accordance with a predetermined outcome.

17. The game of claim 14, wherein at a beginning of the bonus game the bonus-generating indicator and the bonus-ending indicator are located in different areas of the plurality of paths.

18. The game of claim 14, wherein the basic game includes a plurality of symbol-bearing reels rotated and stopped to place objects on the reels in visual association with one or more pay lines.

19. The game of claim 18, wherein the reels are simulated on a video display.

20. The game of claim 14, wherein the bonus-generating indicator stops consuming the elements in response to being intersected by a bonus-ending indicator also moving along the plurality of different intersecting paths.

21. The game of claim 20, wherein the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator after the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

22. The game of claim 21, wherein the predetermined number of consumable elements is based on the randomly selected bonus game outcome.

23. The game of claim 14, wherein the bonus game includes one or more bonus rounds, one of the rounds of the bonus game ending in response to the bonus-ending indicator intersecting the bonus-generating indicator.

24. The game of claim 23, wherein the bonus-ending indicator intersects the bonus-generating indicator after the bonus-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

25. The game of claim 23, further including a reserve bonus-generating indicator, and wherein the bonus-generating indicator is replaced with the reserve bonus-generating indicator for a succeeding round of the bonus game after the one of the rounds of the bonus game ends.

26. The game of claim 25, wherein the plurality of basic game outcomes includes a reserve bonus-resource outcome that earns the reserve bonus-generating indicator for use in the bonus game.

27. A maze-based game of chance for a gaming machine controlled by a processor in response to a wager, comprising an award-generating indicator movable along a plurality of different intersecting paths containing a plurality of consumable elements, the award-generating indicator generating an award based on a randomly selected outcome as the award-generating indicator visually consumes the elements.

28. The game of claim 27, wherein a direction of movement of the award-generating indicator is controlled by the processor.

29. The game of claim 27, further including a reserve award-generating indicator, and wherein the award-generating indicator is replaced with the reserve award-generating indicator for a succeeding round of the game after a preceding round of the game ends.

30. The game of claim 27, wherein a player via a player interface controls the direction of movement of the award-generating indicator.

31. The game of claims 30, where in the player interface includes a joystick.

32. The game of claim 27, wherein the award-generating indicator is chased by at least one award-ending indicator, the game ending in response to the award-generating indicator being caught by the award-ending indicator.

33. The game of claim 32, wherein a direction of movement of the award-generating indicator is controlled by a player via a player interface, while movement of the award-ending indicator is controlled by the processor.

34. The game of claim 27, wherein the award-generating indicator stops consuming the elements in response to being intersected by an award-ending indicator also moving along the plurality of different intersecting paths.

35. The game of claim 34, wherein the processor substantially controls when the award-ending indicator intersects the award-generating indicator in accordance with a predetermined outcome.

36. The game of claim 34, wherein at a beginning of the game the award-generating indicator and the award-ending indicator are located in different areas of the plurality of paths.

37. The game of claim 34, wherein the movement of the award-ending indicator is controlled by the processor.

38. The game of claim 34, wherein the award-ending indicator intersects the award-generating indicator after the award-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

39. The game of claim 38, wherein the predetermined number of consumable elements is based on the randomly selected outcome.

40. A method of conducting a maze-based game of chance on a processor-controlled gaming machine, comprising:

receiving a wager;

depicting an award-generating indicator moving through a maze defined by a plurality of different intersecting paths, the plurality of paths containing a plurality of consumable elements; and

generating an award based on a randomly selected outcome as the award-generating indicator visually consumes the elements.

41. The method of claim 40, further including depicting at least one award-ending indicator chasing the award-generating indicator, and ending the game in response to the award-generating indicator being caught by the award-ending indicator.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein a direction of movement of the award-generating indicator is controlled by a player via a player interface, while movement of the award-ending indicator is controlled by the processor.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the award-ending indicator catches the award-generating indicator after the award-generating indicator visually consumes a predetermined number of consumable elements.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the predetermined number of consumable elements is based on the randomly selected outcome.