Wagering game with award unlocking feature

• US 8,113,947 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Hornik, Jeremy M., Ward, Matthew J., Flemming, Peter W., Casey, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/242,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463/29, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A method of playing a wagering game having a plurality of players playing at a plurality of gaming terminals, the wagering game including a basic game and a bonus game. The method includes the steps of conducting the basic game at a first gaming terminal, fulfilling a bonus game entry event at the first gaming terminal and satisfying, at the first gaming terminal during a bonus game, a bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a bonus prize. The method also includes satisfying, at any of the plurality of gaming terminals, a bonus prize win event subsequent to the bonus prize unlocking event to win a bonus prize and awarding bonus prize to a player satisfying the bonus prize win event.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a bonus game including a plurality of successive bonus prizes, the method including a plurality of players playing the bonus game at a plurality of gaming terminals, the method comprising the acts of:

locking a bonus prize available to any of the plurality of gaming terminals;

conducting the basic game at a first gaming terminal;

fulfilling a bonus game entry event at the first gaming terminal;

satisfying, at the first gaming terminal during the bonus game, a bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a bonus prize of a multi-level bonus prize in the bonus game, the multi-level bonus prize comprising a tiered plurality of different bonus prizes, the values of the plurality of different bonus prizes increasing in value with increased tier position;

satisfying, at any of the plurality of gaming terminals, a bonus prize win event in a turn during the bonus game subsequent to a turn comprising the bonus prize unlocking event;

awarding the bonus prize to a player satisfying the bonus prize win event in the bonus game; and

incrementing the bonus prize of the multi-level bonus prize to a successive tier of the multi-level bonus prize, the successive bonus prize comprising a base tier if the awarded bonus prize to the player satisfying the bonus prize win event in the bonus game a top tier.

2. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 1, wherein the act of satisfying, at the first gaming terminal during the bonus game, the bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a bonus prize comprises satisfying a first outcome associated with the bonus prize unlocking event,

wherein the act of satisfying, at any of the plurality of gaming terminals, the bonus prize win event in the turn during the bonus game subsequent to the turn comprising the bonus prize unlocking event comprises satisfying a second outcome associated with the bonus prize win event, and

wherein the first outcome and the second outcome comprise identical outcomes.

3. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 2, wherein the first outcome satisfying the bonus prize unlocking event comprises moving a first game piece on a game board to a first game board square having a locked bonus prize and the second outcome satisfying the bonus prize win event comprises moving the first game piece or a second game piece on the game board to the first game board square in a turn subsequent to the bonus prize unlocking event.

4. The method of playing a conducting game in accord with claim 1, wherein a player satisfying a bonus prize unlocking event receives, at the time of such satisfying event, a predetermined award other than the bonus prize.

5. The method of playing a conducting game in accord with claim 1, wherein the fulfilling a bonus game entry event at the first gaming terminal comprises orientation of reel symbols in at least one predetermined arrangement.

6. The method of playing a conducting game in accord with claim 5, wherein the fulfilling a bonus game entry event at the first gaming terminal comprises orientation of reel symbols in at least one predetermined arrangement along a pay-line that has been activated by a wager input.

7. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 1, wherein the satisfying of the bonus prize win event comprises orientation of reel symbols in the bonus game in at least one predetermined arrangement.

8. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 1, wherein the satisfying of the bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a bonus prize of a multi-level bonus prize in the bonus game comprises moving a game piece on a game board to a game board square having a locked bonus prize, and wherein the satisfying of the bonus prize win event comprises moving a game piece on the game board to the game board square having the unlocked bonus prize.

9. A gaming terminal controlled by a game control system and being configured to play a wagering game, comprising:

an input device configured to receive inputs from a player during the wagering game, the inputs including a wager amount; and

a display configured to display a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game in response to receiving the wager amount from the player;

wherein, in response to satisfaction of a bonus game entry condition, the game control system permits entry of the player into an ancillary game comprising a game board having a plurality of spaces traversable by one or more game elements, a plurality of the spaces on the game board being associated with a plurality of bonus games in the ancillary game, each of the plurality of bonus games comprising a plurality of levels, each successive level being associated with a value higher than the preceding levels,

wherein the game control system generates a random number within a predetermined range of numbers and advances said game element a number of spaces on the game board corresponding to the random number to occupy a space on the game board corresponding to one of the plurality of said bonus games, and

wherein said occupying of one of the plurality of spaces on the game board associated with the plurality of bonus games satisfies a bonus prize unlocking event to award to the player a bonus prize corresponding to a current level of the plurality of levels and to increment the current level for the associated space on the game board to a successive level of the plurality of levels.

10. A gaming system comprising a plurality of wagering game terminals configured to conduct a base wagering game and a community bonus game, comprising:

at least one display for displaying the community bonus game;

a game controller configured, upon execution of instructions corresponding to the community bonus game and determination of eligibility of a plurality of wagering game terminals, to perform the acts of

presenting a plurality of elements on at least one display, at least one of the plurality of elements being associated with a community event multi-level bonus having a plurality of levels;

satisfying, at any of the plurality of gaming terminals, a community event bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a first level of the community event multi-level bonus, the first level being associated with a first award;

satisfying, at any of the plurality of gaming terminals, a community event bonus prize win event subsequent to the community event bonus prize unlocking event;

awarding the first award of the community event multi-level bonus to a player satisfying the community event bonus prize win event; and

incrementing the community event multi-level bonus to a second level of the community event multi-level bonus, the second level being associated with a second award greater than the first award.

11. The gaming system according to claim 10, wherein the game controller is configured to further perform the act of decrementing the community event multi-level bonus to the first level of the community event multi-level bonus responsive to an awarding of an award associated with the highest level of the community event multi-level bonus.

12. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a bonus game including a plurality of successive bonus levels, the method including a plurality of players playing at a plurality of gaming terminals, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a community bonus game in which eligible ones of the plurality of players playing at the plurality of gaming terminals participate;

obtaining, at one of the gaming terminals during the community bonus game, a first outcome in the community bonus game associated with a bonus prize unlocking event to unlock a bonus prize of the plurality of successive bonus levels;

obtaining, at the one of the gaming terminals or any other one of the gaming terminals, a second outcome in the community bonus game associated with a bonus prize win event in a turn during the bonus game subsequent to the bonus prize unlocking event; and

awarding the bonus prize to a player satisfying the bonus prize win event.

13. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 12, wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are the same.

14. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 12, wherein the occurrence of the bonus prize unlocking event in the community bonus game causes the bonus level to increment from a first level of the plurality of successive bonus levels to a second level of the plurality of successive bonus levels.

15. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 14, wherein the second level is greater than the first level.

16. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 12, wherein the player of the gaming terminal satisfying the bonus prize unlocking event in the community bonus game receives an award other than the bonus prize.

17. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 12, wherein the community bonus game comprises a plurality of different community bonus games that are simultaneously presented.

18. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 17, wherein the plurality of community bonus games are simultaneously presented to the players in a unified gaming environment.

19. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 17, wherein the plurality of community bonus games each comprises a bonus game having a plurality of successive bonus levels, and wherein the occurrence of the bonus prize unlocking event for a particular one of the plurality of community bonus games causes the bonus level of that particular one of the plurality of community bonus games to increment from a first level of the plurality of successive bonus levels to a second level of the plurality of successive bonus levels.

20. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 19, wherein the occurrence of the bonus prize unlocking event, when the bonus prize is at the highest level of the plurality of successive bonus levels, causes bonus level to increment to a default level of the plurality of successive bonus levels.

21. The method of conducting a wagering game in accord with claim 14,

wherein, in the community bonus game, the obtaining of the first outcome in the community bonus game associated with a bonus prize unlocking event comprises moving a game piece on a game board to a game board square having a locked bonus prize, and

wherein the obtaining, at the one of the gaming terminals or any other one of the gaming terminals, a second outcome in the community bonus game associated with a bonus prize win event comprises moving the game piece or another game piece on the game board to the game board square having the unlocked bonus prize.

22. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game having a basic game and a bonus game including a bonus prize, the method comprising the acts of:

conducting a persistent-state bonus game via a first player at a first wagering game terminal;

satisfying a bonus prize unlocking event during the conduct of the persistent-state bonus game via the first wagering game terminal, the bonus prize unlocking event unlocking a bonus prize;

conducting the persistent-state bonus game via a second player at a second wagering game terminal;

satisfying a bonus prize win event, subsequent to the bonus prize unlocking event, during the conduct of the persistent-state bonus game via the second wagering game terminal; and

awarding a bonus prize associated with the bonus prize win event to the second player at the second wagering game terminal.

23. The method of conducting a wagering game according to claim 22, wherein the bonus prize comprises a multi-level bonus prize having a plurality of tiers of bonus prizes each tier having a different value.

24. The method of conducting a wagering game according to claim 23, further comprising the act of:

incrementing the bonus prize of the multi-level bonus prize to a successive tier of the multi-level bonus prize following the satisfying of the bonus prize win event.

25. The method of conducting a wagering game according to claim 24, further comprising the act of:

resetting the bonus prize of the multi-level bonus prize to a lowest value tier subsequent to satisfying of the bonus prize win event for the bonus prize of the multi-level bonus prize having the highest value tier.

26. The method of conducting a wagering game according to claim 22, wherein the first wagering game terminal and the second wagering game terminal are the same wagering game terminal.