Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing player selection of modifiers to game components

• US 8,118,662 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Cuddy, Ryan William, Decasa, Rogelio S., Fuller, Benjamin Mikal, Kniesteadt, Carl Victor, Weiss, Alan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/423,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20090253492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/26
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

In one embodiment, the gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of gaming devices that each participate in a group game including a plurality of masked group game components and determines and provides separate awards to each player of the gaming devices based on the amount of modifiers applied to each of the group game components having a modifier applied by the player of that gaming device. In one embodiment, the gaming system enables each player to selectively apply or associate a plurality of modifiers to a single game component or apply the plurality of modifiers across the plurality of game components. For each gaming device, the gaming system displays and provides any awards to the player of that gaming device.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

at least one processor,

at least one input device, at least one display device, 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; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to;

(a) display a plurality of masked group game components;

(b) for each of said gaming devices;

(i) enable a player of said gaming device to place at least one wager to play at least one play of a game;

(ii) upon a modifier accumulation event, display and provide a quantity of at least one modifier;

(iii) for each provided modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply said modifier to one of said displayed plurality of masked group game components regardless of whether another player applied any modifiers to said masked group game components; and

(c) upon a group bonus triggering event;

(i) determine a group game component award for each of a plurality of the masked group game components;

(ii) for each gaming device, determine an award for the player of that gaming device based on;

(A) the determined group game component award for each of the group game components having at least one modifier applied by the player of that gaming device; and

(B) the modifiers applied by the player of that gaming device to said group game components;

(iii) display and provide said determined award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said modifiers are different.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said modifier accumulation event is based on a designated symbol combination.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each gaming device and for each provided modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality of modifiers to the same one of the plurality of masked group game components.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each gaming device and for each provided modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality, but not all, of the modifiers to the same one of the plurality of masked group game components.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said group bonus triggering event is based on an elapsed period of time.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, upon the group bonus triggering event, determine a group game component for each of the masked group game components.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each gaming device, determine the award for the player of that gaming device based on the determined group game component award for each of the group game components.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the group game component awards for each of the masked group game components and the determined awards for one or more of the players are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of free spins, an multiplier for at least one free spin, a starting credit amount, a quantity of picks, a quantity of selections, a quantity of wild symbols, a quantity of retrigger symbols, a quantity of termination symbols, a quantity of anti-terminators, a quantity of locking reels, a quantity of locking symbol positions, a quantity of expanding symbols, a quantity of rounds, a quantity of award opportunities, a quantity of progressive awards, a range of awards, a maximum award, a minimum award, an average expected award, a quantity of active reels, a quantity of active paylines, a quantity of offers, a paytable, and a quantity of hands of playing cards.

10. A gaming system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; 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) enable a player to place at least one wager to play at least one play of a game;

(b) upon a modifier accumulation event, display and provide a quantity of at least one modifier;

(c) for each provided modifier, enable the player to apply said modifier to one of a plurality of displayed masked group game components regardless of whether another player applied any modifiers to said masked group game components; and

(d) upon a group bonus triggering event;

(i) determine a group game component award for each of a plurality of the masked group game components having at least one modifier applied by the player;

(ii) determine an award based on the determined group game component award for each of the group game components and the modifiers applied to said group game components; and

(iii) display and provide said determined award to the player.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein a plurality of said modifiers are different.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said modifier accumulation event is based on a designated symbol combination.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each provided modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality of modifiers to the same one of the plurality of masked group game components.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each provided modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality, but not all, of the modifiers to the same one of the plurality of masked group game components.

15. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein said group bonus triggering event is based on an elapsed period of time.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, upon the group bonus triggering event, determine a group game component for each of the masked group game components having at least one modifier applied by the player.

17. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the award for the player of that gaming device based on the determined group game component award for each of the group game components.

18. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the group game component awards for each of the masked group game components and the displayed and provided awards to the player are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of free spins, an multiplier for at least one free spin, a starting credit amount, a quantity of picks, a quantity of selections, a quantity of wild symbols, a quantity of retrigger symbols, a quantity of termination symbols, a quantity of anti-terminators, a quantity of locking reels, a quantity of locking symbol positions, a quantity of expanding symbols, a quantity of rounds, a quantity of award opportunities, a quantity of progressive awards, a range of awards, a maximum award, a minimum award, an average expected award, a quantity of active reels, a quantity of active paylines, a quantity of offers, a paytable, and a quantity of hands of playing cards.

19. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

at least one processor,

at least one input device,

at least one display device, 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; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to;

(a) for a first one of the gaming devices which has accumulated a first plurality of modifiers;

(i) enable a player of said gaming device to place at least one wager to play at least one play of a game,

(ii) enable the player of said gaming device to selectively apply each of said plurality of accumulated modifiers to any one of a plurality of group game components, wherein each modifier is selectively applied to any one of the plurality of group game components regardless of whether the player of said gaming device previously applied any modifiers to any one of the group game components,

(iii) determine a first award based on the group game components and said applied modifiers, and

(iv) display and provide the first award to the player of said gaming device; and

(b) for a second one of the gaming devices which has accumulated a second plurality of modifiers;

(i) enable a player of said gaming device to place at least one wager to play at least one play of the game,

(ii) enable the player of said gaming device to selectively apply each of said plurality of accumulated modifiers to any one of the plurality of group game components, wherein each modifier is selectively applied to any one of the plurality of group game components regardless of whether;

(A) the player of said gaming device previously applied any modifiers to any one of the group game components, and

(B) any other player previously applied any modifiers to any of the group game components,

(iii) determine a second award based on the group game components and said applied modifiers, and

(iv) display and provide the second award to the player of said gaming device.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein a plurality of said modifiers are different.

21. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the first award based on each of the group game components.

22. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, said plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each gaming device, determine the award for the player of that gaming device based on a determined group game component award for each of said plurality of group game components.

23. The gaming system of claim 22, wherein the group game component awards for each of the masked group game components and the determined awards for each of said gaming devices are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of free spins, an multiplier for at least one free spin, a starting credit amount, a quantity of picks, a quantity of selections, a quantity of wild symbols, a quantity of retrigger symbols, a quantity of termination symbols, a quantity of anti-terminators, a quantity of locking reels, a quantity of locking symbol positions, a quantity of expanding symbols, a quantity of rounds, a quantity of award opportunities, a quantity of progressive awards, a range of awards, a maximum award, a minimum award, an average expected award, a quantity of active reels, a quantity of active paylines, a quantity of offers, a paytable, and a quantity of hands of playing cards.