Gaming system, gaming device and method providing competitive wagering games

• US 8,292,720 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Davis, Dwayne A., Dzurella, Palmer A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William M.
• Application Number:
  US12/475,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a player with an opportunity to compete against an opponent (either a virtual opponent or a human opponent). In one embodiment, the gaming system and method provide a competition game that operates concurrently with a wagering game. In one embodiment, the competition game includes a turn-based video game which enables a player to compete against an opponent. Different generated symbol combinations for the wagering game represent different game actions or sequences for the competition game. That is, the symbols or symbol combinations generated in the wager game determine which game actions or sequences the gaming system causes to occur for the competition game. Based on such displayed game actions and sequences, the disclosed gaming system and method determines whether the player or the opponent wins that competition for the competition game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; 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) display a wagering game, the wagering game configured to operate upon a wager placed by a player, the wagering game associated with a paytable,

(b) display a competition game between the player and an opponent, wherein the displaying of the competition game occurs independent of any generated wagering game symbol combination,

(c) for the wagering game;

(i) generate a first wagering game symbol combination for the player,

(ii) determine a wagering game outcome for the player based on the generated first wagering game symbol combination, and

(iii) provide the player any award resulting from the determined wagering game outcome based on the paytable,

(d) for the competition game;

(i) display a first competition game action based on the generated first wagering game symbol combination for the player,

(ii) generate a second wagering game symbol combination for the opponent, and

(iii) display a second competition game action based on the generated second wagering game symbol combination for the opponent,

(e) determine a competition outcome based on the first competition game action and the second competition game action, and

(f) provide the player any award resulting from the determined competition outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the display of the first competition game action before the display of the second competition game action.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds, a plurality of the rounds being associated with a same opponent for the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds, each one of the rounds being associated with a different opponent for the player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds and wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of the rounds, to:

(i) determine a round competition outcome based on a displayed round first competition game action and a displayed round second competition game action,

(ii) compare a generated round first wagering game symbol combination with a generated round second wagering game symbol combination,

(iii) display at least one round competition game action based on the comparison, and

(iv) repeat (i) to (iii) until a designated ending condition occurs.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to place an additional wager when the designated ending condition occurs to continue the competition game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the competition game includes a plurality of rounds and if the player is successful in a first one of the rounds of the competition game, then, when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to utilize an enhanced feature for a second one of the rounds of the competition game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to save any progress for the competition game.

9. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; 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) display a wagering game, the wagering game configured to operate upon a wager placed by a player, the wagering game associated with a paytable,

(b) display a competition game between the player and an opponent, wherein the displaying of the competition game occurs independent of any generated wagering game symbol combination,

(c) display a competition game player eligibility meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game,

(d) display a competition game opponent eligibility meter indicating the opponent'"'"'s eligibility remaining the competition game,

(e) for the wagering game;

(i) randomly generate a first wagering game symbol combination associated with the player,

(ii) determine any award for the player based on the first wagering game symbol combination and the paytable, and

(iii) provide any determined award to the player,

(f) for the competition game;

(i) display a first competition game action based on the first wagering game symbol combination,

(ii) randomly generate a second wagering game symbol combination associated with the opponent,

(iii) display a second competition game action based on the second wagering game symbol combination,

(iv) determine whether to modify at least one of the competition game player eligibility meter and the competition game opponent eligibility meter based on the displayed first competition game action and the displayed second competition game action,

(v) if the determination is to modify at least one of the competition game player eligibility meter and the competition game opponent eligibility meter, display at least one of the modified competition game player eligibility meter and the modified competition game opponent eligibility meter, and

(vi) determine a competition outcome between the player and the opponent based on the displayed competition game player eligibility meter and the displayed competition game opponent eligibility meter.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase a bonus triggering event progress meter if the determination is to modify the competition game player eligibility meter.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to increase a bonus triggering event progress meter if the determination is to modify at least one of the competition game player eligibility meter and the opponent competition game eligibility meter.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the determined competition outcome.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) associate the first competition game action with the first wagering game symbol combination, (ii) associate the second competition game action with the second wagering game symbol combination, (iii) display the first competition game action in association with the player, and (iv) display the second competition game action in association with the opponent.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to display the first competition game action before the second competition game action.

15. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; 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) display a competition game between a player and an opponent,

(b) display a competition game bonus triggering event progress meter,

(c) for the competition game;

(i) display a first one of a plurality of competition game actions for the player,

(ii) display a second one of the plurality of competition game actions for the opponent, and

(iii) determine a competition outcome based on the displayed first competition game action and the displayed second competition game action,

(d) increase the competition game bonus triggering event progress meter based on the determined competition outcome,

(e) determine whether the competition game bonus triggering event progress meter reaches a designated value, and

(f) if the competition game bonus triggering event progress meter reaches the designated value, cause a bonus award to be provided to the player.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the bonus award includes at least one of a progressive award, a bonus game, and an enhanced feature for the competition game.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of the competition game actions, to display at least one symbol generator for the player and to display at least one symbol generator for the opponent.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, for each of a plurality of the competition game actions, to randomly generate a symbol combination for the player and to randomly generate another symbol combination for the opponent.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor, if the competition game bonus triggering event progress meter reaches the designated value, to display at least one additional symbol generator for the player and to randomly generate at least one additional symbol combination for the player.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display a competition game player eligibility meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause a plurality of the competition game actions for the competition game, and (iii) for each competition game action which decreases the competition game player eligibility meter, repeat (e) to (f).

21. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display a competition game player eligibility meter indicating the player'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause an action to decrease the player eligibility meter to a designated value, and (iii) if the competition game player eligibility meter reaches the designated value, end the competition game.

22. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) display a competition game opponent eligibility meter indicating the opponent'"'"'s eligibility remaining in the competition game, (ii) cause an action to decrease the competition game opponent eligibility meter to a designated value, and (iii) if the competition game opponent eligibility meter reaches the designated value, cause an award to be provided to the player.