Gaming system, gaming device, and method providing an obstacle board slot game

• US 8,366,533 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/238,806
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 29
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system, gaming device, and method providing an obstacle board slot game. A wagering game including object starting and ending areas spaced apart in relation to one another, a plurality of obstacles and a plurality of designated target areas between the object starting area and the object ending area, and a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols is displayed. The gaming system receives a wager, causes the reels to display a plurality of the symbols, and displays an object moving from the object starting area to one of the designated target areas and/or the object ending area along one of a plurality of object paths through the obstacles. If the object moves into one of the designated target areas, the gaming system determines whether to cause one of the reels to move and causes one of the reels to move if it so determines.

Claims

1. A gaming system including:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device storing 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 play of a primary game and determine an outcome of said play of the primary game;

(b) before, during, or after displaying said play of the primary game, display a plurality of random events and determine a random event outcome for each of said random events, the random event outcome being determined separately, distinctly, and independently from the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(c) for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of a plurality of designated random event outcomes;

(i) determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(ii) if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the primary game includes a plurality of reels and each of the designated random event outcomes is associated with one or more of the reels.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is a designated random event outcome, and if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, modify the outcome of said play of the primary game by moving the one or more reels associated with said designated random event outcome.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to simultaneously display at least two of the random events.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to, for at least one of the random events, determine the random event outcome for said random event based at least in part on an input made by a player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of the designated random event outcomes, determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game based on whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, before modifying the outcome of said play of the primary game:

(a) determine whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome; and

(b) if the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome, not modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide (a) and (b) simultaneously.

9. A method of operating a gaming system, said method including:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a play of a primary game and determine an outcome of said play of the primary game;

(b) before, during, or after displaying said play of the primary game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a plurality of random events and determine a random event outcome for each of said random events, the random event outcome being determined separately, distinctly, and independently from the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(c) for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of a plurality of designated random event outcomes;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(ii) if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the primary game includes a plurality of reels and each of the designated random event outcomes is associated with one or more of the reels.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is a designated random event outcome, and if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game by moving the one or more reels associated with said designated random event outcome.

12. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to simultaneously display at least two of the random events.

13. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to, for at least one of the random events, determine the random event outcome for said random event based at least in part on an input made by a player.

14. The method of claim 9, which includes, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of the designated random event outcomes, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game based on whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome.

15. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, before modifying the outcome of said play of the primary game:

(a) determine whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome; and

(b) if the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome, not modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

16. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide (a) and (b) simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 9, which is provided through a data network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data network is the internet.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the data network is a mobile telecommunications network.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) cause at least one display device to display a play of a primary game and determine an outcome of said play of the primary game;

(b) before, during, or after displaying said play of the primary game, determine a random event outcome for each of a plurality of random events and cause at least one display device to display said random events, the random event outcome being determined separately, distinctly, and independently from the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(c) for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of a plurality of designated random event outcomes;

(i) determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game; and

(ii) if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the primary game includes a plurality of reels and each of the designated random event outcomes is associated with one or more of the reels.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is a designated random event outcome, and if the at least one processor determines to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game, modify the outcome of said play of the primary game by moving the one or more reels associated with said designated random event outcome.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to simultaneously display at least two of the random events.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to, for at least one of the random events, determine the random event outcome for said random event based at least in part on an input made by a player.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, for each of the random events, if the random event outcome of said random event is one of the designated random event outcomes, determine whether to modify the outcome of said play of the primary game based on whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to, before modifying the outcome of said play of the primary game:

(a) determine whether the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome; and

(b) if the outcome of said play of the primary game is a winning outcome, not modify the outcome of said play of the primary game.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide (a) and (b) simultaneously.