Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a selection game with offer and acceptance features

• US 8,414,385 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Zielinski, John H., Tremblay, Amanda, Mayne, Nicholas, Hughes, William Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US13/324,642
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463 25- 26, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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
• 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 gaming system including a secondary game which incorporates different types of player decisions which affect different aspects of the play of the secondary game. Specifically, one or more gaming system determinations associated with a play of the primary game coupled with one or more player wagering or purchasing decisions made prior to the play of the secondary game, determine one or more features, attributes or parameters of the secondary game. Additionally, one or more player selections associated with the play of the secondary game, coupled with one or more player strategy decisions pertaining to the continued play of the secondary game, determine the secondary game award provided to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display 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 input device and the at least one display device to, upon an occurrence of a secondary game triggering event;

(a) determine an amount of budget credits for a play of a secondary game,

(b) receive an input from a player to purchase at least one additional budget credit, wherein any purchased budget credits and the determined amount of budget credits form a secondary game budget,

(c) display a plurality of selections, wherein each selection is associated with a masked award, at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of award values and at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of multiplier values, and

(d) if a final offer has not been formed;

(i) form an offer based on the secondary game budget, a secondary game award meter and a current value of a secondary game multiplier,

(ii) display the formed offer,

(iii) receive an input from the player to accept the formed offer,

(iv) if the player accepts the formed offer, provide the accepted formed offer to the player, and

(v) if the player does not accept the formed offer;

(A) receive an input from the player to pick one of the displayed selections,

(B) display the award associated with the picked selection,

(C) if the displayed award is one of the multiplier values;

 

(I) increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

 

(II) repeat (d) at least once,

(D) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is greater than the secondary game budget;

 

(I) forfeit any increase to the secondary game multiplier,

 

(II) form an award based on the secondary game budget and the secondary game award meter, and

 

(III) provide the formed award to the player, and

(E) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is less than the secondary game budget;

 

(I) increase the secondary game award meter by the revealed award value,

 

(II) reduce the secondary game budget by the displayed award value, and

 

(III) repeat (d) at least once.

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, if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is equal to the secondary game budget:

(A) increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier,

(B) form a second award based on the secondary game budget, the secondary game award meter, and the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

(C) provide the formed second award to the player.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of additional selection picks.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to accumulate any displayed additional selection picks, wherein any award value subsequently displayed in association with said accumulated additional selection picks does not reduce the secondary game budget.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selections is associated with a virtual good.

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 accumulate, in association with a player avatar, any virtual good associated with any picked selection.

7. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

upon an occurrence of a secondary game triggering event;

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine an amount of budget credits for a play of a secondary game,

(b) receiving an input from a player to purchase at least one additional budget credit, wherein any purchased budget credits and the determined amount of budget credits form a secondary game budget,

(c) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of selections, wherein each selection is associated with a masked award, at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of award values and at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of multiplier values, and

(d) if a final offer has not been formed;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to form an offer based on the secondary game budget, a secondary game award meter and a current value of a secondary game multiplier,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the formed offer,

(iii) receiving an input from the player to accept the formed offer,

(iv) if the player accepts the formed offer, providing the accepted formed offer to the player, and

(v) if the player does not accept the formed offer;

(A) receiving an input from the player to pick one of the displayed selections,

(B) causing the at least one display device to display the award associated with the picked selection,

(C) if the displayed award is one of the multiplier values;

 

(I) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

 

(II) repeating (d) at least once,

(D) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is greater than the secondary game budget;

 

(I) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to forfeit any increase to the secondary game multiplier,

 

(II) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to form an award based on the secondary game budget and the secondary game award meter, and

 

(III) providing the formed award to the player, and

(E) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is less than the secondary game budget;

 

(I) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the secondary game award meter by the revealed award value,

 

(II) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reduce the secondary game budget by the displayed award value, and

 

(III) repeating (d) at least once.

8. The method of claim 7, which includes, if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is equal to the secondary game budget:

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier,

(B) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to form a second award based on the secondary game budget, the secondary game award meter, and the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

(C) providing the formed second award to the player.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of additional selection picks.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate any displayed additional selection picks, wherein any award value subsequently displayed in association with said accumulated additional selection picks does not reduce the secondary game budget.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the selections is associated with a virtual good.

12. The method of claim 11, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate, in association with a player avatar, any virtual good associated with any picked selection.

13. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is the internet.

15. 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, upon an occurrence of a secondary game triggering event:

(a) determine an amount of budget credits for a play of a secondary game,

(b) receive an input from a player to purchase at least one additional budget credit, wherein any purchased budget credits and the determined amount of budget credits form a secondary game budget,

(c) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of selections, wherein each selection is associated with a masked award, at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of award values and at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of multiplier values, and

(d) if a final offer has not been formed;

(i) form an offer based on the secondary game budget, a secondary game award meter and a current value of a secondary game multiplier,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display the formed offer,

(iii) receive an input from the player to accept the formed offer,

(iv) if the player accepts the formed offer, provide the accepted formed offer to the player, and

(v) if the player does not accept the formed offer;

(A) receive an input from the player to pick one of the displayed selections,

(B) cause the at least one display device to display the award associated with the picked selection,

(C) if the displayed award is one of the multiplier values;

(I) increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

(II) repeat (d) at least once,

(D) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is greater than the secondary game budget;

(I) forfeit any increase to the secondary game multiplier,

(II) form an award based on the secondary game budget and the secondary game award meter, and

(III) provide the formed award to the player, and

(E) if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is less than the secondary game budget;

(I) increase the secondary game award meter by the revealed award value,

(II) reduce the secondary game budget by the displayed award value, and

(III) repeat (d) at least once.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed award is one of the award values and the displayed award value is equal to the secondary game budget:

(A) increase the current value of the secondary game multiplier,

(B) form a second award based on the secondary game budget, the secondary game award meter, and the current value of the secondary game multiplier, and

(C) provide the formed second award to the player.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the awards is one of a plurality of additional selection picks.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to accumulate any displayed additional selection picks, wherein any award value subsequently displayed in association with said accumulated additional selection picks does not reduce the secondary game budget.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the selections is associated with a virtual good.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to accumulate, in association with a player avatar, any virtual good associated with any picked selection.