Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a multiple player persistent game

• US 8,475,265 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Lafky, Ernest M., Tan, Carmen, Nicely, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/247,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

A gaming system including a multiple player persistent game, such as an ongoing community game. This ongoing community game includes a community game matrix which is continuously displayed to at least each of the players. The community game matrix includes a plurality of displayed positions which may be associated with an award or an award opportunity. In operation, at least each of the players playing the gaming devices of the gaming system are associated with a displayed participant that moves (either randomly or based on the player'"'"'s control) to different of the displayed positions of the community game matrix. If a player moves their associated participant to a displayed position that is associated with an award or an award opportunity, the gaming system provides the player any associated award or enables the player to participate in any associated award opportunity to potentially win an award.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

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, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to play a primary wagering game, each player being associated with an individual participant; and

at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to;

(a) independent of any occurrence of any community game triggering event;

(i) cause a display of;

(A) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, a plurality of the displayed positions each being associated with a community game award opportunity having one of a plurality of different average expected payouts, and

(B) for each of the plurality of players, the individual participant associated with the player at one of the plurality of displayed positions, and

(ii) for a designated period of time, modify at least one of the average expected payouts of at least one of the community game award opportunities associated with at least one of the displayed positions;

(b) if a community game entry event occurs;

(i) determine a quantity of position moves associated with one of the players, and

(ii) accumulate the determined quantity of position moves in association with the player;

(c) enable the players to each selectively redeem any accumulated position moves; and

(d) if one of the players selectively redeems any accumulated position moves, for each of the redeemed position moves;

(i) enable the player to designate one of the displayed positions, wherein which of the displayed positions available to be designated by the player is based on the position the individual participant associated with the player is displayed at,

(ii) cause a display of the individual participant associated with the player moving to the designated displayed position, and

(iii) if the designated displayed position is associated with a community game award opportunity;

(A) determine any community game award associated with the community game award opportunity, said determination being based on one of;

the average expected payout of the community game award opportunity and the modified average expected payout of the community game award opportunity, and

(B) cause any determined community game award to be provided to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to:

(i) determine if a participant movement event occurs, and

(ii) if the participant movement event occurs, independent of any player designation of any of the displayed positions, cause a display of the individual participant associated with one of the players moving to a different displayed position.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the participant movement event occurs based, at least in part, on at least one event occurring in association with at least one of the plays of the primary game wagered on by the player.

4. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein if the participant movement event occurs and the individual participant associated with the player is moved to a different displayed position, the at least one controller is programmed to cause any community game award determined in association with any community game award opportunity associated with the moved to displayed position to be provided to the player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the displayed positions is associated with a first community game award opportunity having a first average expected payout and at least one of the displayed positions is associated with a second, different community game award opportunity having a second, different average expected payout.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the displayed positions is associated with one of a plurality of community game award opportunities.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to cause at least one community display device to display at least one of:

the community game matrix including the plurality of displayed positions, at least one individual participant associated with at least one of the players, at least one of any community game awards provided to at least one of the players, at least one of any community game award opportunities, a quantity of any position moves accumulated in association with one of the players.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the designated period of time includes a quantity of community game awards provided in association with said community game award opportunity.

9. A method of providing an ongoing community game, said method comprising:

(a) for each of a plurality of gaming devices, enabling a player to play a primary wagering game, each player being associated with an individual participant;

(b) independent of any occurrence of any community game triggering event;

(i) causing at least one display device to display;

(A) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, a plurality of the displayed positions each being associated with a community game award opportunity having one of a plurality of different average expected payouts, and

(B) for each of the plurality of players, the individual participant associated with the player at one of the plurality of displayed positions, and

(ii) for a designated period of time, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to modify at least one of the average expected payouts of at least one of the community game award opportunities associated with at least one of the displayed positions;

(c) if a community game entry event occurs;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a quantity of position moves associated with one of the players, and

(ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate the determined quantity of position moves in association with the player;

(d) enabling the players to each selectively redeem any accumulated position moves; and

(e) if one of the players selectively redeems any accumulated position moves, for each of the redeemed position moves;

(i) enabling the player to designate one of the displayed positions, wherein which of the displayed positions available to be designated by the player is based on the position the individual participant associated with the player is displayed at,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the individual participant associated with the player moving to the designated displayed position, and

(iii) if the designated displayed position is associated with a community game award opportunity;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any community game award associated with the community game award opportunity, said determination being, based on one of;

the average expected payout of the community game award opportunity and the modified average expected payout of the community game award opportunity, and

(B) causing any determined community game award to be provided to the player.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if a participant movement event occurs, and

(ii) if the participant movement event occurs, independent of any player designation of any of the displayed positions, causing the at least one display device to display the individual participant associated with one of the players moving to a different displayed position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the participant movement event occurs based, at least in part, on at least one event occurring in association with at least one of the plays of the primary game wagered on by the player.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes, if the participant movement event occurs and the individual participant associated with the player is moved to a different displayed position, causing any community game award determined in association with any community game award opportunity associated with the moved to displayed position to be provided to the player.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the displayed positions is associated with a first community game award opportunity having a first average expected payout and at least one of the displayed positions is associated with a second, different community game award opportunity having a second, different average expected payout.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the displayed positions is associated with one of a plurality of community game award opportunities.

15. The method of claim 9, which includes causing at least one community display device to display at least one of:

the community game matrix including the plurality'"'"' of displayed positions, at least one individual participant associated with at least one of the players, at least one of any community game awards provided to at least one of the players, at least one of any community game award opportunities, a quantity of any position moves accumulated in association with one of the players.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the designated period of time includes a quantity of community game awards provided in association with said community game award opportunity.

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.