Method and apparatus for awarding component prizes in a gaming environment

• US 8,562,428 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US13/668,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 19, 463/24, 463/25, 463/29, 273/138.1, 273/139
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

A system and method for playing component games in a gaming environment, where a component game is a game in which a physical prize, the prize to be won, is rendered in a graphical format and further divided into components (clearly recognizable parts of the graphical image). Individual component prizes are designed to be won by a player during individual game plays, that is, upon the occurrence of specific winning events while playing a chance or fixed-pool game. To win the component game prize, each of the components must be won and the combination redeemed. The component prizes are not intended to be separately redeemable game credits. In particular, the player may play for regular game credits or may choose to play for component prizes or portions thereof, not both. Component games create a highly enticing situation where players can be rewarded for long term play over a variety of machines.

Claims

1. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices including a first gaming device and a second gaming device, each gaming device including a player input device;

a plurality of different base games including a first base game only presentable on the first gaming device, and a second base game only presentable on the second gaming device;

a collection of distinct winnable game pieces that are associated with the plurality of different base games, wherein the completed collection is redeemable for an award;

a component game made up of the collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first base game and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second base game such that the first winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the first base game on the first gaming device and the second winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the second base game on the second gaming device.

2. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices including a first group of gaming devices and a second group of gaming devices, each gaming device including a player input device;

a plurality of different base games including a first base game presented on the first group of gaming devices but not on the second group of gaming devices, and a second base game presented on the second group of gaming devices but not on the first group of gaming devices; and

a component game made up of a collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first base game and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second base game such that the first winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the first base game on the first group of gaming devices and the second winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the second base game on the second group of gaming devices, wherein a completed collection of the winnable game pieces is redeemable for an award.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, further comprising a third winnable game piece associated with a third base game on a third gaming device such that the collection includes the first, second, and third winnable game pieces.

4. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first or second winnable game piece is only associated with the first or second base game, respectively, during a set time period.

5. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first winnable game piece is associated with the first base game during a first time period and the second winnable game piece is associated with the second base game during a second time period, and wherein the first time period is different from the second time period.

6. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the first or second winnable game pieces include individually distinct winnable sub-game pieces such that the first or second winnable game piece is deemed to have been won after the sub-game pieces have been won.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein a player'"'"'s eligibility to win the sub-game pieces associated with the first or second winnable game pieces is based on the bet amount such that the player is eligible to win game pieces based on a first amount and the player is eligible to win the sub-game pieces based on a second amount.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the second amount is less than the first amount.

9. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gaming devices further comprise a game state manager that keeps track of a player'"'"'s progress in the base game presented thereon and in the component game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of gaming devices further comprise an output device configured to output component game state data associated with the player'"'"'s progress in the component game.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the game state data includes individual game device identity, game pieces won, game pieces partially won, or combinations thereof.

12. The gaming system of claim 10, further comprising:

a third group of gaming devices that present a third base game that is associated with a third winnable game piece, wherein the third winnable game piece is also associated with either the first or second base games; and

a game state input device configured to receive component game state data from the player, wherein the game state manager is configured to restore component game state data associated with the third gaming device on the first or second group of gaming devices that respectively present the first or second base game such that the player'"'"'s progress toward winning the third winnable game piece is continued on the first or second group of gaming devices, both presenting a different base game.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, further comprising a service station distinct from the plurality of gaming devices, wherein the service station has a display, a service station input device, and a service station output device;

and wherein the service station enables redemption of the award corresponding to the completed collection of individually distinct game pieces.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, further comprising a service station integrated with one or more of the plurality of gaming devices, wherein the service station enables redemption of the award corresponding to the completed collection of individually distinct game pieces.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of gaming devices are operatively connected through a network to a game state manager that is disposed within a computing device, wherein the game state manager keeps track of a player'"'"'s progress in the base game and in the component game.

16. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices including a first gaming device and a second gaming device, each gaming device including a player input device;

a plurality of different base games including a first base game presented on the first gaming device but not on the second gaming device, and a second base game presented on the second gaming device but not on the first gaming device; and

a component game made up of a collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first base game during a first time period, and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second base game during a second time period such that the first winnable game piece is winnable through game play of the first base game on the first gaming device and the second winnable game piece is winnable through game play of the second base game on the second gaming device;

wherein a completed collection of the winnable game pieces is redeemable for an award.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the first and second time periods are the same.

18. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the first and second time periods are different.

19. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the first or second winnable game pieces include individually distinct winnable sub-game pieces such that the first or second winnable game piece is deemed to have been won after the sub-game pieces have been won.

20. The gaming system of claim 19, wherein a player'"'"'s eligibility to win the sub-game pieces associated with the first or second winnable game pieces is based on the bet amount such that the player is eligible to win game pieces based on a first amount and the player is eligible to win the sub-game pieces based on a second amount.

21. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein the second amount is less than the first amount.