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

• US 8,662,980 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• 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): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/247,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

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 place a wager to play a primary 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 associated with a community game award opportunity, and

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

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

(iii) 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; and

(b) if a community game entry event occurs, for each of at least one position move associated with one of the players;

(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,

(iii) determine any community game award of any community game award opportunity associated with the designated position, and

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

2. The gaming system of claim 1, 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.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, 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:

(i) determine any community game award of the community game award opportunity of the moved to displayed position, and

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

4. 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.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to modify, for a designated period of time, at least one average expected payout of at least one of the community game award opportunities associated with at least one of the displayed positions.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to enable the players to each selectively redeem any accumulated position moves.

7. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

(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 associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(B) a plurality of individual participants at a plurality of the displayed positions, each individual participant being associated with one of a plurality of players playing a primary game of one of a plurality of gaming devices,

(b) for each of the displayed individual participants, determine if a participant movement event occurs, and

(c) if the participant movement event occurs in association with one of the individual participants, independent of any player designation of any of the displayed positions, cause a display of the individual participant moving to a different displayed position.

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

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

(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 associated with a community game award opportunity, and

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

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

(iii) 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; and

(c) if a community game entry event occurs, for each of at least one position move associated with one of the players;

(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,

(iii) causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any community game award of any community game award opportunity associated with the designated position, and

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

9. The method of claim 8, 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.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein if the participant movement event occurs and the individual participant associated with the player is moved to a different displayed position:

(i) causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any community game award of the community game award opportunity of the moved to displayed position, and

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

11. The method of claim 8, 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.

12. The method of claim 8, which includes causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to modify, for a designated period of time, at least one average expected payout of at least one of the community game award opportunities associated with at least one of the displayed positions.

13. The method of claim 8, which includes enabling the players to each selectively redeem any accumulated position moves.

14. The method of claim 8, which is provided through a data network.

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

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

(a) 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 associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(B) a plurality of individual participants at a plurality of the displayed positions, each individual participant being associated with one of a plurality of players playing a primary game of one of a plurality of gaming devices,

(b) for each of the displayed individual participants, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a participant movement event occurs, and

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

17. The method of claim 16, which is provided through a data network.

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