Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing cascading symbols with wild features

• US 8,851,974 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Saunders, Brian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, THOMAS HAYNES
• Application Number:
  US13/344,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 463/21
• US Class Current: 463/21
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3265 Influencing the position of stopped moving members to achieve a winning arrangement, e.g. nudging, shuffling, holding

Abstract

A cascading symbol game includes designated symbols such as wild symbols. In the cascading symbol game, a gaming device generates and displays a symbol from a plurality of symbols for each of a plurality of symbol positions. The gaming device removes at least one symbol from at least one of the plurality of symbol positions. The gaming device repositions at least one displayed symbol to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position. If a designated event occurred, the gaming device generates and displays at least one designated symbol, such as a wild symbol, in the at least one empty symbol position, wherein the at least one designated wild symbol is generated independent of the plurality of symbols. The gaming device displays any award associated with any winning symbol combination formed from the displayed symbols.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) for each of a plurality of symbol positions, cause a random determination and display of a symbol from a first plurality of different symbols, said plurality of symbol positions forming at least three columns and at least three rows, said at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row;

(b) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) display any award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(ii) provide any displayed award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(iii) remove at least one of the displayed symbols which forms said winning symbol combination,

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position, and

(v) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position;

(c) if at least two empty symbol positions are created and a predetermined designated symbol triggering event occurs;

(i) thereafter, generate a quantity of predetermined designated symbols, wherein said quantity of predetermined designated symbols is at least one, each of the quantity of predetermined designated symbols is generated independent of each of the symbols of the first plurality of symbols and the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols is less than a quantity of empty symbol positions created, and

(ii) for each of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols, display said generated predetermined designated symbol in one of the empty symbol positions; and

(d) for each of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) display any award associated with said winning symbol combination, and

(ii) provide any displayed award associated with said winning symbol combination.

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 generate and display another one of the first plurality of symbols in at least one of any empty symbol positions if at least one empty symbol position is created and the predetermined designated symbol triggering event does not occur.

3. 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 generate and display at least another one of the symbols from the first plurality of symbols for each remaining empty symbol position after displaying each of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols in the empty symbol positions.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined designated symbol is a wild symbol.

5. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input 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 display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) for each of a plurality of symbol positions, cause a random determination and display of a symbol from a first plurality of different symbols, said plurality of symbol positions forming at least three columns and at least three rows, said at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row;

(b) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) display any award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(ii) provide any displayed award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(iii) remove at least one of the displayed symbols which forms said winning symbol combination,

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position, and

(v) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position;

(c) if at least one empty symbol position is created and a predetermined designated symbol triggering event occurs;

(i) thereafter, generate a quantity of predetermined designated symbols, wherein each of the quantity of predetermined designated symbols is generated independent of each of the symbols of the first plurality of symbols and the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols is greater than a quantity of empty symbol positions created, and

(ii) for each created empty symbol display position, display one of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols in said empty symbol position; and

(d) for each of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) display any award associated with said winning symbol combination, and

(ii) provide any displayed award associated with said winning symbol combination.

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 generate and display another one of the first plurality of symbols in at least one of any empty symbol positions if at least one empty symbol position is created and the predetermined designated symbol triggering event does not occur.

7. 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 save at least one generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbol in association with at least one of any subsequent empty symbol positions.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein any subsequent empty symbol positions are associated with a subsequent random determination and display for each of the plurality of symbol positions.

9. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein any generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbols expire after a period of time.

10. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein any generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbols expire after a quantity of random determinations and displays for each of the plurality of symbol positions.

11. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the predetermined designated symbol is a wild symbol.

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

(a) for each of a plurality of symbol positions, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to cause a random determination and display of a symbol from a first plurality of different symbols, said plurality of symbol positions forming at least three columns and at least three rows, said at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row;

(b) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) causing at least one display device to display any award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(ii) providing any displayed award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove at least one of the displayed symbols which forms said winning symbol combination,

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position, and

(v) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position;

(c) if at least two empty symbol positions are created and a predetermined designated symbol triggering event occurs;

(i) thereafter, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate a quantity of predetermined designated symbols, wherein said quantity of predetermined designated symbols is at least one, each of the quantity of predetermined designated symbols is generated independent of each of the symbols of the first plurality of symbols and the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols is less than a quantity of empty symbol positions created, and

(ii) for each of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols, causing the at least one display device to display said generated predetermined designated symbol in one of the empty symbol positions; and

(d) for each of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display any award associated with said winning symbol combination, and

(ii) providing any displayed award associated with said winning symbol combination.

13. The method of claim 12, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate and display another one of the first plurality of symbols in at least one of any empty symbol positions if at least one empty symbol position is created and the predetermined designated symbol triggering event does not occur.

14. The method of claim 12, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate and display at least another one of the symbols from the first plurality of symbols for each remaining empty symbol position after displaying each of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols in the empty symbol positions.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined designated symbol is a wild symbol.

16. The method of claim 12, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) for each of a plurality of symbol positions, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to cause a random determination and display of a symbol from a first plurality of different symbols, said plurality of symbol positions forming at least three columns and at least three rows, said at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row;

(b) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) causing at least one display device to display any award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(ii) providing any displayed award associated with the winning symbol combination,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove at least one of the displayed symbols which forms said winning symbol combination,

(iv) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position, and

(v) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position;

(c) if at least one empty symbol position is created and a predetermined designated symbol triggering event occurs;

(i) thereafter, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate a quantity of predetermined designated symbols, wherein each of the quantity of predetermined designated symbols is generated independent of each of the symbols of the first plurality of symbols and the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols is greater than a quantity of empty symbol positions created, and

(ii) for each created empty symbol display position, causing the at least one display device to display one of the quantity of generated predetermined designated symbols in said empty symbol position; and

(d) for each of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display any award associated with said winning symbol combination, and

(ii) providing any displayed award associated with said winning symbol combination.

19. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to generate and display another one of the first plurality of symbols in at least one of any empty symbol positions if at least one empty symbol position is created and the predetermined designated symbol triggering event does not occur.

20. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to save at least one generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbol in association with at least one of any subsequent empty symbol positions.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein any subsequent empty symbol positions are associated with a subsequent random determination and display for each of the plurality of symbol positions.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein any generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbols expire after a period of time.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein any generated, but not displayed predetermined designated symbols expire after a quantity of random determinations and displays for each of the plurality of symbol positions.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined designated symbol is a wild symbol.

25. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data network is an internet.