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

• US 8,905,831 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• 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): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/247,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3262 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

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, cause a display of;

(i) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award and at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(ii) for each of the plurality of players, the respective individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions; and

(b) if a community game entry event occurs;

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

(ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves associated with the player;

(A) 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 respective individual participant is displayed at,

(B) cause a display of the respective individual participant moving to the designated displayed position,

(C) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award, cause the associated community game award to be provided to the player, and

(D) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award opportunity;

 

(I) randomly determine any community game award associated with the community game award opportunity, and

 

(II) 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:

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 respective individual participant is moved to a different displayed position, the at least one controller is programmed to:

cause any community game award associated with the moved to displayed position be provided to the player, and

(ii) 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 at least one of:

one of a plurality of different community game awards and one of a plurality of different community game award opportunities.

7. 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 of:

at least one community game award associated with at least one of the displayed positions and 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.

8. 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, and at least one of any community game award opportunities.

9. 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, cause a display of;

(i) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, each displayed position associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(ii) for each of the plurality of players, the respective individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions; and

(b) if a community game entry event occurs;

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

(ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves associated with the player;

(A) 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 respective individual participant is displayed at,

(B) cause a display of the respective individual participant moving to the designated displayed position,

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

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

10. The gaming system of claim 9, 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.

11. The gaming system 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 gaming system of claim 10, wherein if the participant movement event occurs and the respective individual participant is moved to a different displayed position, the at least one controller is programmed to:

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.

13. The gaming system 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 gaming system of claim 9, 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.

15. The gaming system of claim 9, 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, and at least one of any community game award opportunities.

16. 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;

(b) independent of any occurrence of any community game triggering event, causing the at least one display device to display;

(i) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award and at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(ii) for each of the plurality of players, the respective individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions; and

(c) if a community game entry event occurs;

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

(ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves associated with the player;

(A) 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 respective individual participant is displayed at,

(B) causing the at least one display device to display the respective individual participant moving to the designated displayed position,

(C) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award, causing the associated community game award to be provided to the player, and

(D) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award opportunity;

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

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

17. The method of claim 16, which includes:

(i) causing the at least one controller 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.

18. The method of claim 17, 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.

19. The method of claim 17, which includes, if the participant movement event occurs and the respective individual participant is moved to a different displayed position:

(i) causing any community game award associated with the moved to displayed position be provided to the player, and

(ii) 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.

20. The method of claim 16, 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.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the displayed positions is associated with at least one of:

one of a plurality of different community game awards and one of a plurality of different community game award opportunities.

22. The method of claim 16, 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 of:

at least one community game award associated with at least one of the displayed positions and 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.

23. The method of claim 16, 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, and at least one of any community game award opportunities.

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

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data network is an internet.

26. 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;

(b) independent of any occurrence of any community game triggering event, displaying, via at least one display device;

(i) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, each displayed position associated with a community game award opportunity, and

(ii) for each of the plurality of players, the respective individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions; and

(c) if a community game entry event occurs;

(i) determining, via at least one controller executing a plurality of instructions, a quantity of position moves associated with one of the players, and

(ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves associated with the player;

(A) 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 respective individual participant is displayed at,

(B) displaying, via the at least one display device, the respective individual participant moving to the designated displayed position,

(C) randomly determining, via the at least one controller executing the plurality of instructions, any community game award of the community game award opportunity associated with the designated position, and

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

27. The method of claim 26, which includes:

(i) determining, via the at least one controller executing the plurality of instructions, 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, displaying, via the at least one display device, the individual participant associated with one of the players moving to a different displayed position.

28. The method of claim 27, 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.

29. The method of claim 27, which includes, if the participant movement event occurs and the respective individual participant is moved to a different displayed position:

(i) determining, via the at least one controller executing the plurality of instructions, 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.

30. The method of claim 26, 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.

31. The method of claim 26, which includes, modifying, for a designated period of time and via the at least one controller executing the plurality of instructions, 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.

32. The method of claim 26, which includes displaying, via at least one community display device 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, and at least one of any community game award opportunities.

33. The method of claim 26, which is provided through a data network.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the data network is an internet.