Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing player selection of modifiers to game components

• US 9,092,942 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Cuddy, Ryan William, Decasa, Rogelio S., Fuller, Benjamin Mikal, Kniesteadt, Carl Victor, Weiss, Alan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINHEIRO, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/364,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, the gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of gaming devices that each participate in a group game including a plurality of masked group game components and determines and provides separate awards to each player of the gaming devices based on the amount of modifiers applied to each of the group game components having a modifier applied by the player of that gaming device. In one embodiment, the gaming system enables each player to selectively apply or associate a plurality of modifiers to a single game component or apply the plurality of modifiers across the plurality of game components. For each gaming device, the gaming system displays and provides any awards to the player of that gaming device.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

a housing,

at least one processor,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value,

(ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(iii) a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance,

at least one display device supported by the housing, 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 plurality of input devices;

(a) receive an input, via at least one of the plurality of input devices, of a placement of at least one wager on at least one play of a game, and

(b) for each wagered on play of the game;

(i) generate, via the at least one processor, a game outcome,

(ii) display, via the at least one display device, the generated game outcome,

(iii) determine, via the at least one processor, any awards associated with the generated game outcome, and

(iv) display via the at least one display device, any determined awards; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate to;

(a) upon an occurrence of a modifier accumulation event;

(i) display a first plurality of masked group game components to each of a plurality of players of the plurality of gaming devices; and

(ii) for each of said gaming devices;

(A) display a quantity of at least one modifier, and

(B) for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, enable the player of that gaming device to apply said modifier to one of said displayed first plurality of masked group game components regardless of whether another player applied any modifiers to said masked group game components.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said modifiers are different.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said modifier accumulation event occurs based on a generation of a designated symbol combination.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each gaming device, the controller and said gaming device are configured to operate, for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, to enable the player of that gaming device, apply a plurality of modifiers to the same one of the first plurality of masked group game components.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each gaming device, the controller and said gaming device are configured to operate, for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, to enable the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality, but not all, of the modifiers to the same one of the first plurality of masked group game components.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of masked group game components are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of free spins, an multiplier for at least one free spin, a starting credit amount, a quantity of picks, a quantity of selections, a quantity of wild symbols, a quantity of retrigger symbols, a quantity of termination symbols, a quantity of anti-terminators, a quantity of locking reels, a quantity of locking symbol positions, a quantity of expanding symbols, a quantity of rounds, a quantity of award opportunities, a quantity of progressive awards, a range of awards, a maximum award, a minimum award, an average expected award, a quantity of active reels, a quantity of active paylines, a quantity of offers, a paytable, and a quantity of hands of playing cards.

7. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each of said gaming devices including;

a housing,

at least one processor,

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor of associated with a monetary value,

(ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(iii) a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance,

at least one display device supported by the housing, 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 plurality of input devices; and

a controller configured to communicate with each of said gaming devices, said controller and said plurality of gaming devices configured to operate, upon an occurrence of a group game triggering event, to;

(a) cause a first one of the gaming devices to;

(i) display a plurality of different volatilities of a group game,

(ii) receive, via at least one of the plurality of input devices of the first one of the gaming devices, a selection of a first volatility of the group game from the displayed plurality of different volatilities,

(iii) determine a first group game award, said determination based, at least in part, on the selected first volatility of the group game, and

(iv) display the determined first group game award, and

(b) cause a second, different one of the gaming devices to;

(i) display the plurality of different volatilities of the group game,

(ii) independent of any selection of any volatility at the first one of the gaming devices, receive, via at least one of the plurality of input devices of the second one of the gaming devices, a selection of a second volatility of the group game from the displayed plurality of different volatilities,

(iii) determine a second group game award, said determination based, at least in part, on the selected second volatility of the group game, and

(iv) display the determined second group game award.

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

(a) for each of a plurality of gaming devices;

(i) receiving a placement of at least one wager on at least one play of a game, said wager being deducted from a credit balance, and said credit balance being;

(A) increasable via;

(I) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(II) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(B) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and

(ii) for each wagered on play of the game;

(A) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to generate a game outcome,

(B) causing at least one display device to display the generated game outcome,

(C) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any awards associated with the generated game outcome, and

(D) causing the at least one display device to display any determined awards; and

(b) upon an occurrence of a modifier accumulation event;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display a first plurality of masked group game components to each of a plurality of players of the plurality of gaming devices, and

(ii) for each of the plurality of gaming devices;

(A) causing the at least one display device to display a quantity of at least one modifier;

(B) for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, enabling the player of that gaming device to apply said modifier to one of said displayed first plurality of masked group game components regardless of whether another player applied any modifiers to said masked group game components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of said modifiers are different.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said modifier accumulation event occurs based on a generation of a designated symbol combination.

11. The method of claim 8, which includes, for each gaming device and for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, enabling the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality of modifiers to the same one of the first plurality of masked group game components.

12. The method of claim 8, which includes, for each gaming device and for each of the displayed quantity of at least one modifier, enabling the player of that gaming device to apply a plurality, but not all, of the modifiers to the same one of the first plurality of masked group game components.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of masked group game components are selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of free spins, an multiplier for at least one free spin, a starting credit amount, a quantity of picks, a quantity of selections, a quantity of wild symbols, a quantity of retrigger symbols, a quantity of termination symbols, a quantity of anti-terminators, a quantity of locking reels, a quantity of locking symbol positions, a quantity of expanding symbols, a quantity of rounds, a quantity of award opportunities, a quantity of progressive awards, a range of awards, a maximum award, a minimum award, an average expected award, a quantity of active reels, a quantity of active paylines, a quantity of offers, a paytable, and a quantity of hands of playing cards.

14. The method of claim 8, which includes, upon an occurrence of a group game triggering event:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a group game component award for each of a plurality of the masked group game components;

(ii) for each gaming device, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award for the player of that gaming device based on;

(A) the determined group game component award for each of the group game components having at least one modifier applied by the player of that gaming device; and

(B) the modifiers applied by the player of that gaming device to said group game components,

(iii) causing the at least one display device to display said determined award.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said group game triggering event occurs based on an elapsed period of time.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes, upon the group game triggering event, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a group game component for each of the masked group game components.

17. The method of claim 14, which includes, for each gaming device, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine the award for the player of that gaming device based on the determined group game component award for each of the group game components.

18. The method of claim 8, which is operated through a data network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said data network is an internet.

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

(a) upon an occurrence of a group game triggering event;

(i) for a first one of a plurality of gaming devices;

(A) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of different volatilities of a group game,

(B) receiving a selection of a first volatility of the group game from the displayed plurality of different volatilities,

(C) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine a first group game award, said determination based, at least in part, on the selected first volatility of the group game,

(D) causing the at least one display device to display the determined first group game award, and

(E) causing the displayed first group game award to increase a credit balance of the first one of the plurality of gaming devices, said credit balance of the first one of the plurality of gaming devices being;

(I) increasable via;

 

(1) a first acceptor of a first physical item associated with a first monetary value, and

 

(2) a first validator configured to identify the first physical item, and

(II) decreasable via a first cashout device configured to receive a input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance of the first one of the plurality of gaming devices, and

(ii) for a second, different one of the gaming devices;

(A) causing the at least one display device to display the plurality of different volatilities of the group game,

(B) independent of any selection of any volatility at the first one of the plurality of gaming devices, receiving a selection of a second volatility of the group game from the displayed plurality of different volatilities,

(C) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a second group game award, said determination based, at least in part, on the selected second volatility of the group game,

(D) causing the at least one display device to display the determined second group game award, and

(E) causing the displayed second group game award to increase a credit balance of the second one of the plurality of gaming devices, said credit balance of the second one of the plurality of gaming devices being;

(i)increasable via;

 

(1) a second acceptor of a second physical item associated with a second monetary value, and

 

(2) a second validator configured to identify the second physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a second cashout device configured to receive a input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance of the second one of the plurality of gaming devices.

21. The method of claim 20, which is operated through a data network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said data network is an internet.