Regulated games: multi-act games

• US 9,251,658 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Linard, Sylvie, Papanastasiou, John, de Courssou, Thierry Brunet
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/711,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20150243121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/15, 463/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/18 Question-and-answer games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

Creative multi-act games for the younger generation of casino players accustomed to creative simulation games such as “The Sims®” and familiar TV characters such as the cast of “Friends”. Stories unfold through acts that have been staged by the player by selecting and placing acting objects. A palette of betting opportunities may be provided in each act in accordance with the staged act to allow the player(s) to place bets. A typical storyboard may include three acts: (a) a construction act, (b) a testing act and (c) a destruction or resolution act. The unfolding of acts may be non-linear and several players may participate simultaneously, sharing the opportunity to affect a storyboard'"'"'s direction through decision-making.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the housing,

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

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) receive at least one wager,

(c) randomly determine a layout of a path, wherein the path enables an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the path,

(d) display the determined layout of the path,

(e) randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the path,

(f) display the randomly determined outcome, and

(g) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

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 display the object travelling through at least part of the path.

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 determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated the object travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object travelled through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

4. 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 determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated with the object not travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object did not travel through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

5. 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, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) receive data representing at least one received wager, wherein the at least one received wager causes a decrease of a credit balance, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device,

(b) randomly determine a layout of the path, wherein the path enables an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the path,

(c) cause at least one display device to display the determined layout of the path,

(d) randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the path, and

(e) cause the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome.

6. The gaming system server of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display the object travelling through at least part of the path.

7. The gaming system server of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated the object travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object travelled through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

8. The gaming system server of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated with the object not travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object did not travel through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

9. The gaming system server of claim 5, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

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

(a) receiving at least one wager, wherein the at least one received wager causes a decrease of a credit balance, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device,

(b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly determine a layout of a path, wherein the path enables an object to travel from a predetermined source to a predetermined destination through the path,

(c) causing at least one display device to display the determined layout of the path,

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine an outcome, said randomly determined outcome being based, at least in part, on the determined layout of the path, and

(e) causing the at least one display device to display the randomly determined outcome.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one display device to display the object travelling through at least part of the path.

12. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated the object travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object travelled through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

13. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine an award if the at least one received wager was associated with the object not travelling from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination through the path and the object did not travel through the path from the predetermined source to the predetermined destination.

14. The method of claim 10, which is executed through a data network.