Gaming system and method for providing a cascading symbol game with interacting symbols

• US 9,418,518 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nicely, Mark C., Zoltewicz, Benjamin J., Basallo, Leandro
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US14/028,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20150080099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A gaming system including a cascading symbol game which utilizes a plurality of interacting symbols. In certain embodiments, the cascading symbol game utilizes a plurality of symbol display position matrices or grids. Each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions. In operation, the gaming system generates and displays a symbol at each symbol display position of each employed symbol display position matrix, wherein the gaming system utilizes a separate set or pool of available symbols for each employed symbol display position matrix. Upon an occurrence of an interacting symbol triggering event, such as the shifting of one or more symbols between symbol display position matrices, the gaming system causes one or more symbols to interact to provide one or more benefits to a player.

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) display a plurality of symbol display position matrices, wherein;

(i) each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions,

(ii) each symbol display position matrix is associated with a distinct plurality of symbols, and

(iii) at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position matrices is linked to at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(c) at each symbol display position of each symbol display position matrix, display a symbol from the plurality of symbols associated with said symbol display position matrix,

(d) for each symbol display position matrix;

(i) determine if any of the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions of said symbol display position matrix form any winning symbol combinations, and

(ii) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination,

(e) determine whether each displayed symbol qualifies to be removed,

(f) if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed;

(i) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, remove said symbol, and

(ii) thereafter;

(A) reposition a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols, wherein any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices are repositioned to at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(B) prior to a display of any of the plurality of symbols at any of the created empty symbol display positions, modify at least one of the remaining displayed symbols if the repositioning caused a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices to be repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(C) for each created empty symbol display position, display one of the plurality of symbols, and

(D) repeat (d) to (f) at least once, 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 the repositioned quantity of any remaining displayed symbols is zero.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to repeat (d) to (f) until no symbols qualify to be removed.

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 cause at least two symbols to interact if an interacting symbol triggering event occurs.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the interacting symbol triggering event occurs if a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices and the interacting symbols include symbols from two distinct pluralities of symbols.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

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

(a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of symbol display position matrices, wherein;

(i) each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions,

(ii) each symbol display position matrix is associated with a distinct plurality of symbols, and

(iii) at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position matrices is linked to at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(b) at each symbol display position of each symbol display position matrix, causing the at least one display device to display a symbol from the plurality of symbols associated with said symbol display position matrix,

(c) for each symbol display position matrix;

(i) determine if any of the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions of said symbol display position matrix form any winning symbol combinations, and

(ii) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any award displayed for any displayed winning symbol combination, 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,

(d) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine whether each displayed symbol qualifies to be removed, and

(e) if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed;

(i) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove said symbol, and

(ii) thereafter;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols, wherein any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices are repositioned to at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(B) prior to a display of any of the plurality of symbols at any of the created empty symbol display positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify at least one of the remaining displayed symbols if the repositioning caused a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices to be repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(C) for each created empty symbol display position, causing the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols, and

(D) repeating (c) to (e) at least once.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the repositioned quantity of any remaining displayed symbols is zero.

9. The method of claim 7, which includes, if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed, repeating (c) to (e) until no symbols qualify to be removed.

10. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause at least two symbols to interact if an interacting symbol triggering event occurs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the interacting symbol triggering event occurs if a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices and the interacting symbols include symbols from two distinct pluralities of symbols.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

13. The method of claim 7, which is executed through a data network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network is an internet.

20. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the plurality of awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, a quantity of player tracking points, a progressive award, a modifier, a quantity of free plays of the game, a quantity of plays of at least one non-wagering game, at least one lottery based award, a wager match for at least one play of the game, an increase in an average expected payback percentage of the game, at least one comp, a quantity of credits usable for an online play of an online game, a quantity of virtual goods and an access code usable to unlock content on an internet.

15. 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) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of symbol display position matrices, wherein;

(i) each symbol display position matrix includes a plurality of symbol display positions,

(ii) each symbol display position matrix is associated with a distinct plurality of symbols, and

(iii) at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a first one of the symbol display position matrices is linked to at least a first one of the symbol display positions of a second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(b) at each symbol display position of each symbol display position matrix, cause the at least one display device to display a symbol from the plurality of symbols associated with said symbol display position matrix,

(c) for each symbol display position matrix;

(i) determine if any of the symbols displayed at the symbol display positions of said symbol display position matrix form any winning symbol combinations, and

(ii) if a plurality of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, cause the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any award displayed for any displayed winning symbol combination, 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,

(d) determine whether each displayed symbol qualifies to be removed, and

(e) if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed;

(i) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, remove said symbol, and

(ii) thereafter;

(A) reposition a quantity of any remaining displayed symbols, wherein any remaining displayed symbols from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices are repositioned to at least the first one of any empty linked symbol display positions of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(B) prior to a display of any of the plurality of symbols at any of the created empty symbol display positions, modify at least one of the remaining displayed symbols if the repositioning caused a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices to be repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices,

(C) for each created empty symbol display position, cause the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols, and

(D) repeat (c) to (e) at least once.

16. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein the repositioned quantity of any remaining displayed symbols is zero.

17. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if at least one of the displayed symbols qualifies to be removed, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to repeat (c) to (e) until no symbols qualify to be removed.

18. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause at least two symbols to interact if an interacting symbol triggering event occurs.

19. The gaming system server of claim 18, wherein the interacting symbol triggering event occurs if a designated remaining displayed symbol from the first one of the symbol display positions of the first one of the symbol display position matrices is repositioned to an empty linked symbol display position of the second one of the symbol display position matrices and the interacting symbols include symbols from two distinct pluralities of symbols.