Gaming system and method for providing a game with unlockable features

• US 9,514,611 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Caputo, Scott A., Leupp, Jon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/195,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing unlockable features and/or unlockable content. In such embodiments, the gaming system includes a plurality of initially unlocked features or content and a plurality of initially locked features or content, wherein as the player advances or progresses during the play of one or more games, zero, one or more previously locked features or content become unlocked.

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) enable a player to select an unlocked character from a plurality of different characters, wherein a plurality of said characters are initially unlocked, at least one of the characters is initially locked, and each of the characters is associated with at least one of a plurality of character attributes;

(c) enable the player to select an unlocked game from a plurality of different games, wherein a plurality of said games are initially unlocked, at least one of the games is initially locked, and each of the games is associated with at least one of a plurality of game attributes;

(d) for a play of the selected game;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award;

(e) if a bonus game triggering event occurs;

(i) display a quantity of free games, wherein the quantity of free games is determined based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game;

(ii) if a character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, unlock at least one of any locked characters, and

(iii) if a game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, unlock at least one of any locked games; and

(f) 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 if the character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select the unlocked character for another play of the selected game.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select to play said unlocked game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games and if the game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to enable the player to select the unlocked character and enable the player to select to play said unlocked game.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the bonus game triggering event occurs, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of the displayed quantity of free games:

(i) determine a free game outcome, (ii) display the determined free game outcome, (iii) determine any free game award associated with the determined free game outcome, and (iv) display any determined free game award.

6. 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 if the character unlock event occurs based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game.

7. 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 if the game unlock event occurs based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game.

8. 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 the quantity of free games based on at least one random determination associated with at least one of the free games.

9. 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 save, in association with the player, data representing which of any characters are unlocked, which of any characters are locked, which of any games are unlocked and which of any games are locked.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of free games include a plurality of free activations of the selected game.

11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any determined award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

12. 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) if data associated with a receipt of a physical item via an acceptor is received, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;

(b) receive data representing a player selection of an unlocked character from a plurality of different characters, wherein a plurality of said characters are initially unlocked, at least one of the characters is initially locked, and each of the characters is associated with at least one of a plurality of character attributes;

(c) receive data representing a player selection of an unlocked game from a plurality of different games, wherein a plurality of said games are initially unlocked, at least one of the games is initially locked, and each of the games is associated with at least one of a plurality of game attributes;

(d) for a play of the selected game;

(i) determine a game outcome,

(ii) cause at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,

(iii) determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on any determined award;

(e) if a bonus game triggering event occurs;

(i)cause the at least one display device to display a quantity of free games, wherein the quantity of free games is determined based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game;

(ii) if a character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, unlock at least one of any locked characters, and

(iii) if a game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, unlock at least one of any locked games; and

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

13. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive data representing a player selection of the unlocked character for another play of the selected game.

14. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive data representing a player selection to play said unlocked game.

15. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the character unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games and if the game unlock event occurs in association with at least one of the free games, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to receive data representing a player selection of the unlocked character and a player selection to play said unlocked game.

16. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the bonus game triggering event occurs, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, for each of the displayed quantity of free games:

(i) determine a free game outcome, (ii) cause the at least one display device to display the determined free game outcome, (iii) determine any free game award associated with the determined free game outcome, and (iv) cause the at least one display device to display any determined free game award.

17. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine if the character unlock event occurs based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game.

18. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine if the game unlock event occurs based on the at least one character attribute of the selected character and the at least one game attribute of the selected game.

19. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the quantity of free games based on at least one random determination associated with at least one of the free games.

20. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to save, in association with the player, data representing which of any characters are unlocked, which of any characters are locked, which of any games are unlocked and which of any games are locked.

21. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein the quantity of free games include a plurality of free activations of the selected game.

22. The gaming system server of claim 12, wherein at least one of any determined award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

23. The gaming system server of claim 12, which transmits and receives data over a data network.

24. The gaming system server of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.