Regulated games: multi-act games

• US 9,685,033 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Papanastasiou, John, de Courssou, Thierry Brunet, Linard, Sylvie
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US15/007,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9, 463 15, 463 22
• 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;

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

an acceptor, and

a cashout 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, cause the at least one processor to;

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,

receive at least one wager,

determine a plurality of directional symbols, each directional symbol having at least one of a plurality of different input directions and at least one of a plurality of different output directions, wherein at least one of the input directions is compatible with at least one of the output directions and at least one of the input directions is incompatible with at least one of the output directions,

cause the at least one display device to display each of the determined directional symbols,

for each of at least one starting position;

determine a quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols in any sets of symbols associated with the starting position, the determination of the quantity being based, at least in part, on if at least one input direction of at least one of the displayed directional symbols is compatible with at least one output direction of at least another one of the displayed directional symbols,

if a first designated quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols is determined;

determine a first award associated with the first designated quantity, and

cause the at least one display device to display the determined first award associated with the first designated quantity,

if a second, different designated quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols is determined;

determine a second, different award associated with the second designated quantity, and

cause the at least one display device to display the determined second award associated with the second designated quantity, and

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 a determination of if at least two adjacent directional symbols are compatible is based on whether the output direction of a first directional symbol generated at a first symbol display position is compatible with the input direction of a second directional symbol generated at a second symbol display position, the second symbol display position being adjacent to the first symbol display position and indicated by the output direction of the first directional symbol.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the directional symbols has at least one of:

a plurality of the different input directions and a plurality of the different output directions.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the directional symbols is associated with a modifier.

5. 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 randomly determine a plurality of the directional symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions.

6. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

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

an acceptor, and

a cashout 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, cause the at least one processor to;

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

receive at least one wager,

determine a plurality of directional symbols, each directional symbol having at least one of a plurality of different input directions and at least one of a plurality of different output directions, wherein at least one of the input directions is compatible with at least one of the output directions and at least one of the input directions is incompatible with at least one of the output directions,

cause the at least one display device to display each of the determined directional symbols,

for each of at least one starting position;

determine if a set of at least two compatible directional symbols is formed, the determination based on if at least one input direction of at least one of the displayed directional symbols is compatible with at least one output direction of at least another one of the displayed directional symbols, and

if the set of at least two compatible directional symbols is formed;

determine an award associated with the formed set of at least two compatible directional symbols, the award based, at least in part, on a quantity of compatible directional symbols of the formed set, and

cause the at least one display device to display the determined award, and

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

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein at least one determination of if any sets of at least two compatible directional symbols are formed is based on whether the output direction of a first directional symbol generated at a first symbol display position is compatible with the input direction of a second directional symbol generated at a second symbol display position, the second symbol display position being adjacent to the first symbol display position and indicated by the output direction of the first directional symbol.

8. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the directional symbols has at least one of:

a plurality of the different input directions and a plurality of the different output directions.

9. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the directional symbols is associated with a modifier.

10. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine a plurality of the directional symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions.

11. 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;

responsive to receiving data associated with a placement of at least one wager, wherein a credit balance is decreasable based on the placed wager, 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,

determine a plurality of directional symbols, each directional symbol having at least one of a plurality of different input directions and at least one of a plurality of different output directions, wherein at least one of the input directions is compatible with at least one of the output directions and at least one of the input directions is incompatible with at least one of the output directions,

cause a display of each of the determined directional symbols, and

for each of at least one starting position;

determine a quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols in any sets of symbols associated with the starting position, the determination of the quantity being based, at least in part, on if at least one input direction of at least one of the displayed directional symbols is compatible with at least one output direction of at least another one of the displayed directional symbols,

if a first designated quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols is determined;

determine a first award associated with the first designated quantity, and

cause a display of the determined first award associated with the first designated quantity, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the

determined first award associated with the first designated quantity, and

if a second, different designated quantity of any adjacent compatible directional symbols is determined;

determine a second, different award associated with the second designated quantity, and

cause a display of the determined second award associated with the second designated quantity, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined second award associated with the second designated quantity.

12. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein a determination of if at least two adjacent directional symbols are compatible is based on whether the output direction of a first directional symbol generated at a first symbol display position is compatible with the input direction of a second directional symbol generated at a second symbol display position, the second symbol display position being adjacent to the first symbol display position and indicated by the output direction of the first directional symbol.

13. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein at least one of the directional symbols has at least one of:

a plurality of the different input directions and a plurality of the different output directions.

14. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein at least one of the directional symbols is associated with a modifier.

15. The gaming system server of claim 11, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine a plurality of the directional symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions.

16. 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;

responsive to receiving data associated with a placement of at least one wager, wherein a credit balance is decreasable based on the placed wager, 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,

determine a plurality of directional symbols, each directional symbol having at least one of a plurality of different input directions and at least one of a plurality of different output directions, wherein at least one of the input directions is compatible with at least one of the output directions and at least one of the input directions is incompatible with at least one of the output directions,

cause a display of each of the determined directional symbols, and

for each of at least one starting position;

determine if a set of at least two compatible directional symbols is formed, the determination based on if at least one input direction of at least one of the displayed directional symbols is compatible with at least one output direction of at least another one of the displayed directional symbols, and

if the set of at least two compatible directional symbols is formed;

determine an award associated with the formed set of at least two compatible directional symbols, the award based, at least in part, on a quantity of compatible directional symbols of the formed set, and

cause a display of the determined award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined award.

17. The gaming system server of claim 16, wherein at least one determination of if any sets of at least two compatible directional symbols are formed is based on whether the output direction of a first directional symbol generated at a first symbol display position is compatible with the input direction of a second directional symbol generated at a second symbol display position, the second symbol display position being adjacent to the first symbol display position and indicated by the output direction of the first directional symbol.

18. The gaming system server of claim 16, wherein at least one of the directional symbols has at least one of:

a plurality of the different input directions and a plurality of the different output directions.

19. The gaming system server of claim 16, wherein at least one of the directional symbols is associated with a modifier.

20. The gaming system server of claim 16, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to randomly determine a plurality of the directional symbols at a plurality of symbol display positions.