Gaming system and method providing a multiplayer secondary game having an outcome determined based on play of a primary game of at least one, but not all, of the multiplayer secondary game players

• US 10,373,423 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Humphrey, Thomas J., Allen, II, Thomas W., Selegue, Dylan B., Wenker, Ross D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US16/117,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20180374300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing a multiplayer secondary game having an outcome determined based on play of a primary game of at least one, but not all, of the secondary game players. In various embodiments, play of a primary game of a designated one of a plurality of players of a secondary game controls play of the secondary game independent of any play of any primary games of the other players of the secondary game. Put differently, play of the secondary game depends on play of the primary game of the designated player and does not depend on any play of any primary games of the other. Thus, while multiple players participate in the secondary game and may concurrently play individual primary games, play of the primary game of one, but not all, of those players controls play of the secondary game.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

responsive to receipt, via the input device, of an input by a first player to play a primary game;

determine a primary game outcome,

cause the display device to display the determined primary game outcome,

determine an award associated with the determined primary game outcome, and

cause the display device to display the determined award associated with the determined primary game outcome, and

responsive to a triggering of a play of a multiplayer secondary game;

determine a multiplayer secondary game outcome for a plurality of players, wherein the plurality of players includes the first player and a second player associated with a different device, the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is based on the determined primary game outcome and the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is independent of any primary game outcomes determined for any plays of any primary games by any of the second players,

cause the display device to display the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome,

determine an award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome, and

cause the display device to display the determined award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the first player to create the multiplayer secondary game.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the first player to customize at least one feature of the multiplayer secondary game.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a pace of the play of the primary game by the first player.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a progress of the play of the primary game by the first player.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, modify a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device in communication with the processor via a wireless network.

8. A gaming system comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

responsive to receipt, via the input device, of an input by a first player to play a first primary game;

determine a first primary game outcome,

cause the display device to display the determined first primary game outcome,

determine an award associated with the determined first primary game outcome, and

cause the display device to display the determined award associated with the determined first primary game outcome, and

responsive to a triggering of a play of a multiplayer secondary game;

determine a multiplayer secondary game outcome for a plurality of players, wherein the plurality of players includes the first player and a second player associated with a different device, the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is based on a determined second primary game outcome of a play of a second primary game by the second player, and the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is independent of the determined first primary game outcome,

cause the display device to display the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome,

determine an award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome, and

cause the display device to display the determined award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the first player to enroll in the multiplayer secondary game.

10. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the triggering of the play of the multiplayer secondary game occurs after a designated quantity of players have enrolled in the multiplayer secondary game.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a pace of the play of the second primary game by the second player.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a progress of the play of the second primary game by the second player.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, modify a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

14. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device in communication with the processor via a wireless network.

15. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

responsive to a triggering of a play of a multiplayer secondary game;

determine a multiplayer secondary game outcome for a plurality of players associated with a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of players includes a first player and a second player, the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is based on a determined first primary game outcome of a play of a first primary game by the first player, and the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome is independent of any primary game outcomes determined for any plays of any primary games by any of the second players,

communicate data to each of the plurality of devices which results in each of the plurality of devices displaying the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome,

determine an award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome, and

communicate data to each of the plurality of devices which results in each of the plurality of devices displaying the determined award associated with the determined multiplayer secondary game outcome.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the first player to create the multiplayer secondary game.

17. The gaming system of claim 16, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the first player to customize at least one feature of the multiplayer secondary game.

18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to enable the second player to enroll in the multiplayer secondary game.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a pace of the play of the first primary game by the first player.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein a frequency of triggering the play of the multiplayer secondary game is based on a progress of the play of the first primary game by the first player.