Wagering gaming machine and method having persistent continuum feature

A method of providing a wagering game through a game cabinet in which is housed at least one electronic display, a currency-voucher acceptor, player interface with buttons, the method performed by one or more electronic controllers executing program code held in tangible non-transitory computer readable memory coupled to the one or more controllers, the method comprising:

• receiving a player deposit input through the currency/voucher acceptor and in response, crediting an active credit account with credits to be wagered;
• displaying a player credit total and updating the credit total as credits are wagered and won in the wagering game;
• providing a gaming meter element operable for displaying a gaming meter in a first display area and including a game activation display function that, based on a random selection responsive to a first player wager activation, either partially fills the gaming meter to provide a losing game outcome or totally fills the gaming meter to provide a winning game outcome, the gaming meter entering a decay state after each game outcome, the decay state including displaying a fill level of the gaming meter decreasing toward an empty state;
• in response to a subsequent player wager activation occurring while the gaming meter is in the decay state and has not yet reached the empty state, beginning a subsequent game round display with the gaming meter starting at its level in the decay state when the subsequent wager activation occurred, and based on a random selection responsive to the subsequent player wager activation, either partially filling a remaining unfilled portion of the gaming meter to provide a subsequent losing game outcome or totally filling the remaining unfilled portion of the gaming meter to provide a subsequent winning game outcome, and again entering the decay state after each game outcome;
• providing a game prize activator element operable for, after display of a totally filled gaming meter comprising a winning outcome, displaying an interaction with one or more of a group of displayed prize symbols indicating the one or more prize symbols are each associated with an awarded prize amount;
• and
• crediting each awarded prize amount to the displayed credit total and to the active credit account.

A gaming machine for providing a wagering game, the gaming machine comprising:

• a game cabinet in which is housed at least one electronic display, a currency-voucher acceptor, and a player interface with buttons;
• one or more electronic controllers coupled to the electronic display, currency-voucher acceptor and player interface;
• tangible non-transitory computer readable memory coupled to the controllers, the memory holding program code executable by the controllers for:
• receiving a player deposit input through the currency/voucher acceptor and in response, crediting an active credit account with credits to be wagered;
• displaying a player credit total and updating the credit total as credits are wagered and won in the wagering game;
• providing a gaming continuum element operable for displaying a gaming continuum in a first display area and including a game activation display function that, based on a random selection responsive to a first player wager activation, either partially advancing the gaming continuum to provide a losing game outcome or totally advancing the gaming continuum to provide a winning game outcome, the gaming continuum entering a temporary decay state after each game outcome, the decay state including displaying an advancement level of the gaming continuum decreasing toward a lowest state;
• the gaming continuum element further operable for providing a persistent effect in a subsequent game round conducted in response to a subsequent player wager activation for any game round in which a subsequent wager activation occurs while the gaming continuum is in the temporary decay state, the persistent effect including beginning a subsequent game round display with the gaming continuum starting at its level in the decay state when the subsequent wager activation occurred, and based on a random selection responsive to the subsequent player wager activation, either partially advancing the gaming continuum to provide a subsequent losing game outcome or totally advancing the gaming continuum to provide a subsequent winning game outcome, and again entering the decay state after each game outcome;
• providing a game prize activator element displaying a game prize activator in a second display area, and after display of a totally advanced gaming continuum comprising a winning outcome, displaying an interaction with one or more of a group of displayed prize symbols indicating the one or more prize symbols are each associated with an awarded prize amount;
• and
• crediting each awarded prize amount to the displayed credit total and to the active credit account.