Electronic wagering game in which jackpot upgrade symbols are added to one or more reel strips
AssigneeAristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
InventorsT. Grant Bolling, Jr., Michael P. Casey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic gaming system conducts a reel-based electronic wagering game, in which jackpot upgrade symbols are added to one or more reel strips based on the occurrence of one or more reel upgrade symbols in the wagering game. In the exemplary embodiment, jackpot upgrade symbols are added to a third reel strip based on the occurrence of one or more reel upgrade symbols on a first reel strip, and to a fifth reel strip based on the occurrence of one or more reel upgrade symbols on the third reel strip. In addition, jackpot upgrade symbols are added to the first and third reel strips to replace the one or more reel upgrade symbols occurring thereon.
Claims20
An electronic gaming machine comprising:
- a display device configured to display a wagering game;
- a memory device that stores one or more associations between one or more reel upgrade symbols and one or more replaceable symbols;
- and
- a game controller executing instructions which cause the game controller to at least:
- initiate the wagering game by spinning a plurality of reel strips, wherein each reel strip comprises a plurality of symbols;
- stop a first reel strip of the plurality of reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip;
- determine that the plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip contain a first reel upgrade symbol;
- in response to the first reel upgrade symbol being displayed, replace the first reel upgrade symbol with a first jackpot upgrade symbol;
- determine that at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips still spinning includes at least one replaceable symbol;
- in response to the first reel upgrade symbol being displayed from the first reel strip and determining that the at least one reel strip includes the replaceable symbol, cause display, on the display device, of an animation on the at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips still spinning indicating that the at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip will be replaced;
- replace the at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip with a second jackpot upgrade symbol based upon the one or more associations stored in the memory device;
- and
- stop the remaining reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the remaining reel strips.
A method of gaming on an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine including a memory device that stores one or more associations between one or more reel upgrade symbols and one or more replaceable symbols and a game controller, the method comprising:
- initiating a wagering game by spinning a plurality of reel strips, wherein each reel strip comprises a plurality of symbols;
- identifying at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips that includes at least one replaceable symbol, the at least one reel strip different from a first reel strip;
- determining a stop position for the first reel strip of the plurality of reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip;
- determining that the plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip contain a first reel upgrade symbol;
- based upon stopping the first reel upgrade symbol, replacing the first reel upgrade symbol with a first jackpot upgrade symbol;
- based upon the first reel upgrade symbol being replaced on the first reel strip and identifying the at least one reel strip, providing instructions to a device that uses the instructions to present an animation on the at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips still spinning, the animation indicating that the at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip will be replaced;
- replacing at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip with a second jackpot upgrade symbol based upon the one or more associations stored in the memory device;
- and
- determining stop positions for the remaining reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the remaining reel strips.
A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
- initiate a wagering game by spinning a plurality of reel strips, wherein each reel strip comprises a plurality of symbols;
- determine that at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips includes at least one replaceable symbol, the at least one reel strip being different from a first reel strip;
- select a stop position for the first reel strip of the plurality of reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip;
- determine that the plurality of displayed symbols from the first reel strip contain a first reel upgrade symbol;
- after stopping the first reel upgrade symbol, replace the first reel upgrade symbol with a first jackpot upgrade symbol;
- after the first reel upgrade symbol is replaced on the first reel strip, provide instructions that cause an animation to be subsequently displayed on the at least one reel strip of the plurality of reel strips still spinning, the animation indicating that the at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip will be replaced;
- replace at least one replaceable symbol on the at least one reel strip with a second jackpot upgrade symbol based upon one or more associations stored in a database, the database storing the one or more associations between one or more reel upgrade symbols and one or more replaceable symbols;
- and
- select stop positions for the remaining reel strips to obtain a plurality of displayed symbols from the remaining reel strips.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.