Gaming machine, control method for machine, and program for gaming machine

A method of operating a gaming machine including a cabinet, a touchscreen mounted to the cabinet, a display device mounted to the cabinet, and a processor operably coupled to the touchscreen and the display device, the method including the processor performing an algorithm to display an animated sequence of computer-generated images on the display device including the steps of:

• displaying a game screen on the display device including a plurality of reels displayed in a grid including a plurality of cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns and a plurality of paylines associated with the plurality of cells;
• and
• establishing a plurality of predefined subsets of cells, each of the plurality of predefined subsets of cells being associated with a different wager amount, the plurality of predefined subsets of the cells including a first subset of cells and a second subset of cells, wherein an associated number of cells in the second subset of cells is greater than an associated number of cells in the first subset of cells, and wherein a wager amount associated with the second subset of cells is greater than a wager amount associated with the first subset of cells;
• displaying a plurality of player selectable feature area buttons on the touchscreen, each player selectable feature area associated with a corresponding subset of cells;
• receiving a player's selection of a selected player selectable feature area button and highlighting a feature area including the corresponding subset of cells associated with the selected player selectable feature area button;
• animating the plurality of reels to spin and stop to display a plurality of symbols in the grid;
• and
• displaying a game feature upon detecting the occurrence of a predetermined symbol appearing in the highlighted feature area with the reels stopped.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon to operate a gaming machine including a cabinet, a touchscreen mounted to the cabinet, a display device mounted to the cabinet, and a processor operably coupled to the touchscreen and the display device, when executed by the processor the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to perform an algorithm to display an animated sequence of computer-generated images on the display device including the steps of:

• displaying a game screen on the display device including a plurality of reels displayed in a grid including a plurality of cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns and a plurality of paylines associated with the plurality of cells;
• and
• establishing a plurality of predefined subsets of cells, each of the plurality of predefined subsets of cells being associated with a different wager amount, the plurality of predefined subsets of the cells including a first subset of cells and a second subset of cells, wherein an associated number of cells in the second subset of cells is greater than an associated number of cells in the first subset of cells, and wherein a wager amount associated with the second subset of cells is greater than a wager amount associated with the first subset of cells;
• displaying a plurality of player selectable feature area buttons on the touchscreen, each player selectable feature area associated with a corresponding subset of cells;
• receiving a player's selection of a selected player selectable feature area button and highlighting a feature area including the corresponding subset of cells associated with the selected player selectable feature area button;
• animating the plurality of reels to spin and stop to display a plurality of symbols in the grid;
• and
• displaying a game feature upon detecting the occurrence of a predetermined symbol appearing in the highlighted feature area with the reels stopped.