Gaming machine and method with persistence feature

A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:

• presenting, via a display device of the gaming machine, a symbol array of symbol positions, the symbol array including a plurality of subsets of the symbol positions, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets is a row or column of the symbol array;
• presenting, by the display device, a first cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of randomly selected symbols;
• in response to the first cycle outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a first subset of the plurality of subsets, locking, by game-logic circuitry of the gaming machine, the at least one value-bearing symbol in the first subset;
• initiating, by the game-logic circuitry, a subset counter associated with the first subset to an initial count in response to the first cycle outcome and causing the display device to present the subset counter, wherein each subset of the symbol array is associated with a respective subset counter, and wherein each subset counter is independent of the other subset counters;
• with the at least one value-bearing symbol locked in the first subset, presenting, by the display device at least one subsequent cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, wherein any additional value-bearing symbols in the first subset within the at least one subsequent cycle outcome are locked in the first subset;
• in response to a number of value-bearing symbols within the first subset meeting a trigger amount, (i) providing, by the display device, an award at least partially as a function of values indicated by the value-bearing symbols in the first subset and (ii) activating an award event associated with an additional award;
• and
• in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, removing, by the game-logic circuitry, any locked value-bearing symbols from the first subset.

A gaming machine for conducting a game, the gaming machine comprising:

• a display device configured to present a symbol array of symbol positions, the symbol array including a plurality of subsets of the symbol positions, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets is a row or column of the symbol array;
• and
• game-logic circuitry configured to:
• present a first cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of randomly selected symbols;
• in response to the first cycle outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a first subset, lock the at least one value-bearing symbol in the first subset;
• initiate a subset counter associated with the first subset to an initial count in response to the first cycle outcome and cause the display device to present the subset counter, wherein each subset of the symbol array is associated with a respective subset counter, and wherein each subset counter is independent of the other subset counters;
• with the at least one value-bearing symbol locked in the first subset, present at least one subsequent cycle outcome by populating the symbol array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, wherein any additional value-bearing symbols in the first subset within the at least one subsequent cycle outcome are locked in the first subset;
• in response to a number of value-bearing symbols within the first subset meeting a trigger amount, (i) provide an award at least partially as a function of values indicated by the value-bearing symbols in the first subset and (ii) activate an award event associated with an additional award;
• and
• in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, remove any locked value-bearing symbols from the first subset.