Apparatus and method for playing a video slot gaming machine having a bonus game

A video slot gaming machine, comprising:

• a housing having a display device for displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• a memory device for storing a pay-table;
• and,
• a game controller coupled to the display device and the memory device for randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements and determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, and predetermined pay-lines, wherein the set of possible game elements includes a plurality of character game elements which comprise an aggregate symbol, and wherein the game controller is adapted to activate a bonus game in response to the plurality of character game elements being located along one of the paylines.

A video slot machine comprising:

• a housing having a display device for displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• a memory device for storing a pay-table;
• and,
• a game controller coupled to the display device and the memory device for randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements and determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, and predetermined pay-lines, wherein the game controller is adapted to activate a bonus game in response to detecting a triggering event and to determine an outcome of the bonus game, wherein the outcome of the bonus game is determined as a function of the triggering event and first and second random factors.

A method for playing a video slot game by a player, comprising:

• displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells, wherein the cells represent horizontal reels;
• storing a pay-table;
• randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device;
• determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined vertical pay-lines, and a wager made by the player.

A method for playing a video slot game by a player, comprising:

• displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• storing a pay-table;
• randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements;
• and,
• determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined pay-lines, and a wager made by the player, wherein the set of possible game elements includes a plurality of character game elements which comprise an aggregate symbol;
• and,
• activating a bonus game in response to the plurality of character game elements being located along one of the paylines.

A method for playing a video slot game by a player, comprising:

• displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• storing a pay-table;
• and,
• randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements and determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined pay-lines, and a wager made by the player;
• detecting a triggering event;
• and,
• determining a n outcome of the bonus game, wherein the outcome of the bonus game is determined as a function of the triggering event and first and second random factors.

A computer program product for playing a video game, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

• computer readable program code means for displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells, wherein the cells represent horizontal reels;
• computer readable program code means for storing a pay-table;
• computer readable program code means for randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined vertical pay-lines, and a wager made by the player.

A computer program product for playing a video game, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

• computer readable program code means for displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• computer readable program code means for storing a pay-table;
• computer readable program code means for randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined pay-lines, and a wager made by the player, wherein the set of possible game elements includes a plurality of character game elements which comprise an aggregate symbol;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for activating a bonus game in response to the plurality of character game elements being located along one of the paylines.

A computer program product for playing a video game, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

• computer readable program code means for displaying a plurality of game elements in a grid having a plurality of cells;
• computer readable program code means for storing a pay-table;
• computer readable program code means for randomly selecting the game elements to be displayed in the display device from a set of possible game elements and determining an outcome based on the displayed game elements, a pay-table, predetermined pay-lines, and a wager made by the player;
• computer readable program code means for detecting a triggering event;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for determining an outcome of the bonus game, wherein the outcome of the bonus game is determined as a function of the triggering event and first and second random factors.