Differentiated aggregation mechanism for award provisioning

A method of differential symbol-value aggregation on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

• directing, via logic circuitry, an electronic display device to display an array of individual symbol positions populated by independent symbol-bearing reels, a subset of the symbol positions containing a plurality of first symbols;
• directing, via the logic circuitry, the electronic display device to hold the plurality of first symbols in the array while spinning at least one of the reels in the remaining symbol positions in the array;
• stopping, via the logic circuitry, the at least one spinning reel to display one or more additional symbols in the array;
• in response to the one or more additional symbols including a first aggregating symbol, adding, via the logic circuitry, a sum of values of a first set of currently displayed symbols to the first aggregating symbol, wherein the first set of the currently displayed symbols is determined according to first criteria;
• and
• in response to the one or more additional symbols including a second aggregating symbol, adding, via the logic circuitry, a sum of values of a second set of the currently displayed symbols to the second aggregating symbol, wherein the second set of the currently displayed symbols is determined according to second criteria, the first criteria being different than the second criteria.

A gaming system with differential symbol-value aggregation features, the gaming system comprising:

• a gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing a casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an input device and an electronic display device;
• game-logic circuitry configured to:
• detect, via the input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance on the gaming machine;
• initiate, responsive to an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance, a base game of the casino wagering game on the gaming machine;
• direct the electronic display device to:
• display a base array of symbols on symbol-bearing reels, the base array including a plurality of triggering symbols,
• in response to displaying the plurality of triggering symbols in the base array, display a bonus array of individual symbol positions populated by independent symbol-bearing reels including the plurality of triggering symbols, and
• hold the plurality of triggering symbols in the bonus array while spinning at least one of the remaining independent symbol-bearing reels, and stop the at least one spinning independent symbol-bearing reel to display one or more additional symbols;
• in response to the one or more additional symbols including a first aggregating symbol, determine a first award value for the first aggregating symbol from the values of a first set of currently displayed symbols, wherein the first set of the currently displayed symbols is determined according to first criteria;
• in response to the one or more additional symbols including a second aggregating symbol, determine a second award value for the second aggregating symbol from the values of a second set of the currently displayed symbols, wherein the second set of the currently displayed symbols is determined according to second criteria, the first criteria being different from the second criteria.