Gaming system and methods of operating gaming machines to provide skill-based wagering games to players

A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines connected together via a communications network, the plurality of gaming machines including a host gaming machine and a plurality of node gaming machines, wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines is configured to provide a skill-based game to a player and includes a processor coupled to a memory device, a display device and a user input device, the display device is configured to display a game screen including a plurality of user input buttons arranged in a matrix using computer generated graphical images, the user input device includes a player selection device, an acceptor device, and a cashout device, the player selection device configured to generate and transmit a signal indicating a player touch operation associated with each of the user input buttons, the acceptor device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, the cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, the method including the processor of the host gaming machine performing the steps of:

• receiving a request to initiate a tournament skill game with the plurality of gaming machines;
• identifying participating gaming machines from the plurality of gaming machines that are participating in the tournament skill game and assigning a team identifier to each participating gaming machine, the participating gaming machines including the host gaming machine and at least one participating node gaming machine;
• receiving a selection of a musical soundtrack associated with the tournament skill game;
• determining a number of skill events and a sequential display pattern associated with the selected musical soundtrack;
• transmitting a data file to each participating node gaming machine indicating the selected musical soundtrack, the associated number of skill events, and the associated sequential display pattern;
• and
• transmitting an initiation signal to each participating node gaming machine causing each participating node gaming machine to initiate the tournament skill game in coordination with the host gaming machine;
• wherein each participating gaming machine simultaneously conducts a round of the tournament skill game including displaying the skill events in the sequential display pattern with the selected musical soundtrack.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to function as:

• a gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines connected together via a communications network, the plurality of gaming machines including a host gaming machine and a plurality of node gaming machines;
• wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines is configured to provide a skill-based game to a player and includes a processor coupled to a memory device, a display device and a user input device, the display device is configured to display a game screen including a plurality of user input buttons arranged in a matrix using computer generated graphical images, the user input device includes a player selection device, an acceptor device, and a cashout device, the player selection device configured to generate and transmit a signal indicating a player touch operation associated with each of the user input buttons, the acceptor device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, the cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
• and
• wherein the host gaming machine is programmed to:
• receive a request to initiate a tournament skill game with the plurality of gaming machines;
• identify participating gaming machines from the plurality of gaming machines that are participating in the tournament skill game and assign a team identifier to each participating gaming machine, the participating gaming machines including the host gaming machine and at least one participating node gaming machine;
• receive a selection of a musical soundtrack associated with the tournament skill game;
• determine a number of skill events and a sequential display pattern associated with the selected musical soundtrack;
• transmit a data file to each participating node gaming machine indicating the selected musical soundtrack, the associated number of skill events, and the associated sequential display pattern;
• and
• transmit an initiation signal to each participating node gaming machine causing each participating node gaming machine to initiate the tournament skill game in coordination with the host gaming machine;
• wherein each participating gaming machine simultaneously conducts a round of the tournament skill game including displaying the skill events in the sequential display pattern with the selected musical soundtrack.