US 7,452,271 B2 · Gaming machines with board game theme

Abstract

Gaming machines are disclosed having a basic mode defining a plurality of reels and a bonus mode defining a plurality of stations about a game board (e.g., MONOPOLY board) traversable by a token identifier. The disclosure describes a plurality of play features for the basic and/or bonus modes including (1) a feature allowing the player to select a game token; (2) a feature allowing the player to predict and wager on landing position(s) of the token identifier; (3) a feature allowing the player to obtain deferred-execution instruction(s) which are exercisable by the processor to override later-issued instruction(s) otherwise to be executed by the processor; (4) a feature in which movements of the token identifier are determined according to movement tables corresponding to the various stations of the game board; (5) a feature in which escalating bonuses are awarded for reaching a designated bonus square (e.g., the ‘GO’ square); (6) a feature in which bonuses are awarded for completing groups of stations (e.g., color groups); and (7) a feature in which the gaming machine includes two bonus modes, each entered upon certain symbol combinations in the basic game. The first bonus game provides an award selected from a plurality of fixed values and multipliers, and the second bonus game moves a token identifier on a game board and provides an award determined by the landing station of the token identifier.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal having a first display and a second display, the first display and the second display being positioned to face a player of the gaming terminal, said method comprising:

receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
displaying an event of the wagering game to a player on said first display of the gaming terminal, the event including a moving element and an invariant arrangement of game symbols associated with the moving element, only a subset of the invariant arrangement of game symbols being displayed to said player at any time during movement of the movement element;
displaying the same event of the wagering game to said player on said second display of the gaming terminal such that a sequence of said game symbols displayed on the first display is contemporaneously displayed on the second display and such that a game symbol revealed upon a stopping of the moving element defines a randomly determined game outcome, said second display displaying a plurality of stations, at least substantially all of the stations being associated with a predetermined award, the second display being adjacent the first display and being positioned to face in substantially the same direction as the first display such that a vertical plane normal to the first display is normal to the second display to facilitate viewing by said player when said player is positioned in front of and facing said gaming terminal;
and
awarding an award based, at least in part, on the event.

2 more elements

A gaming apparatus for conducting a wagering game on a gaming terminal comprising:

a controller configured to randomly determine an outcome of the wagering game and to award an award based, at least in part, on the randomly determined outcome;
a first display of the gaming terminal configured to display an event comprising a representation of said randomly determined outcome of the wagering game to a player, the representation of said outcome comprising moving a moving element moving relative to an invariant arrangement of stations, at least a majority of said stations having an award associated therewith, and each randomly determined outcome corresponding to one of the stations so that at least a majority of randomly determined outcomes are associated with an award;
and
a second display of the gaming terminal configured to display the same event of the wagering game, including a representation of the moving of the moving element occurring on the first display, to said player contemporaneously with the display of the event on the first display, the second display being positioned such that a normal vector from the first display intersects a normal vector from the second display in front of said gaming terminal to facilitate viewing by said player when said player is positioned in front of and facing said gaming terminal,
wherein an award is awarded to said player, responsive to said randomly determined outcome.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gaming machines with board game theme

Life of this patent

Gaming machines with board game theme

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29