3-D reels and 3-D wheels in a gaming machine

In a gaming machine including a master gaming controller, a display device and a memory device, a method of generating a game of chance, the method comprising:

• receiving a wager for the game of chance controlled by the master gaming controller on the gaming machine wherein the gaming machine is capable of receiving indicia of credit for the wager from an input device coupled to the gaming machine and outputting indicia of credit from an output device coupled to the gaming machine;
• determining randomly a final state on each of a plurality of virtual reel strips;
• for each virtual reel strip, a) determining a sequence of symbols to display from the virtual reel strip wherein each of the sequence of symbols comprises at least one of i) a number of symbols prior to the final state on the virtual reel strip;
• ii) a number of symbols after the final state on the virtual reel strip;
• or iii) combinations thereof;
• and b) drawing the sequence of symbols over time on a surface defined in a 3-D gaming environment, said drawing comprising;
• i) dividing the surface into a number of segments and wherein the number of segments is less than a total number of segments associated with the virtual reel strip;
• ii) selecting a first subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments;
• iii) drawing the first subset of symbols in the segments;
• iv) moving the surface, including the first subset of the sequence of symbols, from a first position to a second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
• v) generating the surface at the first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
• vi) selecting a second subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments;
• vii) drawing the second set of symbols in the segments;
• and
• viii) moving the surface, including the second subset of the sequence of symbols, from the first position to the second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
• wherein the first subset and the second subset are defined so that when a plurality of 2-D images are rendered from the 3-D gaming environment to capture the movements of the surface, the symbols, as viewed on the display screen, appear to enter and to leave the display screen in an order specified by the sequence of symbols determined for each virtual reel strip.

A gaming machine comprising:

• a housing;
• a master gaming controller designed or configured to control a game of chance played on the gaming machine mounted within the housing and to execute game logic;
• an input device coupled to the housing capable of receiving indicia of credit for wagers on the game of chance;
• an output device coupled to the housing capable of outputting indicia of credit from the gaming machine;
• a memory device coupled to the housing for storing information used to generate a 3-D gaming environment comprising one or more virtual slot reels;
• game logic executed on the gaming machine for rendering one or more two-dimensional images derived from the 3-D gaming environment wherein the rendering for each virtual slot reel comprises a) determining a sequence of symbols to display from a virtual reel strip associated with the virtual slot reel wherein each of the sequence of symbols comprises at least one of i) a number of symbols prior to the final state on the virtual reel strip;
• ii) a number of symbols after the final state on the virtual reel strip;
• or iii) combinations thereof;
• and b) drawing the sequence of symbols over time on a surface defined in a 3-D gaming environment, said drawing comprising;
• i) dividing the surface into a number of segments and wherein the number of segments is less than a total number of segments associated with the virtual reel strip;
• ii) selecting a first subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments;
• iii) drawing the first subset of symbols in the segments;
• iv) moving the surface, including the first subset of the sequence of symbols from a first position to a second position in the 3-D gaming environment
• v) generating the surface at the first position in the 3-D gaming environment;
• vi) selecting a second subset of symbols from the sequence of symbols to draw in the segments;
• vii) drawing the second set of symbols in the segments;
• viii) moving the surface, including the second subset of the sequence of symbols from the first position to the second position in the 3-D gaming environment;
• wherein the first subset and the second subset are defined so that when a plurality of 2-D images are rendered from the 3-D gaming environment to capture the movements of the surface, the symbols, as viewed on the display screen, appear to enter and to leave the display screen in an order specified by the sequence of symbols determined for each virtual reel strip;
• and
• one or more display devices for displaying a game outcome presentation for the game of chance comprising said rendered one or more two-dimensional images.