Tournament game, gaming machine, gaming system and method with a player-interactive bonus feature
AssigneeMultimedia Games, Inc.
InventorsBradley W. Johnson, John J. Carpenter, JP Cody
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tournament game, gaming machine, gaming system and method are disclosed wherein a player-interactive bonus feature is triggered and displayed simultaneously with a tournament game presentation and a bonus award is paid responsive to a player selecting a displayed bonus target, such as a balloon. The bonus award is paid in addition to any award payable based on the tournament game outcome. The award may be non-credit prizes redeemed in various ways such as printing a coupon at the player machine.
Claims20
A method for providing a player interactive bonus feature in a tournament game, the method including:
- activating the tournament game responsive to a player input at a player station;
- determining a random or pseudo-random tournament game outcome for the activation of the tournament game;
- displaying a tournament game presentation at the player station according to the determined tournament game outcome;
- initiating the player interactive bonus feature responsive to a trigger;
- displaying a player interactive feature graphic at the player station concurrently with at least part of the tournament game presentation at the player station according to the determined tournament game outcome;
- determining a bonus award associated with the player interactive bonus feature, the bonus award being determined directly in response to a second player input associated with the player interactive feature graphic at the player station;
- and
- awarding the bonus award in the form of a non-credit prize.
A system for providing a player interactive bonus feature in a tournament game, the system including:
- a number of player stations, each player station including a player interface enabling a player for the player station to make a tournament activation input;
- a tournament game result determination arrangement configured to determine a random or pseudo-random tournament game outcome for each tournament game activated at a respective player station;
- a respective tournament game display included with each player station, each respective tournament game display configured to display a tournament game presentation according to a respective tournament game outcome determined for a respective tournament game activated at the respective player station;
- a player interactive bonus feature triggering arrangement configured to initiate a player interactive bonus feature at one or more of the player stations during a tournament conducted through the player stations;
- and
- a bonus award determination arrangement configured to determine a bonus award for a respective player interactive bonus feature, the bonus award being directly determined in response to a second player input associated with a player interactive feature graphic at the player station;
- and
- a bonus award conferring arrangement configured to provide the bonus award to the player in the form of a non-credit prize.
A program product comprising program code stored on one or more tangible and non-transitory computer readable media, the program code including:
- tournament game program code executable to activate a tournament game responsive to a player input at a player station, determine a random or pseudo-random tournament game outcome for the activation of the tournament game, cause a tournament game presentation to be displayed at the player station according to the determined tournament game outcome, and modify a tournament game score depending upon the tournament game outcome;
- interactive bonus feature program code executable to initiate a player interactive bonus feature at the player station responsive to a trigger, and to cause an interactive bonus feature graphic to be displayed at the player station concurrently with the tournament game presentation;
- a bonus award conferring arrangement code executable a bonus award for a respective player interaction bonus feature, the bonus award being directly determined in response to a second player input associated with the player interaction feature graphic at the player station;
- and
- a bonus award conferring arrangement code executable to provide the bonus award to the player in the form of a non-credit prize.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.