US 9,311,781 B2Granted

Gaming system and method for providing a cascading symbol game with upgrade events

AssigneeIgt

InventorStephen J. Edwards

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Abstract

A gaming system including a cascading symbol or tumbling reel game which utilizes zero, one or more upgrades in association with zero, one or more shifting symbols. Upon an occurrence of an upgrade event, the gaming system upgrades one or more aspects or attributes of one or more games played. In certain embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading one or more symbols displayed at one or more symbol display positions of one or more symbol display position grids. In certain other embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading the award evaluation of one or more symbols displayed at one or more symbol display positions of one or more symbol display position grids. In certain other embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading one or more attributes or features of one or more bonus or secondary games which are subsequently triggered.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

a housing;
at least one display device supported by the housing;
a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including:
(i) an acceptor, and
(ii) a cashout device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to:
(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
(b) display, in association with a play of a first game, one of a plurality of different symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions, wherein the plurality of symbol display positions form at least three columns and at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row,
(c) determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations,
(d) if any of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination,
(e) for each displayed symbol, determine whether said displayed symbol qualifies to be removed,
(f) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, remove said symbol,
(g) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol display positions, reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(h) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol display positions, reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(i) if any empty symbol display positions are created:
(i) for each created empty symbol display position, display one of the plurality of different symbols, and
(ii) repeat (c) to (i) at least once,
(j) if a second game upgrade event occurs, upgrade at least one attribute of a second game,
(k) if a second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event occurred, display a first play of the second game, wherein the first play of the second game is associated with any upgraded attribute of the second game,
(l) if the second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event did not occur, display a second play of the second game, wherein the second play of the second game is not associated with any upgraded attributes of the second game, and
(m) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

20 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display, in association with a play of a first game, one of a plurality of different symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions, wherein the plurality of symbol display positions form at least three columns and at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row,
(b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations,
(c) if any of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, causing the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the displayed award for each displayed winning symbol combination, said credit balance being increasable if a physical item associated with a monetary value is received via an acceptor, and said credit balance being decreasable if a cashout input is received via a cashout device,
(d) for each displayed symbol, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether said displayed symbol qualifies to be removed,
(e) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to remove said symbol,
(f) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol display positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(g) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol display positions, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(h) if any empty symbol display positions are created:
(i) for each created empty symbol display position, causing the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of different symbols, and
(ii) repeating (b) to (h) at least once,
(i) if a second game upgrade event occurs, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to upgrade at least one attribute of a second game,
(j) if a second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event occurred, causing the at least one display device to display a first play of the second game, wherein the first play of the second game is associated with any upgraded attribute of the second game, and
(k) if the second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event did not occur, causing the at least one display device to display a second play of the second game, wherein the second play of the second game is not associated with any upgraded attributes of the second game.

10 more elements

A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
(a) cause at least one display device to display, in association with a play of a first game, one of a plurality of different symbols at each of a plurality of symbol display positions, wherein the plurality of symbol display positions form at least three columns and at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row,
(b) determine if any of the displayed symbols form any winning symbol combinations,
(c) if any of the displayed symbols form at least one winning symbol combination, cause the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of awards for each displayed winning symbol combination, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the displayed award for each displayed winning symbol combination, said credit balance being increasable if a physical item associated with a monetary value is received via an acceptor, and said credit balance being decreasable if a cashout input is received via a cashout device,
(d) for each displayed symbol, determine whether said displayed symbol qualifies to be removed,
(e) for each displayed symbol that qualifies to be removed, remove said symbol,
(f) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol display positions, reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(g) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol display positions, reposition at least one of the remaining displayed symbols to at least another one of the symbol display positions to create at least one empty symbol display position,
(h) if any empty symbol display positions are created:
(i) for each created empty symbol display position, cause the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of different symbols, and
(ii) repeat (b) to (h) at least once,
(i) if a second game upgrade event occurs, upgrade at least one attribute of a second game,
(j) if a second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event occurred, cause the at least one display device to display a first play of the second game, wherein the first play of the second game is associated with any upgraded attribute of the second game, and
(k) if the second game triggering event occurs and the second game upgrade event did not occur, cause the at least one display device to display a second play of the second game, wherein the second play of the second game is not associated with any upgraded attributes of the second game.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.