3D enhanced gaming machine with foreground and background game surfaces

A method for providing an electronic game, the method comprising:

• generating, using at least one processor, a plurality of game surfaces using game data, each of the game surfaces for displaying at least one game symbol thereon;
• receiving, via an acceptor, a physical item associated with a monetary value;
• initiating, responsive to actuation of a cashout button, a payout associated with a credit balance;
• presenting a three-dimensional view of the game surfaces on an electronic 3D-enabled gaming display, the game surfaces arranged in layers such that a foreground game surface of the plurality of game surfaces appears to be closer to a user than a background game surface of the plurality of game surfaces that is displayed behind the foreground game surface, the foreground game surface having a plurality of game symbols displayed thereon;
• and
• in response to a game trigger event:
• removing, using the at least one processor, at least one game symbol displayed on the foreground game surface from the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display representative of the removing, the graphical animation effect comprising a visual designation of the at least one game symbol;
• and
• integrating, using the at least one processor, at least one game symbol displayed on the background game surface into the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3-D gaming display representative of the integrating, such that the integrated at least one game symbol interacts with remaining game symbols displayed on the foreground game surface,
• wherein the plurality of game surfaces are generated such that game symbols associated with progressively higher payouts are displayed on the game surfaces that appear in the layers that are progressively further behind the foreground game surface.

A computer system for providing an electronic game, the computer system comprising:

• a gaming device having an electronic 3D-enabled gaming display, the gaming device being communicatively coupled, via a communication network, to a gaming server that includes an electronic data store that stores game data for a given game;
• the gaming device further comprising:
• one or more gaming device processors, wherein the one or more gaming device processors comprise a three-dimensional graphics processor;
• an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a monetary value;
• and
• a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;
• the gaming device configured to:
• generate a plurality of game surfaces using the game data stored at the gaming server, each of the game surfaces for displaying at least one game symbol thereon;
• present, using a display controller connected to the three-dimensional graphics processor, a three-dimensional view of the game surfaces on the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display of the gaming device, the game surfaces arranged in layers such that a foreground game surface of the plurality of game surfaces appears to be closer to a user than a background game surface of the plurality of game surfaces, the foreground game surface having a plurality of game symbols displayed thereon;
• and in response to a game trigger event:
• remove at least one game symbol displayed on the foreground game surface from the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display representative of the removing, the graphical animation effect comprising a visual designation of the at least one game symbol;
• and
• integrate at least one game symbol displayed on the background game surface into the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3-D gaming display representative of the integrating, the integrating such that the integrated at least one game symbol interacts with remaining game symbols displayed on the foreground game surface,
• wherein the plurality of game surfaces are generated such that wildcard game symbols are displayed with increasing frequency on the game surfaces that appear in the layers that are progressively further behind the foreground game surface.

An electronic gaming machine comprising:

• an electronic data store storing game data for a given game;
• an electronic 3D-enabled touch-sensitive gaming display;
• an acceptor of a first physical item associated with a monetary value;
• a cashout button actuatable to cause an initiation of a payout associated with a credit balance;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the at least one electronic data store and the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display, the one or more processors comprising a three-dimensional graphics processor;
• the one or more processors configured to:
• generate, with at least the three-dimensional graphics processor, a plurality of game surfaces using the game data, each of the game surfaces for displaying at least one game symbol thereon;
• present, using a display controller connected to the three-dimensional graphics processor, an interactive three-dimensional view of the game surfaces on the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display, the game surfaces arranged in layers such that a foreground game surface of the plurality of game surfaces appears to be closer to a user than a background game surface of the plurality of game surfaces, the foreground game surface having a plurality of game symbols displayed thereon;
• and
• in response to a touch input received by way of the touch-sensitive gaming display or a pre-defined game trigger event:
• remove at least one game symbol displayed on the foreground game surface from the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3D-enabled gaming display representative of the removing, the graphical animation effect comprising a visual designation of the at least one game symbol;
• and
• integrate at least one game symbol displayed on the background game surface into the given game in association with a graphical animation effect displayed on the electronic 3-D gaming display representative of the integrating, such that the integrated at least one game symbol interacts with remaining game symbols displayed on the foreground game surface,
• wherein the plurality of game surfaces are generated such that wildcard game symbols are displayed with increasing frequency on the game surfaces that appear in the layers that are progressively further behind the foreground game surface.