U.S. patent application number 11/221074 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-13 for electronic gaming environment with display of multiple instances of single-player games.
This patent application is currently assigned to Waterleaf Limited. Invention is credited to Martin Moshal.
Application Number | 20060079331 11/221074 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2006-04-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060079331 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moshal; Martin |
April 13, 2006 |
Electronic gaming environment with display of multiple instances of
single-player games
Abstract
A multiplayer gaming system facilitates play of a single-player
game having a plurality of possible results. The system includes a
gaming server communicable with the workstation. The server is
operable to transmit data to the workstation comprising the outcome
of multiple instances of a single-player game, including the game
being played on the instant workstation as well as an instance of
the game being played simultaneously on another workstation. The
workstation may then display the outcome of multiple instances of
the single-player game. Ordinarily, the display of the other
instances is for presentation purposes only and the player does not
wager on the other instances. Rather, the display of the other
instances is provided to simulate a land-based casino experience.
In one embodiment, it facilitates a play of a multiplayer game
based on the outcomes of separate instances of a single-player
game.
Inventors: |
Moshal; Martin; (Gibraltar,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
300 S. WACKER DRIVE
32ND FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
Waterleaf Limited
|
Appl. No.: |
11/221074 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10545213 |
Aug 11, 2005 |
|
|
|
11221074 |
Sep 6, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/042 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2003 |
GB |
0323072.9 |
Oct 30, 2003 |
GB |
0325312.7 |
Sep 30, 2004 |
WO |
PCT/IB04/03179 |
Claims
1. A method of facilitating play of a single-player game on a
workstation having a display, comprising the steps of: (a) sending
data from a central server to the workstation comprising the
outcome of a first instance of a single-player game, the first
instance comprising an instance of play of the single-player game
being engaged in via the workstation; and (b) sending data from the
central server to the workstation comprising the outcome of a
second instance of the single-player game, the second instance
being an instance of play of the single-player game being engaged
in via a second workstation other than the first workstation;
whereby the workstation may simultaneously display on its display
the outcomes of play of the instances of the single-player game
being engaged in by both the workstation and the second
workstation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first workstation and the
second workstation comprise computing devices connected to the
central server over a computer network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second instances of
the single-player game occur substantially simultaneously and the
results of play are determined by the central server.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the game is selected from the
group of single-player games consisting of slots, a single-player
card game and roulette.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the further
step of sending data from the central server to the workstation
comprising the outcome of a third instance of the single-player
game, the third instance being an instance of play of the
single-player game being engaged in by a third workstation other
than the first workstation and the second workstation whereby the
workstation may display the outcomes of the first, second and third
instances of the single-player game.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises
transmitting data to the workstation associated with sound effects
intended to be played on the workstation.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sound effects include at
least one of: a) sound simulating casino background noise; b) sound
simulating operation of a gaming machine; c) sound simulating play
of at least one of the single-player games; and d) sound simulating
a voice reaction related to an outcome of the play of the
single-player game being engaged in via the second workstation.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of c)
receiving an instant message from the second workstation intended
for the first workstation at the central server and d) transmitting
the instant message from the central server to the workstation for
display at the workstation.
9. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of grouping
the first and second workstations into a grouping where the
single-player game is played, and wherein data representing the
outcome of the play occurring on the workstation and the second
workstation is transmitted to the first and second workstations
whereby both the workstation and the second workstation may both
display substantially simultaneously the outcome of play of the
first and second instances of the single-player game.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the workstations comprise video
gaming terminals.
11. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second instances
of the single-player game are combined into a multiplayer game
composed, at least in part, of the outcomes of the first and second
instances of the single-player game.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the single-player game
comprises slots.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data in step b) further
comprises a name associated with the instance of play engaged in by
the second workstation.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second instances
of play occur substantially simultaneously, and wherein the method
further comprises the step of: c) sending data comprising the
outcome of the first and second instances of the single-player game
to the second workstation, whereby both the workstation and the
second workstation may both display the results of play of the
instances of the single-player game occurring on both the
workstation and the second workstation.
15. A central gaming server facilitating play of a single-player
game on a workstation, comprising: a processor and a software
process coded as a set of instructions for execution by the
processor, the software process causing the gaming server to
perform the following functions: (a) sending data to the
workstation comprising the outcome of a first instance of a
single-player game, the first instance comprising an instance of
play of the single-player game being engaged in via the
workstation; (b) sending data to the workstation comprising the
outcome of a second instance of the single-player game, the second
instance being an instance of play being engaged in via a second
workstation other than the first workstation; whereby the
workstation may simultaneously display the results of play of the
instances of the single-player game being engaged in by the
workstation and the second workstation.
16. The server of claim 15, wherein the first workstation and the
second workstation comprise computing devices connected to the
central server over a computer network.
17. The server of claim 15, wherein the first and second instances
of the single-player game occur substantially simultaneously.
18. The server of claim 17, wherein the game is selected from the
group of single-player games consisting of slots, a single-player
card game, and roulette.
19. The server of claim 15, wherein the software further causes the
server to send data to the workstation comprising the outcome of a
third instance of the single-player game, the third instance being
engaged in by a third workstation other than the first workstation
and the second workstation, whereby the workstation may
simultaneously display the outcomes of the first, second and third
instances of the single-player game.
20. The server of claim 15, wherein the server further transmits
data to the workstation associated with sound effects to be played
on the workstation.
21. The server of claim 15, wherein the sound effects include at
least one of: a) sound simulating casino background noise; b) sound
simulating operation of a gaming machine; c) sound simulating play
of at least one of the single-player games; and d) sound simulating
a voice reaction related to the outcome of play of the second
single-player game.
22. The server of claim 15, wherein the server receives an instant
message from the second workstation and transmits the instant
message to the workstation.
23. The server of claim 17, wherein the server operates to group
the first and second workstations into a virtual game room where
the single-player game is played, and wherein data representing the
outcome of the play occurring on the workstation and the second
workstation is transmitted to the first and second workstations
whereby both the workstation and the second workstation may both
display substantially simultaneously the outcome of play of the
first and second instances of the single-player game.
24. The server of claim 15, wherein the workstations comprise video
gaming terminals.
25. The server of claim 17, wherein the instances of the first and
second single-player games are combined into a multiplayer game
composed, at least in part, of the first and second instances of
the single-player game.
26. The server of claim 25, wherein the single-player game
comprises slots.
27. The server of claim 25, wherein the data associated with the
play of the second workstation further comprises a name associated
with the instance of play engaged in by the second workstation.
28. The server of claim 25, wherein the server operates to send
data comprising the outcome of the first and second instances of
the single-player games to the second workstation, whereby both the
workstation and the second workstation may both display the results
of play of the instances of the single-player game occurring on
both the workstation and the second workstation.
29. A gaming workstation comprising: 1) a display: 2) a processing
unit; 3) a memory storing a gaming application for execution by the
processing unit, wherein the application causes the display to
display: a) the outcome of a play of a first instance of a
single-player game being engaged in by the gaming workstation; and
b) simultaneously with the display a), the outcome of play of a
second instance of the single-player game being engaged in by a
second workstation; and 4) a communications interface for receiving
datagrams from a central server containing data indicating the
outcome of play of the first and second instances of the
single-player game.
30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the communications interface
comprises an Internet connection and wherein the gaming workstation
comprises a general purpose computing device.
31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the communications interface
comprises a local area network connection and wherein the gaming
workstation comprises a video gaming terminal.
32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the single-player game is
selected from the group of single-player games consisting of slots,
a single-player card game, and roulette.
33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the instances of the first
and second single-player games are combined into a multiplayer game
composed at least in part of the first and second instances of the
single-player game.
34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the datagrams further
comprise data associated with sound effects intended to be played
on the workstation.
35. The apparatus of 34, wherein the sound effects include at least
one of: a) sound simulating casino background noise; b) sound
simulating operation of a gaming machine; c) sound simulating play
of at least one of the single-player games; and d) sound simulating
a voice reaction related to an outcome of the play of the
single-player game being engaged in via the second workstation.
36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the gaming application
includes a facility allowing the user of the workstation to enter
an instant message and transmit the instant message to the central
server, the central server sending the instant message to the
second workstation for display.
37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the workstation is grouped
in a virtual group of workstations each playing an instance of the
single-player game, and wherein the instant message is transmitted
by the central server to all the workstations in the group.
38. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending
data to the workstation comprising an outcome of an instance of a
second single-player game, wherein the second single-player game is
a different game from the single-player game of step a) and step
b), whereby the workstation may further display the outcome of the
instance of the second single-player game.
39. The server of claim 15, wherein the gaming server software
process is configured to send data to the workstation comprising an
outcome of an instance of a second single-player game, wherein the
second single-player game is a different game from the
single-player game of function a) and function b), whereby the
workstation may further display the outcome of the instance of the
second single-player game.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/545,213 filed Aug. 11, 2005, which claims priority
under 35 U.S.C..sctn. 365 to PCT application PCT/IB2004/003179
filed Sep. 30, 2004, and to British applications GB 0323072.9 filed
Oct. 2, 2003 and GB 0325312.7 filed Oct. 30, 2003. The entire
content of the above-referenced documents are incorporated by
reference herein.
STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This disclosure relates generally to electronic gaming
systems enabling a player to play a single-player game on a gaming
workstation such as a general purpose computer or a video gaming
terminal. The disclosure further relates to an electronic gaming
system including a central gaming server providing data to gaming
workstation indicating the outcome of play of multiple instances of
a single-player game occurring simultaneously.
RELATED ART
[0004] The game of poker is a multiplayer game that is widely
played in many jurisdictions, particularly in the United States of
America. In order to illustrate various advantageous features of
multiplayer games, the basic rules of poker will be outlined
briefly in the description that follows.
[0005] A traditional game of poker generally accommodates a minimum
of 4 and a maximum of between 8 and 10 players. In a turn of the
game, one of the participating players assumes the role of a dealer
and deals five cards (an "initial hand"), from a conventional deck
of 52 playing cards, to each participating player, inclusive of the
dealer. The playing cards in the initial hand are dealt face down
to each player who does not, at this stage of the game, disclose
the playing cards that have been dealt to him.
[0006] Each one of the players is then required to decide, in turn,
whether to continue with his participation in the turn of the game
(that is, to "play"), or to terminate his participation in the turn
(that is, to "fold"), as a function of the playing cards in his
initial hand. Any player who decides to fold does not participate
any longer in the turn of the game. If all participating players
decide to fold, the turn of the game terminates. The first player
to decide to play is required to make an opening wager on the turn
of the game. Any other player who subsequently also decides to play
in the turn of the game is required to match or to increase
("raise") the size of the opening wager. When the size of the
opening wager is raised, players who have made prior opening wagers
are required to top up their wagers to match the size of the
largest opening wager made by any player who has elected to play in
the turn of the game. This phase of the turn of the game continues
until every player who desires to play in that turn has made an
equivalent opening wager.
[0007] All the wagers made by each of the players are accumulated
in a single jackpot ("the pot").
[0008] At this stage of the game, each player who has decided to
play may, in turn, then decide to retain (that is, to "hold") any
number of the cards in his initial hand. Once a player has decided
which, if any, of the five cards to hold, the player may then
"draw", in which the remaining cards of the initial hand are
discarded and are replaced by an equivalent number of further cards
dealt by the dealer from the deck of playing cards. This phase of
the game will be referred to, for convenience, as the drawing
phase. If the player does not hold any of the cards, in his initial
hand, he is then effectively dealt an entirely new hand of five
cards at the drawing phase of the game. On the other hand, if a
particular player holds all of the five cards in his initial hand,
he does not participate in the drawing phase, but still continues
to play in the turn of the game.
[0009] Once the drawing phase of the game has been completed, each
player evaluates the five cards he has accumulated in the manner
described above in order to determine whether they contain any one
of a number of desirable combinations of playing cards. The
desirability of any combination of playing cards is inversely
proportional to the probability of being dealt that particular
combination of cards.
[0010] After completion of the drawing phase of a turn of the game
and evaluation of the playing cards, all of the players who have
previously decided to play in the particular turn of the game are
then again required to decide, in turn, as a function of the
playing cards they have accumulated in the manner described above,
whether to continue playing or to fold. Any player who decides to
fold does not participate any further in the particular turn of the
game and forfeits all wagers he has made in that turn. The first
player who makes an opening wager may, if he decides to play, make
a supplementary wager on the turn of the game. Any other player who
also decides to play is required to match or to raise the size of
the supplementary wager. Players who have previously made
supplementary wagers are required to top up their supplementary
wagers to match the size of the largest supplementary wager. This
phase of the particular turn of the game continues until every
player who has not folded has made an equivalent supplementary
wager. This stage of the game will be referred to, for convenience,
as the supplementary wagering stage.
[0011] The supplementary wagers made by each of the players who
have decided to continue playing in the particular turn of the game
are added to the pot.
[0012] Once the supplementary wagering stage of the turn of the
game has been completed, the players who remain in the game reveal
the playing cards in their hands. The hands are compared, and the
player with the highest-ranking desirable hand wins the accumulated
pot.
[0013] The rules of the game of poker have been described with
particular reference to a variation of the game known as "draw
poker". There are many other variations of the game of poker that
are not germane to the essence of the invention and that will not,
for this reason, be described here in detail.
[0014] It will be appreciated by those skilled in that art that the
game of poker is a zero-sum game insofar as, in each turn of the
game, a gain of the winner is equal to accumulated losses of the
other players in the game. It is, however, also known for a party
who arranges or hosts a game of poker to levy a commission ("a
rake") on the players or on the accumulated jackpot in order to
obtain revenue.
[0015] The game of poker is played at both land-based venues and
on-line, in the latter instance by means of the Internet. Where the
game is played on-line, a software program spawns multiple
instances of the game, each instance being known as a "poker room",
to accommodate players wishing to participate in the game. Thus,
any instance of the game, or poker room, accommodates participating
players who may be geographically remote from each other. The
software program offers the participating players with various
artifices such as, for example, a chat facility, which allow the
players to interact with each other, thereby establishing a sense
of community such as would be found at a game being played at a
land-based venue.
[0016] The game of slots is probably the most popular and widely
played single-player casino game available to players. The most
common game of slots is found in a simple three-reel slot machine.
Each reel of the slot machine has, say, 30 indexed positions, some
or all of which may display a corresponding indicium. A player of
the slot machine is required to place a wager on an outcome of the
casino game by introducing coins, tokens or credit into the slot
machine, which then enables each of the three reels to be spun and
to come to rest at any of the indexed positions. An outcome of the
game is determined as a function of a combination of the three
resulting indexed rest positions. Several outcomes of the game
usually result in the player being awarded corresponding prizes,
one particular outcome causing the player to win a jackpot prize. A
slot machine with the particular characteristics described above
has a jackpot cycle of 27,000, which means that, on average, 27,000
outcomes of the game must be determined in order for the jackpot to
be won by the player.
[0017] The three reel slot machine described above may be a
free-standing electro-mechanical or electronic machine suitable for
use in a land-based venue, or may, alternatively, be an on-line
implementation, where the three reels of the slot machine are
simulated on a display monitor, while an outcome of the game is
derived from a random number generator implemented in software. It
will be appreciated that the game of slots is a single-player game,
unlike the game of poker described above. Although banks of slot
machines may be found in land-based casinos, each player at such a
bank of machines is playing the game individually for himself. An
advantage of such single-player games is that of rapid play and the
immediacy of a result in a turn of a game.
SUMMARY
[0018] In a first aspect, a method is disclosed for facilitating
play of a single-player game on a workstation having a display. The
method includes the steps of:
[0019] (a) sending data from a central server to the workstation
comprising the outcome of a first instance of a single-player game,
the first instance comprising an instance of play of the
single-player game being engaged in via the workstation; and
[0020] (b) sending data from the central server to the workstation
comprising the outcome of a second instance of the single-player
game, the second instance being an instance of play of the
single-player game being engaged in via a second workstation other
than the first workstation;
[0021] whereby the workstation may simultaneously display on its
display the outcomes of play of the instances of the single-player
game being engaged in by both the workstation and the second
workstation.
[0022] As an example, the player at the workstation plays a
single-player game such as video slots. Simultaneously, a player at
another workstation is also playing the same single-player game,
video slots. The central server operates to determine the outcome
of play for both workstations, and sends to the workstation a
datagram including the outcome of play of both workstations. Thus,
the workstation may display both the results of their own instance
of the game (e.g., a set of slot machine reels in a given
position), but also a second slot machine reel showing the outcome
of the second instance of play occurring on the workstation of
another player. In preferred embodiments, the player does not wager
on the outcomes of the instances of play other than their own.
Rather, such other instances of play are displayed for presentation
purposes only.
[0023] The display of multiple instances of single-player games
serves to simulate a real casino experience and enhance a player's
gaming experience. To further simulate the casino experience,
additional features can be provided such as sound effects playable
on the workstation (casino background noise, gaming sounds, machine
sounds, celebratory sounds when another player wins, etc.),
described in detail below, as well as a facility by which the
players may exchange instant messages with each other.
[0024] The method can be extended to displaying the instances of
play of all the workstations in a group of workstations, such as
eight workstations used by eight players. The grouping of the
workstations essentially forms a virtual slot machine bank.
Preferably, datagrams indicating the results of all the instances
of the single-player game in the group are sent to all the
workstations, so that each player may see the results of play of
all the other players in the group, including their own
results.
[0025] In one embodiment, the workstations are general purpose
computing devices which are connected to the central server over a
computer network such as the Internet. In other embodiments, such
as a casino or entertainment center embodiment, the workstations
could be video gaming terminals connected to a central server over
a local area network.
[0026] In one embodiment, the play of all the instances of the
single-player game occurring in a group of workstations is combined
into a multiplayer game, as described in detail below. In other
embodiments, the play is not so combined into a multiplayer
game.
[0027] In another aspect, a central gaming server facilitating play
of a single-player game on a workstation is disclosed. The central
gaming server comprises a processor and a software process coded as
a set of instructions for execution by the processor. The software
process causes the gaming server to perform the following
functions:
[0028] (a) sending data to the workstation comprising the outcome
of a first instance of a single-player game, the first instance
comprising an instance of play of the single-player game being
engaged in via the workstation;
[0029] (b) sending data to the workstation comprising the outcome
of a second instance of the single-player game, the second instance
being an instance of play being engaged in via a second workstation
other than the workstation;
[0030] whereby the workstation may simultaneously display the
results of play of the instances of the single-player game being
engaged in by the workstation and the second workstation.
[0031] In still a further aspect, a gaming workstation (e.g.,
general purpose computer or video gaming terminal) is disclosed
comprising
[0032] 1) a display:
[0033] 2) a processing unit;
[0034] 3) a memory storing a gaming application for execution by
the processing unit,
[0035] wherein the application causes the display to display:
[0036] a) the outcome of a play of a first instance of a
single-player game being engaged in by the gaming workstation;
and
[0037] b) simultaneously with the display a), the outcome of play
of a second instance of the single-player game being engaged in by
a second workstation; and
[0038] 4) a communications interface for receiving datagrams from a
central server containing data indicating the outcome of play of
the first and second instances of the single-player game.
[0039] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments
described above, further aspects and embodiments will become
apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following
detailed descriptions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0040] Embodiments of the invention are described below, by way of
example only, and with reference to the abovementioned drawings, in
which:
[0041] FIG. 1 is functional diagram of a multiplayer gaming
system;
[0042] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the steps required for a player
to participate in a multiplayer game in the multiplayer gaming
system of FIG. 1;
[0043] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the steps required for a
participating player to leave an instance of the multiplayer game
in the multiplayer gaming system of FIG. 1; and
[0044] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the steps required to settle
wagers placed by participating players in the gaming system of FIG.
1;
[0045] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a "Pot Slot" variation of a
multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming system of FIG.
1;
[0046] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a "Pot Slot with Community
Feature" variation of a multiplayer game playable on the
multiplayer gaming system of FIG. 1;
[0047] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a "Winner Take All" variation of
a multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming system of
FIG. 1;
[0048] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a "Community Slot" variation of
a multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming system of
FIG. 1;
[0049] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a "Community Slot--Even
Distribution" variation of a multiplayer game playable on the
multiplayer gaming system of FIG. 1;
[0050] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a "Community Slot--50/50"
variation of a multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming
system of FIG. 1;
[0051] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a "Community Slot--50 Pooled"
variation of a multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming
system of FIG. 1; and
[0052] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a "Best of 5" variation of a
multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming system of FIG.
1;
[0053] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a "Chicken" variation of a
multiplayer game playable on the multiplayer gaming system of FIG.
1.
[0054] FIG. 14 is a screen shot displayed on a gaming workstation
showing a listing of available banks of video slots which the
player can join.
[0055] FIG. 15 is a screen shot of the play in one of the video
slot banks, wherein two players are currently active. The display
on the workstation shows not only the player's own slot machine
game instance (located in the bottom center of the game area of the
display), but also simultaneously a display of the outcome of a
second instance of the single-player game (slot machine reels on
the right hand of the screen) showing play occurring at a different
workstation. FIG. 16 also illustrates a scrolling display of the
results of the instances of the single-player game and a chat
feature whereby the players may exchange instant messages.
[0056] FIG. 16 is a screen shot of the play in the video slot bank
of FIG. 15, wherein two additional players have joined the slot
bank and there are now four players which are currently active. The
display on the workstation shows not only the player's own slot
machine game instance (located in the bottom center of the game
area of the display), but also simultaneously a display of the
outcome of second, third and fourth instances of the single-player
game occurring on the three other gaming workstations.
[0057] FIG. 17 is an illustration of a screen shot showing multiple
instances of a single-player game in the form of Roulette being
displayed on a gaming workstation.
[0058] FIG. 18 is an illustration of a screen shot showing multiple
instances of a single-player game in the form of Twenty One being
displayed on a gaming workstation; the display also illustrates
other instances being played on the same virtual card table and on
other virtual card tables. The display also shows multiple
instances of other types of single-player games, including slots
and roulette, which may be occurring simultaneously with the play
of the Twenty One games.
[0059] FIG. 19 is an illustration of a datagram generated by the
central gaming server of FIG. 1 and sent to a workstation, the
datagram including the outcomes of multiple instances of
single-player games including instances occurring on other
workstations. In the embodiment of FIG. 19, the datagram includes
sound effects data which is intended to be played on the
workstation to add sound effects to the gaming experience.
[0060] FIG. 20 is an illustration of another form of the datagram
of FIG. 19, showing an alternative form of transmitting sound
effect data.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0061] Overview
[0062] A multiplayer gaming system is described which facilitates a
number of players to each play a separate instance of a
single-player game having a plurality of possible results. The
system includes a central gaming server communicable with each one
of the plurality of gaming workstations. The server is operable to
send data to each workstation whereby the workstation may display
outcomes of multiple instances of the single-player game, including
the game instance being played on the instant workstation as well
as instances of the games currently being played on workstations
used by other players. Examples of such single-player games include
video slots, video roulette, and single-player card games.
[0063] Published PCT application WO 03/093921 A2, published Nov.
13, 2003, which is assigned to the assignee of the present
invention, discloses a system whereby multiple distributed gaming
workstations may engage in gaming activity via a central gaming
server over a computer network such as the Internet. The entire
contents of WO 03/093921 A2 are incorporated by reference herein.
In one embodiment, the methods are implemented in a system of the
type disclosed in the '921 published application.
[0064] One embodiment will be described where the displayed
multiple instances of a single-player game are combined or grouped
in order to allow the players to collectively play a multiplayer
game based on the outcomes of the individual instances of the
single-player game. In other embodiments, the display of other
instances of single-player games are provided for presentation
purposes only, and to further simulate a casino environment, and no
grouping of play into a multiplayer game occurs. The concept of
displaying multiple instances of a single-player game on a gaming
workstation is applicable generally, as will be explained in detail
hereinafter.
[0065] The display of the plurality of instances of single-player
games, including those of other players, emulates a land-based
casino experience, for example the experience one has when in Las
Vegas playing slots in a slot machine bank where one can look over
at other players' slot machines and observe their action. The
display of other instances allows the player to see and participate
vicariously in the gaming action of other players (albeit without
the risk or potential reward), just as in a land-based casino. In
the present disclosure, the display of the multiple instances of
the single-player game may be accompanied by sound effects, such as
casino background noise, machine sounds (e.g., sounds produced by a
slot machine), playing sounds (such as a spinning roulette wheel,
cards being dealt, etc.) and voice sounds including celebratory
sounds when one of the other instances of the game produces a
winning result. As such, the simulated casino experience is further
enhanced.
[0066] Embodiment with Single Player Games Combined into
Multiplayer Game
[0067] Embodiments will be described initially with particular
reference to a multiplayer game that is based on multiple separate
instances of a single-player game of video slots. Later, examples
will be provided where the each player plays their own instance of
the single-player game but there is no grouping of results into a
multiplayer game.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 1, a multiplayer gaming system is
indicated generally by reference numeral (1). The multiplayer
gaming system (1) includes a central gaming server (2), and a
number of portals (3a, 3b) in the form of portal websites on the
World Wide Web of the Internet. In this embodiment, each one of the
portal websites is an online casino website hosted on a
corresponding casino web server (not shown). For convenience, this
particular embodiment of the invention will be described with
particular reference to only two such online casino websites (3a,
3b). Each one of the online casino websites (3a, 3b) is accessible
by a would-be video slots player (not shown) through a player
gaming workstation (4) in the form of an Internet-enabled computer
workstation having a display monitor (5) and an associated pointing
device (5a) such as a mouse or, alternatively, a touchpad. In this
embodiment, online casino website (3a) is shown as having one
computer workstation (4) logically connected thereto, whereas
casino website (3b) is shown as being logically connected to two
computer workstations (4). It will be appreciated by those skilled
in the art that such online casino websites (3a, 3b) can be
logically connected to any desired number of such computer
workstations (4) simultaneously, which number is physically limited
only by considerations of processing power and Internet access
bandwidth.
[0069] The apparatus (1) includes, further, an administration
facility (12) in the form of an application web server, which is
communicable with the gaming server (2) along a communication
network (9). The detailed operation of the application web server
(12) will be outlined in the description that follows.
[0070] The gaming server (2), the online casino web servers (not
shown) corresponding to the online casino websites (3a, 3b), the
computer workstations (4) and the application web server (12) are
capable of communicating with each other by means of an open
communication network that is, in this embodiment, the Internet.
The Internet is represented in FIG. 1 as separate logical
communication networks (6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11). The particular
networking topology used and presence of intermediate networks or
switching equipment is not important, and may for example make use
of intervening communications network such as the public switched
telephone network, cable networks, cellular wireless networks,
WiFi, etc.
[0071] The application web server (12) operates a clearing account
facility (13) that has a clearing account corresponding to each one
of the online casino websites (3a, 3b). Analogously, each online
casino website (3a, 3b) includes a corresponding credit account
facility (14a, 14b) with a credit account corresponding to each
player who participates in a game offered by the online casino. In
the illustrated embodiment, therefore, the credit account facility
(14a) has one player credit account associated with it, while
credit account facility (14b) has two associated, but separate,
player credit accounts.
[0072] The gaming server (2) operates under control of a stored
server program (not shown) capable of enabling a predetermined
number, say 8, of players to play an instance of a multiplayer game
that will be referred to, for convenience, as "multiplayer slots".
When the number of players reaches this predetermined maximum
number, the server program causes a further instance of the game of
multiplayer slots to be initiated, the new instance of the
multiplayer slots game also being capable of accommodating a
further 8 players. In this manner, the gaming server is capable,
under stored server program control, to spawn as many separate
instances of the game of multiplayer slots as required in order to
accommodate a pool of players who desire to play the multiplayer
slots game, in groups of a maximum of 8. Each instance of the
multiplayer slots game spawned in this manner is treated as totally
independent of the other instances of the game.
[0073] The online casino websites (3a, 3b) enable a player who
desires to join the game of multiplayer slots to request, by means
of one of the computer workstations (4), participation in the game
and, once admitted to an instance of the multiplayer slots game, to
place a wager on a turn of that instance of the game. Each
participating player in an instance of the game is presented with
an identical graphical user interface ("GUI") on his respective
computer workstation (4) by a separate stored program (not shown)
in the workstation. The GUI presents to the player, on the display
monitor (5), a display of the reels of a three-reel video slots
game. It will be appreciated that the game of video slots is, as is
well known in the art, essentially a single-player game. The GUI
also presents to the player a display of up to seven further sets
of reels of a three-reel video slots game. These further sets of
reels correspond to the instances of the single-player video slots
game played by the other participating players in the particular
instance of the multiplayer slots game. The other players in the
same instance of the multiplayer game use these additional sets of
reels only for presentation purposes in order that each
participating player can follow the progress of all the instances
of the video slots games played. The GUI clearly distinguishes a
player's own set of reels, i.e., instance of the single-player
game, from those of the other participating players. Each set of
reels is identified by a corresponding name, which might be a name
assumed by the participating player for participation in the
multiplayer slots game, or the participating player's own name.
[0074] The stored workstation program (not shown) also enables a
participating player to place a wager on a turn of the multiplayer
slots game, while the application web server (12) is capable of
determining whether any wager placed by any participating player on
a turn of the game is successful or unsuccessful according to the
rules of the multiplayer game. The stored program in the gaming
server (2) also maintains a dynamic register (16) of all players
admitted to, and actively participating in, all the spawned
instances of the multiplayer slots game from time to time, together
with data representative of a corresponding portal (3a, 3b) through
which each participating player accessed the multiplayer slots
game. The dynamic register (16) also contains data representative
of an instance of the multiplayer game in which the player is
participating. The application web server (12) also settles the
wagers of the participating players after completion of every turn
of any instance of the multiplayer game.
[0075] Each computer workstation (4) may take the form of a
conventional personal computer operating under a Windows XP, ME,
2000 or other operating system, which is well known and
commercially available from the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,
Wash., USA., or other operating system such as provided by Apple
Computer or a Linux operating system. The gaming server (2)
operates for example under the Windows NT operating system. The
stored workstation program (not shown) and the corresponding stored
server program will be referred to, for convenience, as a client
process and a server process, respectively. The server process
generates one or more random events that determine the outcome of
the multiplayer slots game, such as determining the outcomes of
spins of the reels in the various single-player video slots games
of the participating players. The client process of any particular
computer workstation (4) obtains the result of the random events
from the gaming server (2), along the communication network (9) and
displays the outcome of the game on the display monitor (5) of the
workstation in an intelligible manner, by causing the player's set
of slots reels to spin and to come to rest at a position
corresponding to the outcome. In order to play the game of
multiplayer slots from any particular computer workstation (4), the
client process (not shown) must first be downloaded to that
computer workstation from the gaming server (2) or, alternatively
from a separate web server (not shown), and then installed on the
workstation.
[0076] In use, a player wishing to participate in the game of
multiplayer slots uses a computer workstation (4) to access an
online casino website (3a, 3b) of his choice. A flow diagram
outlining the steps required in order for a player to participate
in an instance of the game is indicated in FIG. 2. The player is
presented with an icon (not shown) on the GUI on his computer
workstation (4), which the user can activate in order to request
participation in the multiplayer slots game. The user's request for
participation (100) is passed by the online casino website (3a, 3b)
to the gaming server (2), which adjudicates and processes the
request in the following manner: [0077] 1. if all existing
instances of the multiplayer slots game are currently being played
by 8 players, the existing instances of the game are all fully
occupied and the would-be player cannot be admitted to any instance
of the game (101). The user is notified of the situation and
prompted to join a waiting list of would-be players (102); [0078]
2. if any one of the existing instances of the multiplayer slots
game does have a vacancy, the would-be player is admitted to that
instance of the game (103) or, if previously on the waiting list,
is removed therefrom and admitted to that instance of the game. An
appropriate multiplayer slots GUI is presented to the
newly-admitted player (at 104) to allow him to play the game and to
place wagers thereon; [0079] 3. the register of active
participating players is updated (at 105) to include the details of
the newly-admitted player, together with data representative of the
online casino from which the player was admitted to the game, as
well as the particular instance of the game to which he has been
admitted; [0080] 4. when the waiting list of would-be players has
grown sufficiently large, say 4 or 5 would-be players (106), the
gaming server spawns a new instance of the game (107) to
accommodate the would-be players in the waiting list, and the list
is flushed (108); and [0081] 5. the register of active
participating players is updated (105) to include the details of
all the newly-admitted players in the newly-spawned instance of the
game, together with data representative of the online casino from
which the players were admitted to the instance of the game, as
well as the particular instance of the game to which the players
have been admitted.
[0082] Any player is able to leave the instance of the multiplayer
slots game in which he is participating at any time upon completion
of a turn of that instance of the game. A flow diagram outlining
the steps required for a player to leave an existing instance of
the game is outlined in FIG. 3. When a participating player leaves
an instance of the multiplayer slots game (200), the player's
departure results in the system (1) undertaking the following
actions: [0083] 1. the GUI corresponding to the multiplayer slots
game on the computer workstation is replaced by one allowing the
player to select another casino game to play (201); [0084] 2. the
departing player's details are removed from the register of active
participating players (202); and [0085] 3. the remaining instances
of the game are analyzed in order to collapse any sparsely
populated instances of the game and to consolidate the
participating players in these instances into a single more
densely-populated instance of the game (203).
[0086] The participating players in any instance of the game all
place wagers on a turn of the multiplayer slots game, as described
above. Once the turn of the multiplayer slots game has been
completed, the application web server (12) determines which of the
participating players is the winner of the turn according to the
rules of the game and settles the wagers placed by the
participating players on that turn of the instance of the game as
follows, as indicated in FIG. 4: [0087] 1. an online casino website
(3a, 3b) associated with each participating player who has made a
wager on the turn of the multiplayer game notifies the gaming
server (2), at (300). Each of the online casino websites (3a, 3b)
then debits the individual credit account of its associated player
by an amount equivalent to the magnitude of that player's wager
(301); [0088] 2. the clearing account of an online casino website
(3a, 3b) associated with each player who has made a wager on the
turn of the game is then debited by an amount equivalent to the
magnitude of that player's corresponding wager (302); [0089] 3. the
clearing account of an online casino website (3a, 3b) associated
with the player who has made the successful wager (303) on the turn
of the game is credited by an amount equivalent to the total of all
the wagers inclusive of the successful wager (304); and [0090] 4.
the gaming server (2) also notifies the online casino website (3a,
3b) associated with the successful player (305) and that online
casino website credits the individual credit account of the
successful player by an amount equivalent to the total of all the
wagers inclusive of the successful wager (306).
[0091] The rules of the multiplayer game are outlined below,
according to different variations of the game:
[0092] 1. "Pot Slot" Variation [0093] a flow diagram outlining the
steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is outlined in FIG.
5; [0094] each player wagers a same amount, say $x, on a turn of
the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are accumulated in an
accumulation account ("the pot"). With eight participating players,
the pot will be $8x; [0095] once the participating players have all
wagered, the sets of slot reels of all the participating players in
the instance of the game spin in sequence, while being visible to
all players;
[0096] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
points values: TABLE-US-00001 Result Points 3 .times. Blue 7 1000 3
.times. Red 7 80 3 .times. Any 7 40 3 .times. Bar3 30 3 .times.
Bar2 20 3 .times. Bar1 10 3 .times. Cherry 10 3 .times. Any Bar 5
Any 2 Cherry 5 Any 1 Cherry 2
[0097] the participating player whose result corresponds to the
highest points value wins the pot; [0098] if there are two or more
participating players whose results correspond to the highest
points value, the outcome of the turn of the multiplayer game is a
tie. Similarly, if there is no participating player who obtains a
successful result, the outcome of the turn of the multiplayer game
is a tie; [0099] in the event of a tie, the pot is carried over
("carryover") to the next turn of the multiplayer game; [0100] in
the event of a carryover, each participating player is required to
wager a further $x, which is added to the pot; [0101] the
participating player whose result corresponds to the highest points
value wins the pot; [0102] the pot is carried over a maximum of
five times; [0103] after the fifth carryover, in the event of a
further tie, the pot is shared equally between the players whose
results correspond to the highest points values.
[0104] 2. "Pot Slot with Community Feature" Variation [0105] a flow
diagram outlining the steps of this variation of the multiplayer
game is outlined in FIG. 6;
[0106] this variation is the same as the Pot Slot variation of the
multiplayer game outlined above with the exception that, in the
event of any player obtaining a successful result that is one of
the top three outcomes, each participating player unconditionally
wins a payout according to the following pay table: TABLE-US-00002
Result Winning Player Remaining Players 3 .times. Blue 7 $3000 $500
each 3 .times. Red 7 $500 $50 each 3 .times. Any 7 $50 $5 each
[0107] the contest for the pot continues independently of the above
payouts, as described above.
[0108] 3. "Winner Take All" Variation [0109] a flow diagram
outlining the steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is
outlined in FIG. 7; [0110] each player wagers a same amount, say
$x, on a turn of the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are
accumulated in a remuneration pool. With eight participating
players, the remuneration pool will be $8x; [0111] once the
participating players have all wagered, the set of slot reels of
all the participating players in the instance of the game spin in
sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0112] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
payouts: TABLE-US-00003 Result Payout 3 .times. Blue 7 $1000 3
.times. Red 7 $80 3 .times. Any 7 $40 3 .times. Bar3 $30 3 .times.
Bar2 $20 3 .times. Bar1 $10 3 .times. Cherry $10 3 .times. Any Bar
$5 Any 2 Cherry $5 Any 1 Cherry $2
[0113] the payouts corresponding to all successful results are
accumulated in a prize pool and the participating player with the
highest-paying successful result wins the prize pool; [0114] if
there are two or more participating players with the same
highest-paying successful results, the outcome of the turn of the
multiplayer game is a tie. Similarly, if there is no participating
player who obtains a successful result, the outcome of the turn of
the multiplayer game is a tie; [0115] in the event of a tie, the
prize pool is carried over to the next turn of the multiplayer
game; [0116] in the event of a carryover, each participating player
is required to wager a further $x, which is added to the
remuneration pool, and payouts of all successful results in the
carryover spin are accumulated in the prize pool; [0117] the
participating player with the highest-paying successful result in
the carryover spin wins the prize pool; [0118] there is a maximum
of five consecutive carryovers; [0119] after the fifth carryover,
in the event of a further tie, the prize pool is shared equally
between the players with the highest paying successful results;
[0120] the remuneration pool is paid over to an operator of the
multiplayer gaming apparatus in order to fund the payouts won by
the participating players.
[0121] 4. "Community Slot" Variation [0122] a flow diagram
outlining the steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is
outlined in FIG. 8; [0123] each player wagers a same amount, say
$x, on a turn of the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are
accumulated in a remuneration pool. With eight participating
players, the remuneration pool will be $8x; [0124] once the
participating players have all wagered, the sets of slot reels of
all the participating players in the instance of the game spin in
sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0125] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
payouts: TABLE-US-00004 Result Payout 3 .times. Blue 7 $10000 3
.times. Red 7 $80 3 .times. Any 7 $40 3 .times. Bar3 $30 3 .times.
Bar2 $20 3 .times. Bar1 $10 3 .times. Cherry $10 3 .times. Any Bar
$5 Any 2 Cherry $5 Any 1 Cherry $2
[0126] any player obtaining a successful result wins the
corresponding payout, with the exception of the maximum payout,
which is divided equally among all the participating players.
[0127] the remuneration pool is paid over to an operator of the
multiplayer gaming apparatus in order to fund the payouts won by
the participating players.
[0128] 5. "Community Slot--Even Distribution" Variation [0129] a
flow diagram outlining the steps of this variation of the
multiplayer game is outlined in FIG. 9; [0130] each player wagers a
same amount, say $x, on a turn of the multiplayer game. All the
player wagers are accumulated in a remuneration pool. With eight
participating players, the remuneration pool will be $8x; [0131]
once the participating players have all wagered, the sets of slot
reels of all the participating players in the instance of the game
spin in sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0132] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
payouts: TABLE-US-00005 Result Payout 3 .times. Blue 7 $10000 3
.times. Red 7 $80 3 .times. Any 7 $40 3 .times. Bar3 $30 3 .times.
Bar2 $20 3 .times. Bar1 $10 3 .times. Cherry $10 3 .times. Any Bar
$5 Any 2 Cherry $5 Any 1 Cherry $2
[0133] the payouts corresponding to all successful results are
accumulated in a prize pool and the prize pool is divided equally
among the participating players; [0134] the remuneration pool is
paid over to an operator of the multiplayer gaming apparatus in
order to fund the payouts won by the participating players.
[0135] 6. "Community Slots--50/50" Variation [0136] a flow diagram
outlining the steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is
outlined in FIG. 10; [0137] each player wagers a same amount, say
$x, on a turn of the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are
accumulated in a remuneration pool. With eight participating
players, the remuneration pool will be $8x; [0138] once the
participating players have all wagered, the sets of slot reels of
all the participating players in the instance of the game spin in
sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0139] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
payouts: TABLE-US-00006 Results Payout 3 .times. Blue 7 $10000 3
.times. Red 7 $80 3 .times. Any 7 $40 3 .times. Bar3 $30 3 .times.
Bar2 $20 3 .times. Bar1 $10 3 .times. Cherry $10 3 .times. Any Bar
$5 Any 2 Cherry $5 Any 1 Cherry $2
[0140] the payouts corresponding to all successful results are
accumulated in a prize pool. If there is only one participating
player with a successful result, that player wins 50% of the prize
pool, while the balance is divided equally between the remaining
participating players. If there are two participating players with
successful results, those players each win 35% of the prize pool,
while the remaining 30% of the pool is divided equally between the
remaining participating players. If there are three or more
participating players with successful results, the prize pool is
divided equally between the winning players only; [0141] the
remuneration pool is paid over to an operator of the multiplayer
gaming apparatus in order to fund the payouts won by the
participating players.
[0142] 7. "Community Slot--50 Pooled" Variation [0143] a flow
diagram outlining the steps of this variation of the multiplayer
game is outlined in FIG. 11; [0144] each player wagers a same
amount, say $x, on a turn of the multiplayer game. All the player
wagers are accumulated in a remuneration pool. With eight
participating players, the remuneration pool will be $8x; [0145]
once the participating players have all wagered, the sets of slot
reels of all the participating players in the instance of the game
spin in sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0146] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
payouts: TABLE-US-00007 Result Payout 3 .times. Blue 7 $10000 3
.times. Red 7 $80 3 .times. Any 7 $40 3 .times. Bar3 $30 3 .times.
Bar2 $20 3 .times. Bar1 $10 3 .times. Cherry $10 3 .times. Any Bar
$5 Any 2 Cherry $5 Any 1 Cherry $2
[0147] half the payout attributable to a successful result is
awarded to the corresponding participating player, while the
balance is accumulated in a prize pool, which is divided equally
among all the participating players; [0148] the remuneration pool
is paid over to an operator of the multiplayer gaming apparatus in
order to fund the payouts won by the participating players.
[0149] 8. "Best of 5" Variation [0150] a flow diagram outlining the
steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is outlined in FIG.
12; [0151] each player wagers a same amount, say $x, on a turn of
the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are accumulated in a
pot. With eight participating players, the pot will be $8x; [0152]
once the participating players have all wagered, the sets of slot
reels of all the participating players in the instance of the game
spin in sequence, while being visible to all players;
[0153] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
point values: TABLE-US-00008 Result Points 3 .times. Blue 7 1000 3
.times. Red 7 80 3 .times. Any 7 40 3 .times. Bar3 30 3 .times.
Bar2 20 3 .times. Bar1 10 3 .times. Cherry 10 3 .times. Any Bar 5
Any 2 Cherry 5 Any 1 Cherry 2
[0154] each participating player is entitled to five turns of the
single-player slots game; [0155] a player accumulates points
corresponding to all successful results obtained during the five
turns of the single-player slots game; [0156] when each
participating player has completed their respective five turns, the
player with the highest accumulated points value wins the pot;
[0157] if there are two or more participating players with the same
highest accumulated points value, the outcome of the turn of the
multiplayer game is a tie; [0158] in the event of a tie, the pot is
shared equally between the players with the highest accumulated
points values.
[0159] 9. "Chicken" Variation [0160] a flow diagram outlining the
steps of this variation of the multiplayer game is outlined in FIG.
13; [0161] each player wagers a same amount, say $x, on a turn of
the multiplayer game. All the player wagers are accumulated in a
pot. With eight participating players, the pot will be $8x; [0162]
each participating player is entitled to three turns of the
single-player slots game, which make up a single turn of the
multiplayer game; [0163] once the participating players have all
wagered, the sets of slot reels of all the participating players
spin simultaneously in the first turn of the single-player game,
while not being visible to all players;
[0164] successful results of a reel spin are awarded the following
points values: TABLE-US-00009 Result Points 3 .times. Blue 7 1000 3
.times. Red 7 80 3 .times. Any 7 40 3 .times. Bar3 30 3 .times.
Bar2 20 3 .times. Bar1 10 3 .times. Cherry 10 3 .times. Any Bar 5
Any 2 Cherry 5 Any 1 Cherry 2
[0165] in the second turn of the single-player game, each player is
required to take one of three actions, namely to "Quit", or to
"Bet", as follows: [0166] "Quit"--the participating player
withdraws from the game and forfeits his prior wager; [0167]
"Bet"--the participating player survives and makes an additional
wager of $1.50, and re-spins his reel set; [0168] in the third turn
of the single-player game, each player who has not previously Quit
is again required to Quit or to Bet, as described above; [0169] the
surviving player with a highest-ranking successful result wins the
pot; [0170] if there are two or more surviving players with the
same highest-ranking successful results, the outcome of the turn of
the multiplayer game is a tie; [0171] in the event of a tie, the
pot is shared equally between surviving players with the same
highest-ranking successful result.
[0172] 10. "Free Spins" Variation [0173] each reel of the
single-player slots game contains an indicium referred to as a
"free spins" symbol (not shown); [0174] when this indicium occurs
in a result of a player's turn of the multiplayer slots game, the
result is deemed to be a bonus result and the player is permitted
to enter the next turn of the multiplayer game free of charge,
without the necessity of first placing a wager. Alternatively, that
participating player's wager on the next turn of the multiplayer
game is funded by the operator of the multiplayer gaming
apparatus.
[0175] The wagers placed by the players participating in the
multiplayer slots game are made with credit purchased by such
players prior to their participation in the game. For this purpose,
each online casino (3a, 3b) includes credit-dispensing means (not
shown) capable of dispensing credit to any player who wishes to
participate in the game. The player may purchase credit by means of
conventional credit or debit card payment facilities that are well
known in the art and which will not be described here in detail.
Whenever a player purchases credit from the credit-dispensing
means, the corresponding online casino (3a, 3b) credits that
player's credit account with an amount equivalent to the quantity
of credit purchased by the player.
[0176] The above embodiment of the invention does not provide any
compensation for an operator of the multiplayer gaming system (1)
who provides the participating players with a facility to play the
multiplayer slots game, or for the online casino websites (3a, 3b)
that make their players available to the gaming server (2) for
establishment of the multiplayer slots game. In a variation of the
above embodiment, the application web server (12) withholds a
portion of the pot or, alternatively, a fixed amount, on each turn
of the multiplayer slots game as a rake for the benefit of the
operator of the gaming server (2) and the online casino websites
(3a, 3b). A portion of the rake is credited to the clearing account
of each online casino (3a, 3b) as a function of the proportion of
players participating in the instance of the multiplayer game
through that particular casino website. In this variation of the
embodiment, the clearing account of the casino (3a, 3b) associated
with the player who has made a successful wager on the turn of the
game is credited with an amount equivalent to the total of all the
wagers inclusive of the successful wager, less the amount of the
rake. Analogously, the credit account of the player who has made
the successful wager is credited by an amount equivalent to the
total of all the wagers inclusive of the successful wager, less the
rake.
[0177] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the
above embodiments permits implementation of a multiplayer game out
of separate instances of a traditionally single-player game played
by each one of a plurality of players. This is achieved by
combining an adjudication process together with the separate
instances of the single-player game that provides for the
determination of a winner, or joint winners, of the multiplayer
game as a function of the individual outcomes of the multiple
separate instances of the single-player game.
[0178] The resulting multiplayer game is an exciting one that can
cause emotions of the participating players to swing widely. For
example, when a player obtains a high-ranking successful outcome
during a turn of the multiplayer game, his desire is that all
subsequent players obtain unsuccessful or lower-ranking outcomes
that will not affect that player's chance of winning the turn of
the multiplayer game. If, on the other hand, a subsequent
participating player obtains a better outcome, then the preceding
player's desire will change to one that another player will obtain
a matching result, thereby resulting in a carryover that will
provide the first player with another chance of winning the turn of
the multiplayer game.
[0179] It will be further appreciated that such an arrangement
where players from several online casino websites (3a, 3b) are
pooled for the purpose of establishing a multiplayer game requires
the use of a clearing account facility to manage and process the
flow of credit between the various online casinos from which the
pool of players are drawn.
[0180] Numerous modifications are possible to this embodiment.
Foremost, the single-player game on which the multiplayer game is
based may be a different game, such as video poker, for example, or
roulette. The single-player game of video poker has a hierarchy of
successful outcomes and may be used in place of video slots without
any substantial changes to the rules of the multiplayer game
described above. Every participating player starts an instance of
the single-player video poker game with an identical hand and each
player is required to decide which cards to hold in his own hand.
Roulette is different in that there is no hierarchy of outcomes but
can, nevertheless, be used as the underlying single-player game by
providing each participating player with a same initial stake, and
selecting the winner of the multiplayer game to be the player who
registers the greatest increase, or smallest loss, of initial stake
in a turn of the game of roulette. Each player views the outcomes
of the other instances of the single-player game that the player is
grouped with.
[0181] Further, other variations to the rules of the multiplayer
game are possible, other than those described above. For example,
the "Community Slot" variation can be altered to provide that the
payouts corresponding to the three highest-ranking successful
results are divided equally among all the participating players,
instead of only the maximum payout. Additionally, the "Best of 5"
variation may be modified to provide that a winner of a turn of the
multiplayer slots game is not the player with a highest accumulated
points value over five turns of the single-player slots game, but
rather the winner who obtains a highest-ranking successful result
in any of the five turns of the single-player slots game. Finally,
the "Chicken" variation may be modified to provide a player with
three choices in the second and third turns of the single-player
game, namely Quit, Bet and Raise. Under the Bet option, the
participating player survives by making an additional wager of
$1.50, but does not re-spin his reel set. In the Raise option, the
participating player survives by making an additional wager of
$3.00 and is entitled to re-spin his reel set.
[0182] Still further, the multiplayer gaming system (1) need not be
an on-line embodiment as described above, but may, for example, be
an embodiment suitable for deployment in a land-based establishment
such as a casino. In this instance, the multiplayer gaming system
(1) may be deployed as a bank of adjacent player stations, such as
in the form of video terminals, each linked to the administration
facility (12) by means of a local area network.
[0183] Yet further, it is also possible to determine the winner or
winners of a turn of the multiplayer game in a different manner to
that described above. For instance, the gaming server (2) generates
a first random number between 1 and 8, which represents a number of
winners of the turn of the multiplayer game. This is followed by a
random selection from among the participating players, of a group
of players equal in number to the first random number generated by
the gaming server (2). This group of participating players
constitutes the individuals who are the winners of the particular
turn of the game. Although this method of selecting a winner or
winners of the turn of the game is not based strictly on the
results of separate instances of a game of video slots, the user
interface and simulation presented to the participating players may
still be in the form of a video slots game as described above. For
variations of the multiplayer game that involve carryovers, the
gaming server (2) can generate a second random number which
represents the number of ties in the particular turn of the
multiplayer game that will occur in the simulations of the
participating players. As an alternative, the winner or winners may
be determined by reversing the above procedure, namely by first
randomly selecting the number of ties and then randomly selecting
the number of winners in each turn of the multiplayer game.
[0184] It is not necessary or essential that the gaming server (2)
maintain a waiting list of would-be players from which players are
admitted to vacant playing positions in existing instances of the
multiplayer game, and according to which new instances of the
multiplayer game are spawned when all existing instances are fully
occupied. As an alternative, a desired number of instances of the
game may be spawned ab initio, with players able to enter and leave
any instance of the multiplayer game at will, thereby dispensing
with the waiting list altogether. It is also not necessary for
separate sparsely-populated instances of the multiplayer game to be
collapsed to consolidate participating players in these instances
of the game into a single more densely-populated instance of the
multiplayer game. Sparsely populated instances of the multiplayer
game function as effectively as fully populated ones. The online
casino websites (3a, 3b) need not offer the players other casino
games for play.
[0185] Additionally, each spawned instance of the multiplayer game,
or slots room, may be uniquely named, with naming rights being
awarded to participating players who are deemed to be high rollers,
thus increasing the attractiveness of the system (1) to prospective
players. A high roller may also rent one or more slots rooms from
an operator of the multiplayer gaming system (1), with revenue
arising from the slots rooms being shared between the operator and
the high roller. This mode of operation provides an incentive to
the high roller to promote his slots rooms and to create virtual
slots communities in order to maximise revenue therefrom.
[0186] It is also possible for the highest-ranking outcome of the
single-player game to be linked to a payout that is a progressive
jackpot, incremented by a proportion of each player wager.
[0187] Still further, the functions of the gaming server (2) and
the application web server (12) may be consolidated and performed
by a single processor. The application web server (12) can be
arranged to monitor the individual credit account balances of the
participating players at the online casino websites (3a and 3b) and
to cause the gaming server (2) to terminate participation in the
game of any player whose credit account balance drops below a
predetermined minimum threshold. Yet further, the administration
facility may also require each clearing account associated with an
on-line casino website to exceed a prescribed minimum balance at
all times, and for the administration facility (12) to terminate
participation in the game of all players who have accessed the game
through an online casino website whose associated account balance
falls below the prescribed minimum balance. Yet further, the credit
dispensing means (not shown) may be a centralized credit dispensing
means, instead of a distributed one available through each online
casino website (3a, 3b). Finally, a portal need not be an online
casino website where a variety of different games are offered to a
player, but rather a slots room where multiplayer slots is the only
game available to would-be players.
[0188] The embodiment disclosed above enables implementation of
multiplayer games, such as those mentioned above, which are based
on traditionally single-player games, drawing and pooling players
from different, possibly competing, entities such as online casinos
or other groups such as sports betting organizations and the like.
The illustrated embodiment performs dynamic load management by
spawning new instances of the multiplayer game and collapsing and
merging sparsely populated instances of the game to accommodate
changing levels of player demand.
[0189] The above embodiment therefore provides a novel apparatus
and method for establishing and conducting the progress of a
multiplayer game that is based on multiple instances of a
traditionally single-player game played by each one of a plurality
of players.
[0190] Examples, Including Examples without Grouping of Instances
into a Multiplayer Game
[0191] FIG. 14 is a screen shot displayed on the display (400) of a
gaming workstation (4) when they have logged into a casino website
(3)(FIG. 1). The display shows two tabs (402) and (404). The tab
(402) contains a listing of virtual card tables. When the user
clicks on tab (402) the display changes to display a list of
virtual card tables currently active and one can select table
wherein the player can join other players at a virtual card table
and play a single-player game in the form of the Black Jack, also
known as Twenty One.
[0192] Tab (404) has been selected in FIG. 14. Tab (404) contains a
listing of the names of banks of video slots wherein multiple
players are grouped together and play video slots. Each bank of
slots (406) has it own name and statistics, such as chip size
(minimum wager), number of current players in the bank, and whether
any players are waiting to join the bank. In the example of FIG.
14, there are twelve available banks of slots (406) displayed, each
one displayed on a separate line. Each bank consists of a virtual
grouping of instances of play occurring on up to eight different
workstations. In other words, each workstation plays a separate
instance of a video slots game, but all the players are grouped
together such that each player views the action occurring on each
of the other instances in the group (up to eight in this example).
The action of the players can be grouped together such that the
outcomes are combined into a multiplayer game as described above.
Alternatively, the players can simply play their own slot machine
and not have their play grouped with others to play a multiplayer
game; however, the reels of the other players are presented anyhow
to simulate a casino experience.
[0193] The STANDARD, COMMUNITY and POT fields in the left hand side
of the display denote different categories of games that are
available for play. The STANDARD field contains three flavours of a
slot game, namely Double Magic, Fantastic 7s, and High 5, all of
which are played as a single player game, but in which each
workstation displays the play of other independent instances of the
single player game by other players at other workstations, as
explained herein. The COMMUNITY category has the same three
flavours of the slot game, but the independent instances of the
single player game are combined, displayed and played as
multiplayer games according to the "Community Slot" variation
described above. The POT category has the same three flavours of
the slot game, played as multiplayer games according to the "Pot
Slot" variation described above.
[0194] In the present example of FIG. 14, the player has placed
their cursor over the slot bank (408) given the title "Tom Keane."
The upper right potion of the display (410) shows the aliases of
the five players that are currently playing in the "Tom Keane" slot
bank. Each player is operating a separate computer gaming
workstation. The players need not all be registered with the same
casino web site. In particular, they could be registered via any
casino web site that communicates with the central gaming server
(2) and can be logically grouped by the central gaming server into
players playing at a given slot bank.
[0195] The icons in the lower portion of the display (412) include
a LOGIN icon (414) by which a user may register their workstation
with the central gaming server so as to be able to play. The GO TO
TABLE ICON (416) when activated, allows a registered user to join
the play in the selected slot bank. The WAITING LIST icon (418),
when activated, places the user on the waiting list to join a
selected slot bank.
[0196] Consider the situation where the user selects the BONNIE
slot bank of FIG. 14 with their cursor and activates the GO TO
TABLE ICON (416). FIG. 15 shows the resulting display. As shown in
FIG. 15, the display (400) includes a display of eight total slot
machine reels (420). Six of them are shown as being "greyed out",
meaning that they are currently not being used. There are two slot
machines that are currently active, the reels (422) in the bottom
row, center column of the display (the slot machine for the subject
player using the workstation), and the reels (424) in the middle
row on the right, which depicts the outcome of play in a separate
instance of the single-player game. Reels (424) represents action
occurring on a separate workstation. The display of action in reels
(424) is for presentation purposes only and the player operating
the instant workstation does not wager on the outcome of play on
the reels (424). Alternatively, the play at reels (424) and (424)
could be combined into an instance of a multiplayer game as
explained in detail previously in conjunction with FIGS. 5-13.
[0197] Each active slot machine reels set has the player's name (or
screen name) appearing next to the reels. The reels 422 of the
present player includes the player's screen name ("Swimmer12"). The
other active player has a screen name of "LadieLuck". Adjacent to
their name is a number which indicates the balance of the player's
credit account, which is debited by the amount of any wager that
the player makes, and credited by the amount of any payout that the
player receives. LadieLuck has a current credit balance of 880
units.
[0198] The icons at the bottom of the screen provide several
functions.
[0199] The autoplay icon (430) indicates that the game will
automatically spin the slot machine reel after each play without
requiring specific user action. This feature speeds up the
action.
[0200] The icons (432) collectively illustrate the paytable for the
game, i.e., the payout that occurs if any one of the reels (or more
than one reel) has the illustrated winning icon, such as HIGH 5, 7,
BAR 7, etc.
[0201] The icons (434) constitute gaming controls whereby one can
adjust the size of the wager. The SPIN icon (436), when activated,
allows the player to manually control the spin of their slot
machine. The STAND UP icon (438), when activated, allows the player
to leave the slot bank, whereupon their screen reverts to a home
page of the casino they are currently registered with, and their
account is updated to reflect their winnings or losses.
[0202] As each player in the slot machine bank plays, the central
server (2) sends update datagrams indicating the outcome of play,
i.e., of each spin of the slot machine. This is true not only for
the instance of the game being engaged in via the workstation (the
action reflected in slot machine reel (422)); but also for the
reels of the other player(s) currently active in the video slots
bank. Thus, in the example of FIG. 15, the central gaming server
sends data to the workstation comprising the outcome of a second
instance of the single-player game (the result of play of reels
(424), played by LadieLuck), the second instance being an instance
of play of the single-player game being engaged in substantially
simultaneously via a second workstation (workstation used by
LadieLuck). Consequently, as play progresses, the workstation may
simultaneously display on its display the outcomes of play of the
instances of the single-player game being engaged in by both the
instant workstation and the other workstations, as indicated in
FIG. 15.
[0203] In a preferred embodiment, LadieLuck's workstation also
displays her own gaming action as well as the gaming action of
Swimmer12's workstation. In other words, all players in the given
video slots bank view the results of play of their own instance of
the game, as well as the results of play of all the other instances
of the single-player game in the grouping of workstations forming
the video slots bank. Thus, all the players enjoy the same
casino-like experience of watching all the play occurring in the
video slots bank. To achieve this result, the server process
executing in the central gaming server (2) sends datagrams
containing the results of play of all the instances of
single-player games in the group of workstations, and the local
client applications resident on the workstations use such results
in the datagram to present virtual slot machine reels on the
display of the workstation displaying the results.
[0204] FIG. 15 shows another feature of this embodiment--a running
text listing of the results of play. The display includes a window
(450) wherein the results of each spin of a currently active slot
machine are displayed. In the illustrated embodiment, the display
is in a scrolling text form, but other formats are possible. As
will be appreciated from the preceding discussion, the central
gaming server (or the application web server) determines the
results of each turn of all the currently active instances of
single-player games. The players (instances) are grouped into slot
banks, and a list is maintained at the server (2) of each player
(instance) active at each slot bank. It is therefore a simple
matter to construct a datagram that consists of the outcomes of
play each time a player in the group presses SPIN (or uses the
autoplay function to play again) and a new outcome of the instance
of the game is determined. When that happens, datagrams reflecting
the new outcome of play are sent to all the workstations in the
slot bank. The datagrams include the text file with the updated
text for display in the window (450). The datagrams are interpreted
by the client application running locally on the workstation and
the result of play is translated into a graphical display of a
virtual slot machine (reel (424) showing the outcome (464) (e.g.,
Space, Space, Space in the case of reels (424)). The text file is
presented in the window (450).
[0205] FIG. 15 further illustrates a chat or instant messaging
feature that is provided in the display. Any time a player wishes
to send a comment or message to the other players in their slot
bank, they move their cursor to a text dialog box (462) and click,
and type in a message and then hit <ENTER>. The client
application encapsulates the comment in a datagram and then
transmits the datagram to the central gaming server. The central
gaming server inserts the comment into the scrolling text file that
contains the results of play. The datagram with the scrolling text
file is transmitted to all the workstations in the slots bank. The
local client application displays the text file (including the
instant message) in the text listing window (450). For example,
Swimmer12 entered the comment "Nice Play!" (464). Of course,
instant messages could be displayed in another format or in another
window, such as a window directed solely to instant messages, if
desired.
[0206] To further simulate a casino environment, in addition to
seeing the play of the other slot machines and provide a facility
for chatting back and forth, the illustrated embodiment further may
optionally provide for sound effects. In particular, the server
process transmits data to the workstations associated with sound
effects that are intended to be played on the workstation. The
sound effects can consist of sound files, such as .wav files (or
some other compressed or uncompressed sound file format, the
details of which are not important), or as one or more bits or
flags that indicate which of previously stored available sound
effects files should be played on the workstation. In the latter
example, at some prior point in time the workstation will have
downloaded a set of sound files and stored them locally on the hard
disk memory of the workstation. Then, when a given flag is
received, the gaming application executing on the workstation will
select a specific audio file from the set and have it played by a
media application present on the workstation.
[0207] There are a variety of possible sound effects that can be
provided to the workstations. These include sound simulating casino
background noise (e.g., faint music, talking, game sounds, etc.,)
which could be recorded from an actual casino. Another sound could
be sound simulating operation of a gaming machine, such as spinning
or other machine sounds that are made by a typical slot machine in
a land-based casino, or the sound of a roulette wheel spinning,
etc. As a further example, the sound could consist of background
sounds associated with the play of the games, such as the sounds of
cards hitting a table, sounds of game play occurring at adjacent
tables or of other players speaking at the same table or a distant
table, e.g., "raise", "hit me", "fold". As a further example, the
sound could simulate a voice reaction related to an outcome of the
play of the single-player game being engaged in at one of the other
workstations. For example, if a player won at slots, the central
server could send a datagram containing celebratory sounds, hooting
and hollering, cheers, etc. The voice reaction could be
commensurate with the amount of the win, for example. The vocal
sound effects could be in either male or female voice, depending on
the sex of the player that won.
[0208] Considering the total cumulative effect of the sound
effects, the instant messaging feature, and the visual display of
multiple player's gaming activity simultaneous with the player's
own game playing, the total gaming experience provided in this
disclosure is significantly enhanced.
[0209] FIG. 16 is a screen shot of games occurring in the video
slot banks, wherein two additional players have joined the slot
bank of FIG. 15 and there are now four players which are currently
active. Each player's slot machine reel is lit up and their screen
name is presented immediately above the slot machine reels--Swimmer
12, Patty 66, Ganbade, and GailM. The display on the workstation
shows not only the player's own slot machine game instance 422
(located in the bottom right of the game area of the display), but
also simultaneously a display of the outcome of second, third and
fourth instances of the single-player game occurring on the three
other gaming workstations, as indicated by the reels (470), (472)
and (474). As before, the window (450) on the right hand side of
the display shows the results of each instance of the single-player
game, e.g., in a scrolling text format.
[0210] Note further that when any of the players has a winning
event, that event is shown superimposed over that player's reel.
For example GailM (reel (470)) won 60 units. When the central
gaming server sent the datagram to the instant workstation to show
this result, the datagram may have also included a bit that prompts
the local application program to execute a .wav file for
celebratory cheers since there was a winner. The win is also
reflected on the scrolling game results display at (476).
[0211] As noted above, the above concepts of display of multiple
instances of single-player games can be extended to other
single-player games. FIG. 17 is an illustration of a screen shot
showing multiple instances of a single-player game in the form of
Roulette being displayed on a gaming workstation. Each instance is
shown by a separate Roulette wheel (500), with wheel 502 being the
wheel for the play on the instant workstation. When one of the
wheels has a winning event, the central server can include data to
reflect the winning event, such as superimposing the size of the
win (an example of which is shown in FIG. 16), or, in this
instance, causing the winning roulette wheel (500A) to flash. In
the example of FIG. 17, each instance of Roulette takes the form of
a separate wheel. In a less preferred embodiment, it is possible to
combine each separate instance of play of Roulette into a single
wheel and to "spin the wheel" (determine the outcome) when all bets
are placed. The embodiment of separate wheels as shown in FIG. 17
would allow the game to proceed at each player's own pace without
waiting. As in the case of the other embodiment of FIG. 15, this
example includes the chat/instant message box (462) and the
scrolling results display window (450).
[0212] FIG. 18 is an illustration of a screen shot showing multiple
instances of a single-player card game in the form of Twenty One
being displayed on a gaming workstation. In the example of FIG. 18,
there are a total of six play positions (602), (604), (606), (608),
(610) and (612) at the virtual card table 600. The positions
correspond to the gaming activity of, from left to right, player 1,
player 2, the instant player using the workstation in the Figure,
and player 3, player 4 and player 5, respectively. Each player is
dealt virtual cards (620) and plays against the dealer according to
the rules of the game. The display includes control icons (432),
the running results display window (450) and the chat/instant
message entry box (462).
[0213] In this embodiment, the workstation also displays other
instances of single-player games being played on other virtual card
tables. These card tables are shown at (630). The display also
shows multiple instances of other types of single-player games,
including slots being played in a slot bank (632), and roulette
(634). Such play occurs substantially simultaneously on other
workstations at the same time the player is playing Twenty One on
the virtual card table (600). The screen preferably provides icons
(such as the names of the slot bank, virtual table, or roulette
wheel), by which the player can toggle over to get details on the
play in the other card tables and join the play.
[0214] The inclusion of a variety of different types of
single-player games, along with pertinent background sounds,
machine sounds, game play sounds, voice reactions to wins, etc.,
further simulates the casino environment and generates player
interest. The simultaneous display of outcome of play in the other
types of single-player games may stimulate the player to experiment
and play other types of games. For example, if one of the slot
machines in the slot machine bank (632) gets "hot", the player may
exit from the Twenty One table and proceed to the slot machine bank
(632) and start playing slots.
[0215] The display of FIG. 18 may further include icons for hiding
one or more of the other instances of single-player games in the
event that the player finds them of no interest or a
distraction.
[0216] FIG. 19 is an illustration of a datagram (700) generated by
the central gaming server (2) of FIG. 1 and sent to a workstation
to facilitate the display of outcomes from multiple instances of
single-player games. The datagram includes a field (702) for
headers (such as network address headers, UDP, TCP/IP headers,
etc.) related to network transmission functionality and identifying
the type or content of the datagram. The datagram further includes
a field (704) results for the instance of play associated with the
workstation which is receiving the datagram (Swimmer12's
workstation in the example of FIG. 15). The results in field (704),
e.g., data indicating that the turn of the game produced a Space,
Bar and a Cherry, are passed to the local client application
executing on the workstation which then causes the GUI to display
the results, as explained above.
[0217] The datagram further includes the field (706) for results of
play of a second player's workstation. Such information is
displayed on the display of the workstation, e.g., in the example
of LadieLuck's slot machine reels in FIG. 16. Additional fields
(708) are provided as necessary for containing the results of play
of other instances of the single-player game that are presented on
the display.
[0218] Field (710) contains a .wav file that indicates sound
effects to be played on the workstation.
[0219] Field (712) contains a text file containing the content of
the scroll field in FIGS. 15-18.
[0220] Field (714) is used for other data, if necessary.
[0221] FIG. 20 is an illustration of another form of the datagram
of FIG. 19, showing an alternative form of transmitting sound
effect data. Whereas in FIG. 19 individual .wav files were sent for
play locally, the embodiment of FIG. 20 includes a field (710)
wherein a bit or flag is set indicating which of previously stored
sound files should be provided to the media player application for
presentation on the workstation. More than one bit or flag could be
set, indicating that more than one type of sound effect is intended
to be generated. For example, the bits may dictate that the media
application is prompted to play both the casino sound effects sound
file plus a celebratory sound file due to data in the field (706)
indicating that that game instance had a winning result.
[0222] From the above discussion, it will be appreciated that a
method of facilitating play of a single-player game on a
workstation having a display has been described. The method
comprises the steps of:
[0223] (a) sending data (e.g., via the datagram of FIG. 19 or 20)
from a central server (2) to the workstation (4) comprising the
outcome of a first instance of a single-player game, the first
instance comprising an instance of play of the single-player game
being engaged in via the workstation (4)(e.g. the results shown in
reel 422 of FIG. 16); and
[0224] (b) sending data (e.g. via the datagram of FIG. 19 or 20)
from the central server (2) to the workstation comprising the
outcome of a second instance of the single-player game, the second
instance being an instance of play of the single-player game being
engaged in via a second workstation other than the first
workstation (e.g., the results shown in LadieLuck's reel (424) in
FIG. 15);
[0225] whereby the workstation (4) may simultaneously display on
its display the outcomes of play of the instances of the
single-player game being engaged in by both the workstation and the
second workstation (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 15-18).
[0226] In the illustrated embodiment, first workstation and the
second workstation comprise computing devices connected to the
central server over a computer network, as shown in FIG. 1.
However, in other embodiments the workstations could comprise video
gaming terminals at a site such as a land-based casino, and the
central gaming server could supply data to the workstations over a
local area network.
[0227] In the illustrated embodiments, the first and second
instances of the single-player game occur substantially
simultaneously, albeit on different workstations. The workstations
are in communication with the central gaming server (2) and the
results of play are determined by the central gaming server.
[0228] While FIG. 15 shows an example of a workstation GUI showing
the outcomes of two instances of play, the method can be extended
to additional instances, in which case the method further comprises
the step of sending data from the central server to the workstation
comprising the outcome of a third instance of the single-player
game, the third instance being an instance of play of the
single-player game being engaged in by a third workstation other
than the first workstation and the second workstation whereby the
workstation may display the outcomes of the first, second and third
instances of the single-player game. For example, as shown in FIG.
16, the central server sends a datagram to the workstation
including the results of play of third and fourth instances of
single-player games (video slots), and such results are displayed
on the workstation.
[0229] As noted above, the first and second workstations can be
grouped into a virtual game room (e.g., slots bank, roulette bank,
card table, etc.) where the single-player game is played. In such
embodiment, datagrams representing the outcome of the play
occurring on the workstation and the second (or further)
workstations are transmitted to all of the workstations. Such
workstations may display substantially simultaneously the outcome
of play of all the instances of the single-player game being
grouped in the virtual game room.
[0230] As explained in conjunction with FIGS. 5-13, the first and
second instances of the single-player game can be combined into a
multiplayer game composed, at least in part, of the outcomes of the
first and second instances of the single-player game. As explained
in conjunction with FIGS. 14-16, this is not necessary in other
embodiments. The display of other instances of the single-player
game is preferably provided for display purposes only to simulate a
casino experience. In the situation where the players are grouped
into a multiplayer game based on multiple instances of a
single-player game, the display of the other instances helps the
player track the results of play and fully participate in the
multiplayer game.
[0231] In the preferred embodiments, the first and second instances
of play occur substantially simultaneously, and the method further
comprises the step of sending data comprising the outcome of the
first and second instances of the single-player game to the second
workstation, whereby both the workstation and the second
workstation may both display the results of play of the instances
of the single-player game occurring on both the workstation and the
second workstation.
[0232] Gaming Server Embodiment
[0233] In the illustrated embodiments, a central server (2) is
provided for facilitating play of a single-player game on a
workstation (4). The server (2) includes a processor and a software
process coded as a set of instructions for execution by the
processor. The software process has been described herein in terms
of the functions performed by the gaming server. In particular, the
gaming server performs the following functions:
[0234] (a) sending data to the workstation (4) comprising the
outcome of a first instance of a single-player game, the first
instance comprising an instance of play of the single-player game
being engaged in via the workstation (see FIG. 15, reel (422));
[0235] (b) sending data to the workstation comprising the outcome
of a second instance of the single-player game (FIG. 15, reel
(424)), the second instance being an instance of play being engaged
in via a second workstation other than the first workstation;
[0236] whereby the workstation (4) may simultaneously display the
results of play of the instances of the single-player game being
engaged in by the workstation and the second workstation.
[0237] The term "central gaming server" is intended to be broadly
construed as any computing platform that is in communication with
workstations (either directly or indirectly), which functions to
send data to workstations providing the outcomes of single-player
games for the purpose of facilitating the workstations to generate
appropriate displays. The central gaming server may incorporate
functionality of an administrative server performing account
clearing functions, or other functions, such as a web page server,
registration functions, authorization functions, random event
generation for determining outcomes of games, etc.
[0238] Gaming Workstation
[0239] In a still further aspect, a gaming workstation (4) has been
described comprising:
[0240] 1) a display (5)(FIG. 1):
[0241] 2) a processing unit (not shown, conventional CPU); and
[0242] 3) a memory (e.g., hard disk) storing a gaming application
(e.g., client application disclosed herein) for execution by the
processing unit. The gaming application causes the display to
display a) the outcome of a play of a first instance of a
single-player game being engaged in by the gaming workstation; and
b) simultaneously with the display a), the outcome of play of a
second instance of the single-player game being engaged in by a
second workstation, as shown in FIGS. 15-18.
[0243] The gaming workstation further comprises 4) a communications
interface for receiving datagrams from a central server (2)
containing data indicating the outcome of play of the first and
second instances of the single-player game. The communications
interface in one embodiment comprises an Internet connection and
the gaming workstation comprises a general purpose computing
device. In another embodiment, the communications interface
comprises a local area network connection and wherein the gaming
workstation comprises a video gaming terminal.
[0244] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have
been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize
certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations
thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended
claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include
all such modifications, permutations, additions and
sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.
* * * * *