U.S. patent application number 12/166255 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for player selectable gaming volatility.
This patent application is currently assigned to ACRES-FIORE, INC.. Invention is credited to John F. Acres.
Application Number | 20100004047 12/166255 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41464797 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100004047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Acres; John F. |
January 7, 2010 |
PLAYER SELECTABLE GAMING VOLATILITY
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming
devices having player selectable gaming volatility and methods of
implementing selectable volatility for player use on a gaming
device. In one embodiment, a gaming device includes a player
interface panel including at least one gaming button for placing a
wager on a gaming event, a gaming display to show an output of the
gaining event, and a volatility device configured to set a
volatility level of the gaming event in response to a player
input.
Inventors: |
Acres; John F.; (Corvallis,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARGER JOHNSON & MCCOLLOM, P.C.
210 SW MORRISON STREET, SUITE 400
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Assignee: |
ACRES-FIORE, INC.
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
41464797 |
Appl. No.: |
12/166255 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/20 ; 463/25;
463/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3244
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/20 ; 463/42;
463/25 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A gaming device comprising: a player interface panel including
at least one gaming button, the gaming button configured to allow a
player to place a wager on a gaming event; a gaming display to show
an output of the gaming event; and a volatility device, wherein the
volatility device is configured to set a volatility level of the
gaming event in response to a player input.
2. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a volatility
menu to display a plurality of volatility levels selectable by the
player.
3. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the volatility menu is
displayed on the gaming display.
4. The gaming device of claim 2, wherein the volatility menu is
displayed on a secondary display.
5. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a player
identifying device, wherein the volatility device is configured to
set the volatility level of the gaming event in response to
receiving a player identification.
6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein the volatility device is
further configured to display a volatility option to an identified
player, the volatility option including a default gaming volatility
level and a custom selectable gaming volatility level for the
gaming event.
7. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising a volatility
display to show a set volatility level.
8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the volatility display
includes an alphanumeric meter display.
9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the volatility device is
configured to set the volatility level of the gaming event by
selecting one of a plurality of predetermined paytables.
10. A gaming system comprising: a gaming server; a player database
connected to the gaming server, the player database configured to
store player preferences associated with identified players; a
gaming device connected to the gaming server, the gaming device
including a volatility device configured to set a volatility level
of a gaming event according to a player preference associated with
an indentified player wagering on an outcome of the gaming event at
the gaming device.
11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the gaming device
further includes a player identification device to identify the
player wagering on the outcome of the gaming event at the gaming
device.
12. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the gaming device
further includes a display to show the set volatility level
associated with the player preference.
13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the gaming device is
configured to update the volatility level associated with the
player preference in response to a player input.
14. A gaming device comprising: a gaming processor to operate base
game events and bonus events on the gaming device in response to
wagers placed by a player; a player interface panel including a
plurality of gaming buttons, wherein at least one of the gaming
buttons is configured to initiate a base game event in response to
a player input; a gaming display to show an output of the base game
event; and a volatility device configured to set a volatility level
of the base game event by loading one of a plurality of
predetermined paytables to the gaming processor.
15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is
configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables
in response to a player selection.
16. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is
configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables
in accordance with a stored player preference associated with the
player.
17. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the volatility device is
configured to load one of the plurality of predetermined paytables
in response to a gaming condition.
18. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the gaming condition
includes an amount wagered on the base game event.
19. The gaming device of claim 17, wherein the gaming condition
includes results of recent base game events.
20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the gaming condition
includes a determination of whether a prize has been awarded in a
predetermined number of previous base game events.
21. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:
displaying an amount of credits available to wager on a gaming
event at the gaming device; determining a selected volatility level
for the gaming event; identifying a selected paytable from a
plurality of paytables, the selected paytable associated with the
selected volatility level; loading the selected paytable; receiving
a wager of a portion of the credits available from a player on the
gaming event; and utilizing the selected paytable to determine
prizes awarded based on an outcome of the gaming event.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving a player
input to change the volatility level of the gaming event prior to
determining the selected volatility level.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining a selected
volatility level for the gaming event comprises: displaying a
volatility menu including a plurality of selectable volatility
levels; and receiving a player input to select one of the plurality
of volatility levels.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein determining a selected
volatility level for the gaming event comprises: displaying a
default volatility level; and receiving at least one player input
to increase or decrease the default volatility level to the
selected volatility level.
25. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining whether
the player has been identified to the gaming device prior to
determining the selected volatility level.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a selected
volatility level for the gaming event comprises identifying a
preferred volatility level associated with the player when the
player has been identified to the gaming device.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein determining a selected
volatility level for the gaming event comprises selecting a default
volatility level when the player has not been identified to the
gaming device.
28. The method of claim 21, further comprising tracking gaming
conditions prior to determining the selected volatility level.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining a selected
volatility level for the gaming event comprises identifying the
volatility level based on the tracked gaming conditions.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein tracking gaming conditions
includes tracking coin-in amounts for previous gaming events
wagered upon by the player.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein tracking gaming conditions
includes tracking a hit frequency for previous gaming events
wagered upon by the player.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to gaming devices, and
more particularly to gaming devices having player selectable gaming
volatility and methods of implementing selectable volatility for
player use on a gaming device.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Conventionally, gaming devices include a memory that houses
one or more predetermined paytables utilized during game play
operations on the gaming devices. These predetermined paytables are
generally set by game designers prior to the manufacture or
placement in the field of the gaming device. The paytable and reel
strip layouts determine the payback percentage of the game and the
volatility of winning combinations appearing during game play.
[0003] Low volatility games may frequently hit winning symbol
combinations that provide an award to the player, but many of these
awards are quite small to compensate for the relatively high hit
frequency. In gaming devices that allow multiple lines to be played
during each game (e.g., a 20 line game), the hit frequency of these
low volatility games may be further increased. Often times,
however, when multiple lines are played an award for a minor symbol
combination occurring on one or only a few of the paylines will
return a total award that is less in amount than the amount wagered
on the game. For example, a player playing a 20 line game at one
credit per line may hit a two symbol winning combination that
occurs on two paylines, but only pays two credits for each winning
payline. Thus, for a 20 credit wager, the player is only awarded
four credits.
[0004] High volatility games typically have lower hit frequencies
than low volatility games, but the awards for winning combinations
tend to be much larger than winning combinations on lower
volatility games. One way to increase the volatility of a game is
to remove all two symbol pays (since they occur more frequently
than 3, 4, or 5 symbol pays), but provide higher awards for the 3,
4, and 5 symbol pays. Although higher volatility games do not hit a
winning combination as frequently, when they do hit a winning
symbol combination, the award is usually relatively
substantial.
[0005] Some players that enjoy the reassurance of hitting frequent
winning combinations often prefer lower volatility machines. On the
other hand, players that prefer larger awards when they achieve a
winning combination, and do not care as much about the frequency of
the winning combination occurrences, often prefer higher volatility
games. As mentioned above, however, with conventional gaming
devices, the volatility of a game on a gaming device is typically
fixed during the design of the game. Thus, if a player has a gaming
theme preference that does not coincide with his or her preferred
volatility that is designed into that game as implemented on a
gaming device, the player may be forced to play a different game or
be uncomfortable with the volatility of the game in order to enjoy
the specific gaming theme.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram that illustrates a
gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0007] FIG. 1B is an isometric view of the gaming device
illustrated in FIG. 1A.
[0008] FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are detail diagrams of exemplary types
of gaming devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of networked gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a function block diagram that illustrates a gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a detail diagram of an exemplary gaming display of
a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are flow diagrams of exemplary
methods of operating a gaming device according to embodiments of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate example gaming devices according
to embodiments of the invention.
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a gaming device 10 is an
electronic gaming machine. Although an electronic gaming machine or
"slot" machine is illustrated, various other types of devices may
be used to wager monetarily based credits on a game of chance in
accordance with principles of the invention. The term "electronic
gaming device" is meant to include various devices such as
electromechanical spinning-reel type slot machines, video slot
machines, and video poker machines, for instance. Other gaming
devices may include computer-based gaming machines, wireless gaming
devices, multi-player gaming stations, modified personal electronic
gaming devices (such as cell phones), personal computers,
server-based gaming terminals, and other similar devices. Although
embodiments of the invention will work with all of the gaming types
mentioned, for ease of illustration the present embodiments will be
described in reference to the electronic gaming machine 10 shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B.
[0015] The gaming device 10 includes a cabinet 15 housing
components to operate the gaming device 10. The cabinet 15 may
include a gaming display 20, a base portion 13, a top box 18, and a
player interface panel 30. The gaming display 20 may include
mechanical spinning reels (FIG. 2A), a video display (FIGS. 2B and
2C), or a combination of both spinning reels and a video display
(not shown). The gaming cabinet 15 may also include a credit meter
27 and a coin-in or bet meter 28. The credit meter 27 may indicate
the total number of credits remaining on the gaming device 10 that
are eligible to be wagered. In some embodiments, the credit meter
27 may reflect a monetary unit, such as dollars. However, it is
often preferable to have the credit meter 27 reflect a number of
`credits,` rather than a monetary unit. The bet meter 28 may
indicate the amount of credits to be wagered on a particular game.
Thus, for each game, the player transfers the amount that he or she
wants to wager from the credit meter 27 to the bet meter 28. In
some embodiments, various other meters may be present, such as
meters reflecting amounts won, amounts paid, or the like. In
embodiments where the gaming display 20 is a video monitor, the
information indicated on the credit meters may be shown on the
gaming display itself 20 (FIG. 2B).
[0016] The base portion 13 may include a lighted panel 14, a coin
return (not shown), and a gaming handle 12 operable on a partially
rotating pivot joint 11. The game handle 12 is traditionally
included on mechanical spinning-reel games, where the handle may be
pulled toward a player to initiate the spinning of reels 22 after
placement of a wager. The top box 18 may include a lighted panel
17, a video display (such as an LCD monitor), a mechanical bonus
device (not shown), and a candle light indicator 19. The player
interface panel 30 may include various devices so that a player can
interact with the gaming device 10.
[0017] The player interface panel 30 may include one or more game
buttons 32 that can be actuated by the player to cause the gaming
device 10 to perform a specific action. For example, some of the
game buttons 32 may cause the gaming device 10 to bet a credit to
be wagered during the next game, change the number of lines being
played on a multi-line game, cash out the credits remaining on the
gaming device (as indicated on the credit meter 27), or request
assistance from casino personnel, such as by lighting the candle
19. In addition, the player interface panel 30 may include one or
more game actuating buttons 33. The game actuating buttons 33 may
initiate a game with a pre-specified amount of credits. On some
gaming devices 10 a "Max Bet" game actuating button 33 may be
included that places the maximum credit wager on a game and
initiates the game. The player interface panel 30 may further
include a bill acceptor 37 and a ticket printer 38. The bill
acceptor 37 may accept and validate paper money or previously
printed tickets with a credit balance. The ticket printer 38 may
print out tickets reflecting the balance of the credits that remain
on the gaming device 10 when a player cashes out by pressing one of
the game buttons 32 programmed to cause a `cash out.` These tickets
may be inserted into other gaming machines or redeemed at a cashier
station or kiosk for cash.
[0018] The gaming device 10 may also include one or more speakers
26 to transmit auditory information or sounds to the player. The
auditory information may include specific sounds associated with
particular events that occur during game play on the gaming device
10. For example, a particularly festive sound may be played during
a large win or when a bonus is triggered. The speakers 26 may also
transmit "attract" sounds to entice nearby players when the game is
not currently being played.
[0019] The gaming device 10 may further include a secondary display
25. This secondary display 25 may be a vacuum fluorescent display
(VFD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a
plasma screen, or the like. The secondary display 25 may show any
combination of primary game information and ancillary information
to the player. For example, the secondary display 25 may show
player tracking information, secondary bonus information,
advertisements, or player selectable game options.
[0020] The gaming device 10 may include a separate information
window (not shown) dedicated to supplying any combination of
information related to primary game play, secondary bonus
information, player tracking information, secondary bonus
information, advertisements or player selectable game options. This
window may be fixed in size and location or may have its size and
location vary temporally as communication needs change. One example
of such a resizable window is International Game Technology's
"service window". Another example is Las Vegas Gaming
Incorporated's retrofit technology which allows information to be
placed over areas of the game or the secondary display screen at
various times and in various situations.
[0021] The gaming device 10 includes a microprocessor 40 that
controls operation of the gaming device 10. If the gaming device 10
is a standalone gaming device, the microprocessor 40 may control
virtually all of the operations of the gaming devices and attached
equipment, such as operating game logic stored in memory (not
shown) as firmware, controlling the display 20 to represent the
outcome of a game, communicating with the other peripheral devices
(such as the bill acceptor 37), and orchestrating the lighting and
sound emanating from the gaming device 10. In other embodiments
where the gaming device 10 is coupled to a network 50, as described
below, the microprocessor 40 may have different tasks depending on
the setup and function of the gaming device. For example, the
microprocessor 40 may be responsible for running the base game of
the gaming device and executing instructions received over the
network 50 from a bonus server or player tracking server. In a
server-based gaming setup, the microprocessor 40 may act as a
terminal to execute instructions from a remote server that is
running game play on the gaming device.
[0022] The microprocessor 40 may be coupled to a machine
communication interface (MCI) 42 that connects the gaming device 10
to a gaming network 50. The MCI 42 may be coupled to the
microprocessor 40 through a serial connection, a parallel
connection, an optical connection, or in some cases a wireless
connection. The gaming device 10 may include memory 41 (MEM), such
as a random access memory (RAM), coupled to the microprocessor 40
and which can be used to store gaming information, such as storing
total coin-in statistics about a present or past gaming session,
which can be communicated to a remote server or database through
the MCI 42. The MCI 42 may also facilitate communication between
the network 50 and the secondary display 25 or a player tracking
unit 45 housed in the gaming cabinet 15.
[0023] The player tracking unit 45 may include an identification
device 46 and one or more buttons 47 associated with the player
tracking unit 45. The identification device 46 serves to identify a
player, by, for example, reading a player-tracking device, such as
a player tracking card that is issued by the casino to individual
players who choose to have such a card. The identification device
46 may instead, or additionally, identify players through other
methods. Player tracking systems using player tracking cards and
card readers 46 are known in the art. Briefly summarizing such a
system, a player registers with the casino prior to commencing
gaming. The casino issues a unique player-tracking card to the
player and opens a corresponding player account that is stored on a
server or host computer, described below with reference to FIG. 3.
The player account may include the player's name and mailing
address and other information of interest to the casino in
connection with marketing efforts. Prior to playing one of the
gaming devices in the casino, the player inserts the player
tracking card into the identification device 46 thus permitting the
casino to track player activity, such as amounts wagered, credits
won, and rate of play.
[0024] To induce the player to use the card and be an identified
player, the casino may award each player points proportional to the
money or credits wagered by the player. Players typically accrue
points at a rate related to the amount wagered, although other
factors may cause the casino to award the player various amounts.
The points may be displayed on the secondary display 25 or using
other methods. In conventional player tracking systems, the player
may take his or her card to a special desk in the casino where a
casino employee scans the card to determine how many accrued points
are in the player's account. The player may redeem points for
selected merchandise, meals in casino restaurants, or the like,
which each have assigned point values. In some player tracking
systems, the player may use the secondary display 25 to access
their player tracking account, such as to check a total number of
points, redeem points for various services, make changes to their
account, or download promotional credits to the gaming device 10.
In other embodiments, the identification device 46 may read other
identifying cards (such as driver licenses, credit cards, etc.) to
identify a player and match them to a corresponding player tracking
account. Although FIG. 1A shows the player tracking unit 45 with a
card reader as the identification device 46, other embodiments may
include a player tracking unit 45 with a biometric scanner, PIN
code acceptor, or other methods of identifying a player to pair the
player with their player tracking account.
[0025] During typical play on a gaming device 10, a player plays a
game by placing a wager and then initiating a gaming session. The
player may initially insert monetary bills or previously printed
tickets with a credit value into the bill acceptor 37. The player
may also put coins into a coin acceptor (not shown) or a credit,
debit or casino account card into a card reader/authorizer (not
shown). One of skill in the art will readily see that this
invention is useful with all gambling devices, regardless of the
manner in which wager value-input is accomplished.
[0026] The credit meter 27 displays the numeric credit value of the
money inserted dependent on the denomination of the gaming device
10. That is, if the gaming device 10 is a nickel slot machine and a
$20 bill inserted into the bill acceptor 37, the credit meter will
reflect 400 credits or one credit for each nickel of the inserted
twenty dollars. For gaming devices 10 that support multiple
denominations, the credit meter 27 will reflect the amount of
credits relative to the denomination selected. Thus, in the above
example, if a penny denomination is selected after the $20 is
inserted the credit meter will change from 400 credits to 2000
credits.
[0027] A wager may be placed by pushing one or more of the game
buttons 32, which may be reflected on the bet meter 28. That is,
the player can generally depress a "bet one" button (one of the
buttons on the player interface panel 30, such as 32), which
transfers one credit from the credit meter 27 to the bet meter 28.
Each time the button 32 is depressed an additional single credit
transfers to the bet meter 28 up to a maximum bet that can be
placed on a single play of the electronic gaming device 10. The
gaming session may be initiated by pulling the gaming handle 12 or
depressing the spin button 33. On some gaming devices 10, a "max
bet" button (another one of the buttons 32 on the player interface
panel 30) may be depressed to wager the maximum number of credits
supported by the gaming device 10 and initiate a gaming
session.
[0028] If the gaming session does not result in any winning
combination, the process of placing a wager may be repeated by the
player. Alternatively, the player may cash out any remaining
credits on the credit meter 27 by depressing the "cash-out" button
(another button 32 on the player interface panel 30), which causes
the credits on the credit meter 27 to be paid out in the form of a
ticket through the ticket printer 38, or may be paid out in the
form of returning coins from a coin hopper (not shown) to a coin
return tray.
[0029] If instead a winning combination (win) appears on the
display 20, the award corresponding to the winning combination is
immediately applied to the credit meter 27. For example, if the
gaming device 10 is a slot machine, a winning combination of
symbols 23 may land on a played payline on reels 22. If any bonus
games are initiated, the gaming device 10 may enter into a bonus
mode or simply award the player with a bonus amount of credits that
are applied to the credit meter 27.
[0030] FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate exemplary types of gaming devices
according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A illustrates an
example spinning-reel gaming machine 10A, FIG. 2B illustrates an
example video slot machine 10B, and FIG. 2C illustrates an example
video poker machine 10C.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 2A, a spinning-reel gaming machine 10A
includes a gaming display 20A having a plurality of mechanical
spinning reels 22A. Typically, spinning-reel gaming machines 10A
have three to five spinning reels 22A. Each of the spinning reels
22A has multiple symbols 23A that may be separated by blank areas
on the spinning reels 22A, although the presence of blank areas
typically depends on the number of reels 22A present in the gaming
device 10A and the number of different symbols 23A that may appear
on the spinning reels 22A. Each of the symbols 22A or blank areas
makes up a "stop" on the spinning reel 22A where the reel 22A comes
to rest after a spin. Although the spinning reels 22A of various
games 10A may have various numbers of stops, many conventional
spinning-reel gaming devices 10A have reels 22A with twenty two
stops.
[0032] During game play, the spinning reels 22A may be controlled
by stepper motors (not shown) under the direction of the
microprocessor 40 (FIG. 1A). Thus, although the spinning-reel
gaming device 10A has mechanical based spinning reels 22A, the
movement of the reels themselves is electronically controlled to
spin and stop. This electronic control is advantageous because it
allows a virtual reel strip to be stored in the memory 41 of the
gaming device 10A, where various "virtual stops" are mapped to each
physical stop on the physical reel 22A. This mapping allows the
gaming device 10A to establish greater awards and bonuses available
to the player because of the increased number of possible
combinations afforded by the virtual reel strips.
[0033] A gaming session on a spinning reel slot machine 10A
typically includes the player pressing the "bet-one" button (one of
the game buttons 32A) to wager a desired number of credits followed
by pulling the gaming handle 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B) or pressing the spin
button 33A to spin the reels 22A. Alternatively, the player may
simply press the "max-bet" button (another one of the game buttons
32A) to both wager the maximum number of credits permitted and
initiate the spinning of the reels 22A. The spinning reels 22A may
all stop at the same time or may individually stop one after
another (typically from left to right) to build player
anticipation. Because the display 20A usually cannot be physically
modified, some spinning reel slot machines 10A include an
electronic display screen in the top box 18 (FIG. 1B), a mechanical
bonus mechanism in the top box 18, or a secondary display 25 (FIG.
1A) to execute a bonus.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 2B, a video gaming machine 10B may include
a video display 20B to display virtual spinning reels 22B and
various other gaming information 21B. The video display 20B may be
a CRT, LCD, plasma screen, or the like. It is usually preferable
that the video display 20B be a touchscreen to accept player input.
A number of symbols 23A appear on each of the virtual spinning
reels 22B. Although FIG. 2B shows five virtual spinning reels 22B,
the flexibility of the video display 20B allows for various reel
22B and game configurations. For example, some video slot games 10B
spin reels for each individual symbol position (or stop) that
appears on the video display 20B. That is, each symbol position on
the screen is independent of every other position during the gaming
sessions. In these types of games, very large numbers of pay lines
or multiple super scatter pays can be utilized since similar
symbols could appear at every symbol position on the video display
20B. On the other hand, other video slot games 10B more closely
resemble the mechanical spinning reel games where symbols that are
vertically adjacent to each other are part of the same continuous
virtual spinning reel 22B.
[0035] Because the virtual spinning reels 22B, by virtue of being
computer implemented, can have almost any number of stops on a reel
strip, it is much easier to have a greater variety of displayed
outcomes as compared to spinning-reel slot machines 10A (FIG. 2A)
that have a fixed number of physical stops on each spinning reel
22A.
[0036] With the possible increases in reel 22B numbers and
configurations over the mechanical gaming device 10A, video gaming
devices 10B often have multiple paylines 24 that may be played. By
having more paylines 24 available to play, the player may be more
likely to have a winning combination when the reels 22B stop and
the gaming session ends. However, since the player typically must
wager at least a minimum number of credits to enable each payline
24 to be eligible for winning, the overall odds of winning are not
much different, if at all, than if the player is wagering only on a
single payline. For example, in a five line game, the player may
bet one credit per payline 24 and be eligible for winning symbol
combinations that appear on any of the five played paylines 24.
This gives a total of five credits wagered and five possible
winning paylines 24. If, on the other hand, the player only wagers
one credit on one payline 24, but plays five gaming sessions, the
odds of winning would be identical as above: five credits wagered
and five possible winning paylines 24.
[0037] Because the video display 20B can easily modify the image
output by the video display 20B, bonuses, such as second screen
bonuses are relatively easy to award on the video slot game 10B.
That is, if a bonus is triggered during game play, the video
display 20B may simply store the resulting screen shot in memory
and display a bonus sequence on the video display 20B. After the
bonus sequence is completed, the video display 20B may then
retrieve the previous screen shot and information from memory, and
re-display that image.
[0038] Also, as mentioned above, the video display 20B may allow
various other game information 21B to be displayed. For example, as
shown in FIG. 2B, banner information may be displayed above the
spinning reels 22B to inform the player, perhaps, which symbol
combination is needed to trigger a bonus. Also, instead of
providing a separate credit meter 27 (FIG. 1A) and bet meter 28,
the same information can instead be displayed on the video display
20B. In addition, "soft buttons" 29B such as a "spin" button or
"help/see pays" button may be built using the touch screen video
display 20B. Such customization and ease of changing the image
shown on the display 20B adds to the flexibility of the game
10B.
[0039] Even with the improved flexibility afforded by the video
display 20B, several physical buttons 32B and 33B are usually
provided on video slot machines 10B. These buttons may include game
buttons 32B that allow a player to choose the number of paylines 24
he or she would like to play and the number of credits wagered on
each payline 24. In addition, a max bet button (one of the game
buttons 32B) allows a player to place a maximum credit wager on the
maximum number of available paylines 24 and initiate a gaming
session. A repeat bet or spin button 33B may also be used to
initiate each gaming session when the max bet button is not
used.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 2C, a video poker gaming device 10C may
include a video display 20C that is physically similar to the video
display 20B shown in FIG. 2B. The video display 20C may show a
poker hand of five cards 23C and various other player information
21C including a paytable for various winning hands, as well as a
plurality of player selectable soft buttons 29C. The video display
20C may present a poker hand of five cards 23C and various other
player information 21C including a number of player selectable soft
(touch-screen) buttons 29C and a paytable for various winning
hands. Although the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3C shows only
one hand of poker on the video display 20C, various other video
poker machines 10C may show several poker hands (multi-hand poker).
Typically, video poker machines 10C play "draw" poker in which a
player is dealt a hand of five cards, has the opportunity to hold
any combination of those five cards, and then draws new cards to
replace the discarded ones. All pays are usually given for winning
combinations resulting from the final hand, although some video
poker games 10C may give bonus credits for certain combinations
received on the first hand before the draw. In the example shown in
FIG. 2C a player has been dealt two aces, a three, a six, and a
nine. The video poker game 10C may provide a bonus or payout for
the player having been dealt the pair of aces, even before the
player decides what to discard in the draw. Since pairs, three of a
kind, etc. are typically needed for wins, a player would likely
hold the two aces that have been dealt and draw three cards to
replace the three, six, and nine in the hope of receiving
additional aces or other cards leading to a winning combination
with a higher award amount. After the draw and revealing of the
final hand, the video poker game 10C typically awards any credits
won to the credit meter.
[0041] The player selectable soft buttons 29C appearing on the
screen respectively correspond to each card on the video display
20C. These soft buttons 29C allow players to select specific cards
on the video display 20C such that the card corresponding to the
selected soft button is "held" before the draw. Typically, video
poker machines 10C also include physical game buttons 32C that
correspond to the cards in the hand and may be selected to hold a
corresponding card. A deal/draw button 33C may also be included to
initiate a gaming session after credits have been wagered (with a
bet button 32C, for example) and to draw any cards not held after
the first hand is displayed.
[0042] Although examples of a spinning reel slot machine 10A, a
video slot machine 10B, and a video poker machine 10C have been
illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, gaming machines and various other types
of gaming devices known in the art are contemplated and are within
the scope of the invention.
[0043] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating networked gaming
devices according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to
FIG. 3, multiple electronic gaming devices (EGMs) 70, 71, 72, 73,
74, and 75 may be coupled to one another and coupled to a remote
server 80 through a network 50. For ease of understanding, gaming
devices or EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 are generically referred
to as EGMs 70-75. The term EGMs 70-75, however, may refer to any
combination of one or more of EGMs 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75.
Additionally, the gaming server 80 may be coupled to one or more
gaming databases 90. These gaming network 50 connections may allow
multiple gaming devices 70-75 to remain in communication with one
another during particular gaming modes such as tournament play or
remote head-to-head play. Although some of the gaming devices 70-75
coupled on the gaming network 50 may resemble the gaming devices
10, 10A, 10B, and 10C shown in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2C, other coupled
gaming devices 70-75 may include differently configured gaming
devices. For example, the gaming devices 70-75 may include
traditional slot machines 75 directly coupled to the network 50,
banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50, banks of
gaming devices 70 coupled to the network through a bank controller
60, wireless handheld gaming machines 72 and cell phones 73 coupled
to the gaming network 50 through one or more wireless routers or
antennas 61, personal computers 74 coupled to the network 50
through the internet 62, and banks of gaming devices 71 coupled to
the network through one or more optical connection lines 64.
Additionally, some of the traditional gaming devices 70, 71, and 75
may include electronic gaming tables, multi-station gaming devices,
or electronic components operating in conjunction with non-gaming
components, such as automatic card readers, chip readers, and chip
counters, for example.
[0044] Gaming devices 71 coupled over an optical line 64 may be
remote gaming devices in a different location or casino. The
optical line 64 may be coupled to the gaming network 50 through an
electronic to optical signal converter 63 and may be coupled to the
gaming devices 71 through an optical to electronic signal converter
65. The banks of gaming devices 70 coupled to the network 50 may be
coupled through a bank controller 60 for compatibility purposes,
for local organization and control, or for signal buffering
purposes. The network 50 may include serial or parallel signal
transmission lines and carry data in accordance with data transfer
protocols such as Ethernet transmission lines, Rs-232 lines,
firewire lines, USB lines, or other communication protocols.
Although not shown in FIG. 3, substantially the entire network 50
may be made of fiber optic lines or may be a wireless network
utilizing a wireless protocol such as IEEE 802.11 a, b, g, or n,
Zigbee, RF protocols, optical transmission, near-field
transmission, or the like.
[0045] As mentioned above, each gaming device 70-75 may have an
individual processor 40 (FIG. 1A) and memory 41 to run and control
game play on the gaming device 70-75, or some of the gaming devices
70-75 may be terminals that are run by a remote server 80 in a
server based gaming environment. Server based gaming environments
may be advantageous to casinos by allowing fast downloading of
particular game types or themes based on casino preference or
player selection. Additionally, tournament based games, linked
games, and certain game types, such as BINGO or keno may benefit
from at least some server 80 based control.
[0046] Thus, in some embodiments, the network 50, server 80, and
database 90 may be dedicated to communications regarding specific
game or tournament play. In other embodiments, however, the network
50, server 80, and database 90 may be part of a player tracking
network. For player tracking capabilities, when a player inserts a
player tracking card in the card reader 46 (FIG. 1A), the player
tracking unit 45 sends player identification information obtained
on the card reader 46 through the MCI 42 over the network 50 to the
player tracking server 80, where the player identification
information is compared to player information records in the player
database 90 to provide the player with information regarding their
player account or other features at the gaming device 10 where the
player is wagering. Additionally, multiple databases 90 and/or
servers 80 may be present and coupled to one or more networks 50 to
provide a variety of gaming services, such as both game/tournament
data and player tracking data.
[0047] The various systems described with reference to FIGS. 1-3
can be used in a number of ways. For instance, the systems can be
used to track data about various players. The tracked data can be
used by the casino to provide additional benefits to players, such
as extra bonuses or extra benefits such as bonus games and other
benefits as described above. These added benefits further entice
the players to play at the casino that provides the benefits.
[0048] FIG. 4 is a function block diagram that illustrates a gaming
device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, a gaming device 100 includes a gaming
cabinet 115 having a top box 118, a game output display 120, a
player interface panel 130, a secondary display 125, a processor
140, and a player identifying unit 145. Similar to the gaming
device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the gaming device 100 may include
speakers 126, credit meters 127/128, a gaming handle 112, a memory
141 connected to the processor 140, and an MCI 142 connected to a
network 150. The player interface panel 130 may also include one or
more game buttons 132 and a game actuating button 133. However, the
gaming device 100 may also include a volatility device 160. As
illustrated in FIG. 4, the volatility device 160 may be connected
to the processor 140. In different embodiments, however, the
volatility device 160 may be part of the processor 140 (i.e., a
portion of the processor may be configured to operate as the
volatility device), or may be located on a remote server 80 (FIG.
3) connected to the gaming device 100 through the network 150. For
ease and clarity of the description, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4
will refer to the volatility device 160 as a separate element that
is connected to the processor 140 and memory 141.
[0050] In some embodiments, players may select a general level of
gaming volatility at the start of game play or during game play. In
these embodiments, a player may be prompted upon insertion of money
or tickets with credit value to select a preferred level of
volatility. Additionally, a player may be able to access and change
the volatility level of a gaming device through a help screen. In
other embodiments, only players identified through a play reward
system may be able to select the volatility level of a game. Since
actual volatility values associated with hit frequency and average
award pays may prove confusing, it may be preferable in some
embodiments to give a player a general range of volatilities. For
example, a list menu may include selectable volatility levels
between 1 and 10, where a value closer to 1 is associated with a
lower volatility game while a value closer to 10 is associated with
a higher volatility game.
[0051] Each volatility level may be associated with a paytable that
reflects the relative volatility of the volatility level. That is,
the paytables may be arranged such that lower volatility paytables
have a higher hit frequency with a lower average prize for a gaming
event outcome, and such that higher volatility paytables have a
lower hit frequency with a higher average prize for a gaming event
outcome. This volatility characteristic of the paytables may be
implemented by a variety of arrangements. For example, a lower
volatility paytable may include more minor symbol pays or a reduced
number of symbols needed for a prize to be awarded. By contrast, a
higher volatility paytable may reduce the number of minor symbol
pays and reduce the prizes awarded for 2 or 3 symbol pays. The
actual amounts of the awards and/or the reel strip layouts may need
to be adjusted as well to accomplish different volatility levels
for the same general game theme.
[0052] To ensure fairness across the selectable volatility levels,
it may be preferable to have all of the selectable volatilities
give substantially similar payback percentages. Thus, for games
that are designed with multiple payback percentages, multiple
paytables having different volatility levels may need to be
included for each of the payback percentages. For example, in a
game that has approximate payback percentages of 88.5%, 91%, 92.5%,
and 94% and selectable gaming volatility levels, a game designer
may need to develop 20 different paytable combinations.
[0053] In some embodiments, a plurality of volatility levels may be
displayed on a volatility menu (See FIG. 5). That is, a list of
selectable volatility levels may be displayed so that a player may
observe the number of available levels from which to choose, and
may directly select one of the levels. The volatility menu may be
displayed on a portion of the gaming display 120, such as is
illustrated in FIG. 5. However, in other embodiments, the
volatility menu may be shown on the secondary display 125, on a top
box display 118, or on one or more alphanumeric meters 127/128. If
the volatility menu is displayed on a video monitor or panel, a
touch sensitive screen (touchscreen) may be implemented so that the
player may directly touch one of the displayed volatility levels to
select that level. In other configurations, one or more of the game
buttons 132 may be activated to receive a player input in selecting
a volatility level. Additionally, soft buttons or other selection
means, such as dedicated game buttons (not shown) may be used to
select a volatility level.
[0054] In other embodiments, a default volatility level may be
initially displayed. This default level may again be shown on the
gaming display 120, secondary display 125, top box 118, or meter
127/128. A selection means, such as game buttons or soft buttons
may be activated to allow the player to increase or decrease the
volatility level from the default volatility level. To provide
easier transitions between volatility selections, it may be
preferable to have the default volatility level occur at
approximately the middle of the available volatility levels.
However, for games that are predispositioned to play a high or low
volatility, the default volatility level may be skewed toward a
higher or lower volatility end. Embodiments that initially display
a default volatility level may be preferable where a gaming display
includes physical spinning reels or a set layout, such as in video
poker because the initial default level may be easier to display on
a meter 127/128 or secondary display 125 as compared to embodiments
that display a full volatility level menu.
[0055] Gaming volatility may also be set as a preference in a
player club database so that each time the player is identified at
a gaming device, a preferred volatility level may be automatically
set for the player. In other embodiments, only identified players
may be permitted to change a volatility level. In such embodiments,
the volatility device may be configured to set a volatility level
of the gaming event in response to receiving player identification
at player identifying unit 145. When a player is identified, the
player may be given a volatility option of playing a gaming event
at a default gaming volatility level or playing the gaming event at
a custom selectable gaming volatility level. Further, the player
may be given the option of saving a preferred volatility level in a
player database so that each time the player identifies himself or
herself to a gaming device connected to the player database, the
player's preferred volatility level will be identified and
implemented on the gaming device being played by the player.
[0056] In some embodiments a gaming system may be implemented along
the lines of the gaming system shown in FIG. 3. That is, the gaming
system may include a gaming server 80, a player database 90
configured to store player preferences associated with identified
players, and a gaming device 70/100 including a volatility device
160 configured to set a volatility level of a gaming event
according to a player preference of an identified player placing
wagers on an outcome of the gaming event at the gaming device 100.
This gaming system may further utilize the player identification
unit 145 to identify the player wagering on the outcome of the
gaming event at the gaming device 100.
[0057] In some embodiments, the volatility level may be changed or
updated based on gaming conditions rather than being available to
change in response to a player request or a player identification.
That is, the volatility device 160 may change a volatility level in
response to gaming conditions such as game play options or game
play results. These embodiments are discussed more fully below with
reference to FIG. 8.
[0058] FIG. 5 is a detail diagram of an exemplary gaming display of
a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, a gaming display 220 of a gaming device
may include a game output portion 222 and a volatility menu 280
that displays multiple volatility levels 285 that may be selected
by a player during the course of game play. The volatility menu 280
may include a touchscreen portion to allow players to directly
select one of the displayed volatility levels 285 and highlight
that selection in a selection box 290. Alternatively, the
volatility menu may include a selection box 290 that can be moved
up or down (or any other relative direction) by operation of a game
button 132 (FIG. 4), soft buttons on the gaming display 29B (FIG.
2B), or other input means.
[0060] As described above, the displayed volatility levels 285 may
be arbitrary numbers or symbols that represent different levels of
volatility for paytables associated with each of the selectable
volatility levels 285. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5
includes a list of selectable volatility levels 285 between the
relative values of 1 and 10. The actual values 1, 2, . . . , 10 may
not have any particular association with the volatility values that
they represent, nor may the values be linearly related in
volatility differences between the selectable levels 285. Rather,
the displayed values may represent approximate levels of volatility
in paytables associated with each of the selectable levels 285.
Thus, a selection of a "10" volatility level may have substantially
more volatility in the paytable associated with that selection;
while a selection of a "1" volatility level may have substantially
less volatility in the paytable associated with that selection.
[0061] FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are flow diagrams of exemplary
methods of operating a gaming device according to embodiments of
the invention.
[0062] Referring to FIG. 6, a method of operating a gaming device
to set a volatility level may include receiving credits or
monetarily-based tender from a player that is converted into
credits 300. The credits input into the gaming device may be
available to the player to wager on one or more gaming events
occurring on the gaming device. After the credits have been
received, it is determined whether the player has been identified
to the gaming device 310. Typically, a player identifies himself or
herself to the gaming device by inserting a player club card into a
player identifying unit 145 (FIG. 4). However, a player may also be
identified by other means, such as biometric scans or swiping a
card including personal identifying information encoded in the card
as discussed above. Once a player has inserted a player club card
or otherwise has supplied identifying information to the gaming
device, player information associated with the identified player
may be located on a player database 90 (FIG. 3) and transferred to
the gaming device.
[0063] If the player has not been identified by the gaming device
(e.g., the player has not joined a player club, or has chosen to
not identify his or her self), a default volatility level
associated with the gaming event may be set 360 and the gaming
device may then wait to receive a wager from the unidentified
player on a gaming event 370. On the other hand, if the player has
been identified by the gaming device and information about the
player has been transferred to the gaming device, it may be
determined whether the player has saved a particular volatility
level as one of their player preferences 320. If the player has
previously saved a particular volatility level as a player
preference, or if the player typically plays games having a
particular volatility level, a volatility level for the player's
current gaming session may be automatically set or the gaming
device may prompt the player with a suggested volatility level
based on the transferred player information 350.
[0064] If the player has not saved a preferred volatility level as
a player preference, the gaming device may provide a prompt asking
the player if they want to set a preferred level as a player
preference 330. If the player does not want to save a particular
volatility level as a player preference, a default volatility level
may be set for the gaming event 360. However, if the player does
choose to save a preferred level, the gaming device may prompt the
player to select a volatility level, save the selected volatility
level in the player database 340, and set the volatility level of
the gaming event to the new preferred level 350. After a volatility
level has been set, the gaming device may receive a wager from the
player on the gaming event.
[0065] Referring to FIG. 7A, a method of operating a gaming device
to set a volatility level may include receiving credits or
monetarily-based tender from a player that is converted into
credits 400. The credits input into the gaming device may be
available to the player to wager on one or more gaming events
occurring on the gaming device. After the credits have been
received, the player may be prompted as to whether he or she would
like to change or customize the volatility level of the gaming
event 410. If the player does not want to alter the volatility of
the gaming event, a default volatility level may be set for the
gaming event 460, and the player may place a wager on the gaming
event 470. In this case, prizes awarded based on the gaming event
will be determined in accordance with a default paytable associated
with the default volatility level.
[0066] If the player, however, does choose to change the volatility
level of the gaming event, a volatility menu including a plurality
of selectable volatility levels is displayed 420. As mentioned
above, this volatility menu may be displayed on a portion of the
gaming display 120 (FIG. 4), on a secondary display 125, or on
another display means. After the volatility menu is displayed, the
gaming device may prompt the player to select one of the volatility
levels and receive the player's selection 430. When the player has
selected a desired volatility level, the gaming device may set the
volatility level of the gaming event in accordance with the level
selected by the player 450. After a volatility level has been set,
the gaming device may receive a wager from the player on the gaming
event 470.
[0067] Referring to FIG. 7B, another method of operating a gaming
device to set a volatility level may include similar elements to
the method described above with respect to FIG. 7A.
[0068] However, instead of displaying a volatility menu and
receiving a selection of one of the levels displayed on the
volatility menu, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7B includes
displaying a default volatility level on the gaming device 425
after determining that the player would like to change the
volatility level of the gaming event 420. The default volatility
level may be displayed on a portion of the gaming display 120 (FIG.
4), on a secondary display 125, on an alphanumeric meter (such as
the meter 128), or on other display means.
[0069] After the default volatility level has been displayed, the
player may be prompted to increase or decrease the volatility level
of the gaming event from the default level 435. As mentioned above,
in some embodiments two or more game buttons 132 on a player
interface panel 130 may be active to respectively increase or
decrease the volatility level. With each press of the game button
132, the display may indicate a new volatility level, which may be
selected by a player. In other embodiments soft buttons or
dedicated buttons on the game cabinet 115 or top box 118 may be
used to increase or decrease the volatility level. After a desired
volatility level is reached, the gaming device may again set that
desired level for the gaming event 450 and receive a wager from the
player on the gaming event 470.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 8, a method of operating a gaming device
may include tracking gaming conditions for gaming events 500 in
order to set a volatility level for a gaming device. The tracked
gaming conditions may include player selected wagering patterns,
recent game event outcome patterns, time-based considerations, or
other conditions relating to player characteristics or game play.
In some embodiments, these gaming conditions may be dependant on a
player's selection of wager type or amount. For example, a player
may be able to alter the volatility of a gaming event when the
player is playing max bet, but may only use the default volatility
when playing less than the max bet. In another example, the player
may be required to place an additional wager to "buy" the ability
to alter the volatility. In other embodiments, these gaming
conditions may be dependent upon recent game play. For example, if
the player has not received a gaming outcome with an associated
prize for a predetermined number of games, a lower volatility
(higher hit frequency) paytable may be used for a predetermined
number of future games or until the player receives a winning
combination. The player may receive an option of accepting or
rejecting the change in volatility, or the paytable substitution
may be done automatically by the gaming device. In still other
embodiments, these gaming conditions may be dependent on time-based
considerations, such as time of day, day of the week, etc. For
example, if it is determined that older players prefer higher
volatility games and it is further determined the ratio of older
players to younger players is highest between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM,
the gaming device may automatically alter the volatility level for
gaming events to match the general player preferences at specific
times. Alternatively, the volatility level may be altered to
encourage gaming during non-peak hours. For example, very high
volatility levels may be implemented between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM on
week nights to encourage game play.
[0071] After the gaming conditions have been tracked, it may be
determined whether the tracked conditions meet predetermined
criteria for changing the volatility level of the gaming event 510.
A gaming server 80 (FIG. 3) may be responsible for tracking gaming
conditions at multiple gaming devices connected to the server
though a network 50. The server 80 may further compare the tracked
conditions to the predetermined criteria 510. Alternatively, a bank
controller 60 or individual gaming device 70 may track the gaming
conditions and compare them to the predetermined criteria.
[0072] When the gaming conditions meet these predetermined
criteria, the gaming device may select a new paytable with a
different volatility level for subsequent gaming events 520. As
stated in the examples above, this volatility level change may last
for a predetermined number of subsequent gaming events, for a
single gaming event, or for as long as the gaming conditions meet
the predetermined criteria.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 9, a method of operating a gaming device
to set a volatility level may include receiving a player input or
request to change a volatility level of a gaming event 600. As
discussed above, in some embodiments, the player may change the
volatility level during a gaming session in a variety of manners.
For example, the player may select the option of changing the
volatility level from the Help/See Pays menu screen, or by
activating a gaming button associated with altering the volatility
level of the gaming event.
[0074] After the player input is received, it is determined what
volatility level is selected by the player 620. A paytable
associated with the selected volatility level is identified 640 and
the paytable is loaded for determining prize amounts to award based
on the outcome of the gaming event 650. As discussed above, at
least one paytable may be associated with each one of the
selectable volatility levels to change the volatility of the hit
frequency and prize amounts for winning combinations within gaming
event outcomes. The identified paytable may be loaded in local
memory 141 (FIG. 4) connected to the gaming processor 140 or may be
loaded directly in the gaming processor 140. In other embodiments,
the identified paytable may be loaded to a server connected to the
gaming device via a gaming network 150 if pay amounts and winning
symbol combination determinations are handled at the server level.
After the identified paytable has been loaded, the gaming device
may receive a wager from the player on the gaming event.
[0075] Some embodiments of the invention have been described above,
and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of
illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other
arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive
principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes
have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the
invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction
with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is
not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention
is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents
that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles
set out in the appended claims.
* * * * *