U.S. patent application number 12/974705 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-21 for selectable bonus round.
This patent application is currently assigned to Global Gaming Group. Invention is credited to Michael Dreitzer, Bennie Sum.
Application Number | 20120157195 12/974705 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46235075 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120157195 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sum; Bennie ; et
al. |
June 21, 2012 |
Selectable Bonus Round
Abstract
An electronic gaming machine that offers the player a selection
of bonus rounds from among a quick pick mystery prize, a standard
bonus round having a theme similar to the base game, or a choice of
bonus round themes selected from a bonus game archive.
Inventors: |
Sum; Bennie; (Las Vegas,
NV) ; Dreitzer; Michael; (Henderson, NV) |
Assignee: |
Global Gaming Group
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
46235075 |
Appl. No.: |
12/974705 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3267
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/29 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for playing a game comprising: playing a base game with
a plurality of outcomes including at least one outcome that
provides a bonus round of play; and selecting between at least two
bonus round play sequences.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a quick pick.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a standard bonus round having a theme matched to
the base game.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a non-standard bonus round having a theme that
does not match the base game.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a non-standard bonus round that is selected from
a bonus game archive offering at least two non-standard bonus round
themes.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive is random.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive is made by a player.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive follows a predetermined order.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein a selection made in the selecting
step is made by a player.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of selecting further
comprises: selecting between a bonus game and a quick pick prize;
and selecting a bonus game from an offering of at least a standard
bonus game and a non-standard bonus game.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of selecting a
non-standard bonus game from an archive upon the player selecting a
non-standard bonus game.
12. A method of offering a game on an electronic gaming machine
with a display screen comprising: playing a base game on the
display screen with a plurality of outcomes including at least one
outcome that provides a bonus round of play; and selecting between
at least two bonus round play sequences displayed on the display
screen.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a quick pick displayed on the display screen.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a standard bonus round having a theme matched to
the base game displayed on the display screen.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a non-standard bonus round having a theme that
does not match the base game displayed on the display screen.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the bonus round
play sequences is a non-standard bonus round that is selected from
a bonus game archive offering at least two non-standard bonus round
themes displayed on the display screen.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive is random.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive is made by a player.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein selection of the bonus game from
the bonus game archive follows a predetermined order.
20. A method of offering a game on an electronic gaming machine
with a display screen comprising: selecting a default bonus round
play sequence for a play session from at least two bonus round play
sequence options displayed on the display screen including quick
pick, standard bonus, and non-standard bonus; playing a session of
games wherein each game has a plurality of outcomes including at
least one outcome that provides a bonus round of play.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] An electronic gaming machine or slot machine offering a
bonus round differs from a standard gaming machine because it may
feature a bonus game which does not follow the traditional three,
four or five reel video slot format. When playing a traditional
reel game portion of a bonus slot game, a certain symbol or
combination of symbols will activate the bonus game. The bonus game
tends to follow the theme of the reel slot game so that if the
basic video slot game relates to a particular character or setting,
the bonus game will use the same character or setting as a theme as
well. For example, if the basic reel game relates to the fictional
character Tarzan, the bonus game will maintain the Tarzan theme
while the basic reel game is put on standby. Once the bonus game
has concluded, game play reverts to the basic game, referred to
throughout this disclosure as a "basic slot game" or "basic slots
game."
[0002] In FIG. 1, an exemplary electronic gaming machine is
generally indicated at 101 including a display screen 103. The
display screen 103 is shown in larger view to the left, presenting
a basic slots game. In this example is shown one popular game title
known as Dino Bucks available from Global Gaming Group, Inc.,
assignee of the subject invention The basic slots game is
represented in this example by a five-reel game operated in the
traditional manner. When the appropriate symbol or combination of
symbols arises during play of the basic slots game, a bonus game
105 is triggered. In this bonus game example, seven flowing
volcanoes are displayed. The player is invited to pick a particular
flowing volcano to win a prize hidden behind the volcano.
[0003] Some video bonus games are structured so that prizes awarded
for each pick in the bonus game are dependent entirely upon the
selections made by a player. In other game designs, the bonus game
outcome may be predetermined so that no matter which selection
(e.g., the volcanoes in the preceding example) is chosen, the
player wins or loses based on the algorithms driving the game
engine. Frequently, the player does not realize that their specific
selections do not influence the cumulative prize awarded during
bonus round play. Some, but not all, bonus games operate in this
fashion. One advantage of predetermining the bonus game outcome is
that electronic gaming machine 101 payback percentages can be
accurately controlled by the algorithms of the operating system,
and therefore maintains compliance with applicable regulations.
(The preceding example of the game Dino Bucks is used here merely
as an example, and not intended to suggest or imply that its game
engine generates a predetermined outcome during the bonus
game.)
[0004] Some game players enjoy extended bonus round play with
multiple screens and different player initiated actions, while
others do not. Those players that do not enjoy extended bonus play
would prefer to skip the various bonus play screens altogether and
return as quickly as possible to the basic slot game. Accordingly,
it would be advantageous to provide a method for playing a reel
type slot game wherein, at the triggering of bonus round play, the
player is given the choice to select the standard bonus game, or
instead to receive an immediate bonus prize without affecting the
payout percentages of the electronic gaming machine. Furthermore,
it is desirable to provide an electronic gaming machine game that
allows a player to select between the regular bonus round of play
and a quick pick mystery prize, and further which invites the
player interested in playing a bonus game to choose either a
standard bonus game with a theme similar to the base game, or to
browse a library of alternative bonus games that are not
necessarily associated with the theme of the basic slots game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a prior art slot machine with a bonus
round;
[0006] FIG. 2 shows a slot machine screen sequence in which a
player can choose between different bonus round options; and
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of play on a video slot machine
where a player can choose between different bonus round
options.
SPECIFICATIONS
Detailed Description
[0008] The invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 2
and FIG. 3. In FIG. 2, a method for playing a game of chance on an
electronic gaming machine 101 that is similar in overall design to
the prior art machine of FIG. 1 is shown. Electronic gaming machine
101 is fitted with an operating system and software capable of
playing a video game. Electronic gaming machine 101 includes a
display screen 103 which, during normal game play, presents a basic
slot game 103 which may be along the lines of the exemplary Dino
Bucks game mentioned earlier. The step of playing the basic slot
game is represented by function block 301 in FIG. 3.
[0009] A predetermined symbol or combination of symbols appearing
on the display screen 103 during basic game play will qualify the
player for a bonus round. This qualification, represented at 303 in
FIG. 3, places the standard game on temporary hold while a bonus
round query screen is presented. The player then leaves the base
game at function block 305 and is given the opportunity to make a
selection about the bonus round at a query screen. The query screen
is represented by a query screen 201 in FIG. 2 and by function
block 307 in FIG. 3. At this decision point, the player is asked
whether they wish to play a bonus game or, in the alternative,
whether they prefer to quickly select a mystery prize and then
return to the basic reel game 103. If the player chooses the
mystery prize, represented by function block 309, they are
immediately awarded a prize based on a predetermined outcome
according to the software program loaded into the operating system
of the game. Upon awarding the mystery prize 309, the player
reverts to basic game play 103.
[0010] However, if during the query 307, the player chooses to play
a bonus game, they are presented with a secondary query 311
represented by a query screen 203 in FIG. 2 and function block 311
in FIG. 3. This secondary query 311 asks the player whether he or
she would prefer to play a standard bonus game 105 which is
associated thematically to the basic slot game 103. The standard
bonus game 105 is represented by way of example in FIG. 2 at 207 as
the "Pick A Volcano" game which is associated thematically to the
exemplary Dino Bucks game 103. If the player chooses this option,
they play the standard bonus game 207 which results in a
predetermined outcome that is not influenced by the player's
volcano pick. In other words, regardless of which volcano is chosen
in this example (again this is only an example and not to imply
that the actual Dino Bucks game operates in this manner), the total
prize awarded will have been predetermined by the game algorithms.
This predetermined outcome will be equivalent to the predetermined
outcome of the mystery prize 205 had the player chosen the quick
pick to promptly end the bonus round.
[0011] Alternatively, the player may choose a bonus game from a
library or archive of games 209, which they may do at function
block 313. The bonus games contained in the archive may be a
variety of themes that may be thematically similar or dissimilar to
that of the basic slot game 103 and standard bonus game 105. Once a
particular bonus game is selected from the library, the player
plays the alternate bonus game and receives a game outcome that is
either identical to that of the standard bonus game 207 and the
mystery prize 205, or is predetermined according to the algorithms
traditionally associated with those alternative bonus games and
which conforms to all applicable gaming regulations.
[0012] The player then plays the bonus game 315. Upon completion of
bonus game play, the bonus game ends 317 and the player is returned
to the base game reel play 103.
[0013] It should be understood that the bonus game selected from
the bonus game archive could be set by the gaming machine to
automatically cycle through all or some subset of the games in the
game archive at random or in a predetermined order. This cycling
could be set as a player selectable option on a query screen or it
could be a default setting on the machine. A player may also be
offered the opportunity to select a default setting among these
options for a particular play session at the beginning of the
session. By doing so, the cycle time of each game will be made
faster so that the player may reduce or eliminate the number of
query screens appearing in each game cycle during a play
session.
[0014] The subject game method permits game play to be configured
to better suit personalities of different players, some of which
enjoy an extended bonus round play where others will prefer to skip
past bonus round play and receive an immediate bonus prize.
Furthermore, the ability to browse a library of games 313 that
offer variety from a game archive will extend player interest
thereby encouraging longer game play sessions over multiple
games.
[0015] The foregoing invention has been described in accordance
with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is
exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and
modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to
those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the
invention. For example, while the description of the invention
includes a first query screen 201 and a second query screen 203 for
allowing the player to select the bonus round in a two step
sequence, the player could also be offered the opportunity to
choose between mystery prize, standard bonus or selection of a
bonus from the archive in a single step, thereby reducing the game
play cycle time without altering the nature of the invention. It
should also be understood, that the selectable game play as
described herein need not be limited to play on a dedicated gaming
machine such as video slot machine 101. The electronic gaming
machine is not limited to video slot machines. The machine may be
an electro-mechanical reel game with a video screen positioned in
the machine cabinet, such as above or below the reels. Using a
machine in this configuration permits the base game to be played on
the reels with the selectable bonus games being played on the video
screen. Game play may also be offered on a general computing
platform including a desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or other
mobile device either in an embodiment restricted to a single device
or across a network to which such a device is connected.
Accordingly the scope of legal protection afforded this invention
can only be determined with reference to the claims.
* * * * *