Gaming System Cascading Symbol Feature for Additional Wins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines lack features to increase excitement and entertainment by providing additional win opportunities beyond the initial game, and there is a need for new ways to enhance player interaction and increase winning combinations and award values for a single wager.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system that offers an additional win opportunity after a designated ending condition, allowing players to participate in a cascading symbol feature where they can select or have symbols removed, shifted, and new symbols generated, providing further winning combinations and awards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional base game is played with a single wager, then the game structure is simple and easy to operate, but the entertainment value and number of winning opportunities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The game is divided into a base game portion and a supplemental game portion, each with distinct rules and objectives. The base game establishes initial symbols and outcomes, while the supplemental game provides additional winning opportunities through cascading symbol removal and replacement, allowing players to potentially win multiple awards from a single wager without overwhelming complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The base game establishes symbols and determines initial outcomes before the supplemental game begins. This preliminary action sets the stage for the supplemental game, where pre-determined cascading removals and symbol replacements create additional winning opportunities based on the initial game state, enhancing entertainment value while maintaining structured simplicity
2Productivity
If the game ends after a single evaluation, then the game is quick to complete, but additional winning opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental game extends the useful action by providing continuous winning opportunities through cascading symbol removals and replacements. Instead of ending after a single evaluation, the game continues with multiple cascading rounds where symbols are removed, replaced, and re-evaluated, maximizing the number of potential wins from a single wager while maintaining a controlled time frame through predetermined cascade limits
3Ease of operation
If players have no interaction during game play, then the game is easy to operate, but player engagement and excitement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental game operates automatically based on predetermined rules and random determinations, requiring no active player decisions during the cascading process. Players benefit from the self-service nature of the supplemental game, which provides additional winning opportunities through automated symbol removals, replacements, and evaluations, maintaining ease of operation while enhancing engagement through increased winning potential
Data Source
AI summary
During a play of a game, the disclosed gaming system determines that an ending condition has occurred. For example, the gaming system determines that an ending condition has occurred when no winning symbol combinations are displayed for the play of the game. Following determination that the ending condition has occurred, the gaming system determines whether to provide access to an additional win opportunity for the play of the game. If the additional win opportunity is to be provided, the gaming system removes one or more symbols from a plurality of symbol positions even though such symbols do not form a winning symbol combination. The gaming system fills any resulting empty symbol positions by shifting symbols and/or displaying generated symbols, and provides awards for any then-generated winning symbol combinations. The additional win opportunity may be accessed because of a player wager or because other additional win opportunity criteria are satisfied.