Gaming Machine Anticipation Events via Graphic Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines lack features to enhance player interest and excitement, leading to reduced play duration and profitability for operators.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine that displays a slot game with spinning reels in a grid, featuring a stack of adjacent similar symbols with a graphic overlay, which increases player anticipation and modifies the probability of anticipation events during subsequent game plays, thereby enhancing gameplay experience and duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If traditional slot machine gameplay is used, then the game structure is simple and easy to understand, but player interest and excitement are insufficient leading to reduced play duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by displaying anticipated winning outcomes and bonus features before they actually occur. The system shows preview images of potential wins, stacks of symbols that will appear, and bonus triggers in advance, creating player anticipation and excitement while extending play duration through these preparatory visual displays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to traditional slot machines by adding graphic overlays that display anticipated outcomes in a separate visual layer. This overlay dimension allows the game to maintain its simple core structure while adding complexity through multiple visual layers showing current symbols, anticipated symbols, and bonus information simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new features are added to enhance player interest, then player excitement and engagement increase, but the game structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the graphic overlay system multi-functional. The same overlay mechanism serves multiple purposes: displaying anticipated winning outcomes, showing bonus feature previews, indicating stack symbol locations, and providing general game information. This allows enhanced player engagement through various features while maintaining a unified, manageable system architecture.
3Reliability
If anticipation events are displayed with modified probability, then player enjoyment and engagement increase, but the game outcome prediction becomes less certain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the graphic overlay as an intermediary element that mediates between the actual game outcomes and the player's perception. The overlay displays anticipated outcomes with modified probabilities, creating a layer of expectation management that enhances player enjoyment while maintaining the integrity of the actual random outcome generation beneath the overlay.
Data Source
AI summary
A slot game is provided. A display device displays a plurality of reels. During the slot game the reels are spun and an outcome of the game is randomly determined. The outcome of the game is displayed on the display device in a grid comprised of a plurality of symbol positions in a predetermined arrangement. One of the symbols from a corresponding reel are displayed at each symbol position. The spinning reels are visible in the grid during play of the game. The controller awards the player an award as a function of the wager, the outcome of the game and a predetermined paytable. A first one of the reels contains a stack of adjacent, similar symbols. The stack of adjacent similar symbols are displayed with a first single graphic overlay.