Gaming Device Persistent Player Positions Bonus Game
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming machines lack player interaction and offer limited chances of winning, leading to decreased player engagement and profitability, as bonus feature games often have limited player influence and jackpot success is dependent on previous players' wagers.
Innovation Solution
A gaming device that includes a primary game with a secondary bonus game featuring a game board with movable player symbols, allowing players to interact and increase their chances of winning by acquiring symbols and storing their position for subsequent games, thereby enhancing player engagement and increasing the probability of awards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional bonus feature game is implemented, then the game structure is simple, but player interaction is limited and engagement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic player positions that persist across multiple bonus games, transforming the static bonus game structure into a dynamic progression system where players advance through positions and maintain progress, thereby increasing engagement while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes a game board with multiple positions and paths before the player enters the bonus game, allowing players to immediately interact with a structured progression system rather than facing unstructured randomness, enhancing engagement through purposeful player action
2Ease of manufacture
If jackpot eligibility is based on previous players' wagers, then the system is easy to manage, but new players cannot independently win jackpots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each player to independently accumulate positions and win jackpots through their own bonus game play, eliminating dependency on previous players' wagers while maintaining system simplicity through automated position tracking and progression mechanics
3Device complexity
If bonus games have limited player influence, then the game rules are simple, but player engagement and profitability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent concentrates player influence in the bonus game by implementing a dedicated game board with specific positions and paths that players navigate, creating a localized area of high player agency within the overall simple game structure, thereby enhancing engagement without complicating general game rules
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming device for providing an award to a player is described herein. The gaming device displays a primary game including a plurality of reels and a plurality of symbols displayed with reels, generates an outcome of the primary game, and provides a primary award as a function of the outcome. The gaming device detects a triggering condition occurring with the primary game and responsively displays a secondary game including a game board having a plurality of paths and a plurality of position locations defined along each of the plurality of paths. The gaming device determines a current player position within the game board and responsively displays a player symbol at the current player position. The current player position is associated with one of the plurality of position locations and is indicative of a previous position location of the player symbol at a completion of a previous secondary game.