Gaming System Special Symbol Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming systems lack mechanisms to enhance player engagement and enjoyment by providing alternative game outcomes based on special symbols, which are not effectively utilized to modify game results in real-time across linked gaming machines.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that monitors game outcomes across linked gaming machines, increments counters for special symbols, and allocates them based on trigger conditions to modify game outcomes, providing new outcomes and potential awards to players, with the allocation determined by the value of the accumulating counter and eligibility criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If special symbols are included in the symbol set for additional interest, then player engagement is improved, but the complexity of the gaming system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gaming machines into a linked network where special symbols accumulated across machines can be pooled together. The gaming controller centralizes the management of special symbols and triggering mechanisms, combining functions that would otherwise be distributed across individual machines to reduce overall system complexity while maintaining enhanced player engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
Special symbols serve multiple functions: they can trigger bonuses individually, accumulate across multiple gaming machines, and be pooled to trigger enhanced bonus features. This multi-functionality allows the system to provide varied player experiences without requiring separate mechanisms for each type of special symbol behavior.
2Adaptability or versatility
If game outcomes are modified based on accumulated special symbols, then player enjoyment is improved, but the randomness and fairness of the gaming system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by accumulating special symbols during normal gameplay before triggering any outcome modifications. The special symbols are gathered and counted in advance, and only when a predetermined threshold is reached does the system then modify game outcomes. This separation of accumulation and modification phases maintains the integrity of the random number generation while still providing enhanced player enjoyment.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer implemented method of gaming. The method includes monitoring game outcomes generated for one or more players of a plurality of linked gaming machines, and for each generated game outcome i) identifying instances of one or more special symbols occurring in the generated game outcome, ii) incrementing an accumulating counter for each of the one or more special symbols based on instances of one or more special symbols occurring in the game outcome, and iii) determining whether a trigger condition is met. In response to the trigger condition being met, allocating one or more special symbols to one or more of the linked gaming machines for modifying a game outcome generated for a player of the linked gaming machine, to provide a new game outcome for each of the one or more players of linked gaming machines to which the special symbols are allocated, wherein the number of special symbols allocated to the linked gaming machines is based on a value of the accumulating counter for the special symbol at the time the trigger condition was met, and resetting the accumulating counter for the allocated special symbols.