Gaming Machine Symbol Array Removal and Repopulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The gaming industry faces challenges in creating a balance between yield and randomness in gaming apparatus to maintain player engagement, as existing systems struggle to provide a feeling of luck and volatility that encourages prolonged participation.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system incorporating a casino gaming machine with a random number generator and game-logic circuitry that initiates a wagering game, displays symbols in an array, removes and repopulates symbols based on random elements, and awards players for winning combinations, enhancing player engagement through dynamic symbol manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the gaming system uses a high quantity and frequency of player interactions to improve yield, then the long-term return improves, but the randomness and volatility decrease making players feel less lucky
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the game mechanics by randomly triggering symbol removal and repopulation events during gameplay. This dynamic modification of the symbol array creates varying levels of randomness and volatility across different game sessions, allowing the system to balance yield with player perception of luck.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes key parameters of the game state by removing and repopulating symbols based on random triggers. This parameter change mechanism introduces controlled volatility that maintains player engagement while preserving the underlying yield structure through careful management of symbol distribution and award opportunities.
2Reliability
If the gaming system increases randomness and volatility to make players feel lucky, then player engagement improves, but the yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial removal of symbols from the array rather than complete reshuffling, maintaining some predictability while introducing enough randomness to create excitement. This partial action approach preserves yield by keeping favorable symbols in the array while creating volatile moments that enhance player engagement.
3Ease of operation
If the system removes and repopulates symbols frequently to enhance player anticipation, then entertainment value improves, but the game complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The symbol array is segmented into removable portions and fixed portions, allowing the system to apply complexity only where needed (in the removable segments) while maintaining simplicity in other areas. This segmentation enables entertaining symbol manipulation without overwhelming the overall game structure or player understanding.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming system includes an electronic input device, an electronic display device, and game-logic circuitry performing at least one regulated casino wagering game. The wagering game employs an array of symbols defining an outcome of the wagering game having a corresponding award granted in response to the outcome meeting one or more winning criterion. When randomly triggered, one or more regions of the outcome are designated and a set of symbols are removed from the array. A region of the array may be determined by position or placement of a feature symbol. The remaining symbols are aggregated into one or more sets of adjacent symbols and empty portions of the array are repopulated with additional symbols to generate an additional outcome having an additional award granted in response to meeting one or more winning criterion. The additional symbols may be chosen using a weighted table and may include symbols not available for the initial outcome.