Gaming System Tournament Bonus Mode Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines lack features that enhance entertainment value and player engagement, particularly in terms of tournament-style competitions that can be funded by bonus awards, limiting their ability to attract frequent play.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system that includes a wager input device, primary display, and controller to initiate bonus events, allowing players to select between standard and tournament bonus modes, with the option to enter tournament scores for competition, and a tournament server to analyze scores and award prizes based on finishing positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If gaming machines provide traditional bonus awards only, then players receive immediate rewards, but player engagement and entertainment value are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between standard bonus mode and tournament bonus mode based on player selection. The controller enables the gaming device to adapt its operational characteristics, allowing players to choose their preferred bonus experience while maintaining system flexibility and avoiding permanent structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gaming device incorporates multiple bonus modes (standard and tournament) within a single system, making it universally applicable to different player preferences. The controller manages both modes through unified logic, enabling the device to serve multiple functions without requiring separate systems for each bonus type.
2Reliability
If gaming machines add tournament features, then player engagement and entertainment value increase, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary that manages tournament operations without requiring a separate dedicated tournament system. It handles score tracking, mode selection, and bonus distribution through existing gaming device components, reducing the need for additional complex infrastructure while maintaining reliable tournament functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The tournament bonus mode merges tournament competition elements with the existing bonus award system. Players compete for bonus awards that are integrated into the game's natural flow, combining competitive engagement with reward distribution in a unified mechanism rather than separate systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If gaming machines offer tournament bonus mode, then entertainment value increases, but operational simplicity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system presents the mode selection option to players before the bonus event begins. The controller detects player input during the trigger event and configures the bonus mode in advance, allowing players to make informed choices without time pressure and simplifying the operational flow by establishing the mode beforehand rather than during active play.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming system for executing multi-mode bonus events comprises a wager input device, a primary display for displaying a primary wagering game and a bonus event, and at least one controller. The controller is operative to (i) detect receipt of a wager from a player of the gaming terminal, (ii) in response to the occurrence of a triggering event, initiate a bonus event, (iii) detect a selection between a standard bonus mode of operation and a tournament bonus mode of operation, (iv) if the standard bonus mode is selected, execute the bonus event on the primary display and provide any awards earned therein to the player, (v) if the tournament bonus mode is selected, execute the bonus event on the primary display and generate a tournament score for the player, and (vi) enter the player's tournament score into at least one tournament.