Gaming Machine Volatility Selection with RTP Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines lack the ability to provide players with adjustable volatility options in feature games, such as hold and spin games, while maintaining a consistent return-to-player percentage across different volatility levels, which limits player engagement and regulatory compliance.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine system that allows players to select volatility options for hold and spin games, adjusting the initial quantity of spins and using multiplier values to ensure a consistent return-to-player percentage, regardless of the selected volatility level, by holding configurable symbols and replacing non-configurable symbols with configurable ones during gameplay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If volatility options are added to allow player selection of different spin quantities, then player engagement and adaptability are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of game parameters by allowing players to select from multiple volatility options during gameplay. Each volatility level dynamically changes the initial quantity of spins and symbol replacement rates, enabling the system to adapt to different player preferences while maintaining a consistent expected return through compensated parameter adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple game parameters simultaneously based on player selection: initial spin quantity, symbol replacement rate, and hold duration. These parameter changes are mathematically compensated to maintain a constant expected return across all volatility levels, resolving the complexity of managing multiple interdependent variables.
2Ease of operation
If multiple volatility options with different initial spin quantities are provided, then player engagement is improved, but ensuring consistent return-to-player across all options becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the selected volatility level triggers corresponding adjustments in other game parameters. The control system continuously monitors and adjusts symbol replacement rates and hold durations based on the initial spin quantity selected, ensuring that the expected return remains consistent across all volatility options through real-time parameter compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by mathematically relating the initial spin quantity to other game parameters such as symbol replacement rate and hold duration. When a player selects a higher volatility option with more initial spins, the system automatically adjusts the symbol replacement rate and other parameters to compensate, ensuring that the expected return remains constant across all volatility levels.
3Quantity of substance
If the initial quantity of spins is increased for high volatility options, then award size potential is improved, but the complexity of maintaining standardized payout increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes multiple parameters in coordination: when the initial spin quantity is increased for high volatility options, the symbol replacement rate and hold duration are simultaneously adjusted. These parameter changes are mathematically compensated to maintain a constant expected return, resolving the complexity of managing standardized payouts across different spin quantities.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming machine provides a spinning reel game having a base game, from which a hold and spin game is triggered when a determined quantity of configurable symbols are displayed in a base game outcome. When the feature game is triggered, volatility options are presented to the player. After receiving a volatility selection that specifies a first control factor for a hold and spin game, the gaming machine conducts the hold and spin game per the specified first control factor while using at least another control factor to maintain a same return-to-player across the volatility options.