Linked Play Gaming System for Social Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current slot machine gaming experiences are isolating, lacking the social interaction that games like craps and blackjack provide, which can lead to reduced customer engagement and revenue for casinos.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for facilitating linked play among groups of people, where individual gambling outcomes are combined into a group outcome, allowing groups to compete against the casino or each other, with rewards provided for meeting specific criteria, enhancing social interaction and encouraging longer gambling sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual slot machine gaming is used, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but social interaction is lost and customer engagement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent slot machine gaming sessions into a single linked play experience. Players are grouped together and their individual outcomes are aggregated to determine group-level bonuses and rewards. This merging approach maintains the simplicity of individual play while adding social interaction through shared group outcomes and communication features.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a casino server as an intermediary that coordinates between multiple players and the casino. The server manages player groupings, tracks individual outcomes, calculates group bonuses, and facilitates communication. This intermediary enables social interaction without requiring direct peer-to-peer complexity between players.
2Adaptability or versatility
If linked play grouping is implemented, then social interaction and customer engagement are improved, but system complexity and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The casino server acts as a central intermediary that handles all complex coordination tasks including player grouping, outcome aggregation, bonus calculation, and communication management. This centralizes system complexity in a dedicated component rather than distributing it across multiple players' devices, making the overall system more manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The casino server performs multiple functions: it manages individual game outcomes, coordinates group formations, calculates bonuses, handles communications, and processes payouts. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate specialized systems for each function.
3Reliability
If group outcomes are combined, then larger prizes and risk mitigation are enabled, but measurement and outcome aggregation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The casino server serves as an intermediary that automatically aggregates individual player outcomes according to pre-defined grouping rules. It calculates group bonuses based on collective performance and determines payout distribution. This automated intermediary approach reduces measurement complexity compared to manual tracking and calculation methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the aggregation level from individual outcomes to group outcomes. Instead of evaluating each player's results separately, the system aggregates outcomes at the group level to determine bonus eligibility and payout amounts. This parameter change simplifies the measurement process by working with higher-level aggregated data rather than individual detailed outcomes.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention includes a system and method for providing linked play via gaming and other devices. In some embodiments, a casino server registers a group for linked play and a group objective and format are established. The linked play commences according to the group format on the gaming devices while the casino server, or another device, concurrently facilitates interaction between the group members operating the gaming devices. The linked play is terminated according to the group format and a determination is made by the casino server whether the group objective has been achieved. Prizes are awarded via the gaming devices if the group objective was achieved.