Persistent Element Gaming for Luck and Volatility Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming apparatus struggle to balance yield versus randomness and volatility to create a feeling of luck, while also improving processing speed and efficiency, and providing engaging animations to encourage prolonged player participation.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine and method utilizing game-logic circuitry and a presentation assembly that presents symbol-bearing reels with persistent elements, where animations portray value increase and random determinations award game features, including features affecting current or subsequent spins, enhancing free spins when multiple features are awarded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gaming apparatus uses an internal or external random element generator to create a feeling of luck, then player engagement and participation are improved, but the yield versus randomness balance becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the game outcome determination into multiple independent components: a random element generator that determines game features, and separate logic that determines symbol outcomes. This segmentation allows the system to maintain player engagement through random feature awards while independently controlling yield through symbol outcome manipulation, resolving the contradiction between engagement and yield-randomness balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the game feature award system) that sits between the random element generator and the final game outcome. This intermediary allows random elements to influence player engagement without directly determining the yield, as the game features can modify or enhance outcomes without controlling the underlying randomness, thus balancing both requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gaming apparatus offers advanced graphics and special effects with multiple game features, then player entertainment and engagement are improved, but processing speed and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining all game features and their associated modifiers before the actual spin outcome is rendered. The system pre-calculates which game features will be awarded and what modifications they will apply to the game, allowing the graphics and special effects to be generated based on predetermined parameters rather than requiring real-time processing during the spin, thus maintaining entertainment value while improving processing speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the gaming apparatus implements multiple random outcome determinations per feature, then game complexity and player engagement are improved, but processing efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple random outcome determinations into a single integrated determination process. Instead of performing separate random determinations for each game feature independently, the system combines them into one unified random element generation step that determines all game features simultaneously, reducing the number of processing operations while maintaining the complexity and engagement value of multiple features.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a gaming machine and method that utilize game-logic circuitry and a presentation assembly configured to present a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, an array, and a plurality of persistent elements. The plurality of reels are spun and stopped to land symbols from the reels in the array. In response to the landed symbols including at least one accumulation condition, an animation portraying an increase in size or value of at least one of the plurality of persistent elements is presented. A random determination is made whether or not to award one or more of three game features associated with the persistent elements, the game features affecting either a determined outcome of the game, affecting the next purchased spin of the game, or initiating free spins of the game.