Persistent Symbol Win Zone Animation for Gaming Reels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming apparatus struggle to balance yield versus randomness and volatility to create a feeling of luck, which is crucial for player engagement, while also providing improved game play through innovative animations.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system with game-logic circuitry that animates persistent symbols moving across a symbol array to enter a win zone, using a random number generator to enhance game play and trigger symbol animations, thereby increasing player engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional static symbol displays are used in gaming apparatus, then the game operation is simple and reliable, but player engagement and feeling of luck are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static symbol displays to dynamic animated symbols that move across the reel set. Symbols are animated with different speeds, directions, and patterns, creating a lively visual experience that enhances player engagement while maintaining simple game operation through automated animation sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action through repeating animation patterns where symbols continuously move across the reel set in cycles. Symbols emerge, traverse the reels, and return or disappear in periodic sequences, creating rhythmic visual stimulation that keeps players engaged without complicating the underlying game operation.
2Productivity
If more animated features are added to enhance player engagement, then player participation increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the animation system into independent symbol entities, each with its own animation properties. Individual symbols can be animated separately with different characteristics, allowing complex visual effects to be achieved through composition of simple, manageable animation segments rather than a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by creating a multi-functional animation system where a single set of animation mechanisms serves multiple purposes. The same animation framework handles symbol movement, win indication, feature triggering, and visual feedback, reducing overall system complexity while enabling diverse player engagement features.
3Productivity
If symbols are animated to move across the reel set, then player engagement and sense of luck are enhanced, but processing requirements and system resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by using graphical representations and visual copies of symbols for animation purposes. Instead of moving actual physical or complex digital objects, the system uses rendered images that can be efficiently manipulated and repositioned across the display, reducing processing requirements while maintaining the visual effect of symbol movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements this principle by using temporary, easily created animation elements that exist only for the duration of the animation sequence. Symbol animations are rendered as transient visual effects that can be quickly created and discarded, minimizing long-term resource consumption while providing engaging visual feedback during gameplay.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a gaming system, gaming machine, and method that presents a plurality of symbols in an array corresponding to a plurality of symbol-bearing reels. Game-logic circuitry animates a persistent symbol in the array. Using a random number generator, the game logic-circuitry spins and stops the reels. In response to spinning of the reels, the game-logic circuitry animates movement of the persistent symbol across a boundary of the array to enter a win zone outside of the array. The game-logic circuitry further animates a triggering symbol associated with the win zone. In response to animating the triggering symbol animating, by the game-logic circuitry, an increment of a meter using a value associated with the persistent symbol.