Skill-Based Wagering Game Controller with Dynamic Event Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming machines lack player interaction and excitement, leading to frustration and reduced playtime, as they offer limited opportunities for players to influence game outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine with a skill-based wagering system that includes a display device, user input device, and a controller, which generates skill events based on player input, adjusts credit balances, and provides awards based on skill levels, allowing players to engage in various skill games such as musical, shooting, and racing games.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional reel-based wagering games are used, then the game structure is simple and easy to operate, but player interaction and influence on game outcomes are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static reel-spinning mechanism into a dynamic skill-based game where players can actively influence outcomes through various skill events. The game transitions from passive observation to active participation, allowing players to make decisions that affect game results while maintaining the core wagering structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of game outcome determination from purely random (RNG-based reel stops) to a combination of player skill and random elements. This is achieved by introducing skill events with different difficulty levels and associated multipliers, where player performance directly impacts the final payout.
2Adaptability or versatility
If skill-based wagering games are introduced to enhance player engagement, then player interaction and excitement increase, but game complexity and system requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed to handle both traditional reel-based games and skill-based wagering games within a single system. The same display device, input devices, and processing unit support multiple game modes, eliminating the need for separate hardware systems and reducing overall complexity despite the enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a skill event selection interface that mediates between the player's input and the game outcome determination. This intermediary layer provides structured skill challenges with predefined difficulty levels and multipliers, simplifying the complexity management by organizing skill-based interactions through standardized events rather than open-ended gameplay.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple skill events with different difficulty levels are provided, then player skill demonstration and award variation increase, but the complexity of award determination and credit management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the skill-based game into discrete skill events, each with specific difficulty levels and associated multipliers. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by breaking down the overall award determination into manageable components, where each skill event contributes a known multiplier to the base award rather than requiring complex real-time calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-configures skill events with predetermined difficulty levels, multiplier values, and selection probabilities stored in memory. This preliminary preparation of game parameters eliminates the need for complex runtime calculations, as the controller simply retrieves pre-calculated values based on player performance rather than computing awards from scratch during gameplay.
4Adaptability or versatility
If player skill level determination is implemented to adjust awards, then return to player (RTP) variation and player motivation increase, but measurement and evaluation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable virtual items or tokens within the skill-based game that have predetermined values and outcomes. These virtual objects are consumed during skill events and replaced through standard wagering mechanisms, providing a simple way to track player performance and award distribution without requiring complex persistent measurement systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming machine for providing a skill-based wagering game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine includes a controller programmed to display the skill-based wagering game on a display device, receive a signal indicating a wager being received from the player, and initiate the skill-based wagering game. The controller generates a skill event associated with the skill-based wagering game and randomly selects a skill event record associated with the skill event from a database. The controller receives a player's selection input from a user input device in response to the displayed skill event, determines a player skill level value based on the received player's selection, determines an award value included in the selected skill event record based on the player skill level value; and adjusts the credit balance based on the determined award value.