Slot Machine Positional Symbol Awards and Capture Positions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slot machines offer limited gameplay variety, leading to player boredom and a need for improved game mechanics to attract more players.
Innovation Solution
A gaming device with positional symbol awards, featuring reels with capture positions, scatter boost symbols, and winning symbol combinations that can occur irrespective of their position relative to paylines, in consecutive columns, or multiple times in the play matrix, providing enhanced award opportunities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional slot machine gameplay is used, then the game mechanics are simple and easy to understand, but player engagement and variety are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the symbol evaluation into multiple independent components: capture positions, scatter boost symbols, and multiple winning combination types (irrespective of position, consecutive columns, multiple occurrences). This segmentation allows each component to be evaluated separately and combined to create complex award structures from simple base elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds positional dimensions to symbol evaluation by introducing capture positions on reels and evaluating symbols based on their locations. This transforms the traditional single-dimension payline evaluation into multi-dimensional evaluation considering row positions, column sequences, and spatial distributions across the play matrix
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional payline-based winning combinations are used, then the award structure is straightforward, but player attraction and engagement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal symbol evaluation rules that work across multiple award types. The same symbol can contribute to different winning combinations simultaneously (e.g., a symbol can be part of an 'irrespective of position' combination and also trigger scatter boost effects), allowing one symbol to serve multiple functional purposes in the award structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary identification of capture positions and scatter boost symbols before final award determination. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-mark special positions and symbols, then use them to modify and enhance subsequent winning combination evaluations, creating layered award opportunities
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a slot machine having awards for the occurrence of certain symbols in certain designated positions of the play matrix. In one embodiment, a game device comprises: a display device; an input device; and a processor for accessing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: provide a game comprising: a plurality of reels, each of the reels including a plurality of symbol positions, wherein at least one of the symbol positions comprises a capture position; a plurality of symbols at the plurality of symbol positions on the reels; at least one predetermined winning symbol combination of a plurality of winning symbol combinations; and an award associated with the predetermined winning symbol combination; wherein the winning symbol combination comprises a predetermined symbol from the plurality of symbols being positioned in the capture position.