Stop-Based Bonus Game System for Dynamic Jackpot Odds
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic gaming systems lack innovative methods to increase player engagement and odds of winning high-value awards in bonus games, as the number and variety of available gaming systems continue to grow, operators seek to design more exciting systems that enhance player interaction and reward structures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a stop-based bonus game system, where a bonus wheel or reel with multiple stops is used to associate secondary jackpot wheels, allowing players to select stop positions initially associated with credit prizes that are then replaced with jackpot awards, thereby increasing the chances of winning high-value awards over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional bonus game with fixed award structures is used, then the game rules are simple and easy to understand, but player engagement and odds of winning high-value awards remain low
Solution Approach 1:
The bonus wheel dynamically changes its structure during gameplay. Initially, the wheel contains a limited number of jackpot stops among many credit prize stops. As players select credit prizes, the system dynamically replaces them with jackpot awards, increasing the number of jackpot stops and improving player odds without requiring a complete game redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures the bonus wheel with a specific structure containing credit prize stops and jackpot stops. This preliminary setup allows the game to progressively transform during play, as selected credit prizes are replaced with jackpot awards, creating a evolving gameplay experience with improving odds
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of jackpot stops on the wheel is increased from the beginning, then player engagement and winning chances improve, but the initial game design becomes more complex and the distribution of awards must be carefully managed
Solution Approach 1:
The bonus wheel is segmented into distinct stop positions, each initially associated with credit prizes. This segmentation allows the system to selectively replace specific segments with jackpot awards as players progress, managing complexity through modular design while enabling progressive engagement enhancement
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of award type associated with each stop position over time. Stops transition from credit prize associations to jackpot award associations as players select and win credit prizes, dynamically adjusting game parameters to enhance engagement without fixed initial complexity
3Productivity
If credit prizes are replaced with jackpot awards after selection, then the number of jackpot opportunities increases and player motivation improves, but the game state management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages the replacement of credit prizes with jackpot awards through programmed logic. When a player selects and wins a credit prize, the system self-service updates the bonus wheel configuration to replace that stop with a jackpot award, reducing manual management complexity while increasing jackpot frequency
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to both the game state and the player about the evolving jackpot opportunities. As credit prizes are replaced with jackpot awards, the game tracks and manages this transformation, providing information about increasing jackpot availability that motivates continued play while automating state management
Data Source
AI summary
Gaming systems, methods, and machines provided herein may be used to provide bonus games that are associated with two different classes of awards, e.g., one or more first awards and one or more second awards. The first award(s) may generally be much more desirable to players than the second award(s), e.g., the first awards may be large-denomination jackpot awards, whereas the second awards may be small-denomination credit awards, e.g., non-jackpot awards. During play of such bonus games, selection of a stop position associated with a second award may cause that stop position to be instead associated with one of the one or more first awards for future play of the bonus game, thereby increasing the opportunities to win a first award in subsequent play of the bonus game.