Gaming machine and method with symbol conversion feature

1. A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:

displaying, on an electronic display device, a plurality of reels and an array, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including first symbols, second symbols, third symbols, and catalyst symbols;

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, an input indicative of a wager, the wager belonging to one of a plurality of wager tiers, the plurality of wager tiers including a first wager tier, a second wager tier, and a third wager tier, the first wager tier being associated with the first symbols, the second wager tier being associated with the first symbols and the second symbols, the third wager tier being associated with the first symbols, the second symbols, and the third symbols;

transforming, by game-logic circuitry, one or more of the symbols in the plurality of symbols based on the one of the plurality of wager tiers to which the wager belongs,

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the first tier, animating the transforming of the first symbols into value-bearing symbols;

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the second tier, animating the transforming of the first symbols and the second symbols into value-bearing symbols; and

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the third tier, animating the transforming of the first symbols and the second symbols into value-bearing symbols and animating the transforming of the third symbols into the catalyst symbols;

spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array, the transforming operation occurring before the reels are stopped; and

awarding, by the game-logic circuitry, a payout based on the landed symbols, wherein in response to the landed symbols including one of the catalyst symbols, the payout is based at least partly on values on any value-bearing symbols among the landed symbols.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst symbols appear only on a rightmost one of the plurality of reels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wager tiers include a base tier below the first tier, and wherein the transforming operation includes transforming none of the plurality of symbols in response to the wager belonging to the base tier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transforming operation occurs before the spinning and stopping operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each reel is associated with a respective column of the array.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value-bearing symbols transformed from the second symbols have a higher value, on average, than the value-bearing symbols transformed from the first symbols.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

8. A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:

displaying, on an electronic display device, a plurality of reels and an array, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including first symbols, second symbols, third symbols, and catalyst symbols;

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, an input indicative of a wager, the wager belonging to one of a plurality of wager tiers, the plurality of wager tiers including a first wager tier, a second wager tier, and a third wager tier, the first wager tier being associated with the first symbols, the second wager tier being associated with the second symbols, the third wager tier being associated with the third symbols;

transforming, by game-logic circuitry, one or more of the symbols in the plurality of symbols based on the one of the plurality of wager tiers to which the wager belongs,

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the first tier, animating transforming of the first symbols into value-bearing symbols;

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the second tier, animating transforming of the second symbols into value-bearing symbols; and

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the third tier, animating transforming of the third symbols into the catalyst symbols;

spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array, the transforming operation occurring before the reels are stopped; and

awarding, by the game-logic circuitry, a payout based on the landed symbols, wherein in response to the landed symbols including one of the catalyst symbols, the payout is based at least partly on values on any value-bearing symbols among the landed symbols.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the catalyst symbols appear only on a rightmost one of the plurality of reels.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of wager tiers include a base tier below the first tier, and wherein the transforming operation includes transforming none of the plurality of symbols in response to the wager belonging to the base tier.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the transforming operation occurs before the spinning and stopping operation.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein each reel is associated with a respective column of the array.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the value-bearing symbols transformed from the second symbols have a higher value, on average, than the value-bearing symbols transformed from the first symbols.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

15. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including an electronic display device configured to display a plurality of reels and an array, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including first symbols, second symbols, third symbols, and catalyst symbols; and

game-logic circuitry configured to perform the operations of:

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, an input indicative of a wager, the wager belonging to one of a plurality of wager tiers, the plurality of wager tiers including a first wager tier, a second wager tier, and a third wager tier, the first wager tier being associated with the first symbols, the second wager tier being associated with the first symbols and the second symbols, the third wager tier being associated with the first symbols, the second symbols, and the third symbols;

transforming one or more of the symbols in the plurality of symbols based on the one of the plurality of wager tiers to which the wager belongs,

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the first tier, animating transforming of the first symbols into value-bearing symbols;

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the second tier, animating transforming of the second symbols into value-bearing symbols; and

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the third tier, animating transforming of the third symbols into the catalyst symbols;

spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array, the transforming operation occurring before the reels are stopped; and

awarding a payout based on the landed symbols, wherein in response to the landed symbols including one of the catalyst symbols, the payout is based at least partly on values on any value-bearing symbols among the landed symbols.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the transforming operation includes:

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the second tier, transforming the first symbols into value-bearing symbols; and

wherein in response to the wager belonging to the third tier, transforming the first symbols and the second symbols into value-bearing symbols.

17. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of wager tiers include a base tier below the first tier, and wherein the transforming operation includes transforming none of the plurality of symbols in response to the wager belonging to base tier.

18. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the transforming operation occurs before the spinning and stopping operation.

19. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the value-bearing symbols transformed from the second symbols have a higher value, on average, than the value-bearing symbols transformed from the first symbols.

20. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operations:

detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.