Gaming machine feature
View Patent ↗A gaming machine has a display and a game controller arranged to control images of symbols displayed on the display. The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. The gaming machine includes a determining module for determining whether or not at least one further prize, following the awarding of an initial prize, is to be awarded, the determining means using the value of that initial prize in determining the probability of the player successfully winning the at least one further prize.
1. A gaming machine comprising
a game controller that is arranged to allow a player to play a game that comprises
a plurality of stages, the game controller being further arranged to be able to sequentially progress through the stages and for each of the stages make a determination of a stage outcome, the game controller is also arranged to:
(1) award a prize to the player and progress to a next one of the stages if the stage outcome corresponds to a successful outcome, and
(2) terminate the game to stop progress to the next one of the stages if the stage outcome corresponds to an unsuccessful outcome; and
wherein the determination probability of success of the stage outcome is derived from an average value of the respective prize, the average value of the respective prize being based on an accumulation of a plurality of prizes each of which is associated with a unique one of the stages, the average value of the respective prize further corresponding to at least one probability value by way of at least one mathematical function.
2. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determination comprises obtaining a randomly selected integer and comparing the randomly selected integer to a range of integers.
3. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the average value is one of a plurality of average values, wherein each of the average values is associated with one of the stages.
4. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the average values is different from any other of the average values.
5. The gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one mathematical function comprises:
(
Prize
0
*
P
s
0
)
+
Prize
1
*
(
P
s
1
+
.
.
.
+
P
sn
)
=
NC
1
;
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s
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=
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sn
=
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;
wherein P s1 to P sn are, respectively, probabilities of the associated stage outcome corresponding to a successful outcome; P s0 is the probability of the stage outcome for a first of the stages corresponding to the unsuccessful outcome; Prize 0 is a value of a consolation prize that may be awarded to the player if the stage outcome for the first of the stages corresponds to an unsuccessful outcome; NC 1 to NC n each represents an average value of a respective prize.
6. A method for use with a gaming machine, the method comprising the steps of:
allowing a player to play a game that comprises a plurality of stages, wherein play of the game comprises sequentially progressing through the stages;
making a determination of a stage outcome;
awarding a prize to the player and progressing to a next one of the stages if the stage outcome corresponds to a successful outcome;
terminating the game to prevent progress to the next one of the stages if the stage outcome corresponds to an unsuccessful outcome,
wherein said step of making a determination of the stage outcome including deriving an average value of the respective prize, the average value of the respective prize being based on an accumulation of a plurality of prizes each of which is associated with a unique one of the stages, the average value of the respective prize further corresponding to at least one probability value by way of at least one mathematical function.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the step of making a determination comprises obtaining a randomly selected integer and comparing the randomly selected integer to a range of integers.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the average value is one of a plurality of average values, wherein each of the average values is associated with one of the stages.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of the average values is different from any other of the average values.
10. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one mathematical function comprises:
(
Prize
0
*
P
s
0
)
+
Prize
1
*
(
P
s
1
+
.
.
.
+
P
sn
)
=
NC
1
;
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Prize
0
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s
0
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+
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1
*
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s
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.
.
+
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sn
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+
Prize
2
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P
s
2
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sn
)
=
NC
2
⋮
(
Prize
0
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s
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1
*
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1
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sn
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+
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2
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s
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sn
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.
Prize
n
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sn
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=
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n
.
P
s
0
+
P
s
1
+
P
s
2
+
.
.
.
+
P
sn
=
1
;
wherein P s1 to P sn are, respectively, probabilities of the associated stage outcome corresponding to a successful outcome; P s0 is the probability of the stage outcome for a first of the stages corresponding to the unsuccessful outcome; Prize 0 is a value of a consolation prize that may be awarded to the player if the stage outcome for the first of the stages corresponds to an unsuccessful outcome; NC 1 to NC n each represents an average value of a respective prize.