Wagering game with special event shared by adjacent gaming machines

1. A computer-implemented method of conducting wagering games on a plurality wagering game machines, the plurality of wagering game machines including one or more input devices, one or more display devices, and one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, a wager to initiate a first wagering game on a first gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, the first wagering game;

randomly selecting, via at least one of the one or more processors, a first game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes, wherein at least one of the plurality of game outcomes is a special event triggering outcome; and

in direct response to the randomly selected first game outcome being the special event triggering outcome,

(i) presenting a special event to the first gaming machine on at least one of the one or more display devices, and

(ii) altering, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game symbol combination in a second wagering game being conducted on at least one different gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed during the second wagering game.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the special event is at least one of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the special event triggering outcome comprises displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, a predetermined game symbol combination in the first wagering game.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one different gaming machine is selected from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines that are adjacent to the first gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

in direct response to the designated award including a special event triggering outcome in the second wagering game, altering, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game condition of a third wagering game on at least one additional gaming machine selected from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines that are adjacent to the second gaming machine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game symbol combination remains altered for one of a predetermined time period, a predetermined number of spins, and successive spins until the occurrence of a predetermined symbol outcome.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering the game symbol combination includes reducing the number of symbols needed to award the designated award.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a special event award associated with the special event on a signage connected to the first and second gaming machines.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting a special event includes providing an additional award in the first wagering game.

10. A gaming system configured to conduct wagering games on a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming system comprising:

one or more input devices for receiving player inputs;

one or more display devices;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:

receive an indication of a wager from a player to initiate a first wagering game on a first gaming machine of a plurality of gaming machines;

display the first wagering game on at least one of the one or more display devices;

randomly select one of a plurality of first game outcomes for the first wagering game, wherein at least one of the plurality of first game outcomes is a special event triggering outcome; and

in direct response to the randomly selected first game outcome being the special event triggering outcome,

(i) presenting a special event to the first gaming machine, and

(ii) alter a game symbol combination in a second wagering game being conducted on at least one different gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed during the second wagering game.

11. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the special event triggering outcome comprises displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, a predetermined game symbol combination in the first wagering game.

12. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one different gaming machine is selected from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines that are adjacent to the first gaming machine.

13. The gaming system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory device further stores instruction that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:

alter, in direct response to the designated award including a special event triggering outcome in the second wagering game, a game condition of a third wagering game on at least one additional gaming machine selected from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines that are adjacent to the second gaming machine.

14. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the game symbol combination remains altered for one of a predetermined time period, a predetermined number of spins, and successive spins until the occurrence of a predetermined symbol outcome.

15. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein altering the game symbol combination includes reducing the number of symbols needed to award the designated award.

16. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium including executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to operate with one or more input devices and one or more display devices to:

receive, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an indication of a wager to initiate a first wagering game on a first gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines;

display, via at least one of the one or more display devices, the first wagering game;

randomly select, via at least one of the one or more processors, one of a plurality of first game outcomes for the first wagering game, wherein at least one of the plurality of first game outcomes is a special event triggering outcome; and

in direct response to the randomly selected first game outcome being the special event triggering outcome,

(i) present a special event to the first gaming machine on at least one of the one or more display devices, and

(ii) alter, a game symbol combination in a second wagering game being conducted on at least one different gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed during the second wagering game.

17. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 16 , wherein the special event is at least one of a group progressive award and an in-machine progressive award.

18. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 16 , wherein the special event triggering outcome comprises displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, a predetermined game symbol combination in the first wagering game.

19. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 16 , wherein the at least one different gaming machine is selected from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of gaming machines that are adjacent to the first gaming machine.

20. A gaming system configured to conduct wagering games on a plurality of networked gaming machines, each gaming machine of the plurality of networked gaming machines conducting a wagering game simultaneously and independently of the other gaming machines of the plurality of networked gaming machines, the gaming system comprising:

a game server connected to the plurality of networked gaming machines via a communications network;

one or more input devices for receiving player inputs;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:

receive an indication of a wager to initiate a first wagering game on a first gaming machine of the plurality of networked gaming machines;

display the first wagering game on at least one of the one or more display devices;

randomly select, via at least one of the one or more processors, one of a plurality of first game outcomes for the first wagering game, wherein at least one of the plurality of first game outcomes is a special event triggering outcome; and

in direct response to the randomly selected first game outcome being the special event triggering outcome,

(i) present a special event to the first gaming machine on at least one of the one or more display devices, and

(ii) alter a game symbol combination in a second wagering game being conducted on at least one different gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed during the second wagering game.

21. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein at least the altering of the game symbol combination in the second wagering game is performed by a first processor of the one or more processors executing instructions stored on a first memory device of the one or more memory devices, the first processor and the first memory device residing in the game server.

22. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein the special event triggering outcome comprises displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, a predetermined game symbol combination in the first wagering game.

23. The gaming system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one different gaming machine is selected via the game server from the group consisting of any gaming machines of the plurality of networked gaming machines that are adjacent to the first gaming machine.

24. A first gaming machine configured to conduct a wagering game while connected for communication to a second gaming machine, the first gaming machine comprising:

one or more input devices for receiving player inputs;

one or more display devices for displaying game images of the wagering game on the first gaming machine;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the first gaming machine to:

receive an indication of a wager to initiate a first wagering game;

randomly select a first game outcome of a plurality of first game outcomes, the plurality of first game outcomes including at least one special event triggering outcome;

display a first symbol combination representing the first game outcome; and

in direct response to the first game outcome being the at least one special event triggering outcome,

(i) present a special event to the first wagering game on at least a first of the one or more display devices, and

(ii) communicate to the second gaming machine an instruction that causes the second gaming machine to alter, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game symbol combination in at least a second wagering game being conducted on the second gaming machine, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed on at least a second-gaming-machine display device.

25. The gaming machine of claim 24 , wherein altering the game symbol combination on the second gaming machine includes reducing the number of symbols needed to award the designated award.