Gaming machine and method

1. A gaming machine configured to provide a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, each symbol position associated with one or more of a plurality of regions and each region of the plurality of regions associated with a region specific award, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, wherein

if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the first region is awarded, and

if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the second region is awarded,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position, and wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent rows of a different region; and

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent columns of a different region.

2. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the region specific award is only awarded if all of the symbols of the winning combination are displayed in symbol positions associated with that region.

3. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the symbol positions are associated with different regions between successive plays of the game or during play of the game.

4. A gaming machine according to claim 3 , wherein symbol positions are associated with a region in accordance with any one of a predetermined pattern, a random process, and the occurrence of a particular region altering symbol in a particular symbol position.

5. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein symbol positions associated with different regions are displayed differently.

6. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein all symbol positions associated with the same region are displayed in the same colour.

7. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a row of symbol positions; and

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a column of symbol positions.

8. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

the alteration of the region associated with at least one symbol position, the altered region association remaining for one or more subsequent plays of the game;

the association of at least one additional symbol position to at least one region; and

the alteration of the region award associated with at least one region, the altered region award remaining for one or more subsequent plays of the game.

9. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region results in the multiplication of a numeric amount that would normally be awarded by the winning combination by a predetermined amount.

10. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

multiplying an accumulated numeric winnings total of a player of the game by a certain predetermined amount;

the treatment of at least one symbol displayed in a symbol position belonging to the region as a wild symbol; and

awarding a player of the game with one or more free games of the game.

11. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

maintaining the symbols displayed in the region in which the winning combination has occurred and redisplaying symbols in those symbol positions which are not associated with the region in which the winning combination has occurred; and

contributing a numeric amount to a jackpot.

12. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region changes between successive plays of the game.

13. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the award associated with a region changes during play of the game.

14. A gaming machine according to claim 12 , wherein the award associated with a region changes in accordance with any one of a predetermined pattern, a random process, and the occurrence of a particular region award symbol in a particular symbol position.

15. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein each symbol position may be associated with more than one region.

16. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the game is a virtual spinning reel game with n spinning wheels defining columns of the array of symbol positions.

17. A gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein each symbol position of the array of symbol positions is populated independently of each other symbol position.

18. A gaming machine configured to provide a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, each symbol position associated with one or more of a plurality of regions and each region of the plurality of regions associated with a region specific award, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, wherein

if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the first region is awarded, and

if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the second region is awarded,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position,

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a row of symbol positions, with at least two symbol positions separated by a symbol position which is not associated with that region; and

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a column of symbol positions, with at least two symbol positions separated by a symbol position which is not associated with that region.

19. A gaming machine configured to provide a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, each symbol position associated with one or more of a plurality of regions and each region of the plurality of regions associated with a region specific award, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, wherein

if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the first region is awarded, and

if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions, the region specific award associated with the second region is awarded,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position,

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a row with at least one of the leftmost or rightmost symbol positions of that row not associated with that region;

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a column with at least one of the topmost or bottommost symbol positions of that column not associated with that region;

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a row with neither of the leftmost or rightmost symbol positions of that row associated with that region; and

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a column with neither of the topmost or bottommost symbol positions of that column associated with that region.

20. A method for use with a gaming machine that provides a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, the method including:

associating each symbol position with one or more of a plurality of regions;

associating each region of the plurality of regions with a region specific award,

awarding a first region award if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, and

awarding a second region award if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position, and

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent rows of a different region; and

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent columns of a different region.

21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the region specific award is only awarded if all of the symbols of the winning combination are displayed in symbol positions associated with that region.

22. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the symbol positions are associated with different regions between successive plays of the game or during play of the game.

23. A method according to claim 22 , wherein symbol positions are associated with a region in accordance with any one of a predetermined pattern, a random process, and the occurrence of a particular region altering symbol in a particular symbol position.

24. A method according to claim 20 , wherein symbol positions associated with different regions are displayed differently.

25. A method according to claim 20 , wherein all symbol positions associated with the same region are displayed in the same colour.

26. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a row of symbol positions; and

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a column of symbol positions.

27. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

the alteration of the region associated with at least one symbol position, the altered region association remaining for one or more subsequent plays of the game;

the association of at least one additional symbol position to at least one region; and

the alteration of the region award associated with at least one region, the altered region award remaining for one or more subsequent plays of the game.

28. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region results in the multiplication of a numeric amount that would normally be awarded by the winning combination by a predetermined amount.

29. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

multiplying an accumulated numeric winnings total of a player of the game by a certain predetermined amount;

the treatment of at least one symbol displayed in a symbol position belonging to the region as a wild symbol; and

awarding a player of the game with one or more free games of the game.

30. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region is selected from a group comprising:

maintaining the symbols displayed in the region in which the winning combination has occurred and redisplaying symbols in those symbol positions which are not associated with the region in which the winning combination has occurred; and

contributing a numeric amount to a jackpot.

31. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region changes between successive plays of the game.

32. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the award associated with a region changes during play of the game.

33. A method according to claim 31 , wherein the award associated with a region changes in accordance with any one of a predetermined pattern, a random process, and the occurrence of a particular region award symbol in a particular symbol position.

34. A method according to claim 20 , wherein each symbol position may be associated with more than one region.

35. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the game is a virtual spinning reel game with n spinning wheels defining columns of the array of symbol positions.

36. A method according to claim 20 , wherein each symbol position of the array of symbol positions is populated independently of each other symbol position.

37. A method for use with a gaming machine that provides a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, the method including the steps of:

associating each symbol position with one or more of a plurality of regions;

associating each region of the plurality of regions with a region specific award,

awarding a first region award if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, and

awarding a second region award if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position,

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a row of symbol positions, with at least two symbol positions separated by a symbol position which is not associated with that region; and

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a column of symbol positions, with at least two symbol positions separated by a symbol position which is not associated with that region.

38. A method for use with a gaming machine that provides a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, the method including the steps of:

associating each symbol position with one or more of a plurality of regions;

associating each region of the plurality of regions with a region specific award,

awarding a first region award if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, and

awarding a second region award if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position,

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a row with at least one of the leftmost or rightmost symbol positions of that row not associated with that region;

a plurality of adjacent symbol positions displayed along a column with at least one of the topmost or bottommost symbol positions of that column not associated with that region;

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a row with neither of the leftmost or rightmost symbol positions of that row associated with that region; and

a plurality of symbol positions displayed along a column with neither of the topmost or bottommost symbol positions of that column associated with that region.

39. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a game controller to implement a method for use with a gaming machine that provides a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed in an array of symbol positions on a display, the gaming machine comprising a user interface in communication with a game controller, the method including the steps of:

associating each symbol position with one or more of a plurality of regions;

associating each region of the plurality of regions with a region specific award,

awarding a first region award if a winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a first region of said plurality of regions, and

awarding a second region award if the same winning combination of symbols occurs such that at least one of the symbols of the winning combination of symbols is displayed in a symbol position associated with a second region of said plurality of regions,

wherein the array of symbol positions is comprised of a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions, each row having a leftmost symbol position and a rightmost symbol position and each column having a topmost symbol position and a bottommost symbol position, and

wherein the symbol positions associated with at least one region are selected from a group comprising:

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent rows of a different region; and

all symbol positions displayed on two or more adjacent columns of a different region.