Accumulation game offering respins for additional wagers
View Patent ↗A free spin game accumulates symbols to win a prize. An offer is made for the player to purchase additional “free spins” if the game is within a designated threshold number of accumulated symbols for winning a free prize. That is, the player can purchase more spins if they have almost achieved a prize. These re-spins are offered to the player at a price based on expected values of all possible prizes that could be achieved in the re-spin.
1. A method of providing a wagering game, the method comprising:
(a) receiving a game play request with an associated wager, at a gaming machine including an electronic display and an electronic processor operatively connected to control the gaming machine and the electronic display;
(b) at some point after the game play request and in response to the game play request, causing the electronic display to a matrix of symbol locations comprised of multiple reels each including one or more symbol locations;
(c) under control of the electronic processor, conducting a designated number of spins of the reels on the electronic display, each spin producing a spin result, each spin result having a chance to include one or more target symbols of one or more types;
(d) in response to a spin result including a target symbol, for each respective target symbol of the one or more types included in the spin result, under control of the electronic processor displaying on the electronic display an indication that the respective target symbol is accumulated, the indication being displayed in a designated display area, outside of the matrix of symbol locations, for its respective target symbol type;
(e) after the designated number of spins of the reels have been exhausted, under control of the electronic processor automatically determining whether the amount of accumulated target symbols in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations of any of the symbol types are within a designated threshold such that they almost qualify for an award;
(f) under control of the electronic processor, determining a price of a re-spin of the reels, by determining an expected value for the re-spin considering how close the player is to achieving an award for each of the symbol types and choosing the price based at least in part on the expected value;
(g) under control of the electronic processor, displaying on the electronic display a notification indicating availability of a re-spin of all of the reels for a wager of the determined price;
(h) receiving a further wager at the determined price for the re-spin of all of the reels;
(i) in response to receiving the further wager, under control of the electronic processor, conducting the re-spin to produce a re-spin result, the re-spin result having a chance to include one or more target symbols of one or more types;
(j) in response to the re-spin producing one or more respective target symbols of the one or more types, under control of the electronic processor, displaying on the electronic display an indication that the respective target symbols have been accumulated in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including repeating steps (e)-(j) multiple times.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-spin is offered when the indication that the respective target symbol is accumulated is one symbol away from a quantity needed to qualify for the award.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the price of the re-spin is determined by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the price of the re-spin is determined by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin plus a house premium amount to the price of the re-spin.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-spin is conducted in a bonus round which is configured to end when the player declines to make a further wager or when the accumulated target symbols are not within the designated threshold.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-spin is conducted in a base game round, and wherein the game play request is entitled to a base game play round including the designated number of spins, and wherein the step of indicating that the respective target symbol is accumulated and the step of offering the re-spin are special features of the base game.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated threshold is set to a different amount for at least one of the respective target symbol types.
9. A system for providing a wagering game, the system comprising:
(a) a player interface configured for receiving a game play request with an associated wager;
(b) a video display device configured for, at some point after the game play request and in response to the game play request, displaying a matrix of symbol locations comprised of multiple reels each including one or more symbol locations;
(c) a game controller configured for determining game play results for a designated number of spins of the reels, each spin producing a spin result, each spin result having a chance to include one or more target symbols of one or more types;
(d) a secondary video display device configured for displaying an indication that the respective target symbol is accumulated in response to a spin result including a target symbol, the indication being displayed in a designated display area, outside of the matrix of symbol locations, for its respective target symbol type;
(e) the game controller configured for further automatically determining whether an amount of accumulated target symbols in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations of any of the symbol types is within a designated threshold such that it almost qualifies for an award after the designated number of spins of the reels have been exhausted;
(f) the game controller further configured for determining a price of a re-spin of the reels, by determining an expected value for the re-spin considering how close a player is to achieving an award for each of the one or more symbol types and choosing the price based at least in part on the expected value;
(g) the video display device for displaying a notification indicating availability of the re-spin of all of the reels, including the previously determined price;
(h) the player interface further configured for receiving a further wager at the determined price for the re-spin of all of the reels;
(i) the game controller further configured for conducting the re-spin to produce a re-spin result in response to receiving the further wager; the re-spin result having a chance to include a respective additional one or more target symbols of one or more types; and
(j) the secondary video display device further configured for, in response to the re-spin producing one or more respective target symbols of the one or more types, displaying an indication that the respective target symbols have been accumulated in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the game controller is further configured to offer the re-spin when accumulation of the one or more target symbols is one symbol away from a quantity needed to qualify for an award.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the game controller is configured to determine the price of the re-spin by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the game controller is configured to determine the price of the re-spin by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin plus a house premium amount to the price of the re-spin.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the game controller is further configured to allow a base game play round including the designated number of spins, and the secondary video device allows the step of indicating that the respective target symbol is accumulated, and offering the re-spin, and wherein the indication that the respective target symbol is accumulated is maintained by the secondary video device only for a previously defined number of spins.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the designated threshold is set to a different amount for at least one of the respective target symbol types.
15. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program product, the program product including computer executable program code executable for:
(a) receiving a game play request with an associated wager at a gaming machine;
(b) displaying a matrix of symbol locations comprised of multiple reels each including one or more symbol locations at some point after the game play request and in response to the game play request;
(c) determining game play results for a designated number of spins of the reels, each spin producing a spin result, each spin result having a chance to include one or more target symbols of one or more types and;
(d) in response to a spin result including a target symbol and for each respective target symbol of the one or more types included in the spin result, displaying an indication that the respective target symbol is accumulated in a designated display area, outside of the matrix of symbol locations, for its respective target symbol type;
(e) automatically determining whether the amount of accumulated target symbols in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations of any of the symbol types are within a designated threshold such that they almost qualify for an award after the designated number of spins of the reels have been exhausted;
(f) determining a price of a re-spin of the reels, by determining an expected value for the re-spin considering how close the player is to achieving an award for each of the one or more symbol types and choosing the price based at least in part on the expected value;
(g) displaying a notification indicating availability of the re-spin of the reels, including the previously determined price;
(h) receiving a further wager at the determined price for the re-spin of all of the reels;
(i) conducting the re-spin to produce a re-spin result of all of the reels, the re-spin result having a chance to include one or more target symbols of one or more types, in response to receiving the further wager; and
(j) in response to the re-spin, producing one or more respective target symbols of the one or more types, displaying an indication that the respective target symbols have been accumulated in the designated display area outside of the matrix of symbol locations.
16. The medium storing a program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code is further executable for offering the re-spin when the accumulation of the one or more target symbols of one or more types is one symbol away from a quantity needed to qualify for an award.
17. The medium storing a program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code is further executable for determining the price of the re-spin by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin.
18. The medium storing a program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code is further executable for determining the price of the re-spin by setting the price equal to the expected value of the re-spin, and adding a house premium amount to the price of the re-spin.
19. The medium storing a program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code is further executable for conducting the re-spin in a bonus round which is configured to end when the player declines to make a further wager or when the accumulated target symbols are not within the designated threshold.
20. The medium storing a program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code is further executable to allow the game play request to be entitled to a base game play round comprising the designated number of spins and wherein the program code maintains the target symbols for only a previously defined number of spins.