Wagering game, gaming machine, networked gaming system and method with a simultaneous secondary game
View Patent ↗A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed in which a gaming machine provides both a base game and a side game which may be played and wagered upon concurrently or according to some play sequence. The base game may be one type of game displayed on a portion of a primary display of the gaming machine and the side game may be a different type of game displayed on a remaining portion of the primary display.
1. A method of providing wagering games through a gaming machine, the method including:
(a) simultaneously displaying a base game graphic and a side game graphic on a display system of the gaming machine, the base game graphic being displayed under control of a first processing device associated with the gaming machine and the side game graphic being displayed under control of the first processing device or a second processing device associated with the gaming machine;
(b) receiving a game play input through a player input system of the gaming machine, the game play input being associated with a wager for the base game;
(c) in response to the game play input, modifying the base game graphic under control of the first processing device to display a base game outcome presentation correlated to a base game outcome for the base game, and over a common period of time with modifying the base game graphic, modifying the side game graphic under control of the first processing device or the second processing device to display a side game outcome presentation correlated to a side game outcome for a side game, the base game outcome being distinct from the side game outcome; and
(d) displaying through the display system (i) the award of any cash or credit prize correlated to the base game outcome presentation and (ii) the award of any cash or credit prize correlated to the side game outcome presentation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the base game outcome is selected using a random number generator and the side game outcome is selected using the same random number generator.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the base game outcome is selected using a first random number generator and the side game outcome is selected using a second random number generator independent from the first random number generator.
4. The method of claim 1 further including receiving a side game input through the player input system, the side game input being associated with a wager for the side game separate from the wager for the base game.
5. The method of claim 1 further including triggering a feature game in response to a triggering event at the gaming machine, the feature game being separate from the base game and the side game and requesting one or more player inputs through the player input system in order to present an outcome for the feature game.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the feature game is triggered in response to a triggering event in the base game.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the feature game is triggered in response to a triggering event in the side game.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the triggering event is independent of any event in the base game and independent of any event in the side game.
9. The method of claim 5 further including disabling the side game during play of the feature game and displaying a disable message in a side game display area of the display system during play of the feature game.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game outcome is selected from a side set of possible side game outcomes which includes one or more high reward winning side game outcomes and further including producing a celebratory presentation through the display system when the side game outcome comprises one of the high reward winning side game outcomes.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the celebratory presentation includes a video display of multiple falling coins in an area in which the side game outcome presentation is displayed.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game graphic and side game outcome presentation are displayed on a side game display device which is separate from a base game display device through which the base game outcome presentation is displayed, and wherein the side game display device and the base game display device are each mounted on the gaming machine.
13. The method of claim 1 further including receiving an additional game play input through the player input system, the additional game play input being associated with a wager for an additional play of the base game, and displaying side game activation information in an area of the side game outcome presentation during the additional play of the base game.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game comprises a dice game distinct from the base game.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game comprises a playing card game distinct from the base game.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game comprises a reel-type game distinct from the base game.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the side game comprises a wheel game distinct from the base game.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the base game comprises one of a reel-type game, a playing card game, a dice game, or a wheel game.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the base game includes a free spin symbol and, in response to the appearance of the free spin symbol in the base game outcome presentation, the side game adds a free spin outcome as an available outcome in a future instance of the side game.