Method, apparatus, and program product employing a touchscreen button for presenting game feature information in a gaming machine
View Patent ↗A method includes displaying a button graphic on a touch screen video display device associated with a gaming machine. The button graphic defines a button display area on the touch screen video display device which may be touched to cause a touch screen controller associated with the touch screen video display device to generate a game feature input. In response to the game feature input, a game feature in a game offered through the gaming machine is modified in some fashion. In addition to displaying the button graphic, the button graphic is modified to add a first message regarding the game feature. This modification of the button graphic is performed in association with a modification of the game feature, and the first message includes text indicating that the game feature has been modified.
1. A method of presenting game feature information through a gaming machine, the method including:
(a) displaying a button graphic on a touch screen video display device associated with a gaming machine, the button graphic defining a button display area which, when touched, causes a touch screen controller associated with the touch screen video display device to generate a game feature input for the gaming machine which in turn causes the gaming machine to take an action relating to a game feature;
(b) in association with taking the action, changing the button graphic to add a first message regarding the game feature, the first message including text regarding the action taken;
(c) the game feature further comprising a bonus game, and wherein taking the action includes changing a state of the gaming machine from an ineligible state for the bonus game to an eligible state for the bonus game, and wherein the first message includes text indicating that the gaming machine is in the eligible state for the bonus game; and
(d) wherein taking the action includes applying a bonus game wager for a play in the bonus game.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bonus game wager is in addition to a primary game wager for a primary game played through the gaming machine.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the bonus game is triggered periodically during the course of multiple plays in the primary game.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first message includes a countdown timer indicating a time remaining for the eligible state for the bonus game.
5. A gaming machine including:
(a) a display system;
(b) a player input system, the player input system including one or more touch screen areas of the display system and a touch screen controller system;
(c) at least one processor;
(d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:
(i) cause the display system to display a button graphic in one of the touch screen areas, the button graphic defining a button display area which, when touched, causes the touch screen controller system to generate a game feature input for the gaming machine;
(ii) responsive to the game feature input, take an action relating to a game feature;
(iii) in association with taking the action, cause the button graphic to add a first message regarding the game feature, the first message including text regarding the action taken;
(e) wherein the game feature comprises a bonus game, and wherein taking the action includes changing a state of the gaming machine from an ineligible state for the bonus game to an eligible state for the bonus game, and wherein the first message includes text indicating that the gaming machine is in the eligible state for the bonus game; and
(f) wherein taking the action includes applying a bonus game wager for a play in the bonus game.
6. The gaming machine of claim 5 wherein the bonus game wager is in addition to a primary game wager for a primary game played through the gaming machine.
7. The gaming machine of claim 6 wherein the bonus game is triggered periodically during the course of multiple plays in the primary game.
8. A method including:
(a) displaying a button graphic on a touch screen video display device associated with a gaming machine, the button graphic defining a button display area and including a first message regarding a game feature;
(b) responsive to a triggering event at the gaming machine, changing the button graphic to display a second message regarding the game feature, the second message including text indicating how to invoke the game feature; further including switching back to the first message in response to a touch input in the button display area; and
(c) adding a third message to the button graphic, the third message comprising additional text separate from the text of the first message and the second message, and the third message being added without any change to the game feature.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the triggering event comprises the expiration of eligibility for the game feature at the gaming machine, and wherein the second message includes an indication that eligibility for the first game feature has expired.