Wagering game, gaming machine, networked gaming system and method with a player-selectable multi-game mix and match feature
View Patent ↗A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed in which a gaming machine provides a player-selectable base game and a player-selectable side game, both of which may be played and wagered upon concurrently or according to some play sequence. The selected base game may be one of several themes or types of game displayed on a portion of a primary display of the gaming machine and the selected side game may be one of several themes or types of game displayed on a remaining portion of the primary or an alternate display. The potential prizes may be stand-alone as with a prize table or networked as with a prize pool having fixed or progressive prizes.
1. A method for operating a player-selectable dual wagering game, the method including:
displaying a set of side game representations, each side game representation corresponding to a respective side game, enabling and receiving a side game player selection input from a player comprising selecting one or more of the side game representations;
responsive to the side game player selection, displaying one or more selected side games;
displaying one or more base games, the base games and selected side games being operable simultaneously through one or more game processors; responsive to a game initiation action by the player, randomly or pseudo-randomly determining the base game and side game outcomes; and
awarding any prize or award associated with winning game outcomes.
2. The method of claim 1 , the step displaying the selected side games including: replacing the displayed set of side game representations with the display of at least one of the selected side games.
3. The method of claim 1 , the step displaying the selected side games including:
minimizing the displayed set of side game representations when at least one of the selected side games is displayed; responsive to a side game restore action by the player, restoring the displayed set of side game representations.
4. The method of claim 3 , the step minimizing the displayed set of side game representations including:
displaying a side game set icon corresponding to the set of side game representations; the method wherein the side game restore action comprises the player selecting the side game set icon.
5. The method of claim 1 , the step displaying one or more base games including:
displaying a set of base game representations, each base game representation corresponding to a respective base game; and displaying the base games responsive to a base game player selection of one or more of the base game representations.
6. The method of claim 5 , the step displaying one or more base games including:
replacing the displayed set of base game representations with the display of at least one of the selected base games.
7. The method of claim 5 , the step displaying the selected base games including:
minimizing the displayed set of base game representations when at least one of the selected base games is displayed;
responsive to a base game restore action by the player, restoring the displayed set of base game representations.
8. The method of claim 7 , the step minimizing the displayed set of base game representations including:
displaying a base game set icon corresponding to the set of base game representations;
the method wherein the base game restore action comprises the player selecting the base game set icon.
9. The method of claim 1 , the step of randomly determining including:
accepting a wager by a player to initiate each of the base games and the selected side games, the game initiation action including initiating the wager; and
the awarding step including paying each of the awards or prizes in accordance with the wager.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the base game and side game outcomes and the prize opportunities are determined independently.
11. The method of claim 1 including:
responsive to a triggering event, initiating one or more free plays of one or more side games.
12. A method for operating a player-selectable dual wagering game, the method including:
responsive to a side game player selection, displaying one or more selected side games;
displaying one or more base games, the base games and selected side games being operable simultaneously through one or more game processors;
responsive to a game initiation action by the player, randomly or pseudo-randomly determining the base game and side game outcomes;
awarding any prize or award associated with winning game outcomes;
transmitting a player preference signal to a player account server, the player preference signal including information identifying the player and the selected side game; and
storing the player preference information in a location accessible during a subsequent gaming session.
13. The method of claim 12 including:
responsive to a player submitting identification information at a gaming device, requesting the player preference information.
14. The method of claim 13 including:
responsive to the request for the player preference information, receiving the player preference information at the gaming device; and
displaying one or more games on the gaming device in accordance with the player preference information.
15. The method of claim 14 including:
prior to displaying one or more games in accordance with the player preference information;
displaying a request to use the player preference information to display the one or more games; and
receiving a player acknowledgement to display the one or more games.
16. The method of claim 14 including:
prior to displaying one or more games in accordance with the player preference information;
displaying a request to use the player preference information to display the one or more games; and
receiving a player acknowledgement to display the one or more games.
17. The method of claim 13 including:
responsive to the request for the player preference information, receiving the player preference information at the gaming device; and
displaying one or more games on the gaming device in accordance with the player preference information.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the step displaying one or more base games further includes:
displaying a set of base game representations, each base game representation corresponding to a respective base game; and displaying the base games responsive to a base game player selection of one or more of the base game representations.
19. The method of claim 12 including:
responsive to a player submitting identification information at a gaming device, requesting the player preference information.