GAME PERFORMANCE DETERMINATION BY INCREMENTAL REVENUE
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of determining the performance of a gaming device by analyzing the incremental revenue generated by the gaming device. This method may include identifying an analysis period, recording game performance data for a set of gaming devices and a test gaming device during the analysis period, and comparing the recorded data to historical gaming data for the set of gaming devices. Some examples of this method may also include developing parameters for the analysis period and using those developed parameters to normalize the recorded game data for the analysis period prior to comparing the recorded data to the historical gaming data.
1 . A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of gaming machines, each of which includes at least one of a currency acceptor, a ticket acceptor, and a coin acceptor and at least one meter for tracking game data;
a server connected to the plurality of gaming machine through a network, the server configured to record the game data associated with the connected gaming machines;
a database in which the game data is recorded; and
a previously-unimplemented gaming feature connected to the gaming machines though the network,
wherein the server is further configured to categorize players into at least one player group based on at least one predefined criterion using data stored in the database and to compare the game data generated by the at least one player group on the plurality of existing gaming devices measured over a first period with the game data generated by the at least one player group on the plurality of existing gaming devices operated with the previously-unimplemented gaming feature measured over a second period.
2 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second periods are first and second time periods.
3 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second periods are first and second event periods.
4 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the database includes player-tracking data and wherein the at least one category comprises data associated with identified players.
5 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the database includes player-tracking data and wherein the at least one category comprises data associated with unidentified players.
6 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the database includes player-tracking data and wherein the at least one category comprises data associated with new players of the gaming devices.