Electronic gaming machine and method having independently operable game display windows for single or multi-player play
View Patent ↗An electronic gaming machine and method having independently operable game display windows comprising independent displays and controls to play a game individually or as a group game between or among players. The electronic gaming machine comprises a video display and a game controller configured to display on the video display a first set of reels and a second set of reels, control the video display to initially synchronously spin pairs of first and second reels to a stop, and, upon a potential trigger condition being met, control the video display to asynchronously spin pairs of first and second reels to a stop. The game controller is further configured to control the video display to move a special symbol on the video display in a direction opposite to an evaluation direction towards an evaluated position.
1. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a video display;
a memory storing a first set of columns of symbol display positions, and an evaluation direction of the first set of columns of symbol display positions that defines an evaluation order from a first evaluated column to a last evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions;
a game controller, configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the game controller, cause the game controller to at least:
initially control the video display to display a special symbol occupying a plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column; and
during each free game in a series of free games:
evaluate symbols selected including the special symbol, a current position of the special symbol, and the evaluation order, for a winning outcome,
in response to determining that the special symbol not contributing to the winning outcome, move the special symbol to an adjacent column on the video display in a direction opposite to the evaluation direction towards the first evaluated column, and retain the special symbol at the adjacent column for evaluation in a subsequent free game in the series of free games, and
in response to evaluating that the special symbol contributing to the winning outcome, retain the special symbol on the video display for evaluation at the current position in the subsequent free game in the series of free games.
2. The electronic gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the special symbol is a wild symbol.
3. The electronic gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a second set of columns of symbol display positions comprising a different first evaluated column to a different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions, and wherein the game controller is caused to at least:
display on the video display the second set of columns of symbol display positions next to the first set of columns of symbol display positions; and
move the special symbol on the video display across both the first set of columns of symbol display positions and the second set of columns of symbol display positions such that the special symbol is moved from the first evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions to the different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions.
4. The electronic gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the game controller to move the special symbol based on a length of the series of free games.
5. The electronic gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the game controller to move the special symbol unidirectionally.
6. The electronic gaming machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the game controller to initially control the video display to display the special symbol occupying the plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column, in response to one or more outcomes from a random number generator.
7. A method of operating a gaming machine comprising a video display and a game controller comprising a memory, the memory stores for a first set of columns of symbol display positions and an evaluation direction of the first set of columns of symbol display positions that defines an evaluation order from a first evaluated column to a last evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions, the method comprising:
initially displaying on the video display a special symbol occupying a plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column; and
during each free game in a series of free games:
evaluating symbols selected including the special symbol, a current position of the special symbol, and the evaluation order, for a winning outcome,
in response to evaluating that the special symbol not contributing to the winning outcome, moving on the video display the special symbol to an adjacent column in a direction opposite to the evaluation direction towards the first evaluated column, and retain the special symbol at the adjacent column for evaluation in a subsequent free game in the series of free games, and
in response to evaluating that the special symbol contributing to the winning outcome, retaining the special symbol on the video display for evaluation at the current position in the subsequent free game.
8. The method of operating the gaming machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the memory stores a second set of columns of symbol display positions comprising a different first evaluated column to a different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions, and wherein the method further comprises:
displaying on the video display the second set of columns of symbol display positions next to the first set of columns of symbol display positions; and
moving the special symbol on the video display across both the first set of columns of symbol display positions and the second set of columns of symbol display positions such that the special symbol is moved from the first evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions to the different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions.
9. The method of operating the gaming machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the special symbol is a wild symbol.
10. The method of operating the gaming machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein moving the special symbol is dependent on a length of the series of free games.
11. The method of operating the gaming machine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the special symbol moves unidirectionally.
12. The method of operating the gaming machine as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising initially controlling the video display to display the special symbol occupying the plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column, in response to one or more outcomes from a random number generator.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for conducting a game on an electronic gaming machine comprising a video display and a game controller comprising a processor and a memory storing a) for a first set of columns of symbol display positions and an evaluation direction of the first set of columns of symbol display positions that defines an evaluation order from a first evaluated column to a last evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions, and b) instructions, which, when executed cause the processor to perform at least the steps of:
initially displaying on the video display a special symbol occupying a plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column; and
during each free game in a series of free games:
evaluating symbols selected including the special symbol, a current position of the special symbol, and the evaluation order, for a winning outcome,
in response to evaluating that the special symbol not contributing to the winning outcome, moving on the video display the special symbol to an adjacent column in a direction opposite to the evaluation direction towards the first evaluated column, and retain the special symbol at the adjacent column for evaluation in a subsequent free game in the series of free games, and
in response to evaluating that the special symbol contributing to the winning outcome, retaining the special symbol on the video display for evaluation at the current position in the subsequent free game.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the special symbol is a wild symbol.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the memory stores a second set of columns of symbol display positions comprising a different first evaluated column to a different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further causes the processor to perform the steps of:
displaying on the video display the second set of columns of symbol display positions next to the first set of columns of symbol display positions; and
moving the special symbol on the video display across both the first set of columns of symbol display positions and the second set of columns of symbol display positions such that the special symbol is moved from the first evaluated column of the first set of columns of symbol display positions to the different last evaluated column of the second set of columns of symbol display positions.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further causes the processor to perform the step of initially controlling the video display to display a special symbol occupying the plurality of symbol positions of the last evaluated column, in response to one or more outcomes from a random number generator.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further causes the processor to perform the step of moving the special symbol based on a length of the series of free games.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further causes the processor to perform the step of moving the special symbol unidirectionally.