Regulated casino games and gaming machines configured to enable increased or max skill game states
A computer-implemented method of operating a computing device may comprise enabling the player to play a wager-based and skill-influenced game in which in-game assets are presented for player interaction, each being configured as a wagering opportunity, a successful player interaction with which generates a wager. The game may be configured to operate in a first wager-based state in which a skill of the player affects whether and/or a degree to which player interactions with the wagering opportunities are determined to be successful. Game play of the game configured in the first wager-based state may be enabled, player interactions with the wagering opportunities received and the player may be randomly rewarded for player interactions determined to be successful. The game may be configured to operate in a second wager-based state in which effects of the player's skill are changed relative to the first wager-based state and game play enabled in such second wager-based state. Upon occurrence of a predetermined action or event, the game may be reconfigured back to the first wager-based state and game play may be re-enabled to operate in the first wager-based state.
1. A computer-implemented method of operating a computing device, comprising:
accepting, by the computing device, funds from a player and enabling the player to play a wager-based and skill-influenced game using the accepted funds, the wager-based and skill-influenced game being configured to present a plurality of in-game assets for player interaction during the game, each of the plurality of in-game assets being configured as a wagering opportunity, a successful player interaction with any of which generates a wager;
configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in a first wager-based state in which a skill of the player affects whether player interactions with the wagering opportunities are determined to be successful;
enabling game play of the game configured in the first wager-based state, receiving player interactions with the wagering opportunities via a player interface of the computing device while the game is configured in the first wager-based state and randomly rewarding the player in the first wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful;
configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in a second wager-based state in which effects of the player's skill upon determinations of whether player interactions with the wagering opportunities are determined to be successful as furthering a narrative of the game, are decreased relative to the first wager-based state, such that the received player interactions with the wagering opportunities are more successful during game play of the game in the second wager-based state than during game play of the game in the first wager-based state;
enabling game play of the game configured in the second wager-based state, receiving player interactions with the wagering opportunities via the player interface while the game is configured in the second wager-based state, decreasing the effects of the player's skill and increasing a success with which the received player interactions interact with the wagering opportunities to further a narrative of the game, and randomly rewarding the player in the second wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful; and
upon occurrence of a predetermined action or event, reconfiguring the wager-based and skill- influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state and re-enabling game play of the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the effects of the player's skill minimizes the effects thereof such that, in the second wager-based state, rewards to the player in the second wager-based state are maximized.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action or event comprises an end of a predetermined time period.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action or event is related to an amount of rewards awarded to the player.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the second wager-based state is executed when an actual return to player (RTP) drops below a predetermined RTP threshold during game play.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the second wager-based state is executed when an actual return to player (RTP) rises above a predetermined RTP threshold during game play.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein, during game play of the game configured in the second wager-based state, rewarding the player in the second wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful comprises rewarding the player at a highest possible return to player (RTP) of the game.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein reconfiguring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state is executed upon occurrence of a predetermined in-game event while the game is configured in the second wager-based state.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a general purpose computer configured as a regulated gaming machine.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a comprises a regulated gaming machine.
11. A computing device, comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory, and
a player interface coupled to the processor; and
a display coupled to the processor,
a plurality of processes spawned by the processor, the plurality of processes comprising processing logic to:
accept, by the computing device, funds from a player and enable the player to play a wager- based and skill-influenced game using the accepted funds, the wager-based and skill-influenced game being configured to present a plurality of in-game assets for player interaction during the game, each of the plurality of in-game assets being configured as a wagering opportunity, a successful player interaction with any of which generates a wager;
configure the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in a first wager-based state in which a skill of the player affects whether player interactions with the wagering opportunities are determined to be successful;
enable game play of the game configured in the first wager-based state, receive player interactions with the wagering opportunities via a player interface of the computing device while the game is configured in the first wager-based state, and randomly reward the player in the first wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful;
configure the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in a second wager-based state in which effects of the player's skill upon determinations of whether player interactions with the wagering opportunities are determined to be successful as furthering a narrative of the game, are decreased relative to the first wager-based state, such that the received player interactions with the wagering opportunities are more successful during game play of the game in the second wager-based state than during game play of the game in the first wager-based state;
enable game play of the game configured in the second wager-based state, receive player interactions with the wagering opportunities via the player interface while the game is configured in the second wager-based state, decrease the effects of the player's skill and increase a success with which the received player interactions interact with the wagering opportunities to further a narrative of the game, and randomly reward the player in the second wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful; and
upon occurrence of a predetermined action or event, reconfigure the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state and re-enabling game play of the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state.
12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing logic for decreasing the effects of the player's skill minimizes the effects thereof such that, in the second wager-based state, rewards to the player in the second wager-based state are maximized.
13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined action or event comprises an end of a predetermined time period.
14. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined action or event is related to an amount of rewards awarded to the player.
15. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing logic for configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the second wager-based state is executed when an actual return to player (RTP) drops below a predetermined RTP threshold during game play.
16. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing logic for configuring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the second wager-based state is executed when an actual return to player (RTP) rises above a predetermined RTP threshold during game play.
17. The computing device of claim 11 wherein, during game play of the game configured in the second wager-based state, the processing logic for rewarding the player in the second wager-based state for player interactions determined to be successful comprises processing logic for rewarding the player at a highest possible return to player (RTP) of the game.
18. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing logic for reconfiguring the wager-based and skill-influenced game to operate in the first wager-based state is executed upon occurrence of a predetermined in-game event while the game is configured in the second wager-based state.
19. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is a general purpose computer configured as a regulated gaming machine.
20. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is a comprises a regulated gaming machine.
21. A computer-implemented method of operating a wager-based and skill-influenced game in a gaming machine, comprising:
operating the gaming device in a first state in which a player's skill, during game play of the wager-based and skill-influenced game, influences rewards awarded to the player such that game play at a higher skill level earns more rewards than game play at a comparatively lower skill level;
for a limited period of time, operating the gaming device in a second state in which the player's skill, during game play of the same wager-based and skill-influenced game, does not influence rewards awarded to the player and in which a return to player (RTP) is maximized according to a maximum RTP of the game; and
returning to operating the gaming machine in the first state.