Graphical user interface and computer processing techniques for facilitating user interaction with electronic gaming devices

1. A computer implemented system employed in a computer network, the computer network including a electronic, wager-based gaming device, the electronic gaming device including a display and a input device, the computer network further including at least one random number generator engine, the system comprising:

at least one processor; at least one non-transient memory; and the at least one processor being operable to execute a plurality of instructions stored in the at least one non-transient memory to:

display, at the display, a game graphical user interface representing a virtual game world of a skill and wager-based game, the game graphical user interface including a skill-based game graphical user interface portion configured to enable the player to engage in skill-based game play activities relating to the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion, the game graphical user interface further including a wager-based game graphical user interface portion configured to display content relating to wager-based gaming activities associated with the skill and wager-based game;

receive a set of game-play input generated from the player's interactions with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion;

detect an occurrence of a wager-based triggering event in the virtual game world;

automatically initiate, in response to the occurrence of the wager-based triggering event, a wager-based game event at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion;

enable the player to concurrently engage in a portion of skill-based game play activities of the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion during execution of the wager-based game event;

predetermine a wager-based game event outcome representing an outcome of the wager-based game event before the initiation of the wager-based game event;

predetermine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event outcome;

predetermine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any non-monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event outcome, the non-monetary payout including at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to a skill-based game portion of the virtual game world;

display a representation of the predetermined wager-based game event outcome at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion while the player is engaged in the portion of skill-based game play activities via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion;

if it is predetermined that a monetary payout is to be distributed to the player, automatically distribute the monetary payout; and

if it is predetermined that a non-monetary payout is to be distributed or awarded to the player, automatically distribute the non-monetary payout by modifying the at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world.

2. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

automatically fund a amount wagered on the wager-based game event using funds from an account balance associated with the player.

3. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

predetermine the wager-based game event outcome using the at least one random number generator engine;

create a link or association between the wager-based game event outcome and the wager-based triggering event; and

reveal, after execution of the wager-based game event, the wager-based game event outcome.

4. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 wherein the electronic gaming device includes a bill or ticket acceptor, the system being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to establish the account balance using at least a portion of cash or credit received via the bill or ticket acceptor.

5. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined wager-based game event outcome results in distribution of the monetary payout and the non-monetary payout.

6. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

analyze the predetermined wager-based game event outcome to determine whether or not to automatically modify an availability of at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world;

if the wager-based game event outcome satisfies a set of conditions, automatically modify the availability of the at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world; and

if the wager-based game event outcome does not satisfy the set of criteria, prevent modification of the at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world in response to the wager-based game event outcome.

7. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 1 :

wherein the wager-based game event corresponds to a wager-based game of chance event; and

wherein the wager-based game event outcome is determined using the at least one random number generator engine.

8. A computer implemented system employed in a computer network, the computer network including a electronic, wager-based gaming device, the electronic gaming device including a display and a input device, the computer network further including at least one random number generator engine, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one non-transient memory; and

the at least one processor being operable to execute a plurality of instructions stored in the at least one non-transient memory to:

display, at the display, a game graphical user interface representing a virtual game world of a skill and wager-based game, the game graphical user interface including a skill-based game graphical user interface portion configured to enable the player to engage in skill-based game play activities relating to the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion, the game graphical user interface further including a wager-based game graphical user interface portion configured to display content relating to wager-based gaming activities associated with the skill and wager-based game;

receive a set of game-play input generated from the player's interactions with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion;

detect an occurrence of a wager-based triggering event in the virtual game world;

automatically initiate, in response to the occurrence of the wager-based triggering event, a wager-based game event at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion;

enable the player to concurrently engage in a portion of skill-based game play activities of the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion during execution of the wager-based game event;

display a representation of the wager-based game event at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion;

identify a wager-based event outcome representing an outcome of the wager-based game event;

determine the wager-based game event outcome of the wager-based game event before the initiation of the wager-based game event outcome;

determine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event outcome of the wager-based game event;

if it is determined that a monetary payout is to be distributed to the player, automatically distribute the monetary payout;

determine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any non-monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event outcome, wherein the non-monetary payout includes at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to a skill-based game portion of the virtual game world; and

if it is determined that a non-monetary payout is to be distributed or awarded to the player, automatically distribute the non-monetary payout by modifying the at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world.

9. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

automatically fund a amount wagered on the wager-based game event using funds from an account balance associated with the player.

10. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

determine the wager-based game event outcome using the at least one random number generator engine;

create a link or association between the wager-based game event outcome and the wager-based triggering event; and

reveal, after execution of the wager-based game event, the wager-based game event outcome.

11. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 wherein the electronic gaming device includes a bill or ticket acceptor, the system being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to establish the account balance using at least a portion of cash or credit received via the bill or ticket acceptor.

12. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

concurrently display a representation of the execution of the wager-based game event at the first wager-based game graphical user interface portion while the player is engaged in the portion of skill-based game play activities.

13. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 wherein the outcome of the wager-based game event results in distribution of the monetary payout and the non-monetary payout.

14. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 being further operable to cause the at least one processor to execute additional instructions to:

analyze the wager-based game event outcome to determine whether or not to automatically modify an availability of at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world;

if the wager-based game event outcome satisfies a set of conditions, automatically modify the availability of the at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world; and

if the wager-based game event outcome does not satisfy the set of criteria, prevent modification of the at least one resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world in response to the wager-based game event outcome.

15. The computer implemented gaming system of claim 8 :

wherein the wager-based game event corresponds to a wager-based game of chance event; and

wherein the wager-based game event outcome is determined using the at least one random number generator engine.

16. A non-transitory computer usable medium for use in a computer network, the computer network including a electronic, wager-based gaming device including a display and a input device, the computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising computer code for causing at least one processor to execute instructions stored in at least one memory to:

display, at the display, a game graphical user interface representing a virtual game world of a skill and wager-based game, the game graphical user interface including a skill-based game graphical user interface portion configured to enable the player to engage in skill-based game play activities relating to the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion, the game graphical user interface further including a wager-based game graphical user interface portion configured to display content relating to wager-based gaming activities associated with the skill and wager-based game;

receive a set of game-play input generated from the player's interactions with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion;

detect an occurrence of a wager-based triggering event in the virtual game world;

automatically initiate, in response to the occurrence of the wager-based triggering event, a wager-based game event at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion;

enable the player to concurrently engage in a portion of skill-based game play activities of the skill and wager-based game via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion during execution of the wager-based game event;

predetermine a wager-based game event outcome representing an outcome of the wager-based game event before the initiation of the wager-based game event;

predetermine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event;

predetermine, before the initiation of the wager-based game event, if any non-monetary payout is to be distributed to the player based on the predetermined wager-based game event outcome, the non-monetary payout including at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to a skill-based game portion of the virtual game world;

display a representation of the wager-based game event outcome at the wager-based game graphical user interface portion while the player is engaged in the portion of skill-based game play activities via interaction with the skill-based game graphical user interface portion;

if it is predetermined that a monetary payout is to be distributed to the first player, automatically distribute the monetary payout; and

if it is predetermined that a non-monetary payout is to be distributed or awarded to the player, automatically distribute the non-monetary payout by modifying the at least one in-game resource or attribute relating to the skill-based game portion of the virtual game world.