Method and apparatus facilitating realistic player interaction in a simulated skill game

1. A method of controlling targets displayed during a play in a player-interactive game conducted through a gaming machine, the method including:

(a) at a data processing system associated with the gaming machine, receiving a total prize amount to be awarded for the play of the player-interactive game;

(b) under control of the data processing system, determining an expected target value for a respective record from a target sequence comprising a sequence of records, wherein a number of adjacent records in the sequence of records are linked by a wave type property;

(c) under control of the data processing system, selecting a target value for the respective record from a number of different available target values, the selected target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that (i) bears a predefined relationship to the expected target value, and, (ii) where the respective record is linked by the wave type property, is consistent with the wave type property;

(d) under control of the data processing system, selecting a target type correlated to the selected target value;

(e) causing a prize target corresponding to the selected target type to be displayed on a display system of the gaming machine under control of the data processing system; and

(f) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), and (e) for each respective record in the target sequence until an end condition is detected for the play of the player-interactive game.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

(a) generating the target sequence under control of the data processing system, each record of the target sequence correlating to an unspecified respective target to be displayed in the play of the player-interactive game and specifying a delay from a time that a previous target is displayed on the display system;

(b) for a game mode modifier specified for the play of the player-interactive game, generating an additional target sequence under control of the data processing system, the additional target sequence comprising a sequence of records for an additional mode of the play of the player-interactive game, wherein a number of adjacent records in the sequence of records for the additional mode of play in the player-interactive game are linked by an additional mode wave type property;

(c) when the play of the player-interactive game is in a game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence, determining, under control of the data processing system, an expected target value for a respective record of the additional target sequence;

(d) under control of the data processing system, selecting an additional target value for the respective record of the additional target sequence from the number of different available target values, the selected additional target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that (i) bears the predefined relationship or another predefined relationship to the expected target value determined for the respective record of the additional target sequence, and, (ii) where the respective record of the additional target sequence is linked by the additional mode wave type property, is consistent with the additional mode wave type property;

(e) under control of the data processing system selecting an additional target type correlated to the selected additional target value;

(f) causing a prize target corresponding to the selected additional target type to be displayed on the display system under control of the data processing system; and

(g) repeating steps (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this claim for each respective record in the additional target sequence until an end condition is detected for the game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence.

3. The method of claim 2 further including under control of the data processing system selecting a prize distribution between the game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence and a game mode corresponding to the target sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the expected target value includes determining an available prize value, the available prize value comprising an amount by which the total prize amount to be awarded exceeds a combined value of all prize targets having previously received a respective successful interaction from a player in the play in the player-interactive game and the value of all prize targets currently displayed on the display system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the expected target value includes determining a remaining target count, the remaining target count comprising at least an estimate of the remaining prize targets to be displayed in the play in the player-interactive game.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined relationship to the expected target value comprises the minimum differential to the expected target value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined relationship to the expected target value comprises a randomly selected value within a predefined distribution about the expected target value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wave type property specifies a target type constraint which defines a relationship between each respective record linked by the wave type property.

9. A gaming machine providing a player-interactive game, the gaming machine including:

(a) a display system;

(b) a player input system;

(c) at least one processor; and

(d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:

(i) receive a total prize amount to be awarded for a play of the player-interactive game,

(ii) determine an expected target value for a respective record from a target sequence comprising a sequence of records, wherein a number of adjacent records in the sequence of records are linked by a wave type property,

(iii) select a target value for the respective record from a number of different available target values, the selected target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that bears a predefined relationship to the expected target value, and, where the respective record is linked by the wave type property, is consistent with the wave type property,

(iv) select a target type correlated to the selected target value,

(v) cause a prize target corresponding to the selected target type to be displayed on the display system, and

(vi) repeat (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v) for each respective record in the target sequence until an end condition is detected for the play of the player-interactive game.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9 wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to:

(a) generate the target sequence, each record of the target sequence correlating to an unspecified respective target to be displayed in the play of the player-interactive game and specifying a delay from a time that a previous target is displayed on the display system;

(b) for a game mode modifier specified for the play of the player-interactive game, generate an additional target sequence comprising a sequence of records for an additional mode of the play of the player-interactive game;

(c) when the play of the player-interactive game is in a game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence, determine an expected target value for a respective record of the additional target sequence;

(d) select an additional target value for the respective record of the additional target sequence from the number of different available target values, the selected additional target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that bears the predefined relationship or another predefined relationship to the expected target value determined for the respective record of the additional target sequence;

(e) select an additional target type correlated to the selected additional target value;

(f) cause a prize target corresponding to the selected additional target type to be displayed on the display system; and

(g) repeat steps (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this claim for each respective record in the additional target sequence until an end condition is detected for the game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to select a prize distribution between the game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence and a game mode corresponding to the target sequence.

12. The gaming machine of claim 9 wherein determining the expected target value includes determining an available prize value, the available prize value comprising an amount by which the total prize amount to be awarded exceeds a combined value of all prize targets having previously received a respective successful interaction from a player in the play of the player-interactive game and the value of all prize targets currently displayed on the display system.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein determining the expected target value includes determining a remaining target count, the remaining target count comprising at least an estimate of the remaining prize targets to be displayed in the play of the player-interactive game.

14. The gaming machine of claim 9 wherein the predefined relationship to the expected target value comprises the minimum differential to the expected target value.

15. The gaming machine of claim 9 wherein the predefined relationship to the expected target value comprises a randomly selected value within a predefined distribution about the expected target value.

16. The gaming machine of claim 9 wherein the wave type property specifies a target type constraint which defines a relationship between each respective record linked by the wave type property.

17. A program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable data storage devices storing program code for a player-interactive game conducted through a gaming machine including a display system, the program code including:

(a) player input program code executable by at least one processor to, responsive to each successful interaction input received in a play of the player-interactive game for a respective target, add a predetermined value associated with the respective target to a prize accumulator;

(b) expected target value program code executable by the at least one processor to determine an expected target value for a respective record from a target sequence comprising a sequence of records, wherein a number of adjacent records in the sequence of records are linked by a wave type property;

(c) target launching program code executable by the at least on processor to:

(i) select a target value for the respective record from a number of different available target values, the selected target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that bears a predefined relationship to the expected target value, and, where the respective record is linked by the wave type property, is consistent with the wave type property;

(ii) select a target type correlated to the selected target value;

(iii) cause a prize target corresponding to the selected target type to be displayed on the display system; and

(iv) repeat (b) and (c) of this claim for each respective record in the target sequence until an end condition is detected for the play of the player-interactive game.

18. The program product of claim 17 further including sequence generating program code executable to generate the target sequence, each record of the target sequence correlating to an unspecified respective target to be displayed in the play of the player-interactive game and specifying a delay from a time that a previous target is displayed on the display system.

19. The program product of claim 18 wherein the sequence generating program code is also executable to:

(a) generate the target sequence, each record of the target sequence correlating to an unspecified respective target to be displayed in the play of the player-interactive game and specifying a delay from a time that a previous target is displayed on the display system.

(b) generate an additional target sequence for a game mode modifier specified for the play of the player-interactive game, the additional target sequence comprising a sequence of records for an additional mode of play of the game.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein:

(a) the expected target value program code is also executable, when the play of the player-interactive game is in a game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence, determine an expected target value for a respective record of the additional target sequence; and

(b) the target launching program code is also executable to:

(i) select an additional target value for the respective record of the additional target sequence from the number of different available target values, the selected additional target value comprising a value from among the number of different available target values that bears the predefined relationship or another predefined relationship to the expected target value determined for the respective record of the additional target sequence;

(ii) select an additional target type correlated to the selected additional target value;

(iii) cause a prize target corresponding to the selected additional target type to be displayed on the display system; and

(iv) repeat steps (a) and (b) of this claim for each respective record in the additional target sequence until an end condition is detected for the game mode corresponding to the additional target sequence.