Gaming machine having a modifiable number of held wild reels and special symbols
A gaming machine having a number of reels. Each of the reels includes at least one special symbol that in either in an active state or a normal state. Each of the reels is in either a held state or a symbol collection state indicative of a number of special symbols currently collected. During a game, when the number of special symbols of a reel reaches a predetermined number, the special symbols on the reel are in an active state for a next play of the game. While in the active state, when a special symbol is selected for the reel, the reel is in a held state a subsequent play of the game.
1. A gaming system comprising:
at least one server comprising a server memory storing a pay table; and
a gaming device coupled to the at least one server and having a display device operable to display at least a portion of a plurality of reels, and a device processor and memory storing a plurality of device instructions, and wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to at least:
cause the display device to display a plurality of wild symbols in each of the reels being in a held state,
receive, from the at least one server, data indicative of a plurality of symbols selected for each of the reels not being in the held state for display on the display device,
cause the display device to update a collection associated with each of the reels not being in the held state when one or more special symbols are collected,
cause the display device to animate a respective reel being set to the held state when the collection associated with the respective reel has collected a defined number of special symbols, and
receive, from the at least one server, data indicative of a payout determined from the pay table based on the plurality of symbols displayed on the reels.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to receive data indicative of the defined number of special symbols to be collected for the reels.
3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to reset the collection for the reels from the held state.
4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to animate at least one special symbol being changed into a multiple special symbol based on data indicative of a weighted table and a random number generated by a random number generator received from the at least one server.
5. The gaming system of claim 4 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to update the collection with a multiple of special symbols when the multiple special symbol occurs.
6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to animate the reels in the held state being held for a randomly selected number of rounds based on data received from the at least one server.
7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to determine the payout when all of the reels are occupied with the wild symbols.
8. A method of displaying a prize on an electronic gaming system having at least one server coupled to a gaming device, the gaming device comprises a display device operable to display at least a portion of a plurality of reels, each of the reels being associated with a collection, and the at least one server comprising a server processor and a server memory, the method comprising:
transmitting to the gaming device, from the at least one server, data indicative of a plurality of wild symbols for display on the display device in each of the reels being in a held state;
transmitting to the gaming device, from the at least one server, data indicative of a plurality of symbols selected for each of the reels not being in the held state for display on the display device;
controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating the collection associated with a respective reel not being in the held state being incremented when one or more special symbols are collected from the respective reel;
controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating the respective reel being set to the held state when the collection associated with the respective reel has collected a defined number of special symbols; and
transmitting to the gaming device, from the at least one server, data indicative of animating a payout on the display device determined from a pay table based on the plurality of symbols selected for the reels.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting to the gaming device, from the at least one server, data indicative of the defined number of special symbols to be collected for the reels.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating the collection for the reels being reset from the held state.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating at least one special symbol being changed into a multiple special symbol based on data indicative of a weighted table and a random number generated by a random number generator received from the at least one server.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating the collection being incremented with a multiple of special symbols when the multiple special symbol occurs.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising controlling the display device in response to receiving data, communicated to the gaming device from the at least one server, indicative of animating the reels in the held state being held for a randomly selected number of rounds based on data received from the at least one server.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the server memory stores the pay table.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of device instructions in a remote gaming device that comprises a display device operable to display at least a portion of a plurality of reels and a device processor, the remote gaming device being networked to at least one server, the at least one server comprising a server memory storing a pay table, and the device instructions, which, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the steps of:
receiving, from the at least one server, data indicative of a plurality of wild symbols in each of the reels being in a held state and a plurality of symbols selected for each of the reels not being in the held state for display on the display device;
animating a collection associated with each of the reels not being in the held state being incremented when one or more special symbols are collected;
setting a respective reel to the held state when the collection associated with the respective reel has collected a defined number of special symbols; and
outputting an award determined from the pay table based on the plurality of symbols displayed on the reels on the display device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of receiving data indicative of the defined number of special symbols to be collected for the reels.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of animating at least one special symbol being changed into a multiple special symbol based on data indicative of a weighted table and a random number generated by a random number generator received from the at least one server.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of updating the collection with a multiple of special symbols when the multiple special symbol occurs.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of animating the reels in the held state being held for a randomly selected number of rounds based on data received from the at least one server.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of determining the award when all of the reels are occupied with the wild symbols.