Electronic gaming system with multiple awardable marker mechanics
View Patent ↗An electronic gaming system comprising a display, and a game controller that includes a processor and a memory device storing instructions to select and display a plurality of symbols in a respective plurality of display positions in a display area for each implemented game. The processor also adds a wild marker to each display position that includes a special symbol, each wild marker remaining persistent for subsequent games until a random trigger condition occurs. When a random trigger condition occurs, the processor adds a wild symbol to each display position that includes a wild marker, evaluates a game outcome based on the selected and displayed symbols inclusive of all added wild symbols, and awards a win amount if the outcome corresponds to a winning outcome.
1 . An electronic gaming system comprising:
at least one server; and
a user mobile device, coupled to the server, comprising a display with a plurality of display positions, a device processor, memory, and computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the device processor to control the display to:
during each instance of a base game:
display, at the plurality of display positions, a plurality of symbols based on data received from the server, the data having been generated by the server using a weighting table, comprising a plurality of precalculated weights that control a likelihood of landing a given symbol within the plurality of symbols, and one or more random numbers generated by a random number generator
initiate a feature game in response to a trigger condition occurring during an instance of the base game;
in the feature game, for each display position that has a wild marker recorded in a data structure:
modify the display position to display a wild symbol, such that a total number of wild symbols displayed in the feature game corresponds to a total number of wild markers accumulated from previous base game instances, and
animate the modification of the display position using an animation sequence, wherein the animation sequence is displayed by the user mobile device using a graphics subsystem; and
display an award in response to receiving, from the server, data indicative of a winning game outcome corresponding to the award, wherein the winning game outcome is based at least in part on the wild symbols displayed in the feature game.
2 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to, when a random wild trigger condition occurs:
cause each of the display positions that displays the wild marker to animate an additional wild symbol; and
receive, from the at least one server, data indicative of a second award when the plurality of symbols displayed correspond to a second winning outcome.
3 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to increase a likelihood of obtaining a random wild trigger condition as a number of successive instances of the base game increases without the random wild trigger condition being met.
4 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to initiate a further feature game when the trigger condition occurs during the feature game.
5 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to receive, from the server, data indicative of a randomly determined number of initial wild markers to the display positions prior to animating a subsequent base game after the feature game has been completed.
6 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to receive a bet selection from a plurality of bet denominations, the bet selection corresponding to a number of wild markers, and to change the number of wild markers to a different number of wild markers to be displayed before the bet selection is made when the bet selection is changed.
7 . The electronic gaming system of claim 6 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the device processor to replace the display positions having the number of wild markers with a different set of display positions having the number of wild markers.
8 . A method of increasing an award on an electronic gaming system having at least one server coupled to a gaming device, the gaming device comprising a display with a plurality of display positions, and the at least one server comprising a server processor and a server memory, the method comprising:
transmitting, from the at least one server, data associated with a game outcome based on a weighting table and a random number generated by a random number generator, the weighting table including a plurality of precalculated weights that control a likelihood of landing a given symbol within the plurality of symbols;
controlling the display to modify a first display position that displays a special symbol in the game outcome in a current game instance to additionally animate a wild marker to be retained on the display for a subsequent game instance until a trigger condition occurs, thereby visually animating the display to add the wild marker to a total number of accumulated wild markers from previous game instances at the plurality of display positions, the trigger condition being determined using the random number generator and symbol-dependent criteria;
controlling the display to modify each display position that displays the wild marker on the display to further animate in a feature game a wild symbol, depending on the total number of accumulated wild markers from previous game instances when the trigger condition occurs;
determining the game outcome in the feature game, and
controlling the display to animate an award when the game outcome corresponds to a winning outcome.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, when a random wild trigger condition occurs:
causing each of the display positions that displays the wild marker to animate an additional wild symbol by transmitting the data; and
causing, from the at least one server, data indicative of a second award when a plurality of symbols displayed correspond to a second winning outcome by transmitting the data.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising increasing a likelihood of obtaining a random wild trigger condition as a number of successive base games played increases without the random wild trigger condition being met.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising initiating a further feature game when the trigger condition occurs during the feature game.
12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, from the at least one server, data associated with a randomly determined number of initial wild markers to the display positions prior to animating a subsequent base game after the feature game has been completed.
13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving a bet selection from a plurality of bet denominations, the bet selection corresponding to a number of wild markers, and changing the number of wild markers to a different number of wild markers to be displayed before the bet selection is made when the bet selection is changed.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising changing the display positions having the number of wild markers to a different set of display positions.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of device instructions in a remote gaming device that provides a display with a plurality of display positions and includes a device processor, the remote gaming device being networked to at least one server, the at least one server comprising a server memory, and the device instructions, which, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the steps of:
controlling the display to display at the plurality of display positions in a current game instance a plurality of symbols being selected based on data indicative of a weighting table and a random number generated by a random number generator received from the at least one server, the weighting table including a plurality of precalculated weights, each associated with a respective symbol of a symbol set and stored in the memory, that control a likelihood of landing a given symbol within the plurality of symbols;
controlling the display to modify a first display position that displays a special symbol to additionally animate a wild marker on the display until a trigger condition occurs, thereby visually animating the display to add the wild marker to a total number of accumulated wild markers from previous game instances on the display;
retaining the wild marker for a subsequent game instance;
controlling the display to modify each display position that displays the wild marker to additionally animate a wild symbol in a feature game, depending on the total number of accumulated wild markers when the trigger condition occurs;
determining a game outcome for the display based on the plurality of symbols displayed, and
controlling the display to animate an award when the game outcome corresponds to a winning outcome.
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, when a random wild trigger condition occurs:
animating at each of the display positions that displays the wild marker an additional wild symbol; and
receiving, from the at least one server, data indicative of a second award when the plurality of symbols displayed correspond to a second winning outcome.
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 increasing a likelihood of obtaining a random wild trigger condition as a number of successive base games played increases without the random wild trigger condition being met.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the device instructions, when executed, cause the device processor to perform the step of initiating a further feature game when the trigger condition occurs during the feature game.
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 receiving, from the at least one server, data indicative of a randomly determined number of initial wild markers to the display positions prior to animating a subsequent base game after the feature game has been completed.
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 receiving a bet selection from a plurality of bet denominations, the bet selection corresponding to a number of wild markers, changing the number of wild markers to a different number of wild markers to be displayed before the bet selection is made when the bet selection is changed, and changing the display positions having the number of wild markers to a different set of display positions.