METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AWARDING COMPONENT PRIZES IN A GAMING ENVIRONMENT
A system and method for playing component games in a gaming environment, where a component game is a game in which a physical prize, the prize to be won, is rendered in a graphical format and further divided into components (clearly recognizable parts of the graphical image). Individual component prizes are designed to be won by a player during individual game plays, that is, upon the occurrence of specific winning events while playing a chance or fixed-pool game. To win the component game prize, each of the components must be won and the combination redeemed. The component prizes are not intended to be separately redeemable game credits. In particular, the player may play for regular game credits or may choose to play for component prizes or portions thereof, not both. Component games create a highly enticing situation where players can be rewarded for long term play over a variety of machines.
1 . A gaming system, comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices including a first gaming device and a second gaming device, each gaming device including a player input device;
a plurality of different games including a first game only presentable on the first gaming device, and a second game only presentable on the second gaming device;
a collection of distinct winnable game pieces that are associated with the plurality of different games, wherein the completed collection is redeemable for an award;
a component game made up of the collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first game and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second game such that the first winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the first game, and the second winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the second game.
2 . A gaming system, comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices including a first group of gaming devices and a second group of gaming devices, each gaming device including a player input device;
a plurality of different games including a first game presented on the first group of gaming devices but not on the second group of gaming devices, and a second game presented on the second group of gaming devices but not on the first group of gaming devices; and
a component game made up of a collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first game and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second game such that the first winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the first game and the second winnable game piece is only winnable through game play of the second game, wherein a completed collection of the winnable game pieces is redeemable for an award.
3 . The gaming system of claim 2 , further comprising a third winnable game piece associated with a third game on a third gaming device such that the collection includes the first, second, and third winnable game pieces.
4 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the first or second winnable game piece is only associated with the first or second game, respectively, during a set time period.
5 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the first winnable game piece is associated with the first game during a first time period and the second winnable game piece is associated with the second game during a second time period, and wherein the first time period is different from the second time period.
6 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the first or second winnable game pieces include distinct winnable sub-game pieces such that the first or second winnable game piece is deemed to have been won after the sub-game pieces have been won.
7 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the winnable game pieces are stored on a storage medium.
8 . The gaming system of claim 7 , wherein the storage medium includes a printed ticket, a magnetic or smart card, or other information storage medium.
9 . The gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of gaming devices further comprise a game state manager that keeps track of a player's progress in a game presented thereon and in the component game.
10 . The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of gaming devices further comprise an output device configured to output component game state data associated with the player's progress in the component game.
11 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the game state data includes individual game device identity, game pieces won, game pieces partially won, or combinations thereof.
12 . The gaming system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a third group of gaming devices that present a third game that is associated with a third winnable game piece, wherein the third winnable game piece is also associated with either the first or second games; and
a game state input device configured to receive component game state data from the player, wherein the game state manager is configured to restore component game state data associated with the third gaming device on the first or second group of gaming devices that respectively present the first or second game such that the player's progress toward winning the third winnable game piece is continued on the first or second group of gaming devices, both presenting a different game.
13 . The gaming system of claim 12 , further comprising a service station distinct from the plurality of gaming devices, wherein the service station has a display, a service station input device, and a service station output device; and wherein the service station enables redemption of the award corresponding to the completed collection of distinct game pieces.
14 . The gaming system of claim 12 , further comprising a service station integrated with one or more of the plurality of gaming devices, wherein the service station enables redemption of the award corresponding to the completed collection of distinct game pieces.
15 . The gaming system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of gaming devices are operatively connected through a network to a game state manager that is disposed within a computing device, wherein the game state manager keeps track of a player's progress in a game and in the component game.
16 . A gaming system, comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices including a first gaming device and a second gaming device, each gaming device including a player input device;
a plurality of different games including a first game presented on the first gaming device but not on the second gaming device, and a second game presented on the second gaming device but not on the first gaming device; and
a component game made up of a collection of winnable game pieces, wherein a first winnable game piece is associated with the first game during a first time period, and a second, different winnable game piece is associated with the second game during a second time period such that the first winnable game piece is winnable through game play of the first game and the second winnable game piece is winnable through game play of the second game;
wherein a completed collection of the winnable game pieces is redeemable for an award.
17 . The gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second time periods are the same time periods.
18 . The gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second time periods are different time periods.
19 . The gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the first or second winnable game pieces include distinct winnable sub-game pieces such that the first or second winnable game piece is deemed to have been won after the sub-game pieces have been won.
20 . The gaming system of claim 19 , wherein the winnable game pieces are stored on a storage medium.
21 . The gaming system of claim 16 , wherein the storage medium includes a printed ticket, a magnetic or smart card, or other information storage medium.