GAMING MACHINE AND METHOD WITH DYNAMIC GAME PROGRESSION
A gaming system comprises game-logic circuitry and a display device configured to display an active array of symbol positions. The game-logic circuitry establishes a plurality of award levels having respective awards and trigger conditions. The display device selectively populates the active array with symbols through one or more game cycle outcomes, provides, in response to failing to collect a first predetermined number of trigger symbols, a first jackpot award associated with a first award level, and, in response to collecting the first predetermined number of trigger symbols: (i) expands the active array, and (ii) repeats the selective population for one or more additional game cycle outcomes. At least one of the first jackpot award and a second jackpot award of the second award level is increased based at least partially on award values of value-bearing symbols populating the active array through the game cycle outcomes.
1 . A gaming system comprising:
a gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device configured to display an active array of symbol positions; and
game-logic circuitry configured to:
establish a plurality of award levels including a first award level and a second award level, each award level of the plurality of award levels having a respective award and a respective trigger condition associated with a number of trigger symbols, wherein at least some of the respective awards are jackpot awards;
cause the electronic display device to selectively populate the active array of symbol positions with one or more symbols through one or more game cycle outcomes;
in response to concluding the one or more game cycle outcomes without collecting a first predetermined number of trigger symbols associated with the second award level, cause the electronic display device to provide a first jackpot award associated with the first award level;
in response to collecting the first predetermined number of trigger symbols within the one or more game cycle outcomes, cause the electronic display device to: (i) expand the active array to include additional symbols positions and (ii) repeat the selective population for one or more additional game cycle outcomes with the expanded active array, wherein none of the trigger symbols that appear in the active array are carried over to the expanded active array; and
in response to concluding the one or more additional game cycle outcomes without collecting a second predetermined number of trigger symbols, cause the electronic display device to provide a second jackpot award associated with the second award level,
wherein at least one of the first jackpot award and the second jackpot award is increased from a respective initial jackpot value to a respective updated jackpot value based at least partially on award values of value-bearing symbols populating the active array through the one or more game cycle outcomes, each of the value-bearing symbols including award indicia visually indicating the respective award value.
2 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger symbols include the value-bearing symbols.
3 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the award values of the value-bearing symbols populating the active array are added to each of the jackpot awards associated with the plurality of award levels.
4 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein each award level of the plurality of award levels is associated with a respective array size, and wherein the first award level is associated with the active array and the second award level is associated with the expanded active array.
5 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the award value of each value-bearing symbol populating the active array is added to at least one of the first jackpot award and the second jackpot award.
6 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the updated jackpot value of the second jackpot award is further increased in response to any value-bearing symbols collected within the one or more additional game cycle outcomes.
7 . The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the award value of each value-bearing symbol populating the active array is applied to one or more of the jackpot awards based on at least one of the symbol position occupied by the value-bearing symbol, a visual characteristic of the value-bearing symbol, player selection of a jackpot award, or random selection of a jackpot award.
8 . A method of conducting and presenting a game using a gaming system, the gaming system comprising game-logic circuitry and a gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device configured to display an active array of symbol positions, the method comprising:
establishing, by the game-logic circuitry, a plurality of award levels including a first award level and a second award level, each award level of the plurality of award levels having a respective award and a respective trigger condition associated with a number of trigger symbols, wherein at least some of the respective awards are jackpot awards;
causing, by the game-logic circuitry, the electronic display device to selectively populate the active array of symbol positions with one or more symbols through one or more game cycle outcomes;
causing, by the game-logic circuitry in response to concluding the one or more game cycle outcomes without collecting a first predetermined number of trigger symbols associated with the second award level, the electronic display device to provide a first jackpot award associated with the first award level;
causing, by the game-logic circuitry in response to collecting the first predetermined number of trigger symbols within the one or more game cycle outcomes, the electronic display device to: (i) expand the active array to include additional symbols positions and (ii) repeat the selective population for one or more additional game cycle outcomes with the expanded active array, wherein none of the trigger symbols that appear in the active array are carried over to the expanded active array; and
causing, by the game-logic circuitry in response to concluding the one or more additional game cycle outcomes without collecting a second predetermined number of trigger symbols, the electronic display device to provide a second jackpot award associated with the second award level,
wherein at least one of the first jackpot award and the second jackpot award is increased from a respective initial jackpot value to a respective updated jackpot value based at least partially on award values of value-bearing symbols populating the active array through the one or more game cycle outcomes, each of the value-bearing symbols including award indicia visually indicating the respective award value.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the trigger symbols include the value-bearing symbols.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the award values is divided between at least a portion of the jackpot awards.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the updated jackpot value of the second jackpot award is further increased in response to any value-bearing symbols collected within the one or more additional game cycle outcomes.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first jackpot award is locked to prevent any award values of the value-bearing symbols collected within the one or more additional game cycle outcomes from being applied to the updated jackpot value of the first jackpot award.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first jackpot award and the second jackpot award is increased from a respective initial jackpot value to a respective updated jackpot value based on the respective initial jackpot value, a respective multiplier, and the award values of the value-bearing symbols.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein applying each of the award values of the value-bearing symbols to at least one of the jackpot awards is based on a symbol position of the active array occupied by the respective value-bearing symbol.
15 . A gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, the gaming machine comprising:
an electronic display device configured to display an active array of symbol positions; and
game-logic circuitry configured to:
establish a plurality of award levels including a first award level and a second award level, each award level of the plurality of award levels having a respective award and a respective trigger condition associated with a number of trigger symbols, wherein at least some of the respective awards are jackpot awards;
cause the electronic display device to selectively populate the active array of symbol positions with one or more symbols through one or more game cycle outcomes;
in response to concluding the one or more game cycle outcomes without collecting a first predetermined number of trigger symbols associated with the second award level, cause the electronic display device to provide a first jackpot award associated with the first award level;
in response to collecting the first predetermined number of trigger symbols within the one or more game cycle outcomes, cause the electronic display device to: (i) expand the active array to include additional symbols positions and (ii) repeat the selective population for one or more additional game cycle outcomes with the expanded active array, wherein none of the trigger symbols that appear in the active array are carried over to the expanded active array; and
in response to concluding the one or more additional game cycle outcomes without collecting a second predetermined number of trigger symbols, cause the electronic display device to provide a second jackpot award associated with the second award level,
wherein at least one of the first jackpot award and the second jackpot award is increased from a respective initial jackpot value to a respective updated jackpot value based at least partially on award values of value-bearing symbols populating the active array through the one or more game cycle outcomes, each of the value-bearing symbols including award indicia visually indicating the respective award value.
16 . The gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the trigger symbols include the value-bearing symbols.
17 . The gaming machine of claim 16 , wherein the trigger symbols include non-value-bearing symbols.
18 . The gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the award values of the value-bearing symbols populating the active array are added to each of the jackpot awards associated with the plurality of award levels.
19 . The gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the one or more symbols include a modifier symbol, the award value of at least one of the value-bearing symbols being modified by based on the modifier symbol prior to allocation to the jackpot awards.
20 . The gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the one or more symbols include an extra game cycle symbol, and wherein an extra game cycle outcome is added to the one or more game cycle outcomes in response to the extra game cycle symbol.