Abstract: In a wagering game machine, operations and systems are disclosed for ending wagering game audio in a key of the current state. In one embodiment, the use of markers to denote the state of a music file enables following the continuous music and ending wagering game bang-up audio in whatever key the continuous music is in at the precise moment the bang-up ends. The continuous music, bang-ups and marker file are all started at the same time and may be the same length. The continuous music is audible, the bang-ups are heard by raising the volume when programmatically called for, and the marker file continuously sends out signals at a set rate which the code then interprets to determine the state of the song to trigger the appropriate musical ending. When the bang-up ends it can then be played in the key corresponding to the current state of the music.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include initiating a wagering game session and accessing a non-wagering game (e.g., a simulation social network game) during the wagering game session. The non-wagering game and wagering game can be associated with the same user. The operations can further include detecting a state (e.g., one or more virtual assets) of the non-wagering game. The operations can further include presenting the wagering game based on the state of the non-wagering game. For instance, the operations can select a type of wagering game content to present or modify a volatility of the wagering game based on the state of the non-wagering game.

Abstract: A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game by a player includes a display, a credit indicator and a controller. The display is for displaying a wagering-game outcome having a plurality of symbols arranged in an array. The array includes a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol combinations in the array. The player is required to play all of the plurality of paylines in exchange for a minimum wager amount. The credit indicator indicates the number of available credits for making a wager amount. The controller is in communication with the display and the credit indicator. In response to the number of available credits being less than the minimum wager amount, the controller causes the display to display a group of player options for allowing the player to select a disposition for the available credits. The group of player options includes a reduced-payline option to play less than all paylines for a subsequent wagering-game outcome.

Abstract: A gaming method includes displaying on a display a progressive award as a cash value and incrementing the progressive award in response to play of one or more processor-controlled wagering games or gaming devices linked to the progressive award. One or more processors are used to convert the cash value of the progressive award to a plurality of non-cash values of respective different game parameters, and, in response to a triggering event, a progressive game is awarded using the non-cash value of one of the game parameters.

Abstract: Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting wagering games, and computer programs for executing wagering games are disclosed.

Abstract: A gaming system includes an input device, a display device, a processor, and a memory device. The memory device stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the gaming system to receive a wager for playing a wagering game having an overall volatility. A plurality of volatility components are displayed on the display device, the volatility components having respective component ratings. Each component rating contributes to a total rating of the overall volatility. The wagering game is selected from a plurality of wagering games, each of the plurality of wagering games having (a) the same total rating and (b) at least one different component rating.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include presenting a wagering game on a display device of a wagering game machine. The operations can also include detecting head movements and facial gestures of a player of the wagering game via a video capture device of the wagering game machine, and generating player input data based on the head movements and facial gestures of the player. The operations can further include modifying wagering game content based on the player input data associated with the head movements and facial gestures of the player, and presenting results of the wagering game on the display device of the wagering game machine.

Abstract: A method for playing a wagering game. The method includes conducting a basic game having a randomly selected outcome. The randomly selected outcome is selected from a plurality of outcomes and is indicated by a plurality of symbols. Each of the plurality of symbols has a first function. A side-wager option is presented that allows a player to change a function of a certain one of the plurality of symbols to one of a plurality of second functions. In response to the player selecting the side-wager option, one of the plurality of second functions is selected. Also, the second function is attributed to the certain one of the plurality of symbols when the randomly selected outcome is indicated.

Abstract: A gaming system has at least one display adapted to display a wagering game including the display of a player's hand and a computer opponent's hand in a card-based wagering game, a player input device, and a controller. The controller is operative to award to a player an award from a pay table for a player's hand having a winning combination associated with the pay table, regardless of a rank of the computer's opponent hand relative to the player's hand.

Abstract: A method includes determining a load order for loading game assets into a cache memory of a wagering game machine, wherein the game assets comprise data used for presentation of a wagering game at the wagering game machine. The game assets are accessible by a processor in the wagering game machine from the cache memory for presentation of the wagering game, wherein the load order is based on wagering game activity at the wagering game machine. The method includes loading the game assets into the cache memory based on the load order. The method includes accessing, by a processor in the wagering game machine, the game assets from the cache memory. The method also includes presenting, on at least one display device, the wagering game based on the game assets.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to presenting wagering game content in stereoscopic 3D according to an optimal autostereoscopic view for an autostereoscopic display based on a viewing perspective of a player when the player views the wagering game content. Some embodiments are also directed to determining that the player looks away from the wagering game content and maintaining, or freezing, presentation of wagering game content in 3D according to the optimal autostereoscopic view. Some embodiments are directed to updating the optimal autostereoscopic view based on changes to the viewing perspective while the player looks away from the wagering game content. Some embodiment are also directed to changing the presentation of the wagering game content to 2D, and restoring the one or more portions to 3D based on a degree of player attentiveness after the player looks at the wagering game content again.

Abstract: A wagering game has an overall payback percentage and a portion of the wagering game has a default expected value. A gamble feature is offered to the player prior to play of the portion of the wagering game but after a wager has been received. The gamble feature has a possibility of a successful outcome or an unsuccessful outcome. The outcome of the gamble feature affects the default expected value for the portion of the wagering game. The default expected value of the portion of the wagering game is altered based on the outcome of the gamble feature. The portion of the wagering game is conducted using the altered expected value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing programs on wagering game machine peripherals are described. The programs may be shader programs for execution by one or more programmable shaders on a graphics processing unit. The programs may provide a graphical result, e.g. an output on a display, or may provide a non-graphical result of a computation to a general purpose processor on the wagering game machine.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include detecting a request to login a player account via a widget embedded in host content. The operations can further include detecting a selection of a wagering game theme, via the widget, for a wagering game that the player account has previously played and presenting a collection of widget content that the player account is authorized to access, via the widget, based on statistics, playing history, achievements, etc. of the wagering game. The operations can further include detecting a selection of a non-wagering game from the collection of widget content and providing a non-wagering game via the widget. The operations can further include providing customized information for a host and/or the player account via the widget based on statistics from the wagering game content or from the widget content.

Abstract: Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting a wagering game, and computer programs for initiating a wagering game are presented herein. One concept of the present disclosure is directed to earning bonus features through play of multiple games in series or in parallel. A wagering game includes a base game and a bonus game. A number of base games are conducted in series or in parallel. For each of the conducted base games, one or more bonus-game-modifiers are added to a feature pool (e.g., a queue) in response to a predetermined event (e.g., a winning outcome) occurring in that base game. In response to a triggering event (e.g., filling the feature pool, a symbol-based trigger in the current base game, etc.), the bonus game is conducted as modified by the bonus-game-modifiers in the feature pool.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide subsurface scattering on graphical images displayed for wagering games. In one example, a technique to approximate subsurface scattering includes the use of bounding geometry to gauge a distance of a ray to the edge of the object. An implementation of this technique in a wagering game may include: receiving a graphical object; receiving a position of a light source; receiving a position of a bounding geometry; for each pixel in a set of pixels in the graphical object, performing the actions of: computing a distance from the pixel to an edge of the bounding geometry along a vector including the pixel and the ii source and determining a display property of the pixel in accordance with the distance; and displaying the set of pixels in accordance with the display property each pixel in the set of pixels.

Abstract: An operator control interface for configuration of wagering games comprises a control screen for displaying a plurality of available primary wagering games and a plurality of available supplemental features and at least one input device for receiving configuration inputs. At least one controller is operative to (i) in response to a first configuration input received via the at least one input device, add a selected primary wagering game to a first wagering game configuration, (ii) in response to a second configuration input received via the at least one input device, add a selected supplemental feature to the first wagering game configuration, and (iii) cause the control screen to display the first wagering game configuration and an overall payback percentage of the first wagering game configuration.

Abstract: A wagering game system includes a game controller configured to determine an eligibility threshold trigger for an n-th unit prize and add, for each connected wagering game machine, a set of discrete eligibility units to a discrete eligibility units counter responsive to an input wager at the respective wagering game machine. The game controller evaluates a subset of the set of discrete eligibility units at a selected wagering game machine against the eligibility threshold trigger to determine if the eligibility threshold trigger is satisfied by that wagering game machine and to subtract the subset of the discrete eligibility units from the discrete eligibility units counter at the selected wagering game machine. The game controller evaluates the subset of discrete eligibility units against the eligibility threshold trigger and awards the n-th unit prize if the discrete eligibility units in the subset of discrete eligibility units satisfies the eligibility threshold trigger.