Abstract: The present invention involves a gaming device that provides a primary game which utilizes multiple sets of identical reels. The sets of reels simultaneously spin. A player is able to wager on paylines on one or more of said sets of reels. The gaming device also allows a player to wager on predetermined combinations of gaming symbols which occur over the plurality of sets of reels. The method of the present invention enables a player to simultaneously play multiple paylines on a plurality of identical sets of reels. The method enables a player to easily see different paylines by reducing the complexity of such paylines and duplicating paylines on sets of reels. The method provides novel arrangements of wagering combinations between the sets of reels which provide additional excitement to players. The method also reduces the complexity of software needed to evaluate multiple paylines.

Abstract: A secondary game operable on a gaming machine top box includes visual representations of a plurality of bingo cards formed of five columns, each column corresponding to a letter in B-I-N-G-O. The secondary game also includes peripheral spaces on the top box corresponding to each letter on each card. Qualified players, e.g. those making a maximum bet on the base game, cause the secondary game to operate whereby one of the peripheral spaces is selected. A letter causes the column on the card associated with that letter to be lit; however, the cards must be completed sequentially so that the ‘B’ column must be lit before ‘I’ and so forth. Completely filling out one or more of the bingo cards results in a selected award associated with that winning card. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a bonus script is built that predetermines the number of plays made and the bonus amount received. The player then simply plays out the script until the bonus amount is one.

Abstract: A method of monitoring and providing support to a gaming device that includes monitoring the gaming device to determine an occurrence of an event, generating a message regarding the event, encoding the message, transmitting the message to a remote location over a communication link, receiving the message at the remote location, decoding the message, analyzing the message, and initiating a response to the message. In one embodiment, the event comprises an error or fault and the message regarding the event is transmitted using the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP). Embodiments of the invention comprise apparatus forming a part of a gaming network or system including gaming devices such as gaming machines. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises servers associated with a remote service center and message data storage.

Abstract: To enable mark-up (i.e., scoring) of improvised (i.e., ad-libbed) musical performance and enable a player to enjoy performance with a degree of freedom in accordance with a performance instruction, a CPU (10) marks up improvised musical performance provided by a player using an actual keyboard (90) (step S920). Hence, a player accustomed to playing a keyboard (80) can be satisfied sufficiently.

Abstract: A multi-player video game server includes a player control interface, a video interface, and a game engine. The player interface couples the game server to a network and can receive game control data over the network from multiple players. Each player has a game control device at which game control data can be input. The video interface couples the game server to a video transmission network and transmits game display video over the video transmission network. The game engine is coupled to the player interface and the video interface and includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores multi-player video game instructions that configure the processor to process game control data and render the game display video that is then provided to the video interface for transmission over a video network. A multi-player video gaming method includes receiving a number of player input data connections at a game server.

Abstract: A gaming device and method having a bonus round, where the bonus round forms a plurality of sets of symbols from a plurality of symbols, and enables the player to predict which set of symbols will include a randomly determined symbol. If the player predicts correctly, the player receives a bonus and the bonus round continues. If the player is wrong, the bonus round terminates.

Abstract: A method of operating gaming device that enables players to accumulate awards until there are no more awards or until one or more termination variables reaches a predetermined limit is provided. A random generation device generates awards upon a player input. One or more termination variables is used, each defined by or divisible into a plurality of units, wherein a random generation device generates an amount of units upon a player input. A game termination limit of accumulated or lost termination units is provided, wherein a player generates awards until accumulating the termination limit of units.

Abstract: A gaming device having a plurality of locations, at least one destination location, a player symbol, an award associated with the destination location which is provided to the player if the player symbol reaches the destination location, a setback condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the associated setback condition, the player symbol is relocated to one of the locations further from the destination location based on the setback condition, an advance condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the advance condition, the player symbol is relocated to one of the locations closer to the destination location based on the advance condition, and a plurality of offers associated with the locations, wherein the player is enabled to accept or reject the offer associated with location of the player symbol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a gaming device having an element and element group selection and elimination bonus scheme for randomly determining an award. The gaming device provides a selection and elimination sequence of an element from a group. The bonus scheme continually selects and eliminates a next element from a successive group at least containing the previously selected element. The bonus scheme awards a player when the game ends.

Abstract: The method of the gaming device of the present invention contains a plurality of awards each having a value, a plurality of activators, a plurality of deactivators, and a set of indicators from which the activators and deactivators are chosen. The activators, deactivators and indicators are numbers. The controller of the gaming device randomly selects one of the indicators. If the plurality of activators includes the selected indicator, the player receives the value of an award. Conversely, if the plurality of deactivators includes the selected indicator, the player does not receive the value of an award. If the plurality of activators or deactivators is sequential, e.g. 1 through 5, the activator set or deactivator set can include a selected integer, for example 3, or a non-integer, for example 3.5.

Abstract: The present invention is a gaming device having an improved award offer bonus scheme wherein the player may improve their award during the bonus round. The bonus game enables the player to select an award offer from a plurality of award offers. The gaming device enables the player to modify the selected award offer, creating a subsequent or modified award, with the idea of increasing the award offer to receive a greater or higher award during a bonus game.

Abstract: The present invention is a gaming device having an improved award offer bonus scheme wherein the player may improve their award during the bonus round. The bonus game enables the player to select an award offer from a plurality of award offers. The gaming device enables the player to modify the selected award offer, creating a subsequent or modified award, with the idea of increasing the award offer to receive a greater or higher award during a bonus game.

Abstract: When a special symbol appears during play of the gaming machine game, the secondary game is initiated. At initiation, a bonus prize is determined by the secondary game microcontroller by consulting a bonus game paytable stored therein where each bonus prize corresponds to a bonus spot on the secondary game. A multi-ended pointer of the secondary game spins around the field of bonus spots and the player is prompted to select which end of the pointer is active. Upon selection of the end—e.g. blue or green—a microcontroller operating the spinner calculates the point at which the spinner will cease to spin so that the selected pointed end is pointing toward the selected bonus prize. The player is given the illusion that he or she controls which bonus prize is won since the green side of the pointer will point to a different bonus prize than the blue side.

Abstract: A video game program that allows a player to be involved in numerically setting a control value for controlling developments of an RPG is provided. The game program sets an initial range “1 to 5”, causes a computer to sequentially display numerical values in the set range for every fixed time, determines whether operation input is received from a keypad, if operation input is received form the keypad, compares operation input timing with display timing of each numerical value, detects a numerical value that is displayed at timing coinciding with the operation input timing, and sets the detected numerical value as a value of attacking power or recovery power. Therefore, a value of an attacking power or a recovery power is variably set according to timing of operation input performed by a player, and various game developments are provided for each player.

Abstract: A gaming device having a plurality of locations, at least one destination location, a player symbol, an award associated with the destination location which is provided to the player if the player symbol reaches the destination location, a setback condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the associated setback condition, the player symbol is relocated to one of the locations further from the destination location based on the setback condition, an advance condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the advance condition, the player symbol is relocated to one of the locations closer to the destination location based on the advance condition, and a plurality of awards associated with the locations, wherein the award associated with one of the locations is provided to the player if the player does not reach the destination location.

Abstract: A method of operating a gaming device having a game that may be implemented in a primary or bonus game is provided. In one primary embodiment, the gaming device assigns an allotted number to each choice of a set of choices. The gaming device displays the set of choices for a first round. The gaming device prompts the player to select one of the choices. Upon the player's pick of one of the choices, the gaming device starts an award sequence for the first round. The award sequence generates choices and awards until one of the choices is generated its allotted number of times. If this choice is the same as the player's choice, the game ends, if not, the player advances to a second round.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a directional bonus scheme for a gaming device which includes a starting position, a plurality of non-terminating positions, a plurality of terminating positions, and a final terminating position. The game randomly generates a direction of movement for a position indicator. The game awards the player with a credit value when the position indicator reaches a non-terminating position. The bonus round terminates when the position indicator reaches a terminating position. The game awards a bonus credit value to the player when the position indicator reaches a final terminating symbol.

Abstract: In order to allow viewers to interact with a television broadcast, a central control establishes a virtual environment in which viewers participate with characters designed by them. Viewers can create a character with the aid of a computer and then submit the character to the television show on disk or transmit the character via a web site. In order to create characters, a user “preprograms” a character by setting certain parameters and characteristics. Thereafter, the character would operate autonomously. During the television broadcast, some of the characters submitted to the television show or web site can be selected for appearance on the show by any conventional means, such as by lottery, sequentially or based on the merits of characters submitted to the television show, etc. Characters may also be submitted before the show and selected based on a “virtual interview.

Abstract: An existing video game system is modified to include additional communication and storage capability via a modem and hard disk drive. The modification may involve the use of an expansion device coupled to a video game system port. A cable TV tuner is also included in the expansion device to assist in providing a unique picture-in-picture video capability. TV signals are coupled to the expansion device via the RF input from either cable TV or off-air signals. These RF signals are blended with the output signals from the video game system. A user may, for example, watch TV while viewing overlay information from the video game console. A user may receive a TV channel guide downloaded via the Internet, spot a program which the user desires to view and immediately access, via an IR input, the desired channel through the expansion device TV tuner. A user may also watch TV while simultaneously logging onto the Internet. A hard drive permits downloading from the Internet of entire games.

Abstract: An improved game machine having recorded data different from other respective game machines and being able to use the recorded data on different types of game programs is provided. The game machine contains a built-in storing means for storing unrewritable information inherent in respective game machines which can be used on different types of game programs and information peculiar to respective game machines which is changed without depending on a game program which can be used on different kinds of game programs.