Abstract: A disclosed gaming machine is designed to execute a modular gaming software architecture. A plurality of gaming software modules may be loaded into RAM on the gaming machine and executed to play a game of chance. Many of the gaming software modules are designed to communicate via application program interfaces so that the logic in many of the gaming software modules may be designed independently of each other. In particular, the modular gaming software architecture allows presentation state logic to be decoupled from implementations of presentation components, such as graphical, audio and gaming device components, used in a presentation of the game of chance on a gaming machine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting data in read-only manner from a gaming system is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention a record-only data collection device is configured to temporarily interface with a gaming machine that has or is suspected of malfunction. During gaming machine play or use, operation data regarding any aspect of the gaming machine is provided to the record-only data collection device and the operation data stored thereon. Media may be associated with the data collection device. Upon occurrence of a malfunction or fault of the gaming machine, the media or the data collection device, having the operation data stored thereon, may be retrieved from the gaming machine. The operation data may then be provided to any location or any device and analyzed to determine the cause of the fault or malfunction. In various other configurations the data collection device may be remote from the gaming system and collect data over a radio or network link.

Abstract: A disclosed gaming machine provides method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a three-dimensional object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of the game outcome presentation. To add excitement to the game, a 3-D position of the 3-D object and other features of the 3-D gaming environment may be controlled by a game player. Nearly an unlimited variety of virtual objects, such as slot reels, gaming machines and casinos, may be modeled in the 3-D gaming environment.