Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Systems and methods for replaying a prior game play cycle of a game on a gaming terminal, wherein the game has been deactivated from the gaming terminal, are disclosed. The method includes deactivating the game from the gaming terminal, wherein the game includes a game logic component and an accumulative data component, the accumulative data component including minimal state information required to recreate a prior game play cycle of the game on the gaming terminal. Deactivating the game includes removing the game logic component from the gaming terminal and preserving the accumulative data component of the game. The method further includes receiving an indication that the prior game play cycle is to be recreated, downloading the game logic component to the gaming terminal, and recreating the prior game play cycle on the gaming terminal with the game logic component and the accumulative data component.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Systems and methods for replaying a prior game play cycle of a game on a gaming terminal, wherein the game has been deactivated from the gaming terminal, are disclosed. The method includes deactivating the game from the gaming terminal, wherein the game includes a game logic component and an accumulative data component, the accumulative data component including minimal state information required to recreate a prior game play cycle of the game on the gaming terminal. Deactivating the game includes removing the game logic component from the gaming terminal and preserving the accumulative data component of the game. The method further includes receiving an indication that the prior game play cycle is to be recreated, downloading the game logic component to the gaming terminal, and recreating the prior game play cycle on the gaming terminal with the game logic component and the accumulative data component.

Abstract: A disclosed gaming machine provides a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals that are each used to generate one or more gaming services. To provide a particular gaming service, each virtual gaming peripheral may comprise virtual gaming peripheral software that controls one or more gaming devices. Examples of gaming services provides by virtual gaming peripherals may include but are not limited to a player tracking service, a vending machine purchase, a lottery ticket purchase, an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) service, a hotel/casino service, a communication service, a registration service, a sports book service, an entertainment service, a prize redemption service and a locator service. A logic device, such as a master gaming controller on the gaming machine, may simultaneously activate a plurality of virtual gaming peripherals.

Abstract: Games may be divided into different portions having differing preservation needs. These different portions may be saved to set locations for set periods of time when a downloaded game that was available on a given gaming terminal must be disabled, removed or otherwise made unavailable on the gaming terminal. The removal process may be automated or controlled remotely, although this is not strictly required. Further, preservation of games may be implemented using directories of the various game components for multiple downloaded games available to a gaming terminal.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine are disclosed. While a game of chance is being played on a gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. A sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment may be generated and displayed. The sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more of flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment, which may be moved in the 3-D gaming environment through a motion that allow the sequence of symbols from the virtual reel strip to be displayed as part of game outcome presentation.

Abstract: A resource manager can vary content for various display aspect ratios used to display information in a computing environment. This allows providing content that is more suitable and/or especially designed for display on a particular aspect ratio. It will be appreciated that resource manager can facilitate execution of the same computer program code for various aspect ratio as content displayed can be effectively adjusted by the resource manager. In order to support multiple aspect ratios, the resource manager can use an Aspect Ratio Adaptable Data Set (ARADS) that effectively supports displaying graphical content for various aspect ratios. The (ARADS) can include “base data” and “aspect-ratio-specific data” that can complement and/or replace the base data. The base data can be used as an initial basis for displaying graphics on any one of a plurality of different aspect ratios while the aspect-ratio-specific data can be specifically designed for and/or accommodate a particular aspect ratio.

Abstract: A gaming machine is configured to receive a request for a location of at least one player of at least one gaming device, determine the location of the at least one player; and present on a display of the gaming machine, location information including the determined location of the at least one player. Where the gaming machine is located within a casino, the gaming machine may further be configured to present, on the display, a 3D virtual gaming environment which is a model of the casino.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine are disclosed. While a game of chance is being played on a gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. A sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment may be generated and displayed. The sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more of flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment, which may be moved in the 3-D gaming environment through a motion that allow the sequence of symbols from the virtual reel strip to be displayed as part of game outcome presentation.

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 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. Apparatus and methods are described for generating and displaying a sequence of symbols from a virtual reel strip in the 3-D gaming environment. In particular, the sequence of symbols may be mapped to one or more to flat reels, rounded reels or sequences of moving objects in the 3-D gaming environment.

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 a game flow software module used to generate a game of chance on the gaming machine to be decoupled from a game presentation software module used to present the game chance. Thus, a group of games may be designed where the games share a common game flow software module but use different game presentation software modules to change the look and feel of the game.

Abstract: A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The central server includes a plurality of progressive modules. Each progressive module maintains one or more progressive awards and is associated with zero, one or more of the gaming machines in the gaming system. Upon a determination that a designated one of the progressive awards will be provided, one of the gaming machines associated with the progressive module which maintains the designated progressive award provides the designated progressive award to the player of such gaming machine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus on a gaming machine for presenting a plurality of game outcome presentations derived from one or more virtual 3-D gaming environments stored on the gaming machine are described. While a game of chance is being played on the gaming machine, two-dimensional images derived from a 3-D object in the 3-D gaming environment may be rendered to a display screen on the gaming machine in real-time as part of a game outcome presentation. The 3-D objects in the 3-D gaming environment may include 3-D texts objects that are used to display text to the display screen of the gaming machine as part of the game outcome presentation. Apparatus and methods are described for generating and displaying information in a textual format that is compatible with a 3-D graphical rendering system. In particular, font generation and typesetting methods that are applicable in a 3-D gaming environment are described.

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 a game flow software module used to generate a game of chance on the gaming machine to be decoupled from a game presentation software module used to present the game chance. Thus, a group of games may be designed where the games share a common game flow software module but use different game presentation software modules to change the look and feel of the game.

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.

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 a game flow software module used to generate a game of chance on the gaming machine to be decoupled from a game presentation software module used to present the game chance. Thus, a group of games may be designed where the games share a common game flow software module but use different game presentation software modules to change the look and feel of the game.