Using non-wagering-game state for wagering games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299215-B2
Application number	US-201313826034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Apr 19, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
initiating, via at least one electronic processing unit of the gaming system, a wagering game session, wherein the gaming system is configured to provide one or more casino wagering games for the wagering game session presented via the gaming system, and wherein the gaming system is configured to receive, via a value input device, physical money for placement of wagers for the one or more casino wagering games and provide wagering game outcomes based on the wagers;
connecting, via a communication network through a network communication interface of the gaming system, the gaming system to a server that hosts one or more player accounts;
during the wagering game session, electronically accessing from the server, via the network communication interface, account data from an inventory of a player account for a persistent-state social-network game associated with the player account;
analyzing, by an electronic processing unit of the gaming system in response to electronically accessing the server, a first graphical characteristic of a first virtual object stored in the inventory, wherein the first virtual object is from the persistent-state social-network game, wherein the first virtual object is attained at least via play of the persistent-state social-network game by the player account;
determining, based on the analyzing of the first graphical characteristic, a first degree to which the first graphical characteristic varies from a first baseline value for the persistent-state social-network game; and
electronically modifying, in response to the analyzing the first graphical characteristic by the electronic processing unit, a volatility of payouts for at least one of the one or more casino wagering games proportional to the first degree to which the first graphical characteristic varies from the first baseline value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graphical characteristic of the persistent-state social-network game depends on one or more virtual assets attained via one or more of attainment and modification of one or more virtual objects of a simulated community environment, wherein the one or more virtual objects persist with the player account.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the presenting the wagering game comprises modifying a volatility of the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games proportional to one or more values assigned to the one or more virtual assets.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein modifying the volatility comprises increasing a high end value and lowering a low end value of a volatility range.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein electronically modifying the volatility of payouts for the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games comprises one or more of modifying chances that a specific type of wagering game will be presented based on one or more characteristics of one or more virtual assets and using characteristics of one or more virtual assets to present wagering game content for the wagering game.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a state of the persistent-state social-network game based on play of the wagering game.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games includes a community event in which a plurality of wagering game machines are eligible to participate, and further comprising presenting the community event via the plurality of wagering game machines based on a state of the persistent-state social-network game.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games includes a community event in which a plurality of players are eligible to participate, and further comprising presenting the community event according to a state of the persistent-state social-network game for any one of the plurality of players.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining, based on the analyzing the first graphical characteristic of the first virtual object, an achievement level in the persistent-state social-network game;
determining that a wagering game event occurs for the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games; and
determining, based on analysis of the wagering game event and the first virtual object, that the first virtual object corresponds to a reward for the wagering game event, wherein the modifying the volatility of payouts proportional to the first degree to which the first graphical characteristic varies from the first baseline value comprises setting an award level for the reward proportional to the achievement level.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the first degree to which the first graphical characteristic varies from the first baseline value comprises determining a degree to which one or more of a terrain of the first virtual object varies from a baseline terrain for the persistent-state social-network game, a texture of the first virtual object varies from a baseline texture for the persistent-state social-network game, a shade of the first virtual object varies from a baseline shade for the persistent-state social-network game, a color of the first virtual object varies from a baseline color for the persistent-state social-network game, or a size of the first virtual object varies from a baseline size for the persistent-state social-network game.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
analyzing a second characteristic of a second virtual object from the persistent-state social-network game;
determining, based on the analyzing of the second virtual object, a second degree to which the second characteristic varies from a second baseline value for the persistent-state social-network game; and
combining the first degree with the second degree, wherein the modifying the volatility of payouts for the at least one of the one or more casino wagering games comprises modifying the volatility of payouts based on the combining the first degree with the second degree.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first virtual object is a different type of object from the second virtual object.

13. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more electronic processing units of a gaming system cause the set of one or more electronic processing units to perform operations comprising:
presenting, via an electronic display device of the gaming system, wagering game content for a casino wagering game during a wagering game session associated with a player account, wherein the gaming system is configured to receive, via a value input device, physical money for placement of wagers for the casino wagering game;
connecting, via a communication network through a network communication interface of the gaming system, the gaming system to a server that hosts the player account;
electronically accessing, from the server, via the network communication interface, account data from an inventory of the player account for a persistent-state, non-wagering game associated with the player account in response to presenting the wagering game content;
analyzing a graphical characteristic of a virtual object stored in the inventory, wherein the virtual object is from the persistent-state, non-wagering game referenced by the account data in response to accessing the persistent-state, non-wagering game;
determining, based on the analyzing of the graphical characteristic, a degree to which the graphical characteristic varies from a baseline value for the persistent-state, non-wagering game; and

Assignees

• Wms Gaming Inc
• Bally Gaming Inc

Inventors

• Gagner Mark B
• Pacey Larry J
• Stankovic Danijel
• Vann Jamie W
• Ward Matthew J

Classifications

• G07F17/3225

  Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users · CPC title

• G07F17/3227 Primary

  Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters · CPC title