Slots-fueled adventure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9613486-B2
Application number	US-201615091530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for executing games, processed by one or mover servers. The one or more servers are provided with access to a network for communication with one or more client computers. One method includes operations for sending an interface for a casino-type game to a client computer, and for starting an online game that is displayed with the interface for the casino-type game. The method further includes operations for detecting a bet placed in the casino-type game, and for determining an outcome of the bet in the casino-type game. A character is moved along a path of the online game, where the amount of movement of the character is based on the outcome of the bet or wager.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
sending, by a server, an interface to a client computer for a casino game upon receiving a request to play the casino game by a user;
receiving, by the server, a bet from the user via the interface;
determining, by the server, an outcome of the bet in the casino game;
moving, by the server, an avatar along a path of an online game displayed on the interface of the casino game, wherein an amount of movement of the avatar is based on the outcome of the bet;
accessing, by the server, an API of a social network to identify friends of the user in the social network;
detecting, by the server, when friends of the user are in a section of the path visible to the user in the online game; and
providing, by the server, data to the client computer for displaying in the interface the friends of the user that are in the section of the path, wherein operations of the method are executed by one or more processors of the server.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein moving the avatar further includes:
generating, by the server, data for placing a first currency on the path, wherein the first currency is unusable for betting in the casino game; and
collecting the first currency on the path as the avatar moves along the path.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further including:
awarding, by the server, first currency when the outcome is a loss of the bet.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , further including:
awarding, by the server, a first amount of first currency when the outcomes is a loss of the bet; and
awarding, by the server, a second amount of first currency when outcome is a win of the bet.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the path includes milestones, and wherein the method further includes:
providing, by the server, a game reward each time the avatar reaches a milestone while moving along the path.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining an outcome of the bet further includes:
evaluating, by the server, game mechanics rules; and
determining, by the server, the outcome based on the game mechanics rules.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the game mechanics rules include one or more of a probability of winning for each possible win in the casino game, a big win threshold value for determining when a big win occurs, or sharing amounts when sharing big wins with other users.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further including:
presenting, by the server, in the interface one or more choices for objects to be used as the avatar;
receiving, by the server, a selection for one of the objects to be used in the online game.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further including:
providing, by the server, image data of parts for building or designing a first character.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by the one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

11. A server for executing a game, the server having communication with a network for communicating with a client computer and other computers, the server comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory memory in communication with the processor, the processor being operable to:
send an interface to the client computer for a slots game to be played by a user;
start an online game that is displayed in the interface for the slots game;
determine an outcome of a bet in the slots game;
moving a character along a path of the online game, wherein an amount of movement of the character is based on the outcome of the bet;
access an API of a social network to identify friends of the user in the social network;
detect when friends of the user are in a section of the path; and
provide data to the client computer to display in the interface identifiers of the friends of the user that are in the section of the path.

12. The server of claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory memory further includes program instructions for a social manager that manages social relationships of user in one or both of the online game and the slots game.

13. The server of claim 11 , wherein the movement of the character includes:
locating a first currency on the path, wherein the first currency is unusable for betting on the slots game; and
collecting the first currency on the path as the character moves along the path.

14. The server of claim 13 , wherein the movement of the character further includes:
awarding first currency when the outcomes is a loss of the bet.

15. Computer readable media including non-transitory program instructions for processing games for remote users, comprising:
program instructions for sending, by a server, an interface to a client computer for a casino game upon receiving a request to play the casino game by a user;
program instructions for receiving, by the server, a bet from the user via the interface;
program instructions for determining, by the server, an outcome of the bet in the casino game;
program instructions for moving, by the server, an avatar along a path of an online game displayed on the interface of the casino game, wherein an amount of movement of the avatar is based on the outcome of the bet;
program instructions for accessing, by the server, an API of a social network to identify friends of the user in the social network;
program instructions for detecting, by the server, when friends of the user are in a section of the path visible to the user in the online game; and
program instructions for providing, by the server, data to the client computer for displaying in the interface the friends of the user that are in the section of the path.

16. The computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions for moving the avatar further includes instructions for generating data for placing a first currency on the path, the first currency is unusable for betting in the casino game, and collecting the first currency on the path as the avatar moves along the path.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16 , further including:
program instructions for awarding, by the server, first currency when the outcome is a loss of the bet.

18. The computer readable media of claim 16 , further including:
program instructions for awarding, by the server, a first amount of first currency when the outcomes is a loss of the bet; and
program instructions for awarding, by the server, a second amount of first currency when outcome is a win of the bet.

19. The computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the path includes milestones, and further comprising,
program instructions for providing, by the server, a game reward each time the avatar reaches a milestone while moving along the path.

20. The computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions for determining an outcome of the bet further includes:
program instructions for evaluating, by the server, game mechanics rules; and
program instructions for determining, by the server, the outcome based on the game mechanics rules;
wherein the game mechanics rules include one or more of a probability of winning for each possible win in the casino game, a big win threshold value for determining when a big win occurs, or sharing amounts when sharing big wins with other users.

Assignees

• Zynga Inc

Inventors

• Guase Josh
• Malle Nimai
• Ratcliffe Nathan

Classifications

• G07F17/326

  Game play aspects of gaming systems · CPC title

• G07F17/3286

  Type of games · CPC title

• G07F17/3213 Primary

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title

• A63F13/005

  Human Necessities · mapped topic