Gaming device having a segment elimination game

Abstract

A wagering gaming device having a game including a set of segments displayed by a display device and a segment activator. Engagement of the segment activator with the segments removes the segment from the display device in one embodiment. In one embodiment, the player receives an award value for each removed segment. In this embodiment, the object of the game is to remove a maximum number of segments from the display device. A positionable blocking member is provided to direct or redirect the movement of the segment activator. Multiple apparatuses and methods are also taught, that provide a perceived skill segment elimination game.

1 . A gaming device controlled by a processor; the gaming device comprising: 
 a primary game controlled by the processor activated upon a wager by a player, a display device controlled by the processor;    a secondary game triggered upon an occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game, said secondary game including a plurality of segments displayed by the display device within a confined space;    a projectile displayed moving within the confined space and visually engaging at least one of the segments;    a blocking member manipulable by the player to move in front of the projectile as the projectile travels away from the segments; and    an award value provided to the player due to the at least one visual engagement of the projectile and one of the segments, wherein the award value is determined independently from the player's ability to manipulate the blocking member in front of the projectile    
   
   
       2 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the confined space is designated by a border displayed by the display device.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the segments yields a terminator, and wherein the processor enables the player to move the blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments until the projectile engages the segment yielding the terminator.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming device of  claim 3 , wherein the terminator is generated when the player has achieved the award value.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the award value includes multiple constituent award values provided to the player upon multiple engagements of the projectile and the segments.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein each engaged segment is removed from the display device.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming device of  claim 6 , wherein the segments are arranged in rows and wherein a removed segment exposes an adjacent segment of a different row.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein the different row is a first different row and the adjacent segment is a first adjacent segment, which includes a second different row, and wherein the adjacent segment is removed from the display device upon being engaged by the projectile to expose a second adjacent segment located in the second different row.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein award values associated with the segments of the different row are on average higher than the award values associated with the segments of the row containing the removed segment.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein the projectile engages and departs from the engaged segments, and wherein a speed at which the projectile departs from the adjacent segment is different than the speed at which the projectile departs from the removed segment.  
   
   
       11 . The gaming device of  claim 7 , wherein the rows of segments have at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: having same size segments, having differently sized segments, having aligned segments, having staggered segments, being spatially engaged, being spaced apart from one another, having segments that are spatially engaged, having spaced apart segments.  
   
   
       12 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of either the segment engaged by the projectile or the award value yielded by the engaged segment is determined randomly.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming device of  claim 12 , wherein segment engaged by the projectile is determined randomly and the angle at which the projectile departs from the blocking member is selected so that the projectile engages the randomly generated segment.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the projectile contacts at least one wall defining the confined space before engaging one of the segments.  
   
   
       15 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the projectile is sized and (ii) two adjacent segments are positioned so that the two segments are engaged by the projectile at least substantially simultaneously.  
   
   
       16 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein an angle at which the projectile departs from the blocking member is substantially equal and opposite to an angle at which the projectile hits the blocking member.  
   
   
       17 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein a speed at which the projectile departs from the blocking member is different than a speed at which the projectile engages the blocking member.  
   
   
       18 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the projectile engages and departs from the engaged segments, and wherein a speed at which the projectile departs from an engaged segment is different than a speed at which the projectile engages the engaged segment.  
   
   
       19 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the projectile changes speeds (i) randomly, (ii) after the player accumulates a particular portion of the award value, (iii) after a particular period of time, (iv) after engaging each of a particular subset of segments, (v) upon engaging a first one of a particular subset of segments, (vi) or any combination thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the confined space includes a game termination area, and wherein at least a portion of the secondary game is terminated when the projectile engages the secondary game termination area.  
   
   
       21 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary game termination area is configured to move along a boundary defining the confined space, the termination area moving to (i) enable the player to achieve the award value and (ii) terminate the game thereafter.  
   
   
       22 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary game includes multiple stages and introduces a new stage when the projectile engages the game termination area before the player achieves the award value.  
   
   
       23 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary game includes multiple stages and no longer presents a new stage when the projectile engages the game termination area after the player achieves the award value.  
   
   
       24 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the game termination area is a portion of a boundary defining the confined space, and wherein the blocking member is capable of screening the projectile from the game termination portion.  
   
   
       25 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , which includes a plurality of the secondary game termination areas, the areas activated selectively to (i) enable the player to achieve the award value and (ii) terminate the game thereafter.  
   
   
       26 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the confined space is defined by a boundary and the segments are positioned between a portion of the boundary and the blocking member, and wherein the game enables the projectile to travel between the boundary portion and the segments to engage multiple segments.  
   
   
       27 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the confined space is defined by a boundary, and wherein the game enables the projectile to travel between the boundary and the segments to engage multiple segments without engaging the blocking member.  
   
   
       28 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is a terminator when the projectile engages the blocking member after the player achieves the award value.  
   
   
       29 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is configured to have a blocking dimension variable based on at least one of: (i) an amount of the player's wager, (ii) an amount of a component of the player's wager, (iii) a random outcome, (iv) an occurrence of an engagement of the projectile and the blocking member, or (v) how many times the projectile has engaged the blocking member.  
   
   
       30 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the confined space has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: (i) being totally enclosed and (ii) including at least one opening through which the projectile may travel outside the confined space.  
   
   
       31 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the game is a bonus game of a base game selected from the group consisting of: slot, poker, blackjack, craps, keno, checkers, bunco and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       32 . A gaming device controlled by a processor, the gaming device comprising: 
 a primary game activated upon a wager by a player;    a display device controlled by the processor;    a secondary game triggered upon occurrence of a triggering event in the primary game, said secondary game including a plurality of segments displayed by the display device within a confined space;    a projectile displayed moving within the confined space and visually engaging at least one of the segments;    a blocking member manipulated by the player to move in front of the projectile as the projectile travels away from the segments;    a randomly determined total award value provided to the player due to the at least one visual engagement of the projectile and one of the segments; and    a mechanism that ensures that the player achieves the randomly determined total award value regardless of the skill level of the player.    
   
   
       33 . The gaming device of  claim 32 , wherein the mechanism includes a terminator, wherein at least one of the segments yields the terminator and the game enables the player to move the blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments until the projectile engages the segment yielding the terminator.  
   
   
       34 . The gaming device of  claim 32 , wherein the mechanism includes a game termination area, wherein at least a portion of the game is terminated when the projectile engages the game termination area, and wherein the game termination area is configured to move along a boundary defining the confined space, the termination area moving to (i) enable the player to achieve the total determined award value and (ii) terminate the game thereafter.  
   
   
       35 . The gaming device of  claim 32 , wherein the mechanism includes a game termination area and multiple stages, and wherein the game no longer presents a new stage when the projectile engages the game termination area after the player achieves the total determined award value.  
   
   
       36 . The gaming device of  claim 32 , wherein the mechanism includes a plurality of game termination areas, the areas activated selectively to (i) enable the player to achieve the total randomly determined award value and (ii) terminate the game thereafter.  
   
   
       37 . A method of operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) displaying a plurality of segments within a confined space;    (b) displaying a projectile moving within the confined space and visually engaging at least one of the segments;    (c) determining a total award value for the player due to the at least one visual engagement of the projectile and one of the segments; and    (d) enabling the player to move a blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments until the player achieves the total award value after which (i) the projectile engages a segment yielding a terminator or (ii) a segment causing the player to achieve the total award value also yields a terminator.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the terminator is a final terminator, and wherein enabling the player to move the blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments includes multiple additional game stages each initiated when the projectile engages a segment yielding an intermediate terminator in a previous game stage.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , which includes varying a blocking dimension of the blocking member based on at least one of: (i) an amount of the player's wager, (ii) an amount of a component of the player's wager, (iii) a random outcome, (iv) an occurrence of an engagement of the projectile and the blocking member, or (v) how many times the projectile has engaged the blocking member.  
   
   
       40 . A method of operating a gaming device comprising: 
 (a) displaying a plurality of segments within a confined space;    (b) displaying a projectile moving within the confined space and visually engaging at least one of the segments;    (c) determining a total award value for the player due to the at least one visual engagement of the projectile and one of the segments;    (d) enabling the player to move a blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments; and    (e) displaying a game termination area, wherein the player is enabled to move the blocking member until the projectile engages the game termination area, and wherein the game termination area is configured to change along a boundary defining the confined space, the game termination area moving to: (i) enable the player to achieve the randomly determined total award value, and (ii) terminate the game thereafter.    
   
   
       41 . A method of operating a gaming device comprising: 
 (a) displaying a plurality of segments within a confined space;    (b) displaying a projectile moving within the confined space and visually engaging at least one of the segments;    (c) determining a total award value for the player due to the at least one visual engagement of the projectile and one of the segments;    (d) enabling the player to move a blocking member to direct the projectile towards the segments; and    (e) displaying a game termination area, wherein the player is enabled to move the blocking member until the projectile engages the game termination area, and providing multiple additional game stages each initiated when the projectile engages the game termination area in a previous game stage, wherein the game no longer presents a new stage when the projectile engages the game termination area after the player achieves the randomly determined total award value.