Action video game for wagering where the player's reward to a challenge is determined by combining the player's skill in facing the challenge with the realization of a randomly generated event, where the likelihood of each possible realization of the random event depends on the player's skill

Abstract

An action video game for wagering that determines the player's monetary reward in a round of play by combining the player's skill in facing a challenge presented by the game with the realization of a randomly generated event, where the likelihood of each possible realization of the random event depends on the player's skill. The game progresses by presenting a challenge to the player that requires the player to take a series of actions in order to achieve the goals implied by the challenge. The performance of the player is evaluated according to a number of features that in conjunction define skill, thus generating a skill score. The game's final outcome and monetary reward are determined by combining the skill score with a random component, where the likelihood of the random component itself can be a function of the skill score. In one embodiment of the invention, different independent mechanisms used to generate random events are indexed according to the skill score. Once the player takes action and a concrete skill score is calculated, the corresponding mechanism is chosen. The outcome presented to the player is determined by an event generated from the chosen mechanism. The game can present a single challenge, as described, or a sequential series of challenges where the final reward is a function of the accumulated outcomes from each individual challenge.

1 . A method for determining an outcome and a monetary reward for an action video game comprising: 
 presenting a player with a challenge that requires a player to take one or more actions in order to achieve a set of goals necessary to respond to said challenge; and    calculating an objective skill score based on an evaluation of a series of attributes that relate to a player's performance in responding to said challenge wherein at least one of said series of attributes is clearly implied by the nature of said challenge such as the determination of a success or a failure in achieving a set of goals presented by said challenge; and    generating an outcome that is a function of said objective skill score and a realization of a random event, wherein both input from said objective skill score and said random event are non-trivial in a determination of said outcome wherein the probability of a different possible realizations of said random event may depend on said skill score; and    producing a monetary reward of an amount determined by a pre-defined pay-table based on said outcome.    
   
   
       2 . The method described in  claim 1  wherein a series of independent random number generators are associated with each possible skill level; and 
 wherein upon the skill level is determined, the random realization is generated by reading from the corresponding random number generator.    
   
   
       3 . The method described in  claim 2  wherein each one of the random number generators is designed and manipulated to approximate independent draws from a probability distribution.  
   
   
       4 . The method described in  claim 1  wherein the skill score is a parameter in a functional form of a probability distribution of a random component and the probability distribution is simulated by a random number generator.  
   
   
       5 . The method described in  claim 1  wherein the skill score and a numerical random component are combined in a linear function to generate an outcome for the challenge.  
   
   
       6 . The method described in  claim 1  wherein the skill score and a numerical random component are combined in a non-linear function to generate an outcome for the challenge.  
   
   
       7 . An action video game comprising: 
 a display presenting a set of one or more sequential challenges to a player; and    a device for inputting the a player's set of one or more skill responses to the said set of challenges; and    a device for rating the set of one or more skill responses to said set of one or more challenges and combining the set of one or more skill response with a set of one or more occurrences or introducing the set of one or more skill responses into a mechanism that determines a set of one or more random occurrences; and    a device for generaterating a set of one or more outcomes from the set of one or more random occurrences; and    a device for calculating a final monetary reward as a function of said set of one or more outcomes generated in response to each challenge; and    a device for conveying the outcome, the monetary reward, or both to a player.    
   
   
       8 . The action video game described in claimed  7  wherein the display is in a slot machine, an arcade style gaming device, or a hybrid gaming device incorporating different forms of user interfaces appropriate for action video games.  
   
   
       9 . The action video game described in claimed  7  played where the method of play consists of a display device, input device, and the method of conveyance connected to the internet wherein the method to rate skill and combine with random occurrence, the method of generating one or more outcomes, and the method for calculating monetary reward are located elsewhere on the internet.  
   
   
       10 . The action video game described in  claim 7  wherein the outcome of the skill response is hidden from the player.  
   
   
       11 . The action video game described in  claim 7  wherein the outcome of the skill response is hidden from the player but a series of graphics, sounds, smell, and or touch sensations correlated to the skill score are presented to the player.  
   
   
       12 . The action video game described in  claim 7  wherein there are a set of attributes defining the outcome of the skill response and the importance of such attributes in the calculation of the skill score are chosen by the player from a predetermined set.