Gaming system and a method of gaming

Abstract

A gaming machine comprising, a standalone module arranged to implement a standalone game; and a server module arranged to generate server game data to be employed by at least one other gaming machine to implement a server game.

1 . A gaming machine comprising:
 a standalone module arranged to implement a standalone game; and   a server module arranged to generate server game data to be employed by at least one other gaming machine to implement a server game.   
   
   
       2 . A gaming machine as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a client module in data communication with the server module and arranged to implement the server game based on server game data generated by the server module. 
   
   
       3 . A gaming machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the standalone module is a sub-module of the client module capable of operating without receipt of data from the server module. 
   
   
       4 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines comprising a standalone module arranged to implement a standalone game independently of the other gaming machines when the gaming machine is operating in a standalone mode;
 at least one of the gaming machines comprising a server module whereby it can operate in a client/server mode during which it is arranged to act as a server game machine and generate server game data; and   at least one other gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines being in data communication with the server gaming machine and comprising a client module arranged to implement a server game based on the server game data when operating in a client/server mode.   
   
   
       5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines comprises a client module arranged to implement a server game based on the server game data when operating in a client/server mode. 
   
   
       6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each standalone module is a sub-module of the client module capable of operating without receipt of data from the server module. 
   
   
       7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each gaming machine comprises a server module and the gaming system is arranged to determine one of the server modules as the active server module which generates server game data. 
   
   
       8 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each gaming machine is associated with a respective one of a plurality of player marketing modules (PMMs) and the server and client modules communicate with one another via relevant ones of the PMMs. 
   
   
       9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein communications between the server and client modules are at least in part over an Ethernet. 
   
   
       10 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein communications between the server and client modules over the Ethernet are encrypted. 
   
   
       11 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein each gaming machine is associated with a serial to Ethernet adapter connected to a serial port of the gaming machine. 
   
   
       12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the serial to Ethernet adapter is provided at least in part by a PMM associated with the gaming machine. 
   
   
       13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the server module is arranged to communicate with each client module at least in part by a broadcast protocol interpretable by all client modules. 
   
   
       14 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the server module is arranged to communicate with each client module at least in part by a peer-to-peer protocol interpretable by an addressed client module. 
   
   
       15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the server module is arranged to operate in the client/server mode in response to a trigger condition occurring. 
   
   
       16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each standalone module is arranged to report occurrence of a trigger condition in a standalone game to the server module. 
   
   
       17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the gaming machines are arranged to communicate with one another to determine which server module is an active server module. 
   
   
       18 . A gaming system as claimed in  17 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to determine at least one passive server module, each passive server module arranged to receive failover data from the active server module, whereby a passive server module can continue the server game if the active server module fails. 
   
   
       19 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein at least two gaming machines implement different standalone games to one another. 
   
   
       20 . A method of gaming comprising:
 providing a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines comprising a standalone module arranged to implement a standalone game independently of the other gaming machines when the gaming machine is operable in a standalone mode;   providing at least one of the gaming machines with a server module whereby it can operate in a client/server mode during which it is arranged to act as a server game machine and generate server game data; and   providing at least one other gaming machine with a client module arranged to implement a server game based on the server game data when operating in a client/server mode.