Gaming method for playing an interactive slot game, and gaming apparatus for implementing the gaming method

Abstract

A gaming method for playing an interactive slot game is implemented by a gaming apparatus. The gaming method includes the steps of: randomly generating a game symbol combination; determining whether the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol; when the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol, determining a corresponding position of the changeable game symbol; allowing player manipulation to generate a response signal indicating a player-selected position; receiving the response signal and determining whether the player-selected position is the corresponding position; randomly changing the changeable game symbol when the determination made in the last step is affirmative; determining whether a revised game symbol combination including the changed game symbol conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and granting an award when the determination made in the last step is affirmative.

1 . A gaming method for playing a slot game, said gaming method being adapted to be implemented using a gaming apparatus that includes an input unit, an output unit, and a control system, said gaming method comprising the steps of:
 a) configuring the control system to randomly generate a game symbol combination that includes a plurality of game symbols, and to enable the output unit to display the game symbol combination thereon;   b) configuring the control system to determine whether the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol therein;   c) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol therein, configuring the control system to determine a corresponding position of the changeable game symbol in the game symbol combination and to record the corresponding position determined thereby;   d) allowing a player to manipulate the input unit to generate a response signal that indicates a player-selected position in the game symbol combination;   e) configuring the control system to receive the response signal generated by the input unit and to determine whether the player-selected position indicated by the response signal is the corresponding position of the changeable game symbol determined in step c);   f) configuring the control system to randomly change the changeable game symbol when the determination made in step e) is affirmative;   g) configuring the control system to determine whether a revised game symbol combination that includes the game symbol changed in step f) conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and   h) granting an award to the player when the determination made in step g) is affirmative.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the changeable game symbol determined in step b) is one of the game symbols in the game symbol combination generated in step a) that differs from remaining same ones of the game symbols in a payout line of the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein, in step f), probability of changing the changeable game symbol to be the same as the remaining same ones of the game symbols in the payout line is enhanced compared to probability of getting said one of the game symbols when the game symbol combination is generated in step a). 
     
     
         4 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in step d), at least one of a button and a joystick of the input unit of the gaming apparatus is manipulated by the player to generate the response signal. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the game symbol combination generated in step a) is in a form of a matrix having a plurality of game symbol positions, each of which corresponds to one of the game symbols in the game symbol combination, and in step d), a touch screen of the input unit is pressed by the player to generate the response signal for selecting one of the game symbol positions in the matrix as the player-selected position. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein step e) includes configuring the control system such that flow of said gaming method goes back to step a) when the control system fails to receive the response signal from the input unit within a predetermined time limit. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising configuring the control system such that flow of said gaming method goes back to step a) when the determination made by the control system in step e) is negative. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in step d), the player is allowed to manipulate the input unit within a predetermined time limit to generate the response signal. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising, between steps a) and c), the steps of:
 i) configuring the control system to determine whether the game symbol combination generated in step a) includes a special game symbol therein;   j) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes the special game symbol therein, configuring the control system to give the player an option to manipulate the input unit for generating a select signal; and   k) when the control system receives the select signal from the input unit in step j), configuring the control system to complete one round of the slot game without granting the award to the player.   
     
     
         10 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising, after step j):
 l) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes the special game symbol therein, and the control system fails to receive the select signal from the input unit within a predetermined time limit, configuring the control system to grant an auxiliary award to the player and complete one round of the slot game.   
     
     
         11 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 1 , the slot game including a primary slot game and an optional bonus slot game,
 the gaming method further comprising, prior to step a), steps for playing the primary slot game that include:   I) configuring the control system to randomly generate a primary game symbol combination, to enable the output unit to display the primary game symbol combination thereon, and to determine whether the primary game symbol combination conforms with a primary winning condition;   II) when the primary game symbol combination fails to conform with the primary winning condition, configuring the control system to determine whether the primary game symbol combination conforms with a bonus condition; and   III) configuring the control system such that flow of said gaming method goes to step a) for playing the bonus slot game when the determination made by the control system in step II) is affirmative.   
     
     
         12 . The gaming method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein:
 the primary game symbol combination generated in step I) is in a form of an m×n matrix, where n is greater than three; and   the game symbol combination generated in step a) is in a form of an m×(n−2) matrix excluding a first column and an nth column in the matrix of the primary game symbol combination.   
     
     
         13 . A computer program product comprising a machine readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein which when executed cause a system to perform consecutive steps of a gaming method for playing a slot game according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A gaming apparatus comprising:
 an input unit;   an output unit; and   a control system coupled to said input unit and said output unit;   wherein said control system is operable to execute a gaming method for playing a slot game, the gaming method including the steps of:
 a) configuring said control system to randomly generate a game symbol combination that includes a plurality of game symbols, and to enable said output unit to display the game symbol combination thereon; 
 b) configuring said control system to determine whether the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol therein; 
 c) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes a changeable game symbol therein, configuring said control system to determine a corresponding position of the changeable game symbol in the game symbol combination and to record the corresponding position determined thereby; 
 d) allowing a player to manipulate said input unit to generate a response signal that indicates a player-selected position in the game symbol combination; 
 e) configuring said control system to receive the response signal generated by said input unit and to determine whether the player-selected position indicated by the response signal is the corresponding position of the changeable game symbol determined in step c); 
 f) configuring said control system to randomly change the changeable game symbol when the determination made in step e) is affirmative; 
 g) configuring said control system to determine whether a revised game symbol combination that includes the game symbol changed in step f) conforms with a predetermined winning condition; and 
 h) granting an award to the player when the determination made in step g) is affirmative. 
   
     
     
         15 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said control system includes a game processor, and a storage medium that is coupled to said game processor and that stores program instructions for configuring said game processor to execute the gaming method for playing the slot game. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said control system further includes a memory device coupled to said game processor for storing the corresponding position of the changeable game symbol in the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said input unit includes a start button operable to trigger said control system to execute the gaming method. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said input unit includes at least one of a button and a joystick operable to generate the response signal. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the game symbol combination generated in step a) of the gaming method is in a form of a matrix having a plurality of game symbol positions, each of which corresponds to one of the game symbols in the game symbol combination, and said input unit includes a touch screen adapted to be pressed so as to generate the response signal for selecting one of the game symbol positions in the matrix as the player-selected position. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein, in step b) of the gaming method, the changeable game symbol is one of the game symbols in the game symbol combination generated in step a) that differs from remaining same ones of the game symbols in a payout line of the game symbol combination. 
     
     
         21 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein, in step f) of the gaming method, probability of changing the changeable game symbol to be the same as the remaining same ones of the game symbols in the payout line is enhanced compared to probability of getting said one of the game symbols when the game symbol combination is generated in step a). 
     
     
         22 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein step e) of the gaming method includes configuring said control system such that flow of the gaming method goes back to step a) when said control system fails to receive the response signal from said input unit within a predetermined time limit. 
     
     
         23 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the gaming method further includes configuring said control system such that flow of the gaming method goes back to step a) when the determination made by said control system in step e) is negative. 
     
     
         24 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the player is allowed to manipulate said input unit within a predetermined time limit to generate the response signal in step d) of the gaming method. 
     
     
         25 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the gaming method further includes, between steps a) and c), the steps of:
 i) configuring said control system to determine whether the game symbol combination generated in step a) includes a special game symbol therein;   j) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes the special game symbol therein, configuring said control system to give the player an option to manipulate said input unit for generating a select signal; and   k) when said control system receives the select signal from said input unit in step j), configuring said control system to complete one round of the slot game without granting the award to the player.   
     
     
         26 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the gaming method further includes, after step j):
 l) when it is determined that the game symbol combination includes the special game symbol therein, and said control system fails to receive the select signal from said input unit within a predetermined time limit, configuring said control system to grant an auxiliary award to the player and complete one round of the slot game.   
     
     
         27 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , the slot game including a primary slot game and an optional bonus slot game, wherein the gaming method further includes, prior to step a), steps for playing the primary slot game that include:
 I) configuring said control system to randomly generate a primary game symbol combination, to enable said output unit to display the primary game symbol combination thereon, and to determine whether the primary game symbol combination conforms with a primary winning condition;   II) when the primary game symbol combination fails to conform with the primary winning condition, configuring said control system to determine whether the primary game symbol combination conforms with a bonus condition; and   III) configuring said control system such that flow of the gaming method goes to step a) for playing the bonus slot game when the determination made by said control system in step II) is affirmative.   
     
     
         28 . The gaming apparatus as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein:
 the primary game symbol combination generated in step I) is in a form of an m×n matrix, where n is greater than three; and   the game symbol combination generated in step a) is in a form of an m×(n−2) matrix excluding a first column and an nth column in the matrix of the primary game symbol combination.