Method of community gaming and a gaming system

Abstract

A method of community gaming. The method includes initiating a community game having a prize pool in response to an initiation condition being met by a first player, conducting the community game for the first player and one or more further players to determine a winner of the community game, and making an award of a first prize from the prize pool to the first player which only the first player is eligible upon determining said first player as the winner of the community game or making an award of a second prize from the prize pool to one of the further players upon determining said one of the further players as the winner of the community game.

1 . A method of community gaming comprising:
 initiating a community game having a prize pool in response to an initiation condition being met by a first player;   conducting the community game for the first player and one or more further players to determine a winner of the community game; and   making an award of a first prize from the prize pool to the first player which only the first player is eligible upon determining said first player as the winner of the community game or making an award of a second prize from the prize pool to one of the further players upon determining said one of the further players as the winner of the community game.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the first player and the one or more further players participating in the community game by making a selection in the community game. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising determining the winner of the community game based on the respective selections of the first player and the one or more further players in the community game. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising the first player and the one or more further players making a selection of a number from a designated range of numbers. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising determining the winner of the community game as a player having selected a lowest unique number in the designated range of numbers. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the first player and the one or more further players contributing to the prize pool by making contributions from a main game. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first prize is a progressive jackpot. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the second prize is a value corresponding to an amount of credits acquired in the main game by said one of the further players determined as the winner of the community game. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising the first player triggering the community game from the main game. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising the first player initiating the community game by placing a wager in the main game. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the wager is half of a value of credits acquired in the main game. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of linked gaming devices; and   a community game controller arranged to:
 initiate a community game having a prize pool in response to an initiation condition being met by a first linked gaming device; 
 conduct the community game for the first linked gaming device and one or more further linked gaming devices to determine a winner of the community game; and 
 make an award of a first prize from the prize pool to the first linked gaming device which only the first linked gaming device is eligible upon determining said first linked gaming device as the winner of the community game or make an award of a second prize from the prize pool to one of the further linked gaming devices upon determining said one of the further linked gaming devices as the winner of the community game. 
   
     
     
         13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the community game controller is further arranged to receive a selection from the first linked gaming device and the one or more further linked gaming devices participating in the community game. 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the community game controller is further arranged to determine the winner of the community game based on the respective selections of the linked gaming device and the one or more further linked gaming devices in the community game. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein each of the respective selections comprises a selection of a number from a designated range of numbers. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the community game controller is further arranged to determine the winner of the community game as a linked gaming device having selected a lowest unique number in the designated range of numbers. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the community game controller is further arranged to receive contributions to the prize pool from the first linked gaming device and the one or more further linked gaming devices making contributions from a main game. 
     
     
         18 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the first prize is a progressive jackpot. 
     
     
         19 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the second prize is a value corresponding to an amount of credits acquired in the main game by said one of the further linked gaming devices determined as the winner of the community game. 
     
     
         20 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the first linked gaming device triggers the community game from the main game. 
     
     
         21 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the first linked gaming device initiates the community game by placing a wager in the main game. 
     
     
         22 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the wager is half of a value of credits acquired in the main game. 
     
     
         23 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of linked gaming devices;   means for initiating a community game having a prize pool in response to an initiation condition being met by a first linked gaming device;   means for conducting the community game for the first linked gaming device and one or more further linked gaming devices to determine a winner of the community game; and   means for making an award of a first prize from the prize pool to the first linked gaming device which only the first linked gaming device is eligible upon determining said first linked gaming device as the winner of the community game or making an award of a second prize from the prize pool to one of the further linked gaming devices upon determining said one of the further linked gaming devices as the winner of the community game.   
     
     
         24 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of linked gaming devices, each linked gaming device comprising a cabinet, a display mounted within the cabinet, a game play mechanism mounted to the cabinet, and a main game controller disposed within the cabinet comprising a processor and a memory storing game control instructions which enable each main game controller operating in response to operation of respective game play mechanisms to conduct respective main games; and   a community game controller operably connected to the plurality of linked gaming devices, the community game controller comprising a processor and a memory storing additional game control instructions which when executed cause the community game controller to:
 initiate a community game having a prize pool in response to an initiation condition being met by a first linked gaming device; 
 conduct the community game for the first linked gaming device and one or more further linked gaming devices to determine a winner of the community game; and 
 make an award of a first prize from the prize pool to the first linked gaming device which only the first linked gaming device is eligible upon determining said first linked gaming device as the winner of the community game or make an award of a second prize from the prize pool to one of the further linked gaming devices upon determining said one of the further linked gaming devices as the winner of the community game. 
   
     
     
         25 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising executing computer program code. 
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , further comprising storing said computer program code in a tangible computer readable medium. 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , further comprising transmitting the computer program code.