Gaming system, a method of gaming and a game controller

Abstract

A gaming system comprising a display, a memory, a game controller in data communication with the display and arranged to control the display to display a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area, the game controller further arranged to select symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display and to evaluate the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area to determine whether to make an award, and a game play mechanism operable by the player to select a symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area, whereafter the game controller stores the symbol in the memory until the symbol is used in subsequent game play.

1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a display;   a memory;   a game controller in data communication with the display and arranged to control the display to display a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area, the game controller further arranged to select symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display and to evaluate the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area to determine whether to make an award; and   a game play mechanism operable by the player to select a symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area, whereafter the game controller stores the symbol in the memory until the symbol is used in subsequent game play.   
     
     
         2 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the symbol is stored until at least one further game outcome is generated by the game controller, the further game outcome being evaluated by the game controller. 
     
     
         3 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the game controller is arranged to conduct an additional evaluation based on the at least one stored symbol and the at least one further game outcome to determine whether to make an award. 
     
     
         4 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the storage area comprises a plurality of sub-areas associated with respective characteristics;   the game play mechanism is operable by the player to drag the selected symbol to one of the plurality of sub-areas; and   the game controller conducts the additional evaluation based on the characteristic associated with the sub-area to which the selected symbol was dragged.   
     
     
         5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the game controller associates the selected symbol with the characteristic associated with the sub-area in the memory. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the symbols of the set of symbols are associated with respective symbol characteristics and the additional evaluation is based on the symbol characteristic of the selected symbol. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the symbol is stored until the player operates the game play mechanism to use the stored symbol. 
     
     
         8 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the game play mechanism is operable to enable the player to store a plurality of symbols across a plurality of plays of the game. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the game play mechanism is operable to allow a player to use a stored symbol or symbols upon a trigger condition being met. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the trigger condition triggers a feature game in which the symbol or symbols may be employed. 
     
     
         11 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the game play mechanism is operable to select a symbol when a selection condition is met. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each selected symbol is displayed in the storage area. 
     
     
         13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the game play mechanism comprises a touch screen, whereby the player touches a symbol on the touch screen to select the symbol, maintains contact with the screen to drag the symbol to the storage area and ends the contact to store the symbol. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the game controller stores the symbol by storing data defining the symbol in the memory. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the game controller selects symbols for a spinning reel game, the set of symbols comprising subsets of symbols corresponding to respective ones of the reels and the game controller selecting symbols from the set of symbols by selecting symbols of each subset, the game controller evaluating the selected symbols by determining whether the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area comprise one or more winning combinations of symbols. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the symbols that can be dragged to the storage area are symbols of a card game and wherein the subsequent game play comprises play of a card game based on a stored card game symbol. 
     
     
         17 . A method of gaming in a gaming system comprising:
 displaying a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area on a display;   selecting symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display and evaluating the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area to determine whether to make an award; and   storing a selected symbol in a memory of the gaming system until the symbol is used in subsequent game play in response to a player operating a game play mechanism to select the symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area.   
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , comprising storing the symbol until at least one further game outcome is generated by the game controller, the further game outcome being evaluated to determine whether to make an award. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18 , comprising conducting an additional evaluation based on the at least one stored symbol and the at least one further game outcome to determine whether to make an award. 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein:
 the storage area comprises a plurality of sub-areas associated with respective characteristics;   the game play mechanism is operable by the player to drag the selected symbol to one of the plurality of sub-areas; and   the additional evaluation is conducted based on the characteristic associated with the sub-area to which the selected symbol was dragged.   
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20 , comprising associating the selected symbol with the characteristic associated with the sub-area in the memory. 
     
     
         22 . A method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the symbols of the set of symbols are associated with respective symbol characteristics and the additional evaluation is based on the symbol characteristic of the selected symbol. 
     
     
         23 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , comprising storing the symbol until the player operates the game play mechanism to use the stored symbol. 
     
     
         24 . A method as claimed in  claim 23 , comprising storing a plurality of symbols across a plurality of plays of the game. 
     
     
         25 . A method as claimed in  claim 23 , comprising allowing a player to use a stored symbol or symbols upon a trigger condition being met. 
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the trigger condition triggers a feature game in which the symbol or symbols may be employed. 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the game play mechanism is operable to select a symbol when a selection condition is met. 
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein each selected symbol is displayed in the storage area. 
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the game play mechanism comprises a touch screen, whereby the player touches a symbol on the touch screen to select the symbol, maintains contact with the screen to drag the symbol to the storage area and ends the contact to store the symbol. 
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein selecting symbols comprises selecting symbols for a spinning reel game, the set of symbols comprising subsets of symbols corresponding to respective ones of the reels such that selecting symbols comprises selecting symbols from the set of symbols by selecting symbols of each subset, and wherein evaluating the selected symbols is performed by determining whether the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area comprise one or more winning combinations of symbols. 
     
     
         31 . A method as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the symbols that can be dragged to the storage area are symbols of a card game and wherein the subsequent game play comprises play of a card game based on a stored card game symbol. 
     
     
         32 . A game controller for a gaming system, the game controller arranged to:
 control a display to display a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area on a display;   select symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display;   evaluate the symbols displayed in the display area to determine whether to make an award; and   store a selected symbol in a memory of the gaming system until the symbol is used in subsequent game play in response to a player operating a game play mechanism to select the symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area.   
     
     
         33 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the symbol is stored until at least one further game outcome is generated by the game controller, the further game outcome being evaluated by the game controller. 
     
     
         34 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 33 , arranged to conduct an additional evaluation based on the at least one stored symbol and the at least one further game outcome to determine whether to make an award. 
     
     
         35 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein:
 the storage area comprises a plurality of sub-areas associated with respective characteristics to which the selected symbol may be dragged by operation of the game play mechanism, and wherein the game controller conducts the additional evaluation based on the characteristic associated with the sub-area to which the selected symbol was dragged.   
     
     
         36 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the game controller associates the selected symbol with the characteristic associated with the sub-area in the memory. 
     
     
         37 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the symbols of the set of symbols are associated with respective symbol characteristics and the additional evaluation is based on the symbol characteristic of the selected symbol. 
     
     
         38 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the symbol is stored until the player operates the game play mechanism to use the stored symbol. 
     
     
         39 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the player is able to store a plurality of symbols across a plurality of plays of the game. 
     
     
         40 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the player may use a stored symbol or symbols upon a trigger condition being met. 
     
     
         41 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the trigger condition triggers a feature game in which the symbol or symbols may be employed. 
     
     
         42 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the player may select a symbol when a selection condition is met. 
     
     
         43 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the game controller stores the symbol by storing data defining the symbol in the memory. 
     
     
         44 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the game controller selects symbols for a spinning reel game, the set of symbols comprising subsets of symbols corresponding to respective ones of the reels and the game controller selecting symbols from the set of symbols by selecting symbols of each subset, the game controller evaluating the selected symbols by determining whether the symbols displayed in the symbol evaluation area comprise one or more winning combinations of symbols. 
     
     
         45 . A game controller as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the symbols that can be dragged to the storage area are symbols of a card game and wherein the subsequent game play comprises play of a card game based on a stored card game symbol. 
     
     
         46 . A gaming system comprising:
 a display controller for controlling a display to display a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area on a display;   a symbol selector for selecting symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display;   a symbol evaluator for evaluating the symbols displayed in the display area to determine whether to make an award; and   a symbol storer for storing a selected symbol in a memory of the gaming system until the symbol is used in subsequent game play in response to a player operating a game play mechanism to select the symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area.   
     
     
         47 . A gaming system comprising:
 a display;   means for controlling the display to display a symbol evaluation area and a symbol storage area;   means for selecting symbols from a set of symbols for display in the symbol evaluation area on the display;   means for evaluating the symbols displayed in the display area to determine whether to make an award;   means by the player to select a symbol from the symbol evaluation area and drag the selected symbol to the storage area; and   means for storing the selected symbol until the symbol is used in subsequent game play.   
     
     
         48 . Computer program code which when executed implements the method of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         49 . A tangible computer readable medium comprising the computer program code of  claim 48 .