Gaming system and method for resuming a skill-based game after an interruption event

Abstract

A gaming system and method that provides one or more players with one or more pre-resumption opportunities prior to resuming the play of the skill-based game. The gaming system enables one or more players to affirmatively acknowledge, following a game play interruption, that they are ready to resume play of the skill-based game. Such an opportunity to indicate a readiness to resume the play of the skill-based game provides that the play of the skill-based game resumes when the player is ready and minimizes the affect of any game play interruption on the player's outcome of the skill-based game.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one controller programmed to operate with each of a plurality of gaming machines to:
 for a play of a community skill-based game:
 enable each of a plurality of players of each of a plurality of gaming machines to make at least one quantifiable skill input, 
 determine an outcome, said determination being based, at least in part, on the at least one quantifiable skill input of at least one of the plurality of players, 
 determine any award associated with the determined outcome, and 
 communicate data which results in a display of any determined award to at least one of the plurality of players, 
 
 cause game state data associated with the play of the skill-based game to be stored, and 
 responsive to a skill-based game interruption event occurring prior to a conclusion of the play of the skill-based game:
 load the stored game state data, 
 for a designated period of time, enable each of the players to indicate to resume the play of the skill-based game, 
 responsive to each of the players indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, prior to an expiration of the designated period of time, resume the play of the skill-based game, wherein the skill-based game is resumed based on the loaded game state data, and 
 responsive to at least one of the players indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time and at least one of the players not indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, after the expiration of the designated period of time, resume the play of the skill-based game, wherein the skill-based game is resumed based on the loaded game state data. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein said determination of the outcome is based, at least in part, on the at least one quantifiable skill input of each of the plurality of players. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one quantifiable skill input is selected from the group consisting of: at least one quantifiable input of a mental skill, and at least one quantifiable input of a physical skill. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein any determined awards is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein responsive to each of the players not indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, the at least one controller is programmed to operate with each of the plurality of gaming machines to not resume the play of the skill-based game. 
     
     
         6 . A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines, said method comprising:
 for a play of a community skill-based game:
 enabling each of a plurality of players of each of the plurality of gaming machines to make at least one quantifiable skill input, 
 determining, by a controller, an outcome, said determination being based, at least in part, on the at least one quantifiable skill input of at least one of the plurality of players, 
 determining, by the controller, any award associated with the determined outcome, and 
 displaying, by a display device, any determined award to at least one of the plurality of players, 
   storing game state data associated with the play of the skill-based game, and   responsive to a skill-based game interruption event occurring prior to a conclusion of the play of the skill-based game:
 loading, by the controller, the stored game state data, 
 for a designated period of time, enabling each of the players to indicate to resume the play of the skill-based game, 
 responsive to each of the players indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, prior to an expiration of the designated period of time, resuming, by the controller, the play of the skill-based game, wherein the skill-based game is resumed based on the loaded game state data, and 
 responsive to at least one of the players indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time and at least one of the players not indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, after the expiration of the designated period of time, resuming, by the controller, the play of the skill-based game, wherein the skill-based game is resumed based on the loaded game state data. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said determination of the outcome is based, at least in part, on the at least one quantifiable skill input of each of the plurality of players. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one quantifiable skill input is selected from the group consisting of: at least one quantifiable input of a mental skill, and at least one quantifiable input of a physical skill. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein any determined awards is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein responsive to each of the players not indicating to resume the play of the skill-based game within the designated period of time, not resuming the play of the skill-based game. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , which is provided through a data network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data network is an internet.