Gaming machine and method with persistence feature

Abstract

A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine includes an electronic display device configured to display an array of symbol positions. The game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operations of: spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array; animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land; again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions; awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol; and animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:
 displaying an array of symbol positions on an electronic display device;   spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array;   animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land;   again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions;   awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol; and   animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels includes landing a third value-bearing symbol in a symbol position other than one of the tagged symbol positions, and further including the operation of animating the array to tag the symbol position in which the third value-bearing symbol lands. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels includes landing a third value-bearing symbol in another one of the tagged symbol positions that is in the cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions, wherein the award is also based on the value borne by the third value-bearing symbol. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further including the operation of animating the array to display a value borne by the second value-bearing symbol in the one of the tagged symbol positions, to display a value borne by the third value-bearing symbol in the another one of the tagged symbol positions, and to display a value derived from the second and third value-bearing symbols in any other ones of the tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the award is also based on the value borne by the third value-bearing symbol and the value derived from the second and third value-bearing symbols. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land includes applying a border, color change, background change, watermark, or other distinguishing characteristic to the symbol positions. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the operation of animating the array to display the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol in the tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the award includes the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol, multiplied by the number of tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tagged symbol positions in the cluster are adjacent to each other such that each tagged symbol position in the cluster is adjacent to at least one other tagged symbol position in the cluster. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:
 displaying an array of symbol positions on an electronic display device;   spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land a first plurality of symbols borne by the reels in the array;   in response to the landed first plurality of symbols including one or more first value-bearing symbols, animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land;   again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second plurality of symbols borne by the reels in the array; and   in response to the landed second plurality of symbols including a second value-bearing symbol that lands in one of the tagged symbol positions, awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol and animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions.   
     
     
         11 . A gaming system comprising:
 a gaming machine including an electronic display device configured to display an array of symbol positions; and   game-logic circuitry configured to perform the operations of:
 spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array; 
 animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land; 
 again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions; 
 awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol; and 
 animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions. 
   
     
     
         12 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels includes landing a third value-bearing symbol in a symbol position other than one of the tagged symbol positions, and further including the operation of animating the array to tag the symbol position in which the third value-bearing symbol lands. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels includes landing a third value-bearing symbol in another one of the tagged symbol positions that is in the cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions, wherein the award is also based on the value borne by the third value-bearing symbol. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system of  claim 13 , wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to perform the operation of animating the array to display a value borne by the second value-bearing symbol in the one of the tagged symbol positions, to display a value borne by the third value-bearing symbol in the another one of the tagged symbol positions, and to display a value derived from the second and third value-bearing symbols in any other ones of the tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the award is also based on the value borne by the third value-bearing symbol and the value derived from the second and third value-bearing symbols. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land includes applying a border, color change, background change, watermark, or other distinguishing characteristic to the symbol positions. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to perform the operation of animating the array to display the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol in the tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming system of  claim 17 , wherein the award includes the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol, multiplied by the number of tagged symbol positions in the cluster. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming system of  claim 11 , wherein the tagged symbol positions in the cluster are adjacent to each other such that each tagged symbol position in the cluster is adjacent to at least one other tagged symbol position in the cluster.