Gaming system and method for providing awards based on accumulating symbols over a predefined quantity of games played

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing one or more awards based on the accumulation of symbols over a predefined quantity of plays of a game

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor for a predefined quantity of plays of a game, cause the processor to:
 for each of a plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 for each of a plurality of positions, responsive to a condition being satisfied in association with an indicia displayed at that position, accumulate that indicia, 
 determine any award for that non-designated play of the game, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of any determined award for that non-designated play of the game, wherein which of the plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are non-designated plays of the game are predetermined prior to any of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, 
 
 responsive to a first quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, cause a first award opportunity to be associated with a designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, and 
 responsive to a second, different quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, cause a second, different award opportunity to be associated with the designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first award opportunity comprises a first modification of a parameter of the designated play of the game and the second, different award opportunity comprises a second, different modification of the parameter of the designated play of the game. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first award opportunity comprises a modification of a first parameter of the designated play of the game and the second, different award opportunity comprises a modification of a second, different parameter of the designated play of the game. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first award opportunity is associated with a first average expected payout and the second, different award opportunity is associated with a second, different average expected payout. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to cease accumulating any accumulated indicia after the designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game and the designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are each associated with a first wager amount. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of positions that indicia are displayed at is less than all of a total quantity of positions that indicia may be displayed at. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each accumulated indicia is accumulated in association with the position which that indicia is displayed at and the accumulation of a predefined quantity of indica in association with one of the symbol display positions prevents any accumulation of another indicia in association with that symbol display position for a remainder of the predefined quantity of plays of the game. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor for a predefined quantity of plays of a game, cause the processor to:
 for each of a plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 for each of a plurality of positions, responsive to a condition being satisfied in association with an indicia displayed at that position, accumulate that indicia, 
 determine any award for that non-designated play of the game, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of any determined award for that non-designated play of the game, wherein which of the plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are non-designated plays of the game are predetermined prior to any of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, 
 
 responsive to a first quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 determine a first award, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of the determined first award, and 
 
 responsive to a second, different quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 determine a second, different award, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of the determined second, different award. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the first award is associated with a first average expected value and the second, different award is associated with a second, different average expected value. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of positions that indicia are displayed at is less than all of a total quantity of positions that indicia may be displayed at. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein each accumulated indicia is accumulated in association with the position which that indicia is displayed at and the accumulation of a predefined quantity of indica in association with one of the symbol display positions prevents any accumulation of another indicia in association with that symbol display position for a remainder of the predefined quantity of plays of the game. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system of  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game and the designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are each associated with a first wager amount. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor for a predefined quantity of plays of a game, cause the processor to:
 for each of a plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 for each of a plurality of positions, responsive to a condition being satisfied in association with an indicia displayed at that position, accumulate that indicia, 
 determine any award for that non-designated play of the game, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of any determined award for that non-designated play of the game, wherein which of the plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are non-designated plays of the game are predetermined prior to any of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, and 
 
 for a designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game:
 responsive to at least a first quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game, modify a parameter of the designated play of the game, 
 determine any award for the designated play of the game, the determination being based on the modified parameter of the designated play of the game, and 
 cause a display, by the display device, of any determined award for the designated play of the game, wherein which play of the game is the designated play of the game is predetermined prior to any of the predefined quantity of plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the first quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game is associated with a first modified parameter of the designated play of the game and a second, greater quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game is associated with a second, different modified parameter of the designated play of the game. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the modified parameter of the designated play of the game comprises a modified award opportunity. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming system of  claim 17 , wherein the first quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game is associated with a first average expected payout of the modified award opportunity and a second, greater quantity of indicia being accumulated for the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game is associated with a second, greater average expected payout of the modified award opportunity. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of non-designated plays of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game and the designated play of the game of the predefined quantity of plays of the game are each associated with a first wager amount. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of positions that indicia are displayed at is less than all of a total quantity of positions that indicia may be displayed at. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein each accumulated indicia is accumulated in association with the position which that indicia is displayed at and the accumulation of a predefined quantity of indica in association with one of the symbol display positions prevents any accumulation of another indicia in association with that symbol display position for a remainder of the predefined quantity of plays of the game.