Gaming system, gaming device and method for providing a multiple player persistent game

摘要

A gaming system including a multiple player persistent game, such as an ongoing community game. This ongoing community game includes a community game matrix which is continuously displayed to at least each of the players. The community game matrix includes a plurality of displayed positions which may be associated with an award or an award opportunity. In operation, at least each of the players playing the gaming devices of the gaming system are associated with a displayed participant that moves (either randomly or based on the player's control) to different of the displayed positions of the community game matrix. If a player moves their associated participant to a displayed position that is associated with an award or an award opportunity, the gaming system provides the player any associated award or enables the player to participate in any associated award opportunity to potentially win an award.

主权项

1. A gaming system comprising:
a housing; a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including:
(i) an acceptor, and(ii) a cashout device; at least one display device supported by the housing; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices and the at least one display device to:
(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item;(b) enable a player to place a wager to play a primary game, the player being associated with an individual participant;(c) independent of any occurrence of any bonus game triggering event, cause a display of:
(i) a game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, at least one of the displayed positions associated with a bonus game award and at least one of the displayed positions associated with a bonus game award opportunity, and(ii) the individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions;(d) if a bonus game entry event occurs:
determine a quantity of position moves, and(ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves:
(A) enable the player to designate one of the displayed positions, wherein which of the displayed positions available to be designated by the player is based on the position the individual participant is displayed at,(B) cause a display of the individual participant moving to the designated displayed position,(C) if the designated displayed position is associated with any bonus game award, cause the associated bonus game award to be provided to the player, and(D) if the designated displayed position is associated with any bonus game award opportunity: (I) thereafter, randomly determine any bonus game award associated with the bonus game award opportunity, and (II) cause any determined bonus game award to be provided to the player; and(e) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.