Networked gaming system with skill influenced prize mapping

Abstract

A server in a network receives a player's game play request from a player station that is located remotely from the server in the network. In response to the player's game play request, a display of the player station generates an image prompting a player to enter a player input at the player station. The player input, which is at least partially skill dependent, is ultimately evaluated at the server to produce a game result. The game result is then communicated back to the player station and presented to the player in some fashion.

1 . A method including: 
 (a) prompting a player at a player station to enter a skill-based player input at the player station and receiving the skill-based player input at the player station; and    (b) identifying a game result for the skill-based player input, the game result being identified at a server located in a network with the player station where the server is separate from the player station, and the game result being at least partially dependent on the skill-based player input.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further including communicating the game result from the server to the player station.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further including identifying a time value at the player station for the skill-based player input, the time value comprising a difference in time between a first time when an image appears on a display of the player station and a second time when the skill-based player input is received at the player station.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further including comparing the time value with a predetermined time value to identify the result for the skill-based player input.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3  further including comparing the time value with another time value of another player to identify the result for the skill-based player input.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying the game result further includes comparing the skill-based input with a standard unrelated to inputs from other players on the network.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein identifying the game result further includes comparing the skill-based input with a skill-based input entered by another player from another player station on the network.  
   
   
       8 . A method including: 
 (a) receiving a first skill-based input for a first player at a first player station and an additional skill-based input for an additional player at an additional player station;    (b) grouping the first skill-based input and the additional skill-based input into a game group; and    (c) evaluating the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player at a server separate from the first player station and the additional player station to identify a result for the first skill-based input and a result for the additional skill-based input.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further including prompting the first player at the first player station to make the first skill-based input and prompting the additional player at the additional player station to make the additional skill-based input.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein evaluating the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player includes comparing an input speed measurement associated with the first skill-based input for the first player and an input speed measurement associated with the additional skill-based input for the additional player.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein evaluating the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player includes comparing a knowledge indicator associated with the first skill-based input for the first player and a knowledge indicator associated with the additional skill-based input for the additional player.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein evaluating the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player includes evaluating both the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player against a given standard.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein evaluating the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player includes ranking the first skill-based input for the first player and the additional skill-based input for the additional player in a relative order.  
   
   
       14 . A system including: 
 (a) at least two player stations, each player station including a respective player input device and a respective display device, each player station also being configured to receive a respective skill-based input;    (b) a result identifying component in a communication network with each player station, the result identifying component for receiving a representation of the respective skill-based input received by each respective player station, for identifying a respective result for each respective skill-based input where the respective result is based at least in part on the respective skill-based input, and for communicating the respective result for each respective skill-based input to the respective player station at which the respective skill-based input was received.    
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the result identifying component is configured to identify the result for each respective skill-based input based upon a comparison of the respective skill-based input with some standard unrelated to the skill-based input from any other player station.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein each respective player station is configured to present a prize at the respective display, the prize being associated with the result for the respective skill-based input received at the respective player station.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14  further including a grouping component for grouping the skill-based inputs from the respective player stations into a game group and wherein the result identifying component identifies the result for each respective skill-based input based at least in part on each other skill-based input in the game group.  
   
   
       18 . A program product stored on at least one storage medium, the program product including a set of machine-readable instructions that when executed are configured to: 
 (a) prompt a player at a player station to enter a skill-based player input at the player station and receive the skill-based player input at the player station; and    (b) at a server located in a network with the player station and separate from the player station, identify a game result for the skill-based player input received at the player station, the game result being at least partially dependent on the skill-based player input.    
   
   
       19 . The program product of  claim 18  wherein the set of machine-readable instructions are executable to compare the skill-based player input and at least one additional skill-based player input received at an additional player station.  
   
   
       20 . The program product of  claim 18  wherein the set of machine readable instructions are executable to compare the skill-based player input against a standard unrelated to a skill-based player input at any other player station.  
   
   
       21 . The program product of  claim 18  wherein the game result identified for the skill-based input modifies a result in an initial game.