Gaming systems with random wild symbols

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating participation in a primary or bonus event of a slot machine or other gaming activity having one or more symbols randomly acquire wild attributes. An embodiment of a gaming method in accordance with the present invention involves randomly designating segments of a gaming grid as candidate wild positions, and for each of the candidate wild positions, changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol if the change will improve a result for any paylines involving the respective wild position.

1 . A method comprising: 
 randomly designating one or more segments of a gaming grid as candidate wild positions; and    for each of the candidate wild positions, changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol if the change will improve a result for any paylines involving the respective wild position.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol comprises changing the existing symbol to a wild symbol if the change results in a winning symbol combination for any paylines involving the respective candidate wild position.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol comprises changing the existing symbol to a wild symbol if the change results in an award or an increased award for any paylines involving the respective candidate wild position.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising leaving the existing symbol unchanged if the change will not improve the result for any paylines involving the respective wild position.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether changing symbols presented in the designated one or more segments will improve the result for any of the paylines involving the respective wild position by analyzing resulting symbol combinations occurring on the paylines.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein randomly designating one or more segments of a gaming grid as candidate wild positions comprises randomly designating a subset of the set of segments forming the gaming grid as the candidate wild positions.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol comprises replacing a symbol previously presented in the respective segment to a wild symbol.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein replacing a symbol previously presented in the respective segment comprises replacing a symbol presented during a standard gaming activity to a wild symbol in a bonus gaming activity.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising designating a number of segments eligible for the random designation as candidate wild positions.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a standard gaming activity to present symbols in the gaming grid, and wherein changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol comprises replacing the symbol presented via the standard gaming activity to the wild symbol.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein randomly designating one or more segments as candidate wild positions comprises randomly designating the one or more segments as candidate wild positions in response to new symbols being presented via the gaming grid.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein randomly designating the one or more segments comprises randomly designating the one or more segments in response to each spin of the reels that form the gaming grid.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , randomly designating the one or more segments comprises randomly designating the one or more segments in response to each spin of mechanical reels that form the gaming grid.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , randomly designating the one or more segments comprises randomly designating the one or more segments in response to each spin of electronic reels that form the gaming grid.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining payout results for each of the paylines that are active and associated with the gaming grid.  
   
   
       16 . A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a computer system for facilitating participation in a gaming activity by performing steps comprising: 
 randomly designating one or more segments of a gaming grid as candidate wild positions; and    for each of the candidate wild positions, changing an existing symbol to a wild symbol if the change will improve a result for any paylines involving the respective wild position.    
   
   
       17 . A gaming method, comprising: 
 presenting a display grid comprising a plurality of grid positions to a game player;    providing a symbol in each of the plurality of grid positions to the game player in response to a game play;    entering a bonus event in response to a predetermined symbol or combination of symbols being provided to the game player;    randomly choosing a number of the plurality of grid positions as candidate wild positions;    indicating each of the candidate wild positions as wild to the game player if changing the symbol at the candidate wild position to a wild symbol benefits the game player; and    determining winning results using the provided symbols and indicated wild symbols.    
   
   
       18 . The gaming method as in  claim 17 , wherein the display grid comprises presented symbols of a mechanical reel arrangement, and wherein changing the symbol at the candidate wild position to a wild symbol comprises distinguishing the candidate wild positions from the remaining positions of the mechanical reel arrangement.  
   
   
       19 . The gaming method as in  claim 17 , wherein changing the symbol at the candidate wild position to a wild symbol comprises visually identifying the candidate wild position.  
   
   
       20 . A casino gaming apparatus hosting a gaming activity having at least a standard mode of operation and a bonus mode of operation, the casino gaming apparatus comprising: 
 a display grid having a plurality of grid positions;    a user interface to facilitate player participation in at least the standard mode of operation; and    a processor configured to enter a bonus mode of operation in response to a predetermined symbol combination occurring during the standard mode of operation, and during the bonus mode of operation to randomly choose a number of the plurality of grid positions as candidate wild positions, indicate each of the candidate wild positions as wild to the game player if changing the symbol at the candidate wild position to a wild symbol benefits the game player, and determine winning results using the provided symbols and indicated wild symbols.    
   
   
       21 . The casino gaming apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the processor comprises a random number generator configured to randomly select the candidate wild positions.  
   
   
       22 . The casino gaming apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the casino gaming apparatus comprises a slot machine, and the standard mode of operation of the slot machine includes a slot game.  
   
   
       23 . The casino gaming apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the casino gaming apparatus comprises a video poker machine, and the standard mode of operation of the video poker machine includes a poker game.  
   
   
       24 . The casino gaming apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the casino gaming apparatus comprises a video bingo machine, and the standard mode of operation of the video bingo machine includes a bingo game.  
   
   
       25 . The casino gaming apparatus as in  claim 20 , wherein the casino gaming apparatus comprises a video keno machine, and the standard mode of operation of the video keno machine includes a keno game.  
   
   
       26 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for executing a gaming activity, the computer-executable instructions performing steps comprising: 
 presenting a display grid comprising a plurality of grid positions to a game player;    providing a symbol in each of the plurality of grid positions to the game player in response to a game play;    entering a bonus event in response to a predetermined symbol or combination of symbols being provided to the game player;    randomly choosing a number of the plurality of grid positions as candidate wild positions;    indicating each of the candidate wild positions as wild to the game player if changing the symbol at the candidate wild position to a wild symbol benefits the game player; and    determining winning results using the provided symbols and indicated wild symbols.