Products And Processes For Employing Video To Initiate Game Play At A Gaming Device

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method of operating a gaming device includes the steps of (1) receiving an indication of an occurrence of a game initiation trigger associated with audio/video programming being provided to a player of the gaming device; and (2) in response to the occurrence of the game initiation trigger, initiating game play at the gaming device. The audio/video programming may comprise, for example, a television show, a movie, an animated show, a live event, or the like. Numerous other aspects are provided.

1 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of game initiation triggers that are each associated with a video, in which each game initiation trigger defines a time within the video;    playing the video to a player of a gaming device;    receiving an indication of an occurrence of at least one of the game initiation triggers during the playing of the video;    in response to the occurrence, initiating game play at the gaming device substantially simultaneously with the occurrence of the game initiation trigger;    determining an outcome of the game play;    determining if the outcome is a winning outcome; and    arranging for payment of an outcome amount to the player if the outcome is a winning outcome.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a processor, and    a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to perform the method of  claim 1 .    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a display device,    and in which the instruction direct the processor to play the video via the display device.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a second display device;    and in which the instruction direct the processor to display an indication of game play via the second display device.    
     
     
         5 . A method comprising: 
 providing audio/video programming to a player of a gaming device;    receiving an indication of an occurrence of a game initiation trigger associated with the audio/video programming; and    in response to the occurrence of the game initiation trigger, initiating game play at the gaming device.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the audio/video programming comprises one or more portions of: 
 a television show,    a movie,    an animated show, and    a sporting event.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the game initiation trigger comprises: 
 a characteristic of the audio/video programming that the player can detect.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , in which the game initiation trigger comprises at least one of: 
 a time trigger,    an audio trigger,    a visual trigger, and    a tag.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 selecting the audio/video programming from a plurality of audio/video programmings.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , in which selecting the audio/video programming from a plurality of audio/video programmings comprises: 
 receiving a selection of audio/video programming from a player of the gaming device.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the step of receiving an indication of an occurrence of a game initiation trigger associated with the audio/video programming comprises: 
 receiving an indication of an occurrence of a game initiation trigger associated with the audio/video programming while the audio/video programming is being provided to the player.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the step of receiving an indication of an occurrence of a game initiation trigger associated with the audio/video programming comprises: 
 detecting an occurrence of a game initiation trigger substantially simultaneously with the occurrence.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , in which the step of initiating game play at the gaming device in response to the occurrence of the game initiation trigger comprises: 
 initiating game play substantially simultaneously with the occurrence of the game initiation trigger.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 determining an outcome of the game play;    determining if the outcome is a winning outcome; and    arranging for payment of an outcome amount to the player if the outcome is a winning outcome.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 receiving a selection of at least one game initiation trigger from a plurality of game initiation triggers.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , in which receiving a selection of at least one game initiation trigger from a plurality of game initiation triggers comprises: 
 receiving, from a player, a selection of at least one game initiation trigger from a plurality of game initiation triggers.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 playing the audio/video programming via a first display device.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 displaying an indication of game play.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , in which displaying an indication of game play comprises at least one of: 
 displaying a plurality of reels, and    displaying a plurality of cards.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 displaying an indication of game play via a second display device that is not the first display device.