Gaming machine with two-stage feature determination

Abstract

A gaming machine offering a game where an outcome of the game is a set of symbols chosen from a plurality of symbols. The plurality of symbols includes trigger symbols that each has a first and a second identifying characteristic. A bonus is awarded when the outcome includes two or more trigger symbols that have a common first identifying characteristic, wherein at least an aspect of the bonus varies according to the combination of the second identifying characteristics often trigger symbols in the outcome.

1 . A method for use with a gaming machine, the method including:
 receiving a wager staked on an outcome of a game provided by the gaming machine;   maintaining in a memory of the gaming machine a definition of a plurality of possible outcomes of the game, each outcome associated with a plurality of symbols, with different outcomes associated with different sets of symbols, the symbols including at least two trigger symbols that each have a first identifying characteristic in common and a second identifying characteristic that is different, and wherein at least two outcomes that are associated with at least one of the trigger symbols are also associated with a bonus, wherein the bonus includes at least one aspect that varies for different instances or combinations of the trigger symbols for that outcome;   in a random process, determining the outcome of the game and displaying on the display the set of symbols associated with that outcome;   if the determined outcome is one of the outcomes associated with the bonus, awarding the bonus associated with that outcome.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonus includes a series of bonus game events, wherein the number of bonus game events awarded depends on the second identifying characteristic of the at least one trigger symbol, or on a combination of the second identifying characteristics of the trigger symbols, associated with the outcome. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further including awarding the bonus with a first number of bonus game events when the at least one trigger symbol associated with the determined outcome exhibits a particular second identifying characteristic or a particular combination of second identifying characteristics, and awarding the bonus with a second number of bonus game events, different from the first number of bonus game events, when the trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome exhibit another second identifying characteristic or another particular combination of second identifying characteristics. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the outcomes that are associated with the bonus are each associated with a plurality of trigger symbols and the method includes awarding the bonus with a first number of game events when there are at least a certain number of trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome that exhibit the same second identifying characteristic, and awarding the bonus with a second number of games events when there are less than the certain number of trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome that exhibit the same second identifying characteristic. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further including awarding the bonus with a first multiplier applied to prizes won from the bonus when the at least one trigger symbol associated with the determined outcome exhibits a particular second identifying characteristic or a particular combination of second identifying characteristics, and awarding the bonus with a second multiplier applied to prizes won from the bonus, different from the first multiplier, when the trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome exhibit another second identifying characteristic or another particular combination of second identifying characteristics. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the outcomes that are associated with bonus events are each associated with a plurality of trigger symbols and the method includes awarding the bonus with a first multiplier when there are at least a certain number of trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome that exhibit the same second identifying characteristic and awarding the bonus event with a second multiplier when there are less than the certain number of trigger symbols associated with the determined outcome that exhibit the same second identifying characteristic. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the process of displaying on the display, the set of symbols associated with an outcome that is associated with a bonus event, includes a first stage of displaying a set of symbols that includes the at least one trigger symbol with the first identifying characteristic and with an undetermined second identifying characteristic, then in a second stage displaying the second identifying characteristic. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the trigger symbols are displayed to appear to have a three-dimensional properties and displaying the second identifying characteristic involves displaying the trigger symbols as animating and then revealing their respective second identifying characteristics. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the display of the second identifying characteristic is dependent on a random selection process that is separate from the random process that determined the game outcome. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the display of the second identifying characteristic is predetermined in that it is solely dependent on a single random process, namely the random process that determined the game outcome. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein when the trigger symbols are displayed to animate, the gaming machine displays the trigger symbols as ceasing to animate so as to reveal their second identifying characteristic upon receipt of a player input. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the player input is touching of a touch screen by the player in the location of the trigger symbol. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one outcome of a said bonus game event is an outcome that results in the award of additional bonus game events. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further including implementing a plurality of said games across a plurality of said gaming machines, wherein one possible outcome of the bonus is the winning of a common prize winnable from each of the gaming machines. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the common prize is a progressive prize. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein there are a plurality of common prizes, wherein the prize that a player is eligible to win in the bonus events is dependent on the second characteristic(s) of the trigger symbol(s). 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further including awarding a special prize on the occurrence of a trigger event during the bonus game events. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, the trigger event is the occurrence of a particular special symbol or combination of special symbols, which may be the same as, or different to, the trigger symbols. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein, the trigger event is the accumulation of a certain number of special symbols during the series of bonus game events. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein two different special prizes are awardable, and which special prize is awarded is dependent on the number of special symbols that occur or are accumulated in the bonus. 
   
   
       21 . A method of providing a game on a gaming machine arranged to select outcomes of the game, award an award if a winning outcome results, and display representations of the game on a display, including displaying combinations of types of symbols to represent winning and losing outcomes, wherein at least one symbol type that is displayed to represent a winning combination of symbols is displayed as having one of two or more different visual attributes, and wherein the award that is awarded differs depending on the visual attributes of the displayed symbol. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the award that is awarded for the winning combination is a series of bonus games and wherein the number of bonus games awarded differs for different attributes of the symbol. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the two or more different visual attributes include different colours. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a winning combination is represented as a combination of two or more symbols, each of which having any one a plurality of visual attributes, wherein the award that is awarded is dependent on the combination of visual attributes that is displayed. 
   
   
       25 . A method for use with a gaming machine, the method including receiving a wager staked on the outcome of a game provided by the gaming machine;
 maintaining in memory of the gaming machine a definition of a plurality of possible outcomes of the game, each outcome associated with a plurality of symbols, wherein different outcomes are associated with different sets of symbols, the symbols including at least two trigger symbols that each have a first identifying characteristic in common and a second identifying characteristic that is different, at least two outcomes that are associated with at least one trigger symbol are also associated with special prizes, and wherein different special prizes are associated with different instances or combinations of the second identifying characteristic of the trigger symbols;   in a random process, determining the outcome of the game and displaying on the display the set of symbols associated with that outcome;   if the determined outcome is one of the outcomes associated with a special prize, awarding the special prize associated with the outcome.   
   
   
       26 . A gaming machine implementing the method according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       27 . A gaming system including:
 a game controller including a random number generator and a credit meter;   a user interface in communication with the game controller, the user interface including a game play activator and a display;   a memory in communication with or forming a part of the game controller, the memory storing a game image that includes a definition of a plurality of possible outcomes of the game, each outcome associated with a plurality of symbols, wherein different outcomes are associated with different sets of symbols, the symbols include at least two trigger symbols that each have a first identifying characteristic in common and a second identifying characteristic that is different, and at least two outcomes that are associated with different instances or combinations of trigger symbols are associated with different special prizes;   wherein the game controller determines the outcome of the game dependent on an output from the random number generator, controls the display to display the set of symbols associated with that outcome, and provides a said special prize if the determined outcome of the game is one of the outcomes associated with a special prize.   
   
   
       28 . The gaming system of  claim 27  including a plurality of user interfaces, wherein if a special prize is provided, then the special prize may be winnable from any one of the plurality of user interfaces. 
   
   
       29 . The gaming system of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the special prizes is a progressive prize. 
   
   
       30 . The gaming system of  claim 27 , wherein, the progressive prizes have different seed values and/or increment rates. 
   
   
       31 . A gaming machine including a display and a game controller in communication with the display, the game controller selecting outcomes of the game, causing the award of an award if a winning outcome results, and controls the display to display representations of the game, wherein the representations include the display of combinations of types of symbols to represent winning and losing outcomes, wherein at least symbol type that is displayed to represent a winning combination of symbols is displayed as having one of two or more different visual attributes, and wherein the award that the game controller causes to be awarded differs depending on the visual attributes of the displayed symbol. 
   
   
       32 . The gaming machine of  claim 31 , wherein the award that is awarded for the winning combination is a series of bonus games and wherein the number of bonus games awarded differs for different attributes of the symbol. In one embodiment, the two or more different visual attributes include different colours. 
   
   
       33 . The gaming machine of  claim 31 , wherein a winning combination is represented as a combination of two or more symbols, each of which having any one a plurality of visual attributes, wherein the award that is awarded is dependent on the combination of visual attributes that is displayed. 
   
   
       34 . A machine accessible medium including a set of instructions for execution by a game controller to implement the method as described in the  claim 1 . 
   
   
       35 . A machine accessible medium including a set of instructions for execution by a game controller to implement the method as described in the  claim 21 . 
   
   
       36 . A machine accessible medium including a set of instructions for execution by a game controller to implement the method as described in the  claim 25 .