Wagering game, gaming machine, gaming system and method with game play interrupt and resume

Abstract

A wagering game, gaming machine, networked gaming system, and associated methods are disclosed including a bank of gaming machines connected to an overhead display enabling players at the respective gaming machines to qualify to play a community feature game displayed on the overhead display. Prior to the start of the community feature game, the primary game on the respective gaming machines may be interrupted, the game state stored, and following the conclusion of the community feature game, the game may resume according to its stored game state.

1 . A method of operating a feature game system including the steps of:
 following the initiation of one or more plays of a primary game, providing a player the opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from a field of virtual participants of a feature game;   interrupting play of the primary game;   storing the game state of the primary game;   initiating play of the feature game;   determining an outcome of the feature game; and   following the conclusion of the feature game, resuming game play of the primary game in accordance with the stored game state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the feature game is a community feature game and further including providing at least one additional player of the primary game, or another primary game, the opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from the field of virtual participants of the feature game. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein interrupting play of the primary game includes receiving an interrupt signal at a gaming machine at which the primary game is being conducted and then continuing the primary game to a predefined interruption point in the primary game and wherein storing the game state of the primary game includes storing the game state at the predefined interruption point in the primary game. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further including communicating a ready signal from a gaming machine at which the primary game is being conducted to a community feature game controller separate from the gaming machine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the play of the feature game is initiated after receipt of the ready signal at the community feature game controller. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the primary game is interrupted during the execution of a script defining multiple plays of the primary game, and wherein storing the game state of the primary game includes storing an identifier for a last completed play in the script. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming apparatus including:
 a player interface enabling a player to initiate one or more plays of a primary game and providing the player an opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from a field of virtual participants of a feature game;   a feature game processing device adapted to produce an interrupt signal to interrupt play of the primary game; and   a primary game processing device adapted to (i) store the game state of the primary game in response to the interrupt signal, to (ii) conduct play of the feature game through to a conclusion of the feature game which identifies a feature game outcome, and to (iii) upon the conclusion of the feature game, resume game play of the primary game in accordance with the stored game state.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the feature game is a community feature game and further including at least one additional player interface enabling at least one additional player of the primary game, or another primary game, the opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from the field of virtual participants of the feature game. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the primary game processing device is also adapted to, in response to the interrupt signal, continue the primary game to a predefined interruption point in the primary game and store the game state of the primary game at the predefined interruption point in the primary game. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the primary game processing device is further adapted to communicate a ready signal from a gaming machine at which the primary game is being conducted to the feature game controller which is separate from the gaming machine. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the feature game controller is adapted to communicate a feature start signal to the gaming machine after receipt of the ready signal, and wherein the primary game processing device initiates play of the feature game in response to the feature start signal. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the primary game is interrupted during the execution of a script defining multiple plays of the primary game, and wherein the primary game processing device stores the primary game state by storing an identifier for a last completed play in the script. 
     
     
         13 . A program product stored on one or more tangible computer-readable media, the program product including:
 feature game administration program code executable to produce an interrupt signal to interrupt play of a primary game;   primary game program code executable to (i) initiate one or more plays in a primary game, to (ii) provide a player of the primary game an opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from a field of virtual participants of a feature game, to (iii) store the game state of the primary game in response to the interrupt signal, and to (iv) resume game play of the primary game in accordance with the stored game state upon completion of the feature game; and   feature game presentation program code executable to produce a feature game graphic signal to drive one or more display devices to present the feature game to the player via a competition graphic showing a virtual competition between the field of virtual participants, with the result of the virtual competition identifying a feature game outcome.   
     
     
         14 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein the feature game is a community feature game and wherein the primary game program code is executable to provide at least one additional player of the primary game, or another primary game, the opportunity to select at least one virtual participant from the field of virtual participants of the feature game. 
     
     
         15 . The program product of  claim 14  wherein the primary game program code is also executable to, upon receipt of the interrupt signal, continue the primary game to a predefined interruption point in the primary game, and wherein storing the game state of the primary game includes storing the game state at the predefined interruption point in the primary game. 
     
     
         16 . The program product of  claim 14  wherein the primary game program code is also executable to cause a ready signal to be communicated from a gaming machine at which the primary game is being conducted to a community feature game controller separate from the gaming machine. 
     
     
         17 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the feature game administration program code is executable for causing a feature start signal to be distributed after receipt of the ready signal at the community feature game controller, and wherein the feature game presentation program code is executable to initiate play of the feature game in response to the feature start signal. 
     
     
         18 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein the primary game is interrupted during the execution of a script defining multiple plays of the primary game, and wherein storing the game state of the primary game includes storing an identifier for a last completed play in the script. 
     
     
         19 . A method of operating two or more games on a gaming machine including the steps of:
 following one or more plays of a first game at a gaming machine, providing a player the opportunity to initiate play of a second game at the gaming machine;   interrupting play of the first game;   storing the game state of the first game;   initiating play of the second game;   determining an outcome of the second game; and   following the conclusion of the second game, resuming game play of the first game in accordance with the stored game state.