Gaming system, method, and program product providing payline enhancers

Abstract

A method includes designating at least one of the paylines defined through a matrix of symbol locations as an enhanced value payline which is associated with a respective value enhancer. Upon receipt of a game play input to initiate a play of the wagering game at least some of the symbol locations are populated with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game. Once the game symbols are displayed for a play of the game, the respective value enhancer associated with each respective enhanced value payline is applied to enhance the value of a paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize. The method ultimately includes awarding this enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline and also awarding a respective paytable prize for each winning payline that is not an enhanced value payline.

1 . A method for applying payout enhancements in a wagering game, the method including:
 (a) displaying a symbol display area on a symbol display device of a gaming machine, the symbol display area being displayed under the control of one or more processors associated with the gaming machine, having a number of symbol locations for a wagering game, and having a number of paylines defined through the symbol locations;   (b) designating at least one of the paylines as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer;   (c) receiving a game play input in the wagering game through a player input system of the gaming machine, the game play input being associated with a wager for a play of the game and initiating that respective play of the game;   (d) in response to the game play input, and after designating at least one of the paylines as a respective enhanced value payline, populating at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game, the symbol locations being populated under the control of the one or more processors;   (e) for each enhanced value payline, displaying a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up that respective payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline, and applying the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline, the prize enhancer symbol being displayed and the respective value enhancer being applied both under control of the one or more processors;   (f) awarding a respective paytable prize through the gaming machine for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline; and   (g) awarding the respective enhanced prize through the gaming machine for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein each horizontal enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein each respective value enhancer is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for the respective enhanced value payline by multiplying the final paytable prize. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the prize enhancer win symbol is displayed extending from the area of the last-populated symbol location in the respective payline to the area of an adjacent symbol location which is yet to be populated for that respective play of the game. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least three horizontal paylines, and each of at least three horizontal paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline with the value enhancer continuously increasing in value upwardly or downwardly through the at least three horizontal paylines. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, and further including displaying the respective value enhancer at least at one end of the respective horizontal payline prior to receiving the game play input for the respective game play. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the symbol locations of a respective enhanced value payline are populated sequentially in a first direction, and further including for that respective enhanced value payline visually enhancing each symbol location as it is populated with a game symbol which has the potential to produce a respective paytable prize for that payline. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming machine including:
 (a) at least one display device;   (b) a player input system;   (c) at least one processor; and   (d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to:   (i) cause the display device to display a symbol display area having a number of symbol locations for a wagering game and a number of paylines defined through the symbol locations, with at least one of the paylines being designated as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer;   (ii) receive a game play input in the wagering game through the player input system, the game play input being associated with a wager for a play of the game and initiating that respective play of the game;   (iii) in response to the game play input, and with the at least one of the paylines already designated as a respective enhanced value payline, cause the display device to populate at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game;   (iv) for each enhanced value payline, display a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up that respective payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline, and apply the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline;   (v) award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline; and   (vi) award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.   
     
     
         11 . The gaming machine of  claim 10  wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming machine of  claim 10  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming machine of  claim 12  wherein each enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming machine of  claim 10  wherein each respective value enhancer is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for the respective enhanced value payline by multiplying the final paytable prize. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming machine of  claim 10  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least three horizontal paylines, and each of at least three horizontal paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline with the value enhancer continuously increasing in value upwardly or downwardly through the at least three horizontal paylines. 
     
     
         16 . A program product stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable data storage devices, the program product including:
 (a) player input program code executable by at least one processor to receive a game play input entered through a gaming machine, the game play input being associated with a wager for the play of a game and initiating that respective play of the game;   (b) display program code executable by the at least one processor to cause a display device associated with a gaming machine to (i) display a symbol display area having a number of symbol locations for the game and a number paylines defined through the symbol locations, with at least one of the paylines being designated as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer, to (ii) in response to the game play input, and after at least one of the paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, populating at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game, and to (iii) display a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up a respective enhanced value payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline;   (c) prize enhancement program code executable by the at least one processor to, for each enhanced value payline, apply the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline; and   (d) payout program code executable by the at least one processor to (i) award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline, and to (ii) award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.   
     
     
         17 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize. 
     
     
         18 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline. 
     
     
         19 . The program product of  claim 18  wherein each horizontal enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer. 
     
     
         20 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, and wherein the display program code is also executable by the at least one processor to display the respective value enhancer at least at one end of the respective horizontal payline prior to receiving the game play input for the respective game play.