Abstract:
A gaming machine includes display means and a user interface to receive input in relation to displayed images, and a game controller configured to control images of symbols displayed on the display means and to play a primary game of chance. The game of chance includes emulating spinning and randomly stopping virtual reels to display an image of symbols in a matrix of symbol positions. The game controller determines a trigger event during the play of the primary game of chance, the trigger event including trigger event symbols composed of a predetermined number and a type of symbol, and in response to the trigger event, to reconfigure at least a subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels, said subset excluding said trigger event symbols, the reconfigured subset of symbols defining a second screen feature which is distinct from the primary game of chance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2013901485 filed on 29 Apr. 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Described embodiments relate generally to gaming machines and methods of controlling such machines for the presentation of a second screen bonus feature. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Common slot machines randomly select and display an array of symbols on actual or virtual reels, then grant an award to a player basedon the occurrence of the winning symbol combination across activated pay-lines. These are generally referred to as reel spinning games. Common symbol displays include a 4×5 matrix (4 row×5 column/reel), and a 3×5 matrix. 
         [0004]    Second screen bonus features are popular extensions of reel spinning games. In most of those games, symbols in the bonus features have little or nothing to do with the outcome of the reel spin that triggered the bonus. In such games there is always an unnatural disconnect between the trigger game and the initial state of the bonus feature. 
         [0005]    Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. 
         [0006]    Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    A gaming machine is provided comprising: 
         [0008]    a display means to display images; 
         [0009]    a user interface to receive input in relation to displayed images; and 
         [0010]    a game controller configured to control images of symbols displayed on the display means, and to play a primary game of chance comprising emulating spinning and randomly stopping virtual reels to display an image of symbols in a matrix of symbol positions, the game controller further configured to:
       determine a trigger event during the play of the primary game of chance, the trigger event comprising trigger event symbols composed of a predetermined number and a type of symbol; and   in response to the trigger event, reconfigure at least a subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels, said subset excluding said trigger event symbols, the reconfigured subset of symbols defining a second screen feature which is distinct from the primary game of chance;       
 
         [0013]    wherein the second screen feature is used in the determination of further pays. 
         [0014]    The game controller may be further configured to:
       receive at least one selected symbol from the second screen feature; and   control generation and display of a bonus game; wherein the at least one selected symbol forms a wild symbol during a pay line evaluation resulting from the bonus game.       
 
         [0017]    In one embodiment the at least one selected symbol is a randomly selected symbol. In another embodiment, the at least one selected symbol is player selected. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the game controller may be configured to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a wheel. The controller may reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels by animating the symbols in a descending spiral pattern to subsequently form a wheel. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment, the game controller may be configured to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a grid. Other configurations may also be contemplated. 
         [0020]    In the embodiment where the game controller is configured to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a wheel, the game controller may be configured to animate spinning of the wheel once formed. Spinning the wheel may effect determination of the randomly selected symbol. In such an embodiment the game controller may be configured to effect more than one spin of the formed wheel and determination of a randomly selected symbol with each spin. 
         [0021]    In either embodiment the trigger event symbols may be a predetermined number of symbols of the same image, suit or rank, for instance two, three or four of the same type of symbols. In either embodiment the symbols need not be in any particular position in the matrix to trigger an event. In another embodiment the trigger event may be dependent on the configuration of the symbols in the matrix. The matrix of symbol positions may comprise a first subset and a second subset, wherein the first subset is composed of symbols which create a trigger event and the second subset is composed of symbols which do not create a trigger event. The game controller may form the wheel or grid from all if the symbols the second subset or certain of the symbols from the second subset. 
         [0022]    In either situation, additional symbols may be incorporated into the second subset. Such additional symbols may include any one or more of at least one multiplier, an indicator of at least one bonus prize, and an indicator of at least one jackpot prize. 
         [0023]    Some embodiments relate to a gaming system comprising at least one gaming machine as described above and at least one server system in communication with the game controller of the at least one gaming machine. 
         [0024]    A method of game play executed by a computerised game controller is provided, the method comprising: 
         [0025]    controlling generation and display of a game of chance comprising emulating spinning and randomly stopping virtual reels to display an image of symbols in a matrix of symbol positions; 
         [0026]    during the play of the primary game of chance, detecting a trigger event, the trigger event comprising trigger event symbols composed of a predetermined number and type of symbol; and 
         [0027]    in response to the trigger event, reconfiguring at least a subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels, said subset excluding said trigger event symbols, the reconfigured subset of symbols defining a second screen feature which is distinct from the primary game of chance; 
         [0028]    wherein the second screen feature is used in the determination of further pays. 
         [0029]    The method may further comprise receiving at least one selected symbol from the second screen feature; and controlling generation and display of a bonus game; wherein the at least one selected symbol forms a wild symbol during a pay line evaluation resulting from the bonus game. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the method may further comprise reconfiguring the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a wheel. The method may also comprise reconfiguring the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels by animating the symbols in a descending spiral pattern to subsequently form the wheel. The method may further comprise animating spinning of the wheel in response to player input on a user interface. 
         [0031]    The method may further comprise determining the randomly selected symbol from an outcome of spinning the wheel. 
         [0032]    In a further embodiment, the method may further comprise reconfiguring the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a grid. 
         [0033]    Some embodiments relate to computer-readable storage storing executable program code that, when executed by a game controller, causes the game controller to perform the methods described above and/or implement the features and functions of the game machine or game system described above. 
         [0034]    A computer-readable medium is provided storing machine-readable instructions to cause a processor of a gaming machine to: 
         [0035]    control generation and display of a game of chance comprising emulating spinning and randomly stopping virtual reels to display an image of symbols in a matrix of symbol positions; 
         [0036]    during the play of the primary game of chance, detect a trigger event, the trigger event comprising trigger event symbols composed of a predetermined number and type of symbol; and 
         [0037]    in response to the trigger event, reconfigure at least a subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels, said subset excluding said trigger event symbols, the reconfigured subset of symbols defining a second screen feature which is distinct from the primary game of chance; 
         [0038]    wherein the second screen feature is used in the determination of further pays. 
         [0039]    The computer-readable medium may store machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to (i) receive at least one selected symbol from the second screen feature; (ii) control generation and display of a bonus game; and (iii) substitute the least one selected symbol for a wild symbol during a pay line evaluation resulting from the bonus game. 
         [0040]    In one embodiment, the computer-readable medium may store machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a wheel. The computer-readable medium may store machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels by animating the symbols in a descending spiral pattern to subsequently form the wheel. 
         [0041]    The computer-readable medium may store machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to animate spinning of the wheel in response to player input on a user interface. 
         [0042]    The computer-readable medium may store machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to determine the randomly selected symbol from an outcome of spinning the wheel. 
         [0043]    In another embodiment, the computer-readable medium may sore machine-readable instructions to cause the processor of a gaming machine to reconfigure the subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels in the form of a grid. 
         [0044]    Some embodiments relate to a gaming system comprising at least one server and at least one client device, wherein the at least one server and at least one client device are configured to cooperate with each other to execute program instructions to: 
         [0045]    control generation and display of a game of chance comprising emulating spinning and randomly stopping virtual reels to display an image of symbols in a matrix of symbol positions; 
         [0046]    during the play of the primary game of chance, detect a trigger event, the trigger event comprising trigger event symbols composed of a predetermined number and type of symbol; and 
         [0047]    in response to the trigger event, reconfigure at least a subset of the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels, said subset excluding said trigger event symbols, the reconfigured subset of symbols defining a second screen feature which is distinct from the primary game of chance; 
         [0048]    wherein the second screen feature is used in the determination of further pays. 
         [0049]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0050]    In order that the present invention may be more clearly ascertained, embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0051]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a gaming machine; 
           [0052]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of a game logic circuit of the gaming machine illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0053]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram of functional components of a gaming system incorporating gaming machines illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0054]      FIG. 4  shows a screen display of a primary game in which a trigger event has occurred, the primary game played on the gaming machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0055]      FIGS. 5   a  to  5   c  show a sequence of screen displays of reconfiguring the matrix of symbols illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0056]      FIG. 6  shows a screen display showing a randomly selected symbol; and 
           [0057]      FIG. 7  shows a screen display of a bonus game wherein the randomly selected symbol from  FIG. 6  is substituted for each trigger event symbol. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0058]    Described embodiments relate generally to gaming machines and methods of controlling such machines for the presentation of a second screen bonus feature. 
         [0059]    The gaming system can take a number of different forms. In a first form, a stand-alone gaming machine is provided wherein all or most components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine. 
         [0060]    In a second form, a distributed architecture is provided wherein some of the components required for implementing the game are present in a player operable gaming machine and some of the components required for implementing the game are located remotely relative to the gaming machine. For example, a “thick client” architecture may be used wherein part of the game is executed on a player operable gaming machine and part of the game is executed remotely, such as by a gaming server; or a “thin client” architecture may be used wherein most of the game is executed remotely such as by a gaming server and a player operable gaming machine is used only to display audible and/or visible gaming information to the player and receive gaming inputs from the player. 
         [0061]    In another form, the gaming system may comprise a gaming server (or multiple gaming servers) interacting with client computing devices over a wired and/or wireless network to allow performance of the games on the client devices. Such client devices may include desktop computers, tablet computers, laptop computer and handheld computing devices (including smart phones), for example, each of which includes at least one processor and memory to store executable instructions for performing the game-related functions described herein. Such systems may therefore not require specific dedicated physical gaming machines as described herein in relation to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , since the client devices can in such systems perform some of the gaming functions as described herein. In such gaming systems, the client devices may locally execute gaming applications that communicate with the gaming server and, in combination with the gaming server, provide a user interface and gaming experience generally similar to that of a physical gaming machine. Thus, embodiments described herein in relation to gaming machines may be implemented “on-line” using such a client-server architecture, unless such implementations would not be physically or technologically feasible. Additionally, some embodiments described herein in relation to gaming machines may be implemented in a personal computing device without requiring interaction with a server, in which case such computing devices can be termed “gaming machines”. 
         [0062]    However, it will be understood that other arrangements are envisaged. For example, an architecture may be provided wherein a gaming machine is networked to a gaming server and the respective functions of the gaming machine and the gaming server are selectively modifiable. For example, the gaming system may operate in standalone gaming machine mode, “thick client” mode or “thin client” mode depending on the game being played, operating conditions, and so on. Other variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. 
         [0063]    One or more of the method steps described in this disclosure may be implemented by executable instructions and parameters  232 ,  234  (See  FIG. 2 ), stored in the memory  204 ,  206 ,  230  (See  FIG. 2 ), that may form software embodiments of the system  100 . These instructions  232 ,  234  that form the system  100  may be executed by the CPU  202  (See  FIG. 2 ) or any other processor. Further, the processor  202 , the memory  204 ,  206 ,  230 , the instructions  232 ,  234  stored therein, or a combination thereof may serve as a means for performing one or more of the method steps described herein. 
         [0064]    Irrespective of the form, the gaming system  100  has several core components. At the broadest level, the core components are a player interface in the form of a touch screen  108  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and a game controller  200  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The player interface is arranged to enable manual interaction between a player and the gaming system and for this purpose includes the input/output components required for the player to enter instructions and play the game. 
         [0065]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  100  generally designates a stand-alone gaming system including a game. Hereinafter, the stand-alone gaming system  100  will be referred to as a gaming machine. 
         [0066]    The gaming machine  100  includes a console  102  which contains all or most components required to implement a game play whereby a player wins or loses a wager. Access to the components is by way of a hinged door  105 . Moulded to the exterior of the console  102  is a display means in the form of at least one visual display unit  104  on which one or more games is played. The video display unit  104  may be implemented as a liquid crystal display, a plasma screen, as a cathode ray screen device or the like. Whilst the console  102  illustrated in  FIG. 1  shows a single visual display unit  104 , there can be more than one visual display unit on a typical machine. What is displayed on the visual display unit  104  will depend on what the intended goal of the unit is in relation to the player and any other potential participants in the gaming system. 
         [0067]    The gaming machine includes a tactile input for a player to interact via touch with the gaming machine  100 . In this example, the tactile input is in the form of a combination of pushbuttons  106  and a touch screen  108  for enabling a player to play one or more games. The touch screen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The touch screen  108  is used during the game play between start of a game and the end of a game. A game is considered to have started once a wager is placed and considered complete once the wager has been lost or won. Certain functions of the pushbutton are: initiation of game play, credit output, gameplay selection, completion of gameplay etc. A midtrim  112  of the machine  100  houses the pushbuttons  106 . 
         [0068]    The tactile input may optionally or further include a joystick comprising of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. The tactile input may optionally or further include a trackpad/touchpad being a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor to translate the motion and position of a user&#39;s fingers to a relative position on screen. 
         [0069]    It should be appreciated that tactile input may include any suitable device that enables the player to produce an input signal that is received by the processor. Tactile input in the form of pushbuttons  106  and/or regions on touch screen  108  may include a one bet button, a max bet button, or a repeat the bet button. With a one bet button for instance, the player places a bet by pushing the one bet button. The player may increase the bet by one credit each time the player pushes the bet one button. 
         [0070]    The midtrim  112  also houses credit input device including a bill collector  114 . The credit input device may further include a coin input chute, a card and/or ticket reader, a magnetic reading head for reading a magnetic stripe card, an electronic reader for a proximity card, a near field communications reader or any other form of electronic, wireless or contact that can input credit to the gaming machine. 
         [0071]    A credit dispenser in the form of a coin tray  116  is mounted beneath the console  102  and is provided for cash payouts from the machine  100  to the player. A hopper device (not shown) is provided which dispenses coins, or tokens equal to the amount of credit currently on the machine, into the coin tray  116 . Aside from the coin tray  116 , the credit dispenser may also include a ticket dispenser for issuing a ticket dispensed by a printer which the user can redeem for cash, a note dispenser, a near field communications transmitter or means to enable remote credit transfer. It should be appreciated that any suitable payout mechanisms, such as funding to the player&#39;s electronically recordable identification card or smart card, may be implemented in accordance with the gaming machine disclosed herein. 
         [0072]    The gaming machine  100  includes a top box  118  on which artwork  120  is carried in the form of electronic visual display units. The artwork  120  could also be made from physical materials such as paper, plastic banners or posters. The artwork  120  may have generic information related to the machine or gaming system or the artwork  120  be specifically made for a particular game to be played on the machine  100 . Whilst the artwork  120  is shown as being carried on the top box  118  the art work  120  can also be positioned in or on the bottom panel of the door  105 , or any other part of the gaming machine  100  visible to the player. 
         [0073]    The gaming machine  100  further includes an auditory unit in the form of speakers (not shown) to provide auditory feedback to the player of the gaming machine  100 . 
         [0074]    Referring to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, game logic circuitry  200  is illustrated. The game logic circuitry  200  includes a gaming controller  201  (otherwise referred to as a logic cage) designated by the dashed lines. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the gaming industry, the logic cage  201  includes a box-like mechanical structure that has slots to guide logic cards into the proper location for electronically plugging into a backplane mounted at the rear of the cage structure. The backplane has connectors for accepting mating connectors on the logic cards. The logic cage and associated cards form one of the basic components of the gaming machine  100  and is securely housed within the cabinet of the gaming machine  100 . 
         [0075]    Central to the logic cage is a central processing unit  202  such as a processor, a microcontroller-based platform, a suitable integrated circuit, or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC&#39;s). The processor  202  is in communication with or operable to access or to exchange signals with at an outcome evaluator  203 , RAM  204 , ROM  206 , a non-volatile memory in the form of a compact flash  230 , an audio output  208  via an audio control module  209 , and a random number generator  210 . The audio control module  209  has its own digital signal processor, analogue to digital converters, amplifiers and other circuitry necessary to broadcast the output from the speakers. RAM  204  may include non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), and other forms as commonly understood in the gaming industry. 
         [0076]    Compact flash memory  230  is physically secured within a slot in the logic cage  201 . In one embodiment, the compact flash memory  230  is physically secured inside the logic cage within game logic circuitry  200  by a mechanical locking mechanism. Compact flash memory  230  is partitioned  231  into two parts. A first part comprises a game software module  232  and a second part comprises a metering information module  234 . 
         [0077]    The processor  202  runs executable code residing in game software module  232  of compact flash  230  that facilitates play of the game by a player through the display device and/or push buttons and touch sensors mounted in the screen of the display. Metering information module  234  contains the gaming machine parameters which include values that would usually be stored on a hard meter. The values in metering information module  234  are only ever incremented, and cannot be reset or decremented. The only way to alter the values stored is by running the executable code stored in game software module  232 , which is executed by processor  202 . The executable code further interacts with the credit dispenser  116  via a payout mechanism  224  and the auditory output  208 . The game software module  232  contains the rules of the game, the sequence of gameplay, communicates with external systems, monitors peripheral equipment, maintain integrity of the software code, etc. The processor  202  continually checks for error conditions. 
         [0078]    A program which implements the game logic circuitry  200  and the user interface is further run by the central processing unit  202 . The processor  202  forms part of a controller  216  that drives the screen of the video display unit  104  and that receives input signals from sensors  218 . The sensors  218  include sensors associated with the push buttons and touch sensors mounted in the screen of the video display unit  104 . The controller  214  also receives input pulses from mechanisms  220  and  224  to determine whether or not a player has provided sufficient credit from either payment device  114  or payment device  116  to commence playing. 
         [0079]    In one embodiment, a player may insert an identification card into a card reader (not shown) of the gaming machine  100 . Such an identification card may be a smart card having a programmed microchip, a coded magnetic strip, or coded rewritable magnetic strip, wherein the programmed microchip or magnetic strips are coded with a player&#39;s identification, credit totals (or related data), and/or other relevant information. In another embodiment, a player may carry a portable device, such as a mobile phone, a radio frequency identification tag, or any other suitable wireless device, that communicates a player&#39;s identification, credit totals (or related data), and other relevant information to the gaming device. 
         [0080]      FIG. 3  shows a gaming system  300  in accordance with an alternative embodiment. The gaming system  300  includes a network  302 , which for example may be an Ethernet network. The network  302  may also comprise a wide area network (“WAN”), the plain-old-telephone-system (“POTS), a local area network (“LAN”), a wireless LAN, the Internet, or any combination of these and other types of networks. Gaming machines  304  are connected to the network  302 . The gaming machines  304  provide a player operable interface and may be the same as the gaming machines  100  shown in  FIG. 1  or may have simplified functionality depending on the requirements for implementing game play. 
         [0081]    In a thick client embodiment, game server  308  implements part of the game played by a player using a gaming machine  304  and the gaming machine  304  implements part of the game. With this embodiment, as both the game server  308  and the gaming device implement part of the game, they collectively provide a game controller. A database management server  310  may manage storage of game programs and associated data for downloading or access by the gaming devices  304  in a database  318 . 
         [0082]    In a thin client embodiment, game server  308  implements most or all of the game played by a player using a gaming machine  304  and the gaming machine  304  essentially provides only the player interface. With this embodiment, the game server  308  provides the game controller. The gaming machine will receive player instructions, pass these to the game server which will process them and return game play outcomes to the gaming machine for display. In a thin client embodiment, the gaming machines could be computer terminals, e.g. PCs running software that provides a player interface operable using standard computer input and output components. 
         [0083]    Servers are also typically provided to assist in the administration of the gaming network  300 , including for example a gaming floor management server  320 , and a licensing server  322  to monitor the use of licenses relating to particular games. An administrator terminal  324  is provided to allow an administrator to run the network  302  and the devices connected to the network. 
         [0084]    The gaming system  300  may communicate with other gaming systems, other local networks, for example a corporate network, and/or a wide area network such as the Internet, for example through a firewall  330 . 
         [0085]    Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that in accordance with known techniques, functionality at the server side of the network may be distributed over a plurality of different computers. For example, elements may be run as a single “engine” on one server or a separate server may be provided. For example, the game server  308  could run a random generator engine. Alternatively, a separate random number generator server could be provided. Further, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of game servers could be provided to run different games or a single game server may run a plurality of different games as required by the terminals 
         [0086]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 to 7 , features and functions of game machine  100  and gaming system  300  are described in further detail with respect to display images  400  and  500  generated by execution of code comprised in the game software module  232 . 
         [0087]      FIG. 4  of the drawings shows a screen display  400  of a primary game  410  played on the gaming machine  100 . The base game  410  is a spinning reel game comprising a plurality of spinning reels  420 . The example shown is the Applicant&#39;s primary game, however any other base game  410  could be used. In the applicant&#39;s primary game, the trigger event symbols are composed of the occurence of three pyramids in any position of the resulting matrix. Information corresponding to trigger event symbols is stored in the memory of the gaming machine  100  or  304  (either RAM  204  or Flash  230 ) for use by the processor  202  (executing the code of software module  232 ) to determine, in cooperation with the outcome evaluator  203 , whether a result of a game contains a trigger event. 
         [0088]    In  FIG. 4 , the spinning reels  420  have come to a stop and displayed in amongst the symbols are three “pyramids”  430 , thus the bonus feature is triggered. As a result of the bonus feature being triggered, the symbols from the entire reel window  410  are now used to set up the initial state of the bonus feature. The 3×5 matrix has a first subset of being composed of the three pyramid symbols  430  and a second subset which is composed of the remaining twelve symbols. 
         [0089]    As is illustrated in  FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  and  5   c , the matrix of symbol positions from the randomly stopped virtual reels is reconfigured. The game software module  232  generates (in cooperation with a graphics processor) new configurations of sequence of the images to be displayed. In particular, the game software module  232  in cooperation with a graphics processor merges the three pyramid symbols to form a single image  505  in the center of the display, whilst the graphics processor configures the remaining twelve symbols to appear to take-off from their reel positions to form a circle. The twelve symbols then spiral inwards  510  to form a twelve-sector wheel  520  that will be spun to determine a wild symbol for the bonus games. 
         [0090]    Eventually, and as shown in  FIG. 5   c , the wheel  520  is formed and the gaming controller waits for player&#39;s input to spin the wheel. The player provides a spin of the wheel via the tactile input subsystem. 
         [0091]      FIG. 6  shows the state of play once the wheel stops spinning, centred in the wheel is an arrow  610  which points to a selected symbol  620 . This symbol  620  a “bird” becomes a wild substitute for all symbols other than the three “pyramids” for the duration of bonus games. 
         [0092]      FIG. 7  illustrates an example of the 2 nd  of seven bonus games where the “bird” symbol  720  is the wild substitute during a line pay evaluation, the gaming controller having generated and displayed the bonus game on the display of the gaming machine  100 . 
         [0093]    In other possible embodiments, a player can interact with the second bonus feature differently, for example selecting items on the grid. Also, more than one symbol can become wild, or more spins can be awarded before the start of free games. A selected symbol can have other special function for the duration of the feature, e.g. become a scatter or a multiplier. 
         [0094]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 
         [0095]    While the foregoing description has been provided by way of example of the preferred embodiments of the present invention as presently contemplated, which utilise gaming machines of the type found in casinos, those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention also may have application to internet gaming and/or have application to gaming over a telecommunications network, where mobile handsets are used to display game outcomes and receive player inputs. Such mobile devices include smart phones, notebooks, tablets, iPads and laptop computers. For instance free mobile device games may be offered for download and play on a players personal mobile device as a bonus game play. In such an embodiment the gaming machine may comprise a power interface to enable interaction between the respective devices and/or a communication or wireless interface to enable data transfer. During game play, the gaming machine may be configured to send information to the player&#39;s personal mobile device. 
         [0096]    Further embodiments may enable a player to upload the outcome of a game or bonus game to a social media site(s), post tournament scores etc. 
         [0097]    Certain steps in the processes or process flows described in this disclosure naturally precede others for the invention to function as described. However, the invention is not limited to the order of the steps described if such order or sequence does not alter the functionality of the invention. That is, it is recognized that some steps may performed before, after, or parallel (substantially simultaneously with) other steps without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some instances, certain steps may be omitted or not performed without departing from the invention. Further, words such as “thereafter”, “then”, “next”, etc. are not intended to limit the order of the steps. These words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the exemplary method. 
         [0098]    Additionally, one of ordinary skill in programming is able to write computer code or identify appropriate hardware and/or circuits to implement the disclosed invention without difficulty based on the flow charts and associated description in this specification, for example. 
         [0099]    Therefore, disclosure of a particular set of program code instructions or detailed hardware devices is not considered necessary for an adequate understanding of how to make and use the invention. The inventive functionality of the claimed computer implemented processes is explained in more detail in the above description and in conjunction with the figures which may illustrate various process flows. 
         [0100]    In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. 
         [0101]    A storage media may be any available media that may be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that may be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer. 
         [0102]    Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (“DSL”), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. 
         [0103]    Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (“CD”), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (“DVD”), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
         [0104]    Although selected aspects have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that various substitutions and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.