Patent Publication Number: US-2015087412-A1

Title: Gaming system having eligibility routine for group play

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure relates generally to games, and more particularly to systems, apparatuses and methods for operating an eligibility routine for group play on a plurality of gaming devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Casino games such as poker, slots, and craps have long been enjoyed as a means of entertainment. Almost any game of chance that can be played using traditional apparatus (e.g., cards, dice) can be simulated on a computer. The popularity of casino gambling with wagering continues to increase, as does recreational gambling such as non-wagering computer game gambling. It is also likely that most new games will be implemented, at least in part, using computerized apparatus. 
     One reason that casino games are widely implemented on computerized apparatus is that computerized games are highly adaptable, easily configurable and re-configurable, and require minimal supervision to operate. For example, the graphics and sounds included in such games can be easily modified to reflect popular subjects, such as movies and television shows. 
     Computer gaming devices can also be easily adapted to provide entirely new games of chance that might be difficult to implement using mechanical or discrete electronic circuits. Because of the ubiquity of computerized gaming machines, players have come to expect the availability of an ever wider selection of new games when visiting casinos and other gaming venues. Playing new games adds to the excitement of “gaming.” As is well known in the art and as used herein, the term “gaming” and “gaming devices” generally involves some form of wagering, and that players make wagers of value, whether actual currency or something else of value, e.g., token or credit. Wagering-type games usually provide rewards based on random chance as opposed to skill. In some jurisdictions, the absence of skill when determining awards during game play is a requirement. 
     The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and apparatus that provide for new and interesting gaming experiences, and that provide other advantages over the prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     To overcome limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus, system, computer readable storage media, and/or method that involve or otherwise facilitate implementing an eligibility routine for group play involving one or more gaming devices. This routine includes making at least two distinct determinations regarding trigger conditions that need to be met before proceeding to a group play game event, such as a community bonus. A first determination is made to eliminate a number of triggering opportunities without interrupting game play of one or more primary base games being played on the gaming devices. A second determination is made when conditions relating to the first determination are satisfied. The second determination may include a visual component shown on the one or more gaming devices to generate anticipation for the group play game event. 
     In one embodiment, a gaming apparatus includes a player interface, a display device and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a bet signal associated with a wager being placed on a primary gaming event and transmit an eligibility signal in response to the received bet signal indicating an aspect of the bet signal to a group-play processor. The processor is further configured to receive a widget-triggering signal including outcome information for a widget game event, determine a stopping point in the primary gaming event, and initiate the widget game event on the display device when the determined stopping point in the primary gaming event is reached. After completion of the widget gaming event, the processor may return to the primary gaming event when the received outcome information for the widget game event includes a non-triggering outcome, or initiate a group-play bonus event when the received outcome information for the widget game event includes a triggering outcome. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a gaming system including a detailed diagram of a gaming device according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed diagram of secondary display of the gaming device detailed in  FIG. 1  showing an example widget game associated with a group play trigger routine according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  3 C, and  3 D are diagrams of secondary displays showing other example widget game associated with group play trigger routines according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an eligibility routine for group play of a gaming apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of an eligibility loading phase for routines associated with group play according to embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of an eligibility storage system for routines associated with group play according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of a trigger determination phase for routines associated with group play according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating a computing arrangement according to embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of various exemplary embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration representative embodiments in which the features described herein may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, as structural and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     In the description that follows, the term “reels,” “cards,” “decks,” and similar mechanically descriptive language may be used to describe various apparatus presentation features, as well as various actions occurring to those object (e.g., “spin,” “draw,” “hold,” “bet”). Although the present disclosure may be applicable to manual, mechanical, and computerized embodiments, and any combination therebetween, the use of mechanically descriptive terms is not meant to be only applicable to mechanical embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that, for purposes of providing gaming experiences to players, mechanical elements such as cards, reels, and the like may be simulated on a display in order to provide a familiar and satisfying experience that emulates the behavior of mechanical objects, as well as emulating actions that occur in the non-computerized games (e.g., spinning, holding, drawing, betting). Further, the computerized version may provide the look of mechanical equivalents but may be generally randomized in a different way. Thus, the terms “cards,” “decks,” “reels,” “hands,” etc., are intended to describe both physical objects and emulation or simulations of those objects and their behaviors using electronic apparatus. 
     In various embodiments of the invention, the gaming displays are described in conjunction with the use of data in the form of “symbols.” In the context of this disclosure, a “symbol” may generally refer at least to a collection of one or more arbitrary indicia or signs that have some conventional significance. In particular, the symbol represents values that can at least be used to determine whether to award a payout. A symbol may include numbers, letters, shapes, pictures, textures, colors, sounds, etc., and any combination therebetween. A win can be determined by comparing the symbol with another symbol. Generally, such comparisons can be performed via software by mapping numbers (or other data structures such as character strings) to the symbols and performing the comparisons on the numbers/data structures. Other conventions associated with known games (e.g., the numerical value/ordering of face cards and aces in card games) may also be programmatically analyzed to determine winning combinations. 
     Generally, systems, apparatuses and methods are described for eligibility routines associated with group play. Although these eligibility routines are described herein for applications associated with group play or community bonuses, aspects of these routines can be implemented in stand-alone gaming device embodiments to determine eligibility for bonuses or other secondary promotions associated only with a single stand-alone gaming device. As used herein, the term “group play” refers to two or more independent games having a bonus or other game event that involves both games. In some embodiments, the independent games are played on separate gaming apparatuses, which may be connected to each other via a network or other connection means. In other embodiments, the independent games may be played on separate gaming stations on a single gaming apparatus. As used herein, the term “gaming device” may refer to a stand-alone gaming apparatus, a gaming station on multi-person gaming apparatus, or any other type of device that may be used to place wagers on games of chance. Many different implementation and connection schemes are known and/or possible, each falling within the scope of this invention. 
     Group play is often implemented as a “community bonus,” where play on independent base games can be suspended temporarily to join a group-play gaming or bonus event. Here, gaming devices that are used to play the independent base games are connected to one another via a network or other connection system so that each gaming device can participate in the group play event. 
     A representative embodiment for a gaming system having a group-play feature is shown in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, a gaming system  100  includes multiple gaming devices  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  and a community display  180 . The gaming system  100  may also include a central processor, computer, or server (see e.g., element  828  in  FIG. 8 ) that controls operation of a group-play bonus event and/or eligibility of the gaming devices  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  to participate in the group-play bonus event. In other embodiments, one or more of the game processors (see e.g., element  802  in  FIG. 8 ) from one or more of the gaming devices  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  may control the group-play bonus event and/or determining eligibility of an associated gaming device for play in a group-play bonus event. In  FIG. 1 , each gaming device  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  is shown as a stand-alone gaming apparatus. However, in other embodiments, each of the gaming devices may be a separate gaming station housed in a common gaming apparatus, such as a two seat, three seat, or five seat multi-player gaming apparatus. Many different housing configurations and structures are possible to facilitate aspects of group-play among gaming devices, each of which falls within the scope of this concept. 
     The community display  180  may include a video display or mechanical display that is viewable from each gaming device  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  associated with the gaming system  100 . The community display  180  may be used to display group-play or community events during a group-play bonus, or may be used to provide player statistics, game attract screens, or various other information or graphics. 
     A close up of one of the gaming devices  105 A is shown as gaming apparatus  105  to illustrate features of an example gaming apparatus. Here, the gaming apparatus  105  includes a display portion  120  (also referred to as a gaming display), and a player interface portion  110 , although some or all of the user interface  110  may be provided via the display  120  in touch screen embodiments. Additionally, a secondary display  150  may be included in the gaming apparatus  105 . The display portion  120  may include one or more display areas  125  that may be included in physically separate displays or as portions of a common large display. Here, the game display  125  includes a game play portion  130  that displays game elements and symbols  135 , and an operations portion  137  that can include meters, various game buttons, or other game information for a player of the gaming device  105 . 
     The user interface  110  allows the user to control and engage in play of the gaming machine  105 . The particular user interface mechanisms included with user interface  110  may be dependent on the type of gaming device. For example, the user interface  110  may include one or more buttons, switches, joysticks, levers, pull-down handles, trackballs, voice-activated input, or any other user input system or mechanism that allows the user to play the particular gaming activity. 
     The user interface  110  may allow the user or player to enter coins, bills, or otherwise obtain credits through vouchers, tokens, credit cards, tickets, etc. Various mechanisms for entering such vouchers, tokens, credit cards, coins, tickets, etc. are known in the art. For example, coin/symbol input mechanisms, card readers, credit card readers, smart card readers, punch card readers, radio frequency identifier (RFID) readers, and other mechanisms may be used to enter wagers. It is through the user interface  110  that the player can initiate and engage in gaming activities. While the illustrated embodiment depicts various buttons for the user interface  110 , it should be recognized that a wide variety of user interface options are available for use in connection with the present invention, including pressing buttons, touching a segment of a touch-screen, entering text, entering voice commands, or other known data entry methodology. 
     The display device  120  may include one or more of an electronic display, a mechanical display, and a fixed display information, such as paytable information associated with a glass/plastic panel on the gaming machine  105 . The symbols or other indicia associated with the play of the game may be presented on an electronic display device or on mechanical devices associated with a mechanical display. Generally, the display  120  devotes the largest portion of viewable area to the primary gaming portion  125 . The gaming portion  125  is generally where the visual feedback for any selected game is provided to the user. The gaming portion  125  may render graphical objects such as cards, slot reels, dice, animated characters, and any other gaming visual known in the art. The gaming portion  125  also typically informs players of the outcome of any particular event, including whether the event resulted in a win or loss. 
     In some the example embodiments illustrated herein, the gaming portion  125  may display multiple game reels  130  on a game grid  135  that shows some of the symbols of the game reels. In other embodiments, playing cards for poker games or other types of gaming indicia may be used in the game play area  130  to facilitate play on a primary or base game. The gaming portion  125  may include other features known in the art that facilitate gaming, such as status and control portion  137 . As is generally known in the art, this portion  137  provides information about current bets, current wins, remaining credits, etc. associated with gaming activities of the grid  135 . The control portion  137  may also provide touchscreen controls for facilitating game play. The gaming portion  125  of the display  120  may include other features that are not shown, such as paytables, navigation controls, etc. 
     The secondary display  150  can be used to show a widget used in part to show eligibility for a group-play game or bonus event. As used herein, the term “widget” is used to describe a visual display to a player of a symbol, game, animation, or other indicia that are used to indicate, in part, eligibility for a group-play game or bonus event. By displaying the widget at select times, a player&#39;s anticipation of being close to a group-bonus event can be used to enhance the entertainment provided by the gaming system  100 . Embodiments of this concept use a multi-part determination to ascertain whether a group-play game or bonus event is triggered as part of an eligibility routine. In a first part of the determination, a first condition must be satisfied to proceed to a second part of the determination. Here, the first part of the determination may happen frequently, such as at small time intervals, but be undetectable to the player of the gaming devices  105 A,  105 B,  105   n  so as to not constantly interrupt or distract them from play of their respective primary games on the gaming devices. In alternative embodiments, the first part of the determination process may be evident to players of the gaming system  100  through a visual and/or audio cue. These visual and/or audio cues may be configured to not interrupt game play, but notify a player that a group-play game or bonus event opportunity has occurred. When the first condition is satisfied, however, the second determination may be made in conjunction with displaying the widget to the player to pique their interest and generate anticipation for the group-play game or bonus event. Here, the second determination and related widget display may not always result in the triggering of the group-play game or bonus event, but it can provide the player with increased entertainment instead of conventional methods that are all or nothing triggering propositions for players. 
     Additional details regarding the widgets, the multi-part determinations, and the eligibility routines are discussed below with reference to  FIGS. 2-8 . Although, the gaming apparatus  105  is shown in  FIG. 1  as having a secondary display  150  to display a widget, the widget may be displayed on a portion of the game display  120  in other embodiments. Thus, in some embodiments, the gaming apparatus  105  may not include a secondary display  150 . For purposes of understanding and simplicity, however, embodiments having the widget displayed on a secondary display  150  are described below. 
       FIG. 2  is a detailed diagram of the secondary display  150  of the gaming device outlined in box section  140  of  FIG. 1  showing an example widget game associated with a group play trigger routine according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the boxed section  240  of the gaming apparatus  105  of  FIG. 1  illustrates a portion of the game display  225  and player interface  210 , along with secondary display  250  showing an example widget. In this embodiment, the widget is represented as a three-reel slot game. Here, a predefined symbol combination may correspond to the triggering of a group-play game or bonus event. For example, three bonus symbols may correspond to the triggering of the group-play event, or three like ones of any symbol appearing in the middle position of each reel. 
     In some embodiments, the outcome of the widget is predetermined by a second part of the determination process. That is, the outcome of the slot widget is determined entirely by the second part of the determination process. For example, if the second determination process is a random draw between 1 and 100 with numbers 90-100 triggering the group-play event, the widget may spin to display three bonus symbols in the middle positions of the reels when the random draw results in a number between 90 and 100. The remaining numbers may correspond to specific non-triggering outcomes for the widget, or the widget may just be randomly spun to a non-triggering outcome (i.e., any outcome except three bonus symbols in the middle position of the reels). 
     In other embodiments, the outcome of the widget may correspond directly with the triggering of the group-play event where the widget outcome is a portion of the second part of the trigger determination process. For example, stops may be randomly selected for each of the three reels and a resulting symbol combination may be evaluated to determine if it is a triggering outcome. 
     Although a three-reel slot game is shown as a widget in  FIG. 2 , other embodiments can use any type of game, image, animation, or other indicia in displaying the widget.  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  3 C, and  3 D are diagrams of secondary displays showing other example widget games associated with group play trigger routines according to embodiments of the invention. In  FIG. 3A , a display  350 A shows a poker game  352  as a widget. Here, receiving a pair of jacks or better corresponds to the triggering of a group-play bonus event. The poker hand may be a stud poker hand or a draw poker hand, and may use any number of cards to create the widget poker hand. The poker hand may be selected based on the result of the second part of the triggering determination, or the second part of the triggering determination may depend on the result of the poker widget hand. 
     In  FIG. 3B , a display  350 B shows a widget wheel  354  with a variety of indicia on sections of the wheel. Here, a special bonus section  355  of the widget wheel  354  may correspond to the triggering of a group-play game or bonus event. In some embodiments, the other sections of the widget wheel  354  may have no impact or bearing on the play of the gaming device. In other embodiments, however, some or all of the other sections of the widget wheel may have awards, multipliers, or other indicia that affects or modifies game play on the gaming event. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3B , some of the sections of the widget wheel  354  include consolation credit awards, while other sections of the widget wheels have “X” symbols that signify that nothing is awarded when such a selection is indicated in a widget game. Again, which section of the widget wheel  354  is selected can be determined entirely by the second part of the triggering determination, or may instead act as a portion of the second part of the triggering determination. 
     In  FIG. 3C , a display  350 C shows a widget BINGO game, where five marks on the BINGO board in a row, column, or diagonal corresponds to the triggering of a group-play game or bonus event. In the BINGO widget game  356 , the widget can be played such that a number of marks appear on the BINGO board simultaneously or in rapid succession to show whether a group-play event has been triggered. In alternate embodiments, however, the BINGO widget  356  can have an element of persistence. That is, the BINGO board may maintain its state between widget games, where one or more additional marks are added to the BINGO board during each widget game until a group-play game or bonus event is triggered. Here, a player may have an incentive to continue playing a gaming device if a widget BINGO game  356  is getting close to having five marks in a row, column, or diagonal. Embodiments using a persistence element can also be applied to a variety of widget games, animations, or images other than BINGO. 
     In  FIG. 3D , a display  350 D shows a widget card game  358  where a player has some interaction with the widget. In this example, a player selects one of three face-down cards. The selected card is revealed and corresponds to the triggering of a group-play game or bonus event when it is a jack or higher. Again, the result of the widget card game  358  may be controlled entirely by the second part of the determination process, or have some part of effect in the second part of the determination process. For example, if the widget card game  358  is controlled by the second part of the determination process, the card selected by the player, regardless of which card is selected, would correspond to a card value associated with a triggering condition or a non-triggering condition. In other embodiments, the cards placed on the screen to be selected may be determined by the triggering condition determined in the second part of the triggering determination. For example, if the second part of the triggering condition resulted in a triggering condition being satisfied, all of the cards placed on the widget screen may be a jack or higher. In yet other embodiments, the selection process may have some bearing on the triggering condition itself in the second part of the triggering determination. For example, the second part of the triggering determination may be broken up into a third and fourth determination, where the third determination is used to select the number of triggering cards to place in the widget card game  358  (either zero, one, two, or three), and the fourth determination is used to see which card is selected. Note that in the cases of the zero or three triggering cards being placed in the widget card game  358 , the actual card selected (and hence the fourth determination itself) is irrelevant to the whether the group-play game or bonus event is triggered. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an eligibility routine for group play of a gaming apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. Although various processes are shown in a particular order in this flow diagram, the order of these processes can be changed in other embodiments without deviating from the scope or spirit of this concept. Hence, the order of the processes shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to be restrictive. Additional game processes may also be included between various processes even though they are omitted from these flow diagrams for clarity purposes. Further each of the processes may be performed by components in a single game device, such as by a game processor, or may be performed in part or whole by a remote server or processor connected to the gaming device via a network. Each process may be encoded in instructions that are stored in a memory, a computer-readable medium, or another type of storage device. Note that this example method is just one embodiment of how a game operation can be implemented. As discussed and shown above, many variations exist which may require additional, fewer, or different processes to complete. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flow  400  begins at process  405  where it is determined that at least one active gaming device is detected. Here, gaming devices may have to be played at a predetermined coin-in rate to be considered “active” and eligible for a group-play bonus. This coin-in rate may take into account the size of wagers being placed and/or the frequency at which they are placed. There are various methods in measuring and monitoring this coin-in rate metric. In one example, each wager “buys” a number of “evaluations” that are stored and used up periodically while the gaming device is being played. In another embodiment, all gaming devices that have had a wager placed in a past set time frame (e.g., 30 seconds) are eligible for a group-play bonus event. 
     After it has been determined that at least one active gaming device has been detected in process  405 , the flow  400  proceeds to process  410 , where a processor decides whether or not to make a triggering determination for a group-play game or bonus event. This decision may be based on a variety of factors. In some embodiments, a trigger determination is made at predefined time intervals. For example, if a trigger determination is made every half second (0.5 sec), a processor would wait until the next time interval had elapsed before proceeding through process  410 . In other embodiments the triggering determination may be based on an outcome of a primary game event, on a timing condition associated with the primary game event, on an incrementing counter reaching a predefined threshold, or various other possible metrics. 
     Once the triggering determination is made, the flow proceeds to process  415  where a first determination is made. Above, the overall triggering determination for a group-play game or event was described as having a first part and at least a second part. In this flow diagram and description the first determination in process  415  may correspond to the first part of the triggering determination described above, and the second determination in process  425  may correspond to the second part of the triggering determination described above. Returning to the embodiment described in  FIG. 4 , the first determination  415  may be a preliminary determination that is not detectable to a player at a gaming device so as to not constantly interrupt their game play on the primary game of the gaming device. In the above example where a triggering determination is made every half second, a player may be overwhelmed if they were aware of each first determination being made. The first determination process  415  may include making a random draw, incrementing a counter, updating a bonus clock, determining if a predefined condition has occurred in the base game, or making another type of determination. 
     In process  415 , a decision is made on whether to proceed to a second determination process  425  based on the result of the first determination process  415 . In the above example first determinations, a random draw may be compared to a threshold value or group of values to proceed, a counter may be analyzed to see if it has reached a triggering threshold, a bonus clock may be evaluated to see if it has reached a triggering time, a base game outcome may be analyzed to see if a predetermined symbol or symbol combination has occurred, or another type of triggering metric may be used to see of the first determination has resulted in an outcome that moves the flow  400  to the second determination in process  425 . If the first determination does not result in a proceeding outcome, flow  400  returns to process  410  to wait for another opportunity to make a triggering determination. 
     When the flow  400  does proceed to process  425 , a second determination is made. As with the first determination, the second determination may involve a number of different determination processes. However, unlike the first determination process, the second determination process may be detectable to a player to increase anticipation of a group-play game or bonus event. This may include displaying a widget based on the second determination as shown in optional process  430 . As described above, the second determination can be made prior to display of the widget where the widget outcome is directly controlled by the outcome of the second determination in process  425 , or the second determination can include an outcome of the widget, which may include player interaction. The second determination can also include a random draw, an incrementing counter, an updated clock, a predetermined condition occurring on a primary game, or other types of determination techniques. 
     Once the second determination has been made, the flow proceeds to process  435  where it is determined whether to proceed with the group-play triggering process. If the second determination does not result in an outcome associated with a triggering condition, flow  400  returns to process  405  to wait for another opportunity to make a triggering determination. If the second determination does result in an outcome associated with a triggering condition, flow  400  proceeds to process  440  where a group-play or community game/bonus is initiated. 
       FIGS. 5 ,  6 , and  7  are provided to illustrate example embodiments about how these first and second determinations can be made within the eligibility routines needed for group play. These illustrated embodiments include a loading phase for a gaming device to be eligible for a group-play game or bonus event, and a trigger determination phase using the results of the loading phase to determine if a group-play game or bonus-event is triggered. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of an eligibility loading phase for routines associated with group play according to embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 5 , a flow  500  begins at process  505  where a wager is received. Here, this process  505  may include receiving a signal that a wager has been entered and a game initiation button or mechanism has been activated to place the wager and initiate a primary or base game. In process  510  evaluations associated with the received wager are determined. Here, “evaluations” refer to eligibility opportunities. Evaluations may be electronic data stored in a memory, a register, a meter, or any other type of data structure. In these embodiments, the evaluations are stored in an eligibility meter (or “E-Meter”), which is discussed in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 6 . 
     The number of evaluations received with a wager may be a function of the amount of the wager, where the function may direct a proportional amount of evaluations to be given for wager amounts. In other embodiments, the number of evaluations may be determined in part by other game metrics, such as rate of play, whether the player is an identified casino loyalty club member, the result of the last “n” number of games, or other game metrics. In one example, a player is awarded 20 evaluations for every dollar wagered. Thus, a $2.00 bet will result in 40 evaluations being determined in process  510 . The determination process  510  may be a preliminary determination process, as the flow  500  then proceeds to process  515  where it is determined if the eligibility meter is above a predefined threshold. In one example, a player is awarded 20 evaluations for every dollar wagered. Thus, a $2.00 bet will result in 40 evaluations being determined in process  510 . 
     Here, the eligibility meter may have a threshold value where instead of just adding more evaluations (eligibility opportunities) for players playing with larger wagers and/or at a very rapid pace, these players are rewarded by receiving more valuable evaluations. As described below, in some embodiments, evaluations can be associated with one or more multiplier or modifier values that increase the probability that a group-play game or bonus event is triggered and/or increase values won within the group-play event. In these embodiments, flow  500  proceeds to process  525  when the eligibility meter is not above a threshold value, where the determined evaluations are added to the eligibility meter. Alternatively, if the eligibility meter is determined to be at a threshold value in process  515 , flow  500  proceeds to process  530 , where the determined evaluations are modified based on the eligibility meter level. The evaluation modification in process  530  may include associating the awarded evaluations with a multiplier or other modifier. The number of evaluations awarded may also be modified in process  530 . In the above example where 20 evaluations are distributed for each dollar wagered, a $2.00 wager made when the eligibility meter is above a first threshold may result in only 10 evaluations being awarded, but each evaluation is given a “5×” frequency multiplier and a “2×” expected value multiplier. The function of these multipliers is discussed below in more detail, but any type of multiplier or modifier may be associated with the distributed evaluations. After the evaluations are modified in process  530 , flow  500  proceeds to process  535  where the modified evaluations are applied to the eligibility meter. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of an eligibility storage system for routines associated with group play according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 6 , an eligibility meter or E-Meter  690  is illustrated in block form. In gaming system embodiments, each gaming device may be associated with its own eligibility meter  690 , or a collective eligibility meter may be used to track evaluations for each associated gaming device in the gaming system. An eligibility meter may be stored within the memory on a gaming device, or in a central memory located in a remote server or other central computing arrangement. Eligibility meters may be any type of data structure including counters, booleans, arrays, records, lists, sets, matrices, stacks, strings, graphs, etc. In some embodiments, eligibility meters  690  include stored evaluations  695 , which may each have an associated frequency multiplier  698  and an expected value multiplier  699 . In other embodiments, each evaluation may not have any multipliers or modifier values associated with it. The frequency multiplier  698  and expected value multiplier  699  may have a default value of “1” so that they do not provide any influence in a default state. The frequency multiplier  698  may affect one or more of the determination processes in a multi-step group-play trigger determination. For example, in a second determination step (such as  425  in  FIG. 4 ), a random draw may be completed where the frequency of success is equal to a product of a base value multiplied by sum of the frequency multipliers of all current evaluations being deducted or used. That is, in a three player gaming system, if all players are playing with high denomination wagers and/or playing at a rapid play pace, frequency multipliers awarded to each of their accumulated evaluations may make the likelihood of a community bonus being triggered to increase dramatically. If the base value is equal to a value of 2 for each eligible game device and a frequency multiplier  698  of “5×” is associated with each of the evaluations  695  being awarded, the likelihood of a community bonus is 15 times greater than if the three players were playing at a slower rate and/or at a lower denomination. Additionally, the frequency multiplier  698  and expected value multiplier  699  may be used to alter values within a group-play bonus or a final payout of a community bonus. 
     Eligibility meters  690  may work in a various methods to store and retrieve evaluations  695 . In some embodiments, E-Meters  690  have a stack structure where newly acquired evaluations  695  are pushed on the stack, and used or deducted evaluations are retrieved according to a known stack system, such as FILO (First In Last Out) or FIFO (First In First Out). When evaluations  695  include multiplier values or other modifiers, a FILO stack system may be preferred so that recently received evaluations with improved multiplier or modifier values can be immediately used. In other embodiments, a processor may sort the evaluations  695  in the eligibility meter  690  according to one or more routines or variables, such as by multiplier or modifier values associated with the evaluations. In an alternative example, each evaluation  695  may be given a priority rating. Here, if a player changes her bet size, the priority rating of newly added evaluations may be given a lower priority rating. Additionally, a sorting function may be applied when a player changes her bet size to re-order evaluations  695  in the eligibility meter  690  according to priority rating. For example, if a player reduces her bet size, newly added evaluations  695  may be given a lower priority, and sorted to the bottom of the eligibility meter  690 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of a trigger determination phase for routines associated with group play according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 7 , a flow  700  begins at process  705  where a community bonus trigger process is initiated or started. A random draw is completed in process  710 , which may be part of a first determination process. An evaluation is deducted for each eligible player in process  715 , and a determination is made in process  720  to ascertain whether the random draw of process  710  satisfies a predefined condition. If there are multiple gaming devices eligible for the bonus (i.e., multiple gaming devices with at least one evaluation present in an associated eligibility meter), an evaluation from each of the eligible gaming devices is deducted in process  715 . 
     If the first random draw does not meet the predefined condition, flow  700  goes to process  720  where it is determined if a predetermined time interval has elapsed. Once the time interval has elapsed, flow  700  returns to process  710  to complete another random draw. This cycle repeats as long as there is an eligible gaming device until the random draw of process  710  meets the predefined condition in process  720 . Note that each wager made provides additional evaluations to an eligibility meter as described above, but these evaluations are deducted, used, or “spent” each time a random draw is made in the first step of the multi-step determination process. Hence, the eligibility of a gaming device for a group-play game or bonus event may be dependent upon it having at least one evaluation present in a related eligibility meter. In some embodiments, a player may have to play at certain rate and at a certain wager amount to be eligible for group-play games or bonuses. 
     When the random draw of process  710  satisfies the predetermined condition in process  720 , flow  700  proceeds to process  730  where a trigger threshold is determined. In process  730 , a trigger threshold may be modified by frequency multipliers associated with the last deducted evaluation from process  715 , modified based on the number of eligible gaming devices, or otherwise modified based on another condition or metric. The trigger threshold may also be simply determined to be at a default value in process  730 . In process  740 , a second random draw is completed. This random draw in process  740  may correspond to a second determination process discussed above. 
     In process  745 , a widget is displayed and initiated to players at eligible gaming devices. This widget may be associated with the random draw in process  740  as discussed above. Flow  700  then proceeds to process  750 , where it is determined whether the second random draw of process  740  satisfies the trigger threshold determined in process  730 . If the second random draw does not meet the triggering threshold, flow  700  proceeds to process  752  where the widget outcome is shown as a loss or non-triggering outcome. Flow  700  then returns to process  720  to complete a time interval before returning to a first random draw in process  710 . If the second random draw does satisfy the triggering threshold in process  750 , flow  700  proceeds to process  755  where the widget outcome is shown as a win or triggering outcome. Flow  755  may then proceed to process  760  where a group-play or community bonus is initiated. 
     In optional process  765 , one of the eligible gaming devices may be selected as an “initiating” gaming device. That is, one of the players is designated as the “initiator” for the community bonus. In this optional process  765 , the initiator may be determined from the result of the second random draw in process  740 , or may be selected by a third random draw. In some embodiments, each frequency multiplier, or other modifier, associated with each eligible gaming device may weight the outcome of this random draw. Hence, a player playing at a faster pace or with larger wagers may have a greater chance of being selected as the initiator. The selected initiator may receive an increased final multiplier for any awards received in the group-play bonus event. In addition, providing an “initiator” in optional process  765  provides at least one player with the appearance of triggering the bonus, which can create an agency relationship with the bonus. As mentioned above, in addition to having an agency relationship with the bonus, a selected “initiating” player may be rewarded with a chance to improve on any awards won in the bonus. This feature also can provide the ability to reward players that are playing at a faster rate and/or wagering with higher denomination bets by using variables associated with individual evaluations, such as priority ratings or frequency multipliers, when selecting the “initiating” player. 
     In process  770 , a final multiplier for each eligible game device is determined. As discussed above, an expected value multiplier and/or a frequency multiplier for a deducted evaluation used in a current triggering determination may be used in determining a final multiplier. Additionally, whether a player is an “initiator” may influence a final multiplier value. The final multiplier value may also be influence based on wager amounts or other metrics. The final multiplier may be used to automatically adjust award amounts in a group-play bonus won by a respective player, or may be applied at the end of the group bonus to modify any winnings awarded to the respective player during the group-play bonus. Flow  700  then continues to process  775 , where the group-play or community bonus event proceeds. 
     Thus with respect to the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , a gaming system is presented where each bet or wager made on a gaming device purchases a certain number of evaluations. Unlike conventional triggering processes, eligibility routines using this present concept may include multidimensional evaluations, which can enable more sophisticated or complex responses to gaming conditions by using additional variables associated with the multidimensional evaluations. For example, each evaluation may have two associated quantities, a “frequency multiplier” and an “expected value multiplier,” each with a default value of 1. Purchased evaluations accumulate until they approach a certain maximum, at which point each bet purchases a smaller number of evaluations with higher frequency multipliers and/or expected value multipliers. A player is eligible for the community feature if they have one or more accumulated evaluations. 
     To initiate the feature, a central computer carries out a two-step decision repeatedly at small time intervals. In the first step, the computer decides whether to proceed to the second step. This decision is made by random draw with a constant probability of success. When the decision is made, the computer deducts one evaluation from each eligible player. 
     In the second step, the computer makes a random draw, with frequency of success equal to the product of a base value (e.g., determined by the number of eligible players) times the sum of the frequency multipliers of all current evaluations. If the random draw succeeds, then the feature is initiated. Upon feature initiation, the computer determines each participant&#39;s final pay multiplier, taking into account both the frequency multiplier and the expected value multiplier for each participant. 
     In some embodiments, when the feature is initiated, the computer chooses one player to be the “initiator” of the feature. This choice is made by random draw, weighted according to each player&#39;s frequency multiplier value. The “initiator” player is awarded an increased pay multiplier for the feature. Other random draws that increase or decrease pay multipliers may be involved in producing the required expected pay values. 
     The present invention provides a number of advantages over conventional methods of determining eligibility for a group-play gaming event including an unambiguous eligibility period, determined at all times by the number of evaluations remaining. Also, when other players join the bank or game system, there are no disabled symbols or other signs of reduced initiation frequency. Although an individual player may in fact experience a reduced initiation frequency when new players with low bet speed join the bank, the present invention enables game designers to set a minimum initiation frequency in all cases. Moreover, the individual player can positively affect the initiation frequency (and, in one embodiment, experience the benefit of being the “initiator” more often) by betting more quickly. 
     As may now be readily understood, one or more devices may be programmed to play various embodiments of the invention. The present invention may be implemented as a casino gaming system or other special purpose gaming kiosk as described hereinabove, or may be implemented via computing systems operating under the direction of local gaming software, and/or remotely-provided software such as provided by an application service provider (ASP). The casino gaming machines utilize computing systems to control and manage the gaming activity. An example of a representative computing system capable of carrying out operations in accordance with the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
     Hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof may be used to perform the various gaming functions, display presentations and operations described herein. The functional modules used in connection with the invention may reside in a gaming system having multiple gaming devices as described, or may alternatively reside on a stand-alone gaming apparatus or a networked computer. The computing structure  800  of  FIG. 8  is an example computing structure that can be used in connection with such electronic gaming system, gaming machines, computers, or other computer-implemented devices to carry out operations of the present invention. 
     The example computing arrangement  800  suitable for performing the gaming functions in accordance with the present invention typically includes a central processor (CPU)  802  coupled to random access memory (RAM)  804  and some variation of read-only memory (ROM)  806 . The ROM  806  may also represent other types of storage media to store programs, such as programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), etc. The processor  802  may communicate with other internal and external components through input/output (I/O) circuitry  808  and bussing  810 , to provide control signals, communication signals, and the like. 
     The computing arrangement  800  may also include one or more data storage devices, including hard and floppy disk drives  812 , CD-ROM drives  814 , card reader  815 , and other hardware capable of reading and/or storing information such as DVD, etc. In one embodiment, software for carrying out the operations in accordance with the present invention may be stored and distributed on a CD-ROM  816 , diskette  818 , access card  819 , or other form of computer readable media capable of portably storing information. These storage media may be inserted into, and read by, devices such as the CD-ROM drive  814 , the disk drive  812 , card reader  815 , etc. The software may also be transmitted to the computing arrangement  800  via data signals, such as being downloaded electronically via a network, such as the Internet. Further, as previously described, the software for carrying out the functions associated with the present invention may alternatively be stored in internal memory/storage of the computing device  800 , such as in the ROM  806 . 
     The computing arrangement  800  is coupled to the game display  811 , which represents a display on which the gaming activities in accordance with a primary or base game are presented. Additionally, the game display  811  may display a widget in connection with an eligibility routine for group play as described above in some embodiments. In other embodiments, a secondary display  850  may be used to display the widget in connection with an eligibility routine for group play as described above. The display  811  (and secondary display  850 , if included) represents the “presentation” of the video information in accordance with the invention, and may be any type of known display or presentation screen, such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, cathode ray tubes (CRT), digital light processing (DLP) displays, liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) displays, etc. 
     Where the computing device  800  represents a stand-alone or networked computer, the display  811  may represent a standard computer terminal or display capable of displaying multiple windows, frames, etc. Where the computing device is embedded within an electronic gaming machine, the display  811  corresponds to the display screen of the gaming machine/kiosk. A user input interface  822  such as a mouse, keyboard/keypad, microphone, touch pad, trackball, joystick, touch screen, voice-recognition system, etc. may be provided. The display  811  may also act as a user input device, e.g., where the display  811  is a touchscreen device. 
     Chance-based gaming systems such as slot machines, in which the present invention is applicable, are governed by random numbers and processors, as facilitated by a random number generator (RNG). The fixed and dynamic symbols generated as part of a gaming activity may be produced using one or more RNGs. RNGs as known in the art may be implemented using hardware, software operable in connection with the processor  802 , or some combination of hardware and software. The present invention is operable using any known RNG, and may be integrally programmed as part of the processor  802  operation, or alternatively may be a separate RNG controller  840 . 
     The computing arrangement  800  may be connected to other computing devices or gaming machines, such as via a network. The computing arrangement  800  may be connected to a network or bank server  828  in an intranet or local network configuration. The computer may further be part of a larger network configuration as in a global area network (GAN) such as the Internet. In such a case, the computer may have access to one or more web servers via the Internet. In other arrangements, the computing arrangement  800  may be configured as an Internet server and software for carrying out the operations in accordance with the present invention may interact with the player via one or more networks. The server  828  may include a memory  865  and a microprocessor  860  to implement the eligibility routines for group play described above. For example, eligibility meters including evaluations may be stored in the server memory  865 , and the server processor  860  may act as a central processor to connect one or more gaming devices in a group-play or community bonus event. Multiple other computing arrangements may also be connected to the server  828 . In addition, a community bonus display  880  may be connected to the server  828 , where the community bonus display is used to display portions of a group-play or community bonus that involves multiple gaming devices. The community bonus display  880  may also be any type of display, such as an LCD, CRT, plasma or similar video display, as well as being a mechanical display using lights or other mechanical features to carry out a group-play bonus. 
     Other components directed to gaming machine implementations include manners of gaming participant payment, and gaming machine payout. For example, a gaming machine including the computing arrangement  800  may also include a hopper controller  842  to determine the amount of payout to be provided to the participant. The hopper controller may be integrally implemented with the processor  802 , or alternatively as a separate hopper controller  842 . A hopper  844  may also be provided in gaming machine embodiments, where the hopper serves as the mechanism holding the coins/tokens of the machine. The wager input module  846  represents any mechanism for accepting coins, tokens, coupons, bills, electronic fund transfer (EFT), tickets, credit cards, smart cards, membership cards, etc., for which a participant inputs a wager amount. It will be appreciated that the primary gaming software  832  may be able to control payouts via the hopper  844  and controller  842  for independently determined payout events. 
     Among other functions, the computing arrangement  800  provides an interactive experience to players via input interface  822  and output devices, such as the display  811 , speaker  830 , etc. These experiences are generally controlled by gaming software  832  that controls a primary gaming activity of the computing arrangement  800 . The gaming software  832  may be temporarily loaded into RAM  804 , and may be stored locally using any combination of ROM  806 , drives  812 , media player  814 , or other computer-readable storage media known in the art. The primary gaming software  832  may also be accessed remotely, such as via the server  828  or the Internet. 
     The primary gaming software  832  in the computing arrangement  800  is shown here as an application software module. According to embodiments of the present invention, this software  832  provides a slot game or similar game of chance as described hereinabove. For example, the software  832  may present, by way of the display  811 , representations of symbols to map or otherwise display as part of a slot based game having reels. However, in other embodiments, the principles of this concept may be applied to poker games or other types of games of chance. One or more aligned positions of these game elements may be evaluated to determine awards based on a paytable. The software  832  may include instructions to provide other functionality as known in the art and described herein, such as shown and described above regarding  FIGS. 1-7 . 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. For example, the present invention is equally applicable in electronic or mechanical gaming machines, and is also applicable to live table versions of gaming activities that are capable of being played in a table version (e.g., machines involving poker or card games that could be played via table games). 
     Some embodiments of the invention have been described above, and in addition, some specific details are shown for purposes of illustrating the inventive principles. However, numerous other arrangements may be devised in accordance with the inventive principles of this patent disclosure. Further, well known processes have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, while the invention is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings, it is not limited to these embodiments or drawings. Rather, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that come within the scope and spirit of the inventive principles set out in the appended claims.