Patent ID: 8216065

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines including: (a) a primary game display device configured to display a primary game, said primary game operable upon a wager, (b) at least one input device configured to enable a player of said gaming machine to make the wager on the primary game to cause a play of the primary game including a random generation of an outcome for said play of the primary game, and (c) at least one secondary game component display device located above said primary game display device and configured to display at least one, but not all, of a plurality of components of a multi-component secondary game; and at least one processor programmed to: (i) upon an occurrence of a designated component triggering event, for each of a first determined number of the gaming machines, said first determined number being at least two, regardless of whether said gaming machines are being played by any players: (1) randomly generate at least one of the components, each said generation being in addition to the outcomes randomly generated for plays of the primary game, and (2) cause the at least one secondary game component display device of said gaming machine to display said at least one generated component independently of any of the components displayed by any of the secondary game component display devices of any of the other gaming machines, and (ii) after displaying said at least one generated component and upon an occurrence of an evaluation triggering event, which is in addition to and independent of the display of said at least one generated component, evaluate a combination of components displayed by the at least one secondary game component display devices of a second determined number of the gaming machines to determine a multi-component secondary game outcome, said second determined number being at least two and said designated component triggering event and said evaluation triggering event being independent separately triggered events, and if an award is associated with said multi-component secondary game outcome, cause at least a portion of said award to be provided to one of the players of one of the gaming machines.