Patent ID: 8303402

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of conducting wagering games on a plurality wagering game machines, the plurality of wagering game machines including one or more input devices, one or more display devices, and one or more processors, the method comprising: receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, a wager to initiate a first wagering game on a first gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines; displaying, via at least one of the one or more display devices, the first wagering game; randomly selecting, via at least one of the one or more processors, a first game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes, wherein at least one of the plurality of game outcomes is a special event triggering outcome; and in direct response to the randomly selected first game outcome being the special event triggering outcome, (i) presenting a special event to the first gaming machine on at least one of the one or more display devices, and (ii) altering, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game symbol combination in a second wagering game being conducted on at least one different gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the game symbol combination causes an award of a designated award when displayed during the second wagering game.