Patent ID: 8721425

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: multiple electronic gaming machines, each configured to play a game and including at least: a display; an interface capable of accepting instructions from a player to initiate play of the game; memory capable of storing a plurality of software instructions; a random number generator capable of randomly generating game outcomes; and a processor for controlling the display, the interface and the random number generator, a controller in communication with each of said multiple electronic gaming machines, said controller configured to: randomly select fixed bonus code symbols from a pool of symbols; randomly select a quantity of game code symbols from said pool of symbols wherein said quantity of game code symbols equals a quantity of fixed bonus game symbols; prior to each play of each of said multiple electronic gaming machines, randomly determine a direction of movement for selection of each of said game code symbols; responsive to play of one of said multiple electronic gaming machines, adjust at least one game code symbol in said randomly determined direction of movement; compare respective adjusted game code symbols to corresponding bonus code symbols; lock game code symbols matching said bonus code symbols; and responsive to each of said game code symbols matching a corresponding one of said bonus code symbols, trigger an award to players playing one of said networked multiple electronic gaming machines.