Patent ID: 8574062

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: an interface coupling the gaming machine to a network, the network including a central database and a plurality of gaming machines, the central database being remote from the gaming machine, the central database including a plurality of personal records, each of the personal records including status information of a paused wagering game corresponding to player identification information; a player information input device to receive player identification information from a player; a wager input device to receive a wager from the player; a wagering game including a progression of evolving events in a continuing game play experience, at least one of the events being dependent on a prior event in the progression of evolving events and including a graphical depiction of a non-numerical object, the interface retrieving the status information of a paused state of a wagering game from the personal record in the central database corresponding to the received player identification information, and wherein the wagering game continues play from a point of the paused state of the wagering game based on the received status information of the wagering game.