Patent ID: 7390262

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising, a master gaming controller designed or configured to 1) control a plurality of types of wagering games played on the gaming machine including a first wagering game and a second wagering game; 2) generate first critical data associated with execution of first game code for the first wagering game installed on the gaming machine: 3) allocate a first memory space in a non-volatile memory for the first critical data; 4) receive second game code for installation on the gaming machine, the second game code associated with the second wagering game; 5) store the second game code to a memory on the gaming machine; 6) generate second critical data associated with the second game code for the second wagering game; 7) allocate a second memory space in the non-volatile memory for the second critical data wherein the gaming machine is operable to one or more of 1) maintain the first critical data in the non-volatile memory, after installing the second game code or 2) remove a portion of the first critical data; a display operable to display an outcome to the first wagering game or the second wagering game; the non-volatile memory operable to store critical data comprising 1) current state information including credit information generated during a play of one of the plurality of types of wagering games, said current state information describing a current state of the gaming machine during the play in a manner that allows the gaming machine to be restored to the current state when a power interruption occurs between the current state and a following state in the play; and 2) previous state information including credit information associated with a previous play of one of the plurality of types of wagering games.