Patent ID: 7371168

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: a display device; an input device; a memory device; and a processor operatively coupled to the display device, the input device, and the memory device, the processor being programmed to: (a) cause the display device to display a plurality of reels, each one of the reels displaying a plurality of symbols including a first symbol and a second symbol, (b) receive a wager, (c) cause the display device to display the reels moving, (d) cause the display device to display the reels stopped so as to cause the stopped reels to display a plurality of combinations of the symbols, (e) receive a player input from the input device, the player input being associated with a movement of the first symbol displayed on one of the stopped reels, the movement occurring relative to at least said stopped reel, (f) cause the display device to display a third symbol other than the first symbol, the second symbol or any one of the other symbols of the reels; (g) cause the display device to display the movement of the first symbol; (h) cause the display device to display an interaction between the first symbol and the third symbol, the interaction being affected by the player input; (i) select the second symbol based, at least in part, on the interaction, thereby changing the second symbol so as to change at least one of the combinations of symbols to a different one of the combinations of symbols, (j) evaluate the different combination of symbols, and (k) determine whether a payout is due based, at least in part, on the evaluation.