Patent ID: 8313370

Claim:
A method for providing software-based skill adjustments to a video game, wherein game-play of the video game is conducted via a gaming device having a digital display and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which software, for one or more skill adjustment mechanisms, is stored which enables the gaming device, after the software is loaded into the gaming device, to adjust a difficulty level of the video game based on game-play of the video game, wherein the game-play of the video game is being conducted at a current difficulty level, wherein, during the game-play, digital blocks move downwardly from a skyline of a digital matrix to a bottom of the digital matrix that is located opposite to the skyline, wherein digital blocks are removed from the digital matrix by forming complete horizontal digital lines with the digital blocks within the digital matrix, wherein the digital blocks and digital matrix are displayed via the digital display of the gaming device, the method comprising: causing the gaming device to identify an approaching occurrence of a game ending condition based on the current game play of the video game; causing the gaming device to execute at least one of the one or more skill adjustment mechanisms based on the approaching occurrence of the game ending condition, wherein the one or more skill adjustment mechanisms comprises at least one of a line adjustment and a piece adjustment, wherein the line adjustment, when executed by the gaming device, removes at least one incomplete horizontal line from the bottom of the digital matrix, wherein the piece adjustment, when executed by the gaming device, changes a size of one or more digital blocks; and causing the gaming device to change the video game, during the game play, from the current difficulty level to an adjusted difficulty level, wherein the adjusted difficulty level is less difficult than the current difficulty level.