Patent ID: 7828656

Claim:
A gaming method for facilitating game play via a gaming apparatus, the gaming apparatus comprising a controller and a first display unit, the controller communicatively coupled to the first display unit, the method comprising: executing a game software application for a game to be played by a player on the gaming apparatus; causing the first display unit to display a game image for the game on a first display; executing a secondary software application for the gaming apparatus when the game software application is being executed for the gaming apparatus, wherein the secondary software application is designed to provide information including ancillary information not pertaining to the game being played, the secondary software application being selected by the player to be provided on the gaming apparatus from a plurality of different types of secondary software applications; displaying, before, during, and after an event occurs that the secondary software application detects, and when the secondary software application is being executed for the gaming apparatus simultaneously with the game software application being executed for the gaming apparatus, an icon for the secondary software application simultaneously with the display of the game image on the first display, wherein a foreground of the game image is substantially unobstructed by the icon, and the icon is substantially unobstructed by the foreground of the game image, wherein the ancillary information is available only when the icon for the secondary software application is displayed, and wherein the ancillary information can be effectively requested by the player via the icon; receiving information request data indicative of a request made by the player for the ancillary information via the icon when the game software application is being executed; obtaining first ancillary information using the secondary software application based on the information request data after the information request data has been received; and conveying the first ancillary information on the first display using the secondary software application when the game software application is being executed for the game being played on the gaming apparatus.