Patent ID: 7811167

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: an interface coupling the gaming machine to a network having a central database coupled to a plurality of gaming machines, the central database being remote from the gaming machine; a player information input device to receive player identification information from a player; a wagering game including a progression of evolving events in a continuing game play experience, each event being dependent on a prior event in the progression of evolving events and including a graphical depiction of a non-numerical object, the wagering game to receive a wager from the player, initiate play and pause play at a paused state within the progression of evolving events, the wagering game to further develop status information corresponding to the paused state within the progression of evolving events; wherein the interface sends the status information and player identification information over the network to the central database and wherein the interface retrieves the status information of the paused state of the wagering game from the central database at a later time; and wherein upon receiving another wager from the player, the wagering game continues play from a point of the paused state of the wagering game.