AU2010202100B2

AU2010202100B2 - Gaming machine with random symbol selection

Info

Publication number: AU2010202100B2
Application number: AU2010202100A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Colin Fong; Raymond Maras; David Villa
Original assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-05
Filing date: 2010-05-24
Publication date: 2011-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-04
Also published as: AU2007201998B2; AU2007201998A1; AU2010202100A1

Abstract

Abstract A gaming machine (100) includes a display (14) and a game controller (101) that provides a wagering game (16) in which a plurality of symbol display positions (32) are provided on the display (14). When a player stakes a wager on the outcome of 5 the wagering game (16) the game controller (101) selects symbols for display sequentially. The set of symbols is dynamic, wherein at least two symbols from the symbol set are changed between at least certain symbol selections depending on a characteristic of a symbol selected in a previous selection. The display positions may be arranged in rows and columns.

Description

P/00/0 11 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Gaming machine with random symbol selection The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 Gaming machine with random symbol selection Background of the invention The present invention relates to gaming apparatus and methods of gaming. In particular, the present invention relates to a gaming machine or system with a 5 novel arrangement for symbol selection. With the increase of gambling at gaming venues has come increased competition between gaming venues to obtain a larger share of the total gambling spend. Gaming venue operators have therefore continuously looked for new variations and types of games in order to attract both new and return customers to their 10 venues. In response to this need, suppliers of gaming devices and systems have attempted to provide the sought after variety, while still developing games that comply with the relevant regulations in the jurisdiction of the gaming venue operator. Suppliers of gaming devices therefore are faced with restrictions on the 15 types of games and gaming apparatus that are allowable, both in terms of the prevailing regulations and in terms of providing a return on investment to the gaming venue operators. In addition, it is important that a player be able to understand the operation of a game quickly so that the player promptly feels that they are in control of game play 20 and can therefore extract maximum entertainment from the game. One well known type of existing gaming machine incorporates spinning reels with pay lines. In recent years spinning reel games have typically comprised video screen displays which show simulations of spinning reels. A typical video spinning reel game will have say five spinning reels, and when the reels are at rest three 25 symbol symbols from each real are shown on the screen, thus displaying a matrix of 3 by 5 symbols. Pay lines are defined through the symbols. Early machines had only limited numbers of pay lines, typically three horizontal pay lines through the three rows of symbols, but in recent years the advent of high speed computer - 3 processing has allowed far more complicated pay lines to be introduced, and indeed, machines with 50 or more pay lines are currently known. 5 Typical current spinning reel type machines do not have any vertical pay lines since the symbols on the reel are in a defined relationship relative to each other, that is, the symbols on each reel are in a pre-arranged relationship relative to each other, and there is therefore nothing random about which symbols are next to each other in any column of the machine. One prior art io document, US Patent Re 34,244 (Hagiwara), discloses a somewhat different arrangement in which the symbols in a column are each defined by an independent spinning reel. Thus, each symbol position has its own spinning reel, and each spinning reel only displays one symbol. Hagiwara discloses a 3x3 matrix of symbols, thus requiring 9 spinning is reels. It will be appreciated that the symbols displayed in a Hagiwara type device are limited to those symbols on the reels. Any reference in this specification to the prior art does not constitute an admission that such prior art was well known or forms part of the common 20 general knowledge in any jurisdiction. Summary of the invention According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of 25 gaming comprising: providing a plurality of symbol display positions arranged in a plurality of columns on a display; selecting symbols from a set of symbols comprising a plurality of symbols according to a random selection process; 30 displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize if a winning combination of symbols is displayed, at least one said winning combination of symbols comprising display of particular symbols across the plurality of columns; wherein at least one column comprises at least two display positions and 35 for each column having two or more display positions the method comprises: selecting from an original set of symbols allocated to that column the symbols for display in a first display position; 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU. 1 29/08/11 - 4 sequentially selecting symbols for the other display positions in the column; and altering the set of symbols from which the subsequent symbols are selected after each selection by removing any symbols which belong to the 5 same family as the previously selected symbol. In one embodiment, the at least one said winning combination of symbols is defined by displaying a particular combination of symbols formed by taking the symbol selected for any one and only one display position in each column. 10 In one embodiment, the method comprises providing at least two of the columns with a different number of display positions. In one embodiment, the method comprises varying the number of display 15 positions in a column that are active for defining a winning combination depending on the particular wager staked by the player. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of gaming comprising: 20 providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; selecting symbols from a set of symbols comprising a plurality of symbols according to a random selection process; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize to a player when a winning combination of symbols is 25 displayed; selecting at least two of the symbols sequentially from a dynamic set of symbols; and changing or removing at least two symbols from the symbol set between at least two successive symbol selections depending on a characteristic of a 30 single symbol selected before the second of the two successive symbol selections. In one embodiment, the set of symbols comprises a subset of symbols consisting of symbols that would define a said winning combination if displayed 35 together in a predetermined arrangement of display positions, and wherein when said single symbol is a symbol from the subset of symbols the method 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 29/08/11 -5 comprises changing or removing the symbols that comprise the symbols in the same subset. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing the set of symbols with a 5 plurality of said subsets of symbols and wherein when said single symbol is a symbol from one of the plurality subsets of symbols, the method comprises changing symbols that comprise the symbols in the same subset. In one embodiment, the method comprises changing the symbols that consist io of the symbols in the same subset and not changing other symbols in the set of symbols between the sequential selection of symbols. In one embodiment, the method comprises adding symbols to the set of symbols between the sequential selections. 1s In one embodiment, the method comprises altering characteristics of symbols in the set between selections. In one embodiment, the characteristic of said single symbol is its identity, and 20 the method comprises changing the set of symbols by removing all symbols of that identity from the set of symbols prior to the next symbol selection. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of gaming comprising: 25 providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; randomly selecting symbols from a set of symbols, at least some of the symbols in the set comprising members of a family of symbols; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize to a player if a winning combination of symbols is 30 displayed; sequentially selecting the symbols from a first symbol display position to a subsequent symbol display position; and for each selection after the first selection, altering the set of symbols from which each symbol is selected until said subsequent display position by 35 removing from the set all those symbols belonging to a particular family if a symbol from that family was selected in a previous selection. 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU. 1 29/08/11 - 6 In one embodiment, the method comprises arranging the number of symbol display positions in a plurality of columns, and varying the number of display positions in a column that are active for defining a winning combination depending on the particular wager staked by the player, such that the first 5 symbol display position is the first position in the column and the subsequent symbol display position is the last symbol display position in the column. In one embodiment, the method comprises arranging the symbol display positions in an array of m columns by n rows, and selecting the symbols io sequentially for the display positions in each column, the set of symbols for each column being at least substantially the same, and winning outcomes comprising the selection of the same symbol in adjacent columns. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of 15 gaming comprising: providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; randomly selecting symbols; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize to a player if a winning combination of symbols is 20 displayed; arranging the display positions in an array of m columns by n rows wherein m and n are greater than 1; individually selecting the symbol for display in each display position from a set of symbols; 25 arranging the set of symbols from which a symbol is selected for at least one of the display positions so as to differ from the set of symbols from which a symbol is selected for another display position so that despite the individual selection of the symbol for each display position, it is either: not possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one 30 of the columns and is possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the rows; or not possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the rows and is possible to display a winning combination of symbols along 35 sany one of the columns. 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 29/08/11 Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. s Brief description of the drawings Figure 1: shows diagrammatically, a view of a gaming machine suitable for implementing the present invention. io Figure 2: shows a block diagram of gaming apparatus suitable for implementing the present invention. Figure 3: shows a block diagram of components of the memory of the gaming apparatus represented in Figure 2. 15 Figure 4: shows diagrammatically, a network gaming system suitable for implementing the present invention. Figures 5-8: show illustrations of screen images of a game played in 2o accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. 25 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 29/08/11 -8 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU. 1 29/08/11 - 9 THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 29/08/11 10 Description of the invention In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a gaming machine suitable for implementing the present invention is generally referenced by arrow 10. The gaming machine 10 is one example of a gaming apparatus that is suitable to 5 implement the present invention. The gaming machine 10 includes a console 12 having a display 14 on which is displayed representations of a game 16, that can be played by a player. A mid-trim 20 of the gaming machine 10 houses a bank of buttons. 22 for enabling a player to play the game 16. The mid-trim 20 also houses a credit input mechanism 24 10 including a coin input chute 24A and a bill collector 24B. A top box 26 may carry artwork 28, including for example, pay tables and details of bonus awards and other information or images relating to the game. Further artwork and/or information may be provided on the front panel 29 of the console 12. A coin tray 30 is mounted beneath the console 12 for cash payouts from the gaming machine 15 10. Of course, the machine could be a cashless gaming type machine in which wagering credits for play on the machine are provided via a card, or by connection via a network to a player's gaming account. The display 14 shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a video display unit, particularly a cathode ray tube screen device. Alternatively, the display 14 may be a liquid 20 crystal display, plasma screen, any other suitable video display unit, or the visible portion of an electromechanical device. The top box 26 may also be a display, for example a video display unit, which may be the same type as the display 14, or a different type of display. Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a gaming apparatus, generally referenced by 25 arrow 100, suitable for implementing the present invention. The gaming apparatus 100 may, for example, operate as a standalone gaming machine of the type shown in Figure 1. However, the gaming apparatus 100 may alternatively operate as a networked gaming machine, communicating with other network devices, such as one or more servers or other gaming machines. The gaming apparatus 100 30 may have distributed hardware and software components that communicate with 11 each other directly or through a network. Accordingly, different reference numerals have been used in Figure 2 from Figure 1 for components that may be equivalent. The gaming apparatus 100 includes a game controller 101, which in the illustrated example includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device or 5 other computational device 102. Instructions and data to control operation of the computational device 102 are stored in a memory 103, which is in data communication with the computational device 102. Typically, the gaming apparatus 100 will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively represented by 10 the memory 103. In addition, the computational device 102 may include two or more computational devices that each perform computational functions and which may be located locally or remotely from each other. The instructions to cause the game controller 101 to implement the present invention will be stored in the memory 103. 15 The gaming apparatus may include meters 104 for the purposes of regulatory compliance and also include an input/output (1/O) interface 105 for communicating with the peripheral devices of the gaming apparatus 100. The input/output interface 105 and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for instructions and data. 20 In the example shown in Figure 2, the peripheral devices that communicate with the controller are one or more displays 106, user interfaces 107, a card and/or ticket reader 108, a printer 109, a bill acceptor and/or coin input mechanism 110 and a coin output mechanism 111. Additional devices may be included in the gaming apparatus 100 or devices omitted as required. One or more of the 25 peripheral devices may be an intelligent peripheral device, having its own memory containing instructions and data. In addition, the gaming apparatus 100 may include a communications interface, for example a network card 112 to communicate with a network for such purposes as sending status information, accounting information and the like to a central 30 controller, allowing communication from the central controller to the gaming 12 apparatus 100 or for other purposes. In one embodiment, the functions of the computational device 102 may be split between a remote device and a local device, for example with game outcomes generated remotely and game graphics for the display 106 generated locally. In another embodiment, the peripheral 5 devices only may be provided locally together with a network interface, in which case all, or nearly all intelligent devices may be located remotely of the display 106. The game controller 101 may also include a random number generator 113, which generates a series of random numbers that determine the outcome of a series of 10 random game events played as part of a game on the gaming machine 100. Figure 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of the main components of the memory 103. The RAM 103A typically temporarily holds instructions and data related to the execution of game programs and communication functions performed by the computational controller 102. The EPROM 103B may be a boot 15 ROM device and/or may contain system and game related code. The mass storage device 103C may be used to store game programs, the integrity of which may be verified and/or authenticated by the computational controller 102 using protected code from the EPROM 103B or elsewhere. Figure 4 shows a gaming system 200. The gaming system 200 includes a network 20 201, which for example may be an Ethernet network. Gaming devices 202, shown arranged in three banks 203 of two gaming devices 202 in Figure 4, are connected to the network 201. The gaming devices 202 may be gaming machines 10, as shown in Figure 1 or form part or all of another gaming apparatus 100. Single gaming devices 202 and banks 203 containing three or more gaming devices 202 25 may also be connected to the network 201. One or more displays 204 may also be connected to the network 201. The displays 204 may, for example, be associated with a bank 203 of gaming devices. The displays 204 may be used to display representations associated with game play on the gaming devices 202, and/or used to display other representations, for 30 example promotional or informational material.

13 Servers may also be connected to the network 201. For example, a game server 205 may generate game outcomes for games played on the gaming devices 202, a database management server 206 may store game programs and associated data for downloading or access by the gaming devices 202 and a jackpot server 5 207 may control one or more jackpots associated with the gaming devices 202. Further servers may be provided to assist in the administration of the gaming system 200, including for example a gaming floor management server 208, and a licensing server 209 to monitor the use of licenses to particular games. An administrator terminal 210 is provided to allow an administrator to run the network 10 201 and the devices connected to the network. The gaming system 200 may communicate with other gaming systems, other local networks, for example a corporate network and/or a wide area network such as the Internet through a firewall 211. A prior art form of popular gaming machine comprises a mechanical, electro 15 mechanic or video spinning reel game in which spinning reels, or images of spinning reels, were displayed on a display and assorted payline associated with the images displayed on the display would pay a prize, depending on the nature of the wager made, which combinations were defined as winning combinations, and whether any special features, mystery bonuses, or the like have been awarded 20 during a play of the game. One aspect of spinning reel games is that, for any reel, the symbols which make up that reel are set up in a particular fixed sequence. Thus, although the stopping position of a spinning reel might be a completely random event, typically defined by a number selected by a random number generator, the symbols which are displayed are generally displayed in exactly the 25 same sequence defined by their relative positions on the reel. In mechanical reels, the symbols are of course physical symbols illustrated on the periphery of the reel. In video spinning reel games the video sequence which shows a simulated spinning reel is also a set video sequence, and in particular, the symbols illustrated as the reel spins are illustrated in a predefined sequence.

14 The patent to Hagiwara previously referred to (US Re 34,244) discloses an arrangement in which instead of providing one spinning reel for each column of the gaming machine, a separate spinning reel is provided for each position on the display. Thus, where a typical gaming machine might have say a 5 column by 3 5 row matrix of simple display positions and each column is defined by a separate spinning reel, Hagiwara discloses a 3 x 3 matrix arrangement (9 symbol positions) in which each one of those symbol positions is defined by a separate spinning reel. It will be appreciated that Hagiwara allows the symbols shown in the symbol 10 positions in a particular column to be independent of each other in that the symbols in each of the positions in the column are completely independent of the other symbols in the column since they are not part of the same symbol sequence. However, Hagiwara discloses an arrangement in which only the symbols on a predefined reel can be displayed in any of the symbol display positions. 15 Turning now to the illustration as show in Figure 5 to 8 of the drawings, where the form in which the present invention might be implemented is illustrated. As shown in Figure 5, the display 16 is shown comprising a matrix of 5 columns x 3 rows of symbol positions 32. In this embodiment the symbol positions 32 are shown as face down cards 34 which when turned over reveal a symbol, and, depending on 20 the symbols revealed a player will either win a prize or not, depending on the result of the wagering game played on the machine. A pay table (not shown) defines the prizes for particular symbol outcomes. The display 16 also includes a credit meter 36, a bet meter 38, and win meter 40. These three meters are standard in gaming machines of this type and need not be discussed here in any 25 greater detail. The selection of symbols to be displayed in each of the symbol display positions 34 is performed by a game controller 100 in the following manner. The game controller 100 is required to select symbols from a set of symbols stored in the memory of the game controller. That set of symbols will typically comprise a 30 plurality of sub-sets of symbols, each a sub-set being a symbol of the same type.

15 Thus, there may be say 10 symbol types in the set of symbols and each type or sub-set of symbols may comprise from one or more symbols of the same type. Preferably, the different types of symbols vary from a minimum number, which may be 1, to a maximum number which may be say 10 or more, thus defining less 5 common and more common symbols in the set. Clearly the pay table may reflect the probability of different symbol combinations appearing on the display. In the present embodiment the set of symbols from which symbols are selected for each column in the matrix of symbol positions is the same. However, this does not need to be so and it is quite possible to have different sets of symbols for each 10 column in the matrix. Symbol selection will typically take place as follows. For a particular column, the upper most symbol will preferably be selected first by the game controller 100 from a set of symbols. Thereafter, the middle symbol in the column of symbols will be selected, and thereafter the lower most symbol will be selected. However, the set 15 of symbols will be changed prior to the selection of the middle symbol, and it will be changed again, prior the selection of the lower most symbol. The envisaged change is for all symbols of a particular type which is the same as the type of symbol selected for the upper most symbol position to be removed from the set prior to the selection of the middle symbol. The middle symbol will then be 20 selected, and the set of symbols will then be changed again by removing all symbols of the type selected for the middle symbol position, prior to the selection of the lower most symbol. This arrangement ensures that there cannot be a description of the same symbol type in any column. Figure 6 depicts the screen 16 after a player has bet a wager of 50c and all of the down cards have been turned 25 over to reveal the symbols selected by the game controller. It is envisaged that the cards will be turned over in a left to right flip movement so that each column of cards is sequentially turned over. The player is then awarded prizes when adjacent symbols match, starting with the left most column. Thus, in the example shown in figure 6, the player will be 16 awarded a prize of 20 credits on account of the fact that 3"8" symbols appear in the first three columns. It is not essential that each column has the same number of symbol positions. One alternative is for the number of symbol positions in each column to vary, 5 depending on the wager made by the player. Figure 7 depicts an arrangement in which a player has made only a 2 credit wager and in this embodiment the player receives one column of 3 symbol positions, and four columns of a single symbol position. It will be appreciated that the chance of the player winning the prize with this Figure 7 arrangement of symbols is far less than a chance of the player 10 winning a prize with the arrangement shown in figure 6, but the chance of winning the prizes proportional to the size of the wager made and thus the return to player percentage on both play of the machine should be substantially the same. In the particular example shown in figure 7, the player wins a bet of 2 credits on account of the fact that a pair of "10" symbols are shown in the first two columns of the 15 display. Where a player has elected not to wager on all of the possible combinations, as in the figure 7 example, rather than simply not show the non-selected symbol positions it would be possible to still show those positions, as face down cards, but not flip the cards over when the game is played. Alternatively the cards could be 20 flipped over to reveal the symbols, but the non-selected symbols could be dulled or otherwise marked to indicate that they are not in play. The player would then be able to assess what prize would have been won had all symbols been selected. The sequence in which cards are flipped or turned over can be varied. For example, all cards can be flipped simultaneously, rows can be flipped sequentially, 25 columns can be flipped sequentially, or cards can be flipped sequentially. Under specified trigger conditions the player may receive bonus or jackpot awards, or be awarded free games, or prize multipliers, or other additional awards. In the example shown in figure 8, a wild or special symbol has caused the prizes awarded by the machine to be multiplied by 3 and clearly, in known manner, a 30 wide variety of triggering events can be built into the set of symbols such that 17 when a triggering event appears in a symbol display position a bonus or jackpot is made available to the player. It will be appreciated that the selection of symbols, and the display of those symbols, is quite different from that of a reel type game. The most significant 5 difference is that the symbols are not linked together in a continuous loop with the random number generator defining which symbols in that loop will be displayed. Rather, the symbols in a set are each discrete, that is, independent of each other, and the game controller is able to vary that set of symbols between individual symbol selections, in accordance with the rules of the game. Thus, as described 10 above, the set of symbols is varied by removing from the set those symbols of the same type as a symbol previously selected. However, the symbols may be varied in different ways. The set may be varied, for example, by adding symbols to the set after a previous symbol has been selected. Thus, if a symbol was selected, rather than removing that symbol from the set, a 15 symbol of identical type could be added to the set, thereby by ensuring that the set of symbols for selection in any symbol position is identical. In addition, the set of symbols for each column may vary from column to column. Thus, a special symbol may be, for example, relatively frequent in say the first column, but relatively infrequent in the say the last column. This would then permit 20 a large range of prizes to be awarded for different outcomes on the machine. It is envisaged that the operation of the symbol selection could conveniently occur in the following manner. It will be appreciated that there will typically be a set of symbols from which symbols are to be selected for any column. There may, for example, be 50 symbols in the set, each symbol being allocated a number from 1 25 to 50. As previously mentioned, certain symbols will be more common than other symbols. For the symbols shown in figure 6, there may for example be twenty of the "8" symbols, ten of the "9" symbols, five of the "10" symbols and so on. Numbers 1 to 20 in the range of numbers to be allocated to those symbols would then be allocated to symbols "8". Numbers 21 to 30 would then be allocated to 30 symbol "9", and numbers 31 to 35 would be allocated to the symbol "10". Clearly, 18 the symbols including the special symbols, would be allocated the remaining numbers between 36 and 50 depending on the desired rarity of those symbols. When a game is played, the random number generator would then select randomly a number between 1 and 50 for the first symbol position. If the number 5 selected were say between 1 and 20, then the symbol "8" would be selected for the first symbol position. The game controller would then remove all of the remaining numbers 1 to 20 from the set of numbers so that for the second selection, the random number generator would only have numbers 21 to 50 to select for the second symbol position. Once that second symbol had been 10 selected, all numbers which corresponded to that second selected symbol would be removed from the set of numbers, so that when the lower most symbol was selected the random number generator would only have the remaining numbers in the set available to it for selection. In this way no duplicated symbols would appear in any column. 15 The removal of symbols from the set is required in order to ensure no duplicates occur in any column but of course the game need not be played in this way. If the game designer chooses to allow duplicate symbols to appear in a column then the removal of symbols of the same type from the set of symbols need not occur. Indeed, other changes to the set of symbols could be made between the symbol 20 selections such as, for example, adding in further symbols, altering certain symbols, or otherwise changing the set of symbols. It will be appreciated that, since the set of symbols is dynamic, the display of individual symbols is straightforward. That is, the game controller simply selects the required symbol and that symbol is individually displayed, and no animation of 25 a spinning reel need be shown. Also, by making the set of symbols dynamic, a set may be changed by externally applied trigger events, such as, say, a jackpot period defined by the casino during which special symbols are added to the set of symbols for additional prizes. By making the set of symbols dynamic and providing a manner for easily displaying 30 individual symbols, the possibilities for creating a wide variety of games and 19 awarding a wide variety of prizes, including jackpot and bonuses will be greatly enhanced. While the foregoing description has been provided by way of example of the preferred embodiments of the present invention as presently contemplated, which 5 utilise gaming apparatus and machines, those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that the present invention also may have application to internet gaming and/or have application to gaming over a telecommunications network, where handsets are used to display game outcomes and receive player inputs. Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers having 10 known equivalents, then those equivalents are hereby incorporated herein as if individually set forth. Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that modifications and additions to the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 15 It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. It will also be understood that the term "comprises" (or its grammatical variants) as 20 used in this specification is equivalent to the term "includes" and should not be taken as excluding the presence of other elements or features.

Claims

1. A method of gaming comprising: providing a plurality of symbol display positions arranged in a plurality of 5 columns on a display; selecting symbols from a set of symbols comprising a plurality of symbols according to a random selection process; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize if a winning combination of symbols is displayed, at io least one said winning combination of symbols comprising display of particular symbols across the plurality of columns; wherein at least one column comprises at least two display positions and for each column having two or more display positions the method comprises: selecting from an original set of symbols allocated to that column the is symbols for display in a first display position; sequentially selecting symbols for the other display positions in the column; and altering the set of symbols from which the subsequent symbols are selected after each selection by removing any symbols which belong to the 20 same family as the previously selected symbol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one said winning combination of symbols is defined by displaying a particular combination of symbols formed by taking the symbol selected for any one and only one display 25 position in each column.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, comprising providing at least two of the columns with a different number of display positions. 30

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising varying the number of display positions in a column that are active for defining a winning combination depending on the particular wager staked by the player. 35

5. A method of gaming comprising: providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 30/08/11 - 21 selecting symbols from a set of symbols comprising a plurality of symbols according to a random selection process; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize to a player when a winning combination of symbols is 5 displayed; selecting at least two of the symbols sequentially from a dynamic set of symbols; and changing or removing at least two symbols from the symbol set between at least two successive symbol selections depending on a characteristic of a io single symbol selected before the second of the two successive symbol selections.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of symbols comprises a subset of symbols consisting of symbols that would define a said winning combination if is displayed together in a predetermined arrangement of display positions, and wherein when said single symbol is a symbol from the subset of symbols the method comprises changing or removing the symbols that comprise the symbols in the same subset. 20

7. The method of claim 6, comprising providing the set of symbols with a plurality of said subsets of symbols and wherein when said single symbol is a symbol from one of the plurality subsets of symbols, the method comprises changing symbols that comprise the symbols in the same subset. 25

8. The method of claim 6 or claim 7, comprising changing the symbols that consist of the symbols in the same subset and not changing other symbols in the set of symbols between the sequential selection of symbols.

9. The method of any one of claims 5 to 7, comprising adding symbols to 30 the set of symbols between the sequential selections.

10. The method of any one of claims 5 to 7, comprising altering characteristics of symbols in the set between selections. 35

11. The method of any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the characteristic of said single symbol is its identity, and the method comprises changing the set of 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 30/08/11 - 22 symbols by removing all symbols of that identity from the set of symbols prior to the next symbol selection.

12. A method of gaming comprising: 5 providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; randomly selecting symbols from a set of symbols, at least some of the symbols in the set comprising members of a family of symbols; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; awarding a prize to a player if a winning combination of symbols is 10 displayed; sequentially selecting the symbols from a first symbol display position to a subsequent symbol display position; and for each selection after the first selection, altering the set of symbols from which each symbol is selected until said subsequent display position by 15 removing from the set all those symbols belonging to a particular family if a symbol from that family was selected in a previous selection.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising arranging the number of symbol display positions in a plurality of columns, and varying the number of display 20 positions in a column that are active for defining a winning combination depending on the particular wager staked by the player, such that the first symbol display position is the first position in the column and the subsequent symbol display position is the last symbol display position in the column. 25

14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13, comprising arranging the symbol display positions in an array of m columns by n rows, and selecting the symbols sequentially for the display positions in each column, the set of symbols for each column being at least substantially the same, and winning outcomes comprising the selection of the same symbol in adjacent columns. 30

15. A method of gaming comprising: providing a plurality of symbol display positions on a display; randomly selecting symbols; displaying the selected symbols in the display positions; 35 awarding a prize to a player if a winning combination of symbols is displayed; arranging the display positions in an array of m columns by n rows wherein m and n are greater than 1; 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU. 1 30/08/11 - 23 individually selecting the symbol for display in each display position from a set of symbols; arranging the set of symbols from which a symbol is selected for at least one of the display positions so as to differ from the set of symbols from which a 5 symbol is selected for another display position so that despite the individual selection of the symbol for each display position, it is either: not possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the columns and is possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the rows; or io not possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the rows and is possible to display a winning combination of symbols along any one of the columns.

16. A method of gaming substantially as hereinbefore described with 15 reference to the accompanying drawings. 2798391_1 (GHMatters) P87938.AU.1 30/08/11