EP1489568A2 - Machines de divertissement - Google Patents

Machines de divertissement Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1489568A2
EP1489568A2 EP04253618A EP04253618A EP1489568A2 EP 1489568 A2 EP1489568 A2 EP 1489568A2 EP 04253618 A EP04253618 A EP 04253618A EP 04253618 A EP04253618 A EP 04253618A EP 1489568 A2 EP1489568 A2 EP 1489568A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
machine
game
play
display
duration
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04253618A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1489568A3 (fr
Inventor
Ian Murray
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
IGT UK Ltd
Original Assignee
IGT UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by IGT UK Ltd filed Critical IGT UK Ltd
Publication of EP1489568A2 publication Critical patent/EP1489568A2/fr
Publication of EP1489568A3 publication Critical patent/EP1489568A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G07F17/326—Game play aspects of gaming systems
    • G07F17/3267—Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
    • G07F17/34—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Definitions

  • This invention relates to coin-operated player-operable entertainment machines of the kind having a main display device which in play of a game operates to display a selected combination of symbols.
  • coin is intended also to cover notes, tokens, charge or credit cards or any other means of supplying credit or monetary value.
  • Entertainment machines of the above kind which are gaming or amusement machines, such as 'fruit machines' or 'poker machines' or 'slot machines' typically have three or four reels with symbols around their peripheries.
  • the reels rotate behind a window and then come to rest each displaying one or more selected symbols through the window on one or more win lines.
  • An award is made available to the player in the event that a predetermined winning combination of symbols is displayed on the (or one) win line.
  • An object of the present invention is to enable game play to be prolonged without necessarily unduly detracting from entertainment value or machine revenue.
  • a coin-operated player-operable entertainment machine having a main symbol display device, the machine being operable for play of a game, after actuation by a stake for that game, in which the main display device has a display procedure comprising a changing display of symbols followed by a static display of a selected combination of such symbols, and wherein said game has a predetermined minimum duration, characterised in that the main display device is arranged to provide multiple successive said display procedures in said predetermined minimum game duration.
  • the player can be presented with a prolonged period of game play, determined by the predetermined minimum game duration, without undue detraction from entertainment value in so far as the game involves multiple operations of the main display device, rather than a single such operation.
  • the stake value can be set at 2 units thereby to provide a stake revenue comparable with that of a conventional machine with which game play involves a single display procedure of the main display device with game duration averaging 1.5 seconds for a stake value of 1 unit.
  • Game play may involve two successive display procedures. However, if desired there may be more than two such procedures.
  • Game play may also include one or more other features, such as operation of player controls, such as 'nudge' or 'hold' buttons to seek to influence symbol selection and/or such as transfer to supplementary play features such as a supplementary feature game, a gamble play or the like. Duration of play of any such features may be incorporated in normal game-play duration or may act to prolong such duration.
  • Play preferably progresses automatically from each said display procedure to the next successive such procedure. This may occur after a random or machine-controlled period of time. It is however also possible to arrange for progression of play to be initiated by operation of a player control.
  • this may be achieved by automatic machine control of the duration of one or more of the said display procedures and/or of game play periods between or after such procedures.
  • the main display device may be of any suitable kind.
  • it comprises a plurality of side-by-side rotatable symbol-bearing reels which may be actual mechanical reels or video-simulated such reels.
  • the static combinations of symbols may be selected on any suitable random, pseudo random or other basis.
  • the machine also includes a win assessment device which provides a win indication in the event that a selected symbol combination is of a predetermined winning nature. This may be applied separately in the same way to each display procedure e.g. so that wins can be repeated and accumulated. Alternatively, win assessment may be applied differently to different display procedures. In particular win assessment may be influenced by the overall outcomes of the respective display procedures such that for example accumulated wins for all procedures do not exceed a predetermined maximum game win. Thus, for example, where a maximum 'jackpot' win is attained in a first display procedure, the machine may prevent attainment of any further win in the (or each) subsequent procedure in the same game. In that case, subsequent display procedures may occur without possibility of any winning outcome, or may be omitted and substituted by another procedure, such as flashing lights and sounds, to signal the maximum win and also to take up any remaining part of the predetermined minimum duration.
  • a win assessment device which provides a win indication in the event that a selected symbol combination is of a predetermined winning nature. This may be applied separately
  • a winning outcome may result in a coin payout being made available to the player, or any other suitable prize or award.
  • FIG. 1 this shows a gaming machine having a housing 1 with upper and lower front panels 2, 3, operating buttons 4, a coin slot 5, a payout opening 6, and an alphanumeric digital display device 7.
  • Each reel 8 has a predetermined sequence of say 20 or 24 symbols selected from a plurality of different kinds of symbols marked at equally spaced positions around its periphery. The peripheries of the reels 8 can be viewed through a window 10 in the lower panel 3.
  • the stepper motors 9 are connected within the housing to a microprocessor based control unit 11 as also are a coin mechanism 12 a payout mechanism, the operating buttons 4 and the digital display device 7.
  • the player inserts coins into the coin mechanism 12 through the coin slot 5 sufficient to generate credit for play of one or more games i.e. equal to, or a multiple of, a predetermined stake value (say 2 credits). Total credit value is indicated on the digital display 7.
  • the player now initiates play of a game by pressing a start button 4 and this causes the game stake value (e.g. 2 credits) to be debited from the total credit value shown on the display 7.
  • game stake value e.g. 2 credits
  • stepper motors 9 are now actuated by the control unit 11 to cause the side-by-side reels 8 to rotate about their common horizontal axis so that the symbols on their peripheries are seen moving behind the window 10.
  • the reels 8 then come to rest after different periods of time so that each reel 8 shows one symbol on a central horizontal win line and two further symbols respectively above and below this win line in the window 10.
  • the resulting static display of symbols is assessed by the control unit 11 and a win indication is produced in the event that a predetermined combination of the displayed symbols (e.g. on the win line) is of a predetermined winning nature.
  • the static display is derived in correspondence with random selection of symbol data from sequences of such data stored in memory of the control unit 11, and win assessment is applied to such randomly selected data.
  • the procedure described is repeated automatically within the same game i.e. without requiring any action on behalf of the player and without causing any further stake value to be debited from the credited value shown on the digital display 7.
  • the procedure may only be repeated after the player has pressed the start button 4. Either way, the reels 8 again rotate and come to rest to produce a fresh static display of symbols in the window 10 which is again win-assessed.
  • Game play may then terminate.
  • a corresponding monetary award may be made available to the player and added to the accumulated credit value shown on the display 7.
  • the second procedure may then be omitted and instead flashing lights and sounds may be actuated to signal to the player that a jackpot award has been attained.
  • Credited value shown on the display 7 can be paid out as coins to the player through the opening 6 by operation of a player control button 4.
  • the stake value for play of a game results in two symbol selection procedures (i.e. two rotations of the reels 8), or in the case of a jackpot win: one rotation of the reels 8 followed by a procedure of flashing lights and sounds.
  • the duration of game play can be prolonged whilst ensuring good entertainment value to the player.
  • the game with the machine described above may have a duration of at least 3 seconds and during that game provides the player with two successive procedures.
  • the reels 8 may be set in rotation simultaneously and then may be brought to rest in sequence, after successively longer periods of rotation from left to right.
  • the periods of rotation may be determined randomly, or pseudo randomly as a variation on a predetermined period of time for each reel 8.
  • a minimum overall period for the game is set at a predetermined level of say 3 seconds. This may be achieved in any suitable manner e.g. by ensuring that the last-to stop reel 8 only stops when the overall duration of rotation for each procedure has reached or exceeded say 11 ⁇ 2 seconds. Other arrangements are also possible e.g. by controlling only the minimum duration of rotation in the second procedure, or by controlling duration of periods in the game between the two symbol section procedures, or after the second procedure or otherwise.
  • game play duration is increased from approximately 11 ⁇ 2 to at least 3 seconds without necessarily detracting from machine revenue.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Slot Machines And Peripheral Devices (AREA)
  • Display Devices Of Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
EP04253618A 2003-06-21 2004-06-17 Machines de divertissement Withdrawn EP1489568A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0314544A GB2404070A (en) 2003-06-21 2003-06-21 Entertainment machine with multiple play
GB0314544 2003-06-21

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1489568A2 true EP1489568A2 (fr) 2004-12-22
EP1489568A3 EP1489568A3 (fr) 2005-08-03

Family

ID=27637113

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04253618A Withdrawn EP1489568A3 (fr) 2003-06-21 2004-06-17 Machines de divertissement

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1489568A3 (fr)
GB (1) GB2404070A (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8616960B2 (en) 2008-06-25 2013-12-31 Aristocrat Technologies Austrailia PTY Limited Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2170937A (en) * 1985-01-24 1986-08-13 Thomas Limited Arthur Edward Gaming machines
DE4135915A1 (de) * 1991-10-31 1993-05-06 Adp-Automaten Gmbh, 4992 Espelkamp, De Verfahren zum einstellen von nachstartpositionen stillgesetzter umlaufkoerper einer symbol-spieleinrichtung eines muenzbetaetigten unterhaltungsautomaten
DE19520309A1 (de) * 1995-06-02 1996-12-05 Nsm Ag Verfahren zum Betreiben eines münzbetätigten Unterhaltungsgerätes und Unterhaltungsgerät zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
JP2001259213A (ja) * 2000-03-17 2001-09-25 Namco Ltd ゲーム装置および情報記憶媒体

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2183381B (en) * 1984-12-08 1988-07-20 Elton Fabrications Improvements relating to amusement arcade machines
GB2180682B (en) * 1985-08-08 1989-08-23 Ace Coin Equip Amusement with prizes machine
GB2211975A (en) * 1987-11-03 1989-07-12 Stuart James Mcarthur Gaming machine and method of operating such a machine

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2170937A (en) * 1985-01-24 1986-08-13 Thomas Limited Arthur Edward Gaming machines
DE4135915A1 (de) * 1991-10-31 1993-05-06 Adp-Automaten Gmbh, 4992 Espelkamp, De Verfahren zum einstellen von nachstartpositionen stillgesetzter umlaufkoerper einer symbol-spieleinrichtung eines muenzbetaetigten unterhaltungsautomaten
DE19520309A1 (de) * 1995-06-02 1996-12-05 Nsm Ag Verfahren zum Betreiben eines münzbetätigten Unterhaltungsgerätes und Unterhaltungsgerät zur Durchführung des Verfahrens
JP2001259213A (ja) * 2000-03-17 2001-09-25 Namco Ltd ゲーム装置および情報記憶媒体

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 26, 1 July 2002 (2002-07-01) & JP 2001 259213 A (NAMCO LTD), 25 September 2001 (2001-09-25) *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8616960B2 (en) 2008-06-25 2013-12-31 Aristocrat Technologies Austrailia PTY Limited Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1489568A3 (fr) 2005-08-03
GB2404070A (en) 2005-01-19
GB0314544D0 (en) 2003-07-30

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