JP2002172235A - Display pattern re-fluctuation system for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display pattern re-fluctuation system for a game machine arousing the interest of a player by improving the monotonousness of the re- fluctuation action of the game machine having the re-fluctuation function of the display patterns of a pattern display device. SOLUTION: When a game ball enters a start port 23 provided in a game region 20 on the game board 12 of the game machine 10, the fluctuation of the patterns displayed in the pattern display regions of the pattern display device 30 is controlled. When normal patterns become a bonanza at a temporary stop display, established patterns are stop-displayed after one or a plurality of re-fluctuations. The periods for re-fluctuations are selectively set to a plurality of different values. The promotion rate to specific patterns serving as a game condition advantageous to the player from the normal patterns is set to different values according to the time length of one re-fluctuation or the total time length of a plurality of continuous re-fluctuations.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gaming machine, and more particularly to a display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine having a symbol display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A game machine such as a pachinko machine is widely used as one of popular entertainment. Such a gaming machine drives a game ball into a game area of a game board and causes a plurality of winning ports, starting ports, and the like provided in the game area to win a game, which is well known to those skilled in the art. It is.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of a conventional game machine. A game machine 10 has a vertically long shape as a whole, and has a game board 12 at an upper part, an upper tray 14 at a lower part, and a lower tray 14 at a lower part. A lower tray 16 is provided. The game board 12 has a substantially circular game area 20.
Having. In the game area 20, a guide rail 21, a center case 22, a starting port 23, a special winning port 24, and the like are provided. In the center case 22, for example, a substantially rectangular design display device 30 formed by a color liquid crystal display panel is provided.
Is arranged. The upper tray 14 has a game ball reservoir, stores game balls lent or won by a player, and supplies the game balls to a game ball launching device (not shown) in the gaming machine 10. . On the other hand, the lower tray 16 stores excess game balls stored in the upper tray 14. In addition, a launch handle 18 for adjusting the launching intensity of the game ball from the above-described game ball launch device is provided.

A game ball, which is fired by the player at a speed corresponding to the rotation angle of the firing handle 18, is driven into a game area 20 of the game board 12 along a guide rail 21, and the game area is played.
The ball is repelled or sorted by a large number of nails, windmills, and the like provided in the inside 20 and flows down the game area 20 along a complicated path. When the game ball flowing down in the game area 20 wins the starting port 23, the variation of the display symbols such as characters, numbers, or symbols displayed in a plurality (for example, three) of the symbol display areas of the symbol display device 30. (Or scrolling) to display a big hit or miss. In the case of a big hit, the special winning opening 24 is opened for a predetermined time or until a predetermined number of game balls are won. When the large winning opening 24 is opened, most of the game balls flowing down the game area 20 win a prize, and a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out to a player from a prize ball payout device (not shown) inside the gaming machine 10. . On the other hand, in the case of a miss, the game ball is transferred to the outside of the machine from an out port provided at the lowermost portion of the game area 20.

The symbols displayed in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 are, for example, numbers "1" to "8". The symbol displayed in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 starts to change (scroll) when a winning of the game ball into the starting port 23 is triggered. After the change for a certain period of time, the speed becomes a speed at which the player can visually recognize the displayed symbol (hereinafter, referred to as temporary stop). At this time, the temporary stop symbols are “111”, “222”, “33”.
3 ",..., It is a big hit, and in other cases, it is off. Here, for example, an even number “2, 4, 6, 8”
, Ie, “222”, “444”, “66”
6 ”and“ 888 ”are referred to as“ normal symbols ”, and when odd numbers“ 1, 3, 5, 7 ”are aligned, ie,“ 111 ”,
The case of “333”, “555” and “777” is called “specific design”. In the case of a specific symbol, it is referred to as a probability variation (or probable variation) state in which the next time the gaming ball wins the starting port 23, the jackpot probability is set higher than that of the normal symbol.
This is a "symbol that is an advantageous game condition" for the player.

In recent gaming machines, the effect display in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 becomes sophisticated, and one or more "re-changes" are performed after the above-described temporary stop display. Has been generalized. That is, there is provided a re-variation function of re-changing the whole (big hit) symbol by temporary stop display once or a plurality of times, and finalizing (or final) stopping and displaying the symbol different from the first symbol. . By such a re-variation function, when a big hit in a normal symbol is given, an opportunity (or possibility) to change (promote) to a specific symbol which is an advantageous game condition is given.
This will further attract the player's interest in the symbol display device 30.

[0007]

However, even if the conventional game machine is re-changed a plurality of times, the re-change time is constant and the rate of promotion from the normal symbol to the specific symbol for each re-change is also high. It was constant. For this reason, the re-variation of the symbols with a uniform pattern was not changed easily in one pattern, and the ability to attract the interest of the player was insufficient.

The present invention has been conceived in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional gaming machine, and is intended to further enhance the interest of the player in the re-change of the symbol and to enhance the interest in the game. It is intended to provide a display symbol re-variation method for a machine.

The display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine of the present invention is

According to the present invention, a display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine according to the present invention includes a "special symbol" having a large awarded profit and a "normal pattern" having a small awarded gain as a big hit symbol. On the occasion of passing to the starting area, the fluctuation of the symbols displayed in the plurality of symbol display areas of the symbol display device is controlled, and the symbol is changed again after the temporary stop in the normal symbol,
The re-variation time is selected from a plurality of predetermined values.

According to a preferred embodiment of the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the present invention, the promotion rate from the normal symbol to the specific symbol is sequentially increased or decreased depending on the re-variation time. Let When the re-fluctuation time reaches a predetermined value, a normal symbol is promoted to a specific symbol. Further, the re-variation is continuously performed a plurality of times, and the above-described promotion rate is changed according to the total time of the plurality of re-variations.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The structure and operation of a preferred embodiment of a display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described below.
This will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a preferred embodiment of a display symbol re-variation method of a gaming machine according to the present invention, wherein (A) illustrates a specific symbol and a normal symbol, and (B) illustrates a re-variation time. It is a specific example of a promotion rate to a certain change (or a specific symbol). As shown in FIG. 1A and described above, when the symbol of the temporary stop display in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 is an odd number “1, 3, 5, 7”, the symbol is a specific symbol, and the probability variation State. On the other hand, the temporary stop display symbols are even numbers “2, 4, 6,
8 "is a normal symbol, and there is no probability fluctuation.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), the re-variation time is set to four stages of 0.5 second, 1 second, 3 seconds and 5 seconds. The selection of these re-variation times is performed, for example, by random selection at the time of temporary stop display. And the promotion rate to stochastic change for these four steps of change time is
Eg 10%, 30%, 60% and 100% respectively
Is set to In addition, the re-variation may be performed for both the temporary symbol and the specific symbol for the temporary stop display symbol,
In this specific embodiment, no re-variation is performed when the specific symbols are aligned. The reason is that, even if the symbol already arranged in the specific symbol is changed again and changed to another specific symbol, the profit to the player is unchanged, and the player does not pay attention.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, a specific example of the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 2A shows an operation timing chart in a case where the re-variation time is performed for one second and the promotion rate to a specific symbol is 30%, and FIG. 2B is a timing chart in each timing of FIG. 5 shows an example of a symbol displayed on a symbol display area of the symbol display device 30. FIG. At first, the game ball wins the starting port 23, and the displayed symbol fluctuates (scrolls). The display symbol during this time is shown in FIG.
As shown by three arrows (↓) at the left end of (B), the three symbols scroll at high speed, and the player cannot visually recognize the displayed symbols. After a predetermined time, for example, the temporary stop is performed at the normal symbol of the jackpot symbol “222” (see the second symbol from the left in FIG. 2B). Thereafter, the re-variation starts.
The re-fluctuation time is 1 second, and the promotion rate is 30%. During the re-fluctuation for one second, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), it fluctuates at a high speed similarly to the initial fluctuation state, and is indicated by an arrow.
After the re-fluctuation for one second, the normal symbol, for example, "444"
Is stopped and displayed (see the right end of FIG. 2B). In this example, the player was not promoted to the jackpot of the specific symbol expected by the player.

Next, FIGS. 3A and 3B show the above-mentioned FIGS. 2A and 2B when the re-variation time is 5 seconds and the promotion rate to the specific symbol is 100%. FIG. First, the display symbol fluctuates due to the winning (or re-fluctuation) of the game ball to the starting port 23, and after a certain period of time, the big hit symbol which is a normal symbol, for example, "222" is stopped and displayed. Thereafter, a re-variation for 5 seconds starts. At the end (after re-fluctuation for 5 seconds), a specific symbol, for example, “7”
77 is stopped and displayed (see the right end in FIG. 3B).
By this re-fluctuation, a probability fluctuation state, which is an advantageous gaming state expected by the player, is obtained. As described above, the promotion rate changes (for example, sequentially increases) according to the time of the re-change, so that the player pays attention to not only the number of re-changes but also the time of the re-change, and Can be varied.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine according to the present invention. FIG. 4A shows the operation timing, and FIG. 4B shows the display symbols in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 at each timing. First, the symbol display device is triggered by the winning of the game ball in the starting port 23.
The display symbols in the 30 symbol display areas change at high speed (scroll)
(See the left end in FIG. 4B). After the fluctuation for a certain period of time, a big hit symbol, which is a normal symbol, for example, “222” is temporarily stopped and displayed (see the second from the left in FIG. 4B).
Next, three re-fluctuations of 2 seconds, 0.5 seconds and 0.5 seconds are sequentially performed. The promotion rate to the specific symbol after these three re-variations is 60% corresponding to 3 seconds which is the total time of the three re-variations, and in this example, the specific symbol "7"
77 "is stopped and displayed. The number of re-fluctuations can be determined by lottery using random numbers or the like when the game ball wins the starting port 23.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the present invention. 5A shows the operation timing, and FIG. 5B shows the display symbols in the symbol display area of the symbol display device 30 at each timing. First, the symbol display device is triggered by the winning of the game ball in the starting port 23.
The display symbols in the 30 symbol display areas change at high speed (scroll)
(See the left end in FIG. 5B). After a certain period of fluctuation, a big hit symbol, for example, “222”, which is a normal symbol, is temporarily stopped and displayed (see the second from the left in FIG. 5B).
Next, 3 seconds of 0.5 seconds, 0.25 seconds and 0.25 seconds
Re-variations are performed sequentially. The promotion rate to the specific symbol after these three re-variations is 30% corresponding to one second which is the total time of the three re-variations, and in this example, the specific symbol “222” is stopped and displayed. You. The number of re-fluctuations can be determined by lottery using random numbers or the like when the gaming ball has won the starting port 23.

As described above, in the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, promotion to a specific symbol is performed not by one re-fluctuation time but by a total time of a plurality of re-fluctuation times. Determine the rate. A temporary stop time is provided for each re-variation. This confirmation display symbol "777"
Alternatively, based on “222”, the gaming machine 10 opens the special winning opening 24 to make the gaming state advantageous to the player. Then, because of the probability fluctuation state, the jackpot probability when the game ball next wins the starting port 23 is set higher than that in the normal state.

The configuration and operation of the preferred embodiment of the display symbol re-variation system of the gaming machine according to the present invention have been described above.
However, such an embodiment is merely an example of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any way. Various modifications and alterations are possible in accordance with the specific application without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the re-fluctuation time is not limited to the above-described 0.5 to 5 seconds, and is not limited to the four types of re-fluctuation time. Further, the promotion rate is not limited to being sequentially increased according to the re-change time, but may be decreased sequentially, or may be selected so as to be promoted to a specific symbol at a specific re-change time. Also, the symbol display device 30
The symbols displayed in the symbol display area of "1" to "1"
Not limited to “8”, for example, “1” to “1”
2 "or" 1 "to" 15 ". Also,
It is a matter of course that the present invention is not limited to numbers, but may be letters or symbols.

[0020]

As will be understood from the above description, the following remarkable practical effects can be obtained according to the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine of the present invention. That is, by switching and selecting a plurality of re-fluctuation times, it is possible to change the re-fluctuation operation, which has been monotonous in the past.
Further, it is possible to attract the interest of the player by associating the re-change time with the promotion rate to the specific symbol. Further, the promotion rate to the specific symbol can be determined according to the time of each re-change or the total time of a plurality of successive re-changes, so that further change can be given.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a display symbol re-variation method of a gaming machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a first specific example of the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the present invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a second specific example of the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of a display symbol re-variation method of a gaming machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of a display symbol re-variation method of a gaming machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a typical gaming machine to which the display symbol re-variation method according to the present invention can be applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Gaming machine 12 Gaming board 14 Upper tray 16 Pan 20 Game area 22 Center case 23 Starting port 24 Big winning opening 30 Symbol display

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A symbol display device comprising a "special symbol" having a large awarded profit and a "normal symbol" having a small awarded profit as a jackpot symbol, and a plurality of symbol display areas of the symbol display device when the game ball passes through a starting area. In the display symbol re-variation method of the gaming machine to control the fluctuation of the symbol displayed in the normal symbol, and to re-follow the temporary stop after the temporary stop, characterized in that the re-fluctuation time is selected from a plurality of predetermined values Display symbol re-variation method for gaming machines. 2. The display symbol re-variation method of a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein a promotion rate from the normal symbol to a specific symbol is changed according to the time of the re-variation. 3. The display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the promotion rate is sequentially increased in accordance with the re-fluctuation time. 4. The display symbol re-variation method for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the promotion rate is sequentially reduced according to the re-fluctuation time. 5. The display symbol of a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the normal symbol is promoted to the specific symbol when the re-change time reaches a predetermined specific value. Re-fluctuation method. 6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the re-variation is continuously performed a plurality of times, and the promotion rate is changed according to a total time of the plurality of re-variations. Display symbol re-variation method.