JP2005296109A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine that improves the interesting property of a game by putting on a varied performance. <P>SOLUTION: In the game machine, a reel stop control section 106c controls the stop action of rotating reels in accordance with a stop control pattern, and a pattern selection section 106b selects a stop control pattern of reels from a control pattern table 106a at the time when lot drawing of a combination lot drawing means results in a prescribed combination. A sub control board 60 determines notice information to notify a player of specific patterns that are likely to be stopped by the stop control of the reel stop control section 106c based on a stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection section 106 and information concerning the stop position of the patterns, and displays a performance image corresponding to notice information determined on a display means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine having a plurality of reels on which a plurality of types of symbols are displayed.

  In a conventional slot machine, when a special role is won in a lottery of a normal game and the combination of special characters stops on the active line, that is, on the condition that the special role is won, it is changed from a normal game to a special game. I am migrating. The special game is a game that has a larger expected medal number than the normal game and is advantageous to the player.

  For example, as a special game, a BB (Big Bonus) game, an RB (Regular Bonus) game, and the like are known, and BB and RB, which are special roles, are elected and won to shift to those special games. . In addition, the slot machine performs various effects that increase the expectation of the special role so that the player can enjoy the game more. For example, there has been disclosed a production technique in which a profit specific to a specific game changes during a specific game, giving a player a sense of expectation and tension, and a difference in the number of medals obtained among the players ( For example, see Patent Document 1.)

  As described above, in order to improve the game preference in the slot machine, there is a demand for a variety of effects indicating a special role or a transition to a specific game.

JP 2002-315873 A

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can improve the taste of a game by performing various effects.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine that produces an effect that allows a player to demonstrate his / her gaming skill.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. In the gaming machine according to the present invention, display means for displaying various effect images, role lottery means for lottery drawing, and a plurality of types of symbols are provided. A plurality of displayed reels, a reel stop control means for controlling a stop operation of the rotating reel according to the stop control pattern, and a reel stop control pattern when a predetermined lottery result is obtained by the lottery means lottery A pattern storage means for storing a plurality of patterns, a pattern selection means for selecting a reel stop control pattern from the pattern storage means when a predetermined lottery result is obtained by the lottery of the role lottery means, and a pattern selection means selected by the pattern selection means Information regarding the specific symbol that may be stopped by the stop control of the reel stop control means based on the stop control pattern and the stop position of the symbol Notification information determining means for determining notification information for notifying the technician, and notification information display control means for controlling the display means to display an effect image corresponding to the notification information determined by the notification information determining means It is characterized by doing.

  Thus, by notifying the player of the outcome (information regarding the specific symbol and the stop position of the symbol), the player can enjoy the announcement so that the announced outcome is achieved. In addition, by associating the effect of performing the above-mentioned announcement with the shift to the special game, the player can increase the expectation for the shift to the special game while enjoying the aim. Furthermore, it is possible to provide an effect that allows the player to demonstrate his / her own gaming skill (working skill). Moreover, the game preference can be improved by performing such a variety of effects. Note that the pushing means that the player performs an operation to stop the reel at the timing when the specific symbol on the rotating reel is at a specific position.

In one embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention, the notification information display control means is a specific symbol that can be controlled to stop according to the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection means. It is controlled to display on the display means an effect image that notifies the player of the stop position of the symbol and the first symbol.
Thus, when the reel stop means performs the reel stop control based on the stop control pattern, it is possible to notify the player of an appropriate outcome that can be pushed.

In one embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention, the reel stop means is a specific symbol that cannot be controlled to stop according to the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection means in the notification information display control means. When it is possible to control the display means to display an effect image informing the player of the stop position of the symbols and the second symbol, the stop positions of the first symbol and the first symbol, The notification information display control means further includes a notification instruction determination means for determining a notification instruction for instructing to the notification information display control means which of the symbols and the second symbol stop position is to be notified to the player. According to the notification instruction determined by the notification instruction determining means, the display means is controlled to display an effect image for notifying the player of the specific symbol and the stop position of the specific symbol.
As a result, in addition to the announcement of the outcome that can be pushed to the player, the announcement of the outcome that cannot be pushed can be performed, so that a more diverse production can be performed, and the game's preference Can be improved.

In one embodiment of the gaming machine according to the present invention, the notification information display control means displays on the display means an effect image that notifies the player of a specific symbol and a stop position of the specific symbol in succession for a plurality of games. It controls to do.
As a result, since the specific symbol to be notified to the player and the stop position of the specific symbol can be changed for each game, it is possible to perform more diverse effects and improve the game preference. it can.

Further, in one aspect example of the gaming machine according to the present invention, the notification instruction determining unit displays an effect image in which the notification information display control unit notifies the player of a specific symbol and a stop position of the specific symbol continuously in a plurality of games. When controlling to display on the display means, a notification instruction is determined for each of a plurality of games.
As a result, in a series of games in which a plurality of games continue, it is possible to combine a case where an announcement of an outcome that can be pushed to the player and a case of an announcement that cannot be pushed to the player can be combined. It is possible to perform a characteristic performance and improve the game preference.

Further, in one aspect of the gaming machine according to the present invention, stop means provided corresponding to a plurality of the reels and operated by the player to stop the rotation of each reel, and the display displayed by the display means The effect indicating the stop position of the symbol and the specific symbol is an effect for prompting the player to operate the stop means at the timing when the specific symbol indicated by the effect becomes the stop position indicated by the effect. Further, it is characterized by further comprising presentation means for performing the production in association with the transition to the special game.
As a result, in the event that the player can keep up with the outcome announced to the player, the player can have a sense of expectation that may shift to a special game and improve the game's preference. it can.

  In the gaming machine according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the game preference by improving the variety of effects. Furthermore, an effect is provided that it is possible to provide an effect in which the player can demonstrate his / her gaming skill.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
First, an external configuration of a slot machine (game machine) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
(Slot machine 10)
A front panel 40 having a display function is provided on the front surface of the housing of the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment, and one transparent display window 21 is provided on the front panel 40. The front panel 40 having a display function is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays images for various effects and information necessary for games. Further, in the front panel 40, the display window 21 is not provided with a liquid crystal for displaying an image, a member constituting the liquid crystal (such as a polarizing plate), or a circuit for controlling the liquid crystal, and remains transparent. (That is, a region where an image cannot be physically displayed).

  On the other hand, three reel (rotating drum) groups 31 are arranged inside the housing and behind the display window 21. A left reel 31L, a middle reel 31C, and a right reel 31R are arranged from the left as viewed from the player. In the following description, the reel group 31 indicates the three reels described above. Each of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R is a ring-shaped body, and a reel tape on which a plurality of winning symbols (designs constituting a winning combination) as shown in FIG. For example, 21 types of symbols are arranged at equal intervals on one reel. However, the symbol arrangement differs for each reel, and symbol numbers 0 to 20 are assigned to the symbols. From the inside of the display window 21, three symbols (circles shown on the reel group 31 in FIG. 1) that are continuous in the vertical direction of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R can be seen.

  A stepping motor (not shown) is connected to the center of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, and the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are rotated by driving the stepping motor. Therefore, from the standpoint of the player, the symbols of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R appear to move up and down within the display window 21. Further, a back lamp (not shown) is provided inside the reels 31L, 31C and 31R. Three back lamps are arranged for each reel, and are arranged inside the reels 31L, 31C and 31R so as to correspond to each of nine symbols in total that can be seen from the display window 21 when the reels are stopped. ing. The reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are made of a light-transmitting material, and are configured so that the symbols attached to the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are illuminated when the back lamp is turned on.

  A dotted line on the display window 21 of the front panel 40 indicates an effective line group 22 including effective lines 22a, 22b, and 22c. The effective line group 22 includes a horizontal effective line 22a in the horizontal direction, two effective lines 22b in the upper and lower horizontal directions, and two effective lines 22c in the diagonally downward and leftward directions. ing. The symbols attached to the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are spaced so that all nine symbols visible from the display window 21 are positioned on these effective line groups 22 when the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are stopped. Is arranged in.

  A medal insertion slot 23 is provided on the lower right side of the front panel 40. When a player inserts a medal from here, one of the effective lines 22a, 22b, and 22c, or one of the effective lines 22a, 22b, and 22c is selected. 5 lines are activated. When the number of inserted medals is one, one effective line 22a is effective. When two medals are inserted, three horizontal effective lines 22a and 22b are effective. In total, the five effective lines 22a to 22c including the two effective lines 22c become effective. This control is performed by a later-described main CPU (central processing unit) 51 (see FIG. 2). For example, when three medals are inserted, if a combination of specific symbols is stopped on at least one effective line 22a to 22c when the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, the combination depends on the combination. I won the winning role.

  In addition, various operation switches that are operated by the player to advance the game are provided on the front surface of the housing. For example, in this embodiment, a start switch 41, a stop switch group 42, and a bet switch group 43 are provided. Further, a speaker 71 is provided below the front panel 40 (in the vicinity of the medal payout opening).

  The start switch 41 is a switch, for example, a lever, that is operated by the player when starting the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. The stop switch group 42 includes a left stop switch 42L that is operated when stopping the left reel 31L, a middle stop switch 42C that is operated when stopping the middle reel 31C, and a right stop that is operated when stopping the right reel 31R. Switch 42R. These stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R are juxtaposed as buttons, for example.

  The bet switch group 43 is a switch group for designating the number of bets (the number of bets) when a player inserts a medal in a credit. The bet switch group 43 includes a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a and a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b. It is configured. These bet switches 43a and 43b are also arranged as buttons, for example. Each time the 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a is operated, the bet number is switched between 1 and 2, and when the MAX bet switch 43b is operated, the bet number becomes 3.

  In the slot machine 10, in the normal game, when the player inserts a medal from the medal insertion slot 23 or operates the bet switch group 43, the effective lines 22a to 22c are activated according to the number of bets. Further, when the player operates the start switch 41, a lottery for a combination is performed and the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R start to rotate. When the player operates the stop switches 42L, 42C and 42R, the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R stops according to the operated button, and the activated effective line group 22 (hereinafter simply referred to as effective line). When a combination of symbols arranged in the upper line matches a predetermined combination of symbols of a combination, a prize is awarded, and medals are paid out according to the winning combination. However, when the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R is stopped, control based on the result of the winning lottery is performed.

  Further, during the game (game), various effects such as lighting of the back lamp, image display using the front panel 40, output of sound from the speaker 71, and the like are performed. Further, as such an effect, a notification effect of the possibility of winning a role may be performed.

Next, a system configuration such as an internal configuration of the slot machine 10 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the slot machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Inside the casing of the slot machine 10, a main control board 50, a sub control board 60, a reel board 11, a central display board 12, and a power supply board 13 connected to the main control board 50 are arranged. Here, the main control board 50 controls the reel board 11, the central display board 12, and the power supply board 13 to perform game control (operation control during the game) of the slot machine 10. The effect control (control of effect display, sound, etc.) according to the game control of the control board 50 is performed.

(Main control board 50)
The main control board 50 is provided with a main CPU 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, and an interface circuit (I / F circuit) 54, which are connected to each other via a bus 55. Has been.

  The main CPU 51 reads (fetches), interprets (decodes), and executes instructions constituting the program. The main CPU 51 reads out programs, data, and the like stored in the ROM 52, and controls the entire slot machine 10 based on these.

  In the ROM 52, the main CPU 51 stores programs and data necessary for processing shown in FIGS. 11-1 to 11-3, which will be described later, and other game controls. The RAM 53 is used when the main CPU 51 performs various controls, and temporarily stores data and the like.

  The I / F circuit 54 performs timing control and the like when signals are transmitted and received between the main control board 50, the sub control board 60, the reel board 11, the central display board 12, and the power supply board 13. . However, transmission of signals from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60 is performed between the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60, but transmission of signals from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50 is not performed. Not done.

(Sub-control board 60)
The sub control board 60 is provided with a sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, image control processor 64, image data ROM 65, video RAM 66, tone generator circuit 67, amplifier 68 and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 69. The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, image control processor 64, sound source circuit 67 and I / F circuit 69 are connected to each other via a bus 70. The image data ROM 65 and the video RAM 66 are connected to the image control processor 64, and the amplifier 68 is connected to the sound source circuit 67.

  The sub CPU 61 reads (fetches), interprets (decodes), and executes instructions constituting the program. Then, the sub CPU 61 reads a program, data, and the like stored in the ROM 62, and controls the sub control board 60 as a whole, particularly controls the effects for the player. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the sub CPU 61.

  The ROM 62 stores a program, data, and the like necessary for processing shown in FIGS. 12-1 and 12-2, which will be described later, and other effects during the game. The RAM 63 is used when the sub CPU 61 performs various controls, and temporarily stores data and the like.

  The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, and RAM 63 have the same functions as the main CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53 provided on the main control board 50, respectively. The ROM 62 and RAM 63 may be of the same standard as the ROM 52 and RAM 53, respectively, but those having a larger storage capacity may be used.

  The front panel 40 described above is connected to the image control processor 64. The image data ROM 65 stores image data such as characters, characters and backgrounds displayed on the front panel 40. The video RAM 66 is used when the image control processor 64 creates an image to be displayed on the front panel 40, and image data to be displayed is developed in the video RAM 66 based on data read from the image data ROM 65. .

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a speaker 71, the above-described back lamp, and the like are provided in addition to the front panel 40 as a production peripheral device. The speaker 71 is connected to the amplifier 68. These effect peripheral devices output effects during the game (such as a notification effect of the possibility of winning a role), and are connected only to the sub-control board 60 and connected to the main control board 50. Not.

  The I / F circuit 69 performs timing control and the like when receiving a signal from the main control board 50. As described above, the signal is transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60, but the signal is not transmitted from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50. That is, only one-way transmission is possible.

(Reel board 11)
A stepping motor (not shown) for driving the left reel 31L, the middle reel 31C, and the right reel 31R is connected to the reel substrate 11. Control of the operations of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R is performed by an instruction from the main CPU 51 via the reel substrate 11.

(Central display board 12)
The central display board 12 is attached to the central part on the back side of the front panel 40, for example. The central display board 12 includes a selector 81, a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a, a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b, a start switch (lever) 41, a left stop switch (button) 42L, and a middle stop switch (button) 42C. A right stop switch (button) 42R, a setting display section 82, and a setting change switch 83 are connected.

  The selector 81 identifies whether or not the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 23 is a regular one, and removes an illegal medal. The setting display unit 82 is arranged so as to be seen from the back side of the front door, and displays settings related to the lottery and payout (for example, settings 1 to 6). The setting change switch 83 is a switch operated when changing a lottery combination or a setting related to payout. The other components connected to the central display substrate 12 in FIG. 2 are the same as those having the same reference numerals shown in FIG.

(Power supply board 13)
A setting change enabling switch 91, a power switch 92, a hopper device 93, and a power device 94 are connected to the power device board 13. The setting change enable switch 91 is a switch that is operated when a setting change using the setting change switch 83 is enabled. That is, the setting change using the setting change switch 83 can be performed only when the setting change enable switch 91 is in the ON state. The power switch 92 is a switch for switching on / off the power supply device 94. The hopper device 93 is a device for storing and paying out medals, and pays out a predetermined number of medals from the stored medals to the player based on an instruction from the main CPU 51 via the power supply device board 13. .

Next, a functional configuration of the slot machine 10 in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the slot machine 10 shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, for example, the following units 101, 103, 106, 107, 108, 109, and 110 are configured from programs of the main CPU 51 and the ROM 52. Further, the following flag information storage unit 105 is provided in the RAM 53, for example, and data of the following lottery table 102 is stored in the ROM 52, for example.

  The control unit 101 controls the operations of a role lottery unit 103, a reel control unit 106, a winning determination unit 107, and the like, which will be described later, according to signals from the start switch 41, the selector 81, and the stop switch group 42. The control unit 101 also controls the timing at which the player can operate the start switch 41 and the stop switch group 42, the timing at which coins can be inserted, and the like.

  The lottery table 102 is a table in which a winning combination is associated with a random value that determines a winning probability of each winning combination (special winning combination, small winning combination, replay winning combination, etc.) in the slot machine 10. That is, the greater the number of random numbers assigned to each combination, the higher the winning probability (probability of being selected by the combination lottery unit 103 described later). The lottery table 102 is used for lottery processing of the role lottery unit 103 described later. The lottery table 102 is data stored in the ROM 52, for example.

Here, a specific example of the lottery combination included in the lottery table 102 will be described.
The lottery table 102 includes, for example, six types of lottery and loss areas, such as a big bonus (BB), regular bonus (RB), cherry, bell, watermelon, and replay. Here, BB and RB are special roles, and when winning a prize, a predetermined number of medals are paid out and the game is shifted to a big bonus game or a regular bonus game. Cherry, bell, and watermelon are collectively called small roles.

  Further, the difference in the size of the area occupied by each lottery combination in the lottery table 102 is the difference in winning probability. For example, the winning probability of BB and RB is lower than that of the small role, and the number of assigned random numbers is smaller than that of the small role. The slot machine 10 performs stop control of the reel group 31 according to the lottery winning combination, and determines a winning combination based on the arrangement of symbols of the reel group 31 stopped on the active line. At this time, the winning combination is a combination corresponding to the winning combination. When it is determined that the winning is made here, the slot machine 10 pays out a medal for a payout or a predetermined game (BB game, RB game, etc.) according to the winning combination (hereinafter referred to as winning combination). Perform migration.

  Next, the relationship between the symbol combination on the effective line at the time of winning and the winning combination will be described. BB is a first special combination, for example, a combination that wins when three specific symbols “red 7” of the reel group 31 are arranged on the active line. This specific symbol “red 7” is a symbol to which the symbol A1 in FIG. 13 is assigned. When this BB wins, for example, 15 medals are paid out and a shift to the big bonus game is performed. RB is a second special combination, for example, a combination that is awarded when three specific symbols “BAR” of the reel group 31 are arranged on the active line. When this RB wins, for example, 12 medals are paid out and a transition to a regular bonus game is performed.

  The bell is a small role, for example, a winning combination when three specific symbols “bell” of the reel group 31 are arranged on the active line. When this bell wins, for example, 12 medals are paid out. The watermelon is a small role, for example, a winning combination when three specific symbols “watermelon” of the reel group 31 are arranged on the effective line. When this watermelon wins, for example, 10 medals are paid out. The cherry is a small role. For example, when the specific symbol “cherry” of the reel group 31 stops on the effective line of the left reel 31L on the effective line, the cherry on the effective line of the other middle reel 31C and the right reel 31R. Any design is a winning role. When this cherry wins, two medals are paid out.

  In addition, the replay is a re-playing role, for example, a winning role when three specific symbols “replay” of the reel group 31 are arranged on the active line. When this replay wins, a replay is performed. Or, “losing” is a lottery area where no special combination, small combination, or replay combination is won.

  Next, the description returns to the functional blocks in the main control board 50 shown in FIG. The role lottery section 103 performs a lottery of roles based on the lottery table 102 described above. Specifically, the role lottery unit 103 generates, for example, random numbers in a predetermined area (0 to 65535 in decimal notation), and acquires one random value at a timing according to the timing control of the control unit 101. Then, the combination lottery unit 103 compares the acquired random number value with the lottery table 102 to determine an area to which the random value belongs, and determines a combination corresponding to the area to which the random value belongs. For example, when the acquired random number value belongs to the special combination winning area, it is determined that the special combination is won, and when it belongs to the non-winning area, it is determined to be lost. When any winning combination is won, the winning flag for the winning combination is turned on. The on / off status of the winning flag is stored in a flag information storage unit 105 described later. The combination lottery unit 103 also has a function of transmitting winning combination information related to winning combination to the sub-control board 60.

  The flag information storage unit 105 stores the type of the winning combination and the fact that the flag is turned on when a flag for any combination is turned on by the combination lottery unit 103. In addition, the flag information storage unit 105 has a function of storing the number of times that a special role can be won. The number of times that the special role can be won is a number determined based on the number of BB stocks, that is, the number of times that the special role has already been won. ). The flag information storage unit 105 is provided in the RAM 53, for example.

  The reel control unit 106 controls the start and stop of rotation of the reel group 31 (reels 31L, 31C, and 31R). More specifically, the reel control unit 106 includes a gaming state (for example, a normal gaming state, a special gaming state, etc.), a result of lottery by the combination lottery unit 103, and a stop switch group 42 (stop switches 42L, 42C and 42R). The stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are determined based on the operation timing, and the driving of the stepping motor is controlled to stop the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R at the determined positions.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example for realizing the stop control function of the reel group 31 in the reel control unit 106 illustrated in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 4, the reel control unit 106 performs stop control of the reel group 31 by the configuration of a control pattern table (pattern storage means) 106a, a pattern selection unit 106b, and a reel stop control unit 106c. In FIG. 4, the control pattern table 106a is a data table that stores a stop control pattern of the reel group 31 in accordance with the gaming state, winning combination, and the like.

  The pattern selection unit 106b refers to the winning combination flag from the flag information storage unit 105 at the timing when the combination lottery unit 103 finishes the combination lottery, obtains information on the gaming state from the gaming state control unit 108, and from the control pattern table 106a. A stop control pattern corresponding to the gaming state and winning combination is selected.

  The reel stop control unit 106c performs stop control of the reel group 31 according to the player's operation on the stop switch group 42, using the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b. Here, the stop control pattern is, for example, in the case of a specific gaming state and a winning combination, whether the reel should be stopped at the timing when the player operates the stop switch group 42, or a predetermined number on the reel from the above timing. This is information that determines whether or not to stop after rotating the reel by the number of symbols (within 4 symbols). In other words, once this stop control pattern is determined, the pattern of appearances that can appear is determined. Here, the outcome is a combination of symbols on the reel group 31 visible from the display window 21 after the reel group 31 stops.

Hereinafter, the process of the reel control unit 106 will be described with a specific example.
For example, when no winning combination is won as a result of lottery by the drawing lottery unit 103 (when lost), the pattern selecting unit 106b does not stop any combination of symbols on the active line. A control pattern is selected from the control pattern table 106a. Next, the reel stop control unit 106c determines the stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R based on the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b and the operation timing of each stop switch 42L, 42C, and 42R by the player. Determine. As a result, the reel group 31 stops at an outcome (losing eye) in which no winning combination is won. Note that the reel stop control unit 106c receives from the control unit 101 a signal that specifies the operation timing of each stop switch 42L, 42C, and 42R of the player.

  On the other hand, when a winning combination is won (when the winning flag is ON), the pattern selecting unit 106b sets a stop control pattern on the active line so that the combination of symbols of the winning combination stops. Select from table 106a. Next, the reel stop control unit 106c determines the stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R based on the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b and the operation timing of each stop switch 42L, 42C, and 42R by the player. Determine. As a result, the reel group 31 can be stopped when the player wins the winning combination according to the winning combination, depending on the operation timing of the player on the stop switch group 42 and the arrangement of symbols corresponding to the winning combination in the reel group 31. Become.

  In addition, if a special role is won in the game, or if the special role has been carried over from the previous game and has not been won in a small role or replay in the game, a special on the active line Special combination as much as possible within the range of stop control of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R (for example, within 5 symbols including the symbol when the stop switch group 42 is operated) so that the combination of the symbols of the roles is stopped Pull-in control is performed so that the symbols are aligned. However, even if the winning of special role is carried over, when winning a small role or replay, the symbols corresponding to the small role or replay will stop on the active line and on the active line. In addition, the stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are determined by the same processing as the above-described processing so that the combination of symbols of special roles does not stop.

  Further, the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the pull-in control is possible based on whether or not the symbol corresponding to the winning combination or the special combination is within a range in which the pull-in control is possible (presence / absence of a drawable symbol). In addition to the pull-in control, the reel control unit 106 performs stop control so that the symbols of the winning combination are not aligned on the active line (= not to win), this is referred to as kicking control. The pattern selection unit 106 b further has a function of transmitting information related to the selected stop control pattern to the sub control board 60. Thereby, even if the result of the lottery, which is a feature of the slot machine 10 in the present embodiment, is lost, it is possible to perform an effect of notifying the player of the outcomes that can be pushed to the player (losing eyes). Here, the pushing means that the player operates the stop switch group 42 at a timing when a specific symbol on the rotating reels 31L, 31C and 31R is at a specific position.

  The winning determination unit 107 determines whether or not a combination of symbols in the active line group 22 is arranged on any of the active lines in the active line group 22, and if there is an in-line combination, the game is determined. It is determined that the winning combination has been won. At this time, the winning determination unit 107 determines a symbol positioned on the active line by detecting, for example, an angle at the time when the stepping motor is stopped, the number of steps, and the like, and based on this, determines whether or not a winning combination is won To do. In this embodiment, since the stop control pattern is used for the control when stopping the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, the winning determination unit 107 performs the symbol combination after the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R actually stop. Instead of determining whether the reel control unit 106 determines the stop position of the reel group 31 using the stop control pattern, the combination of symbols that stop on the effective line may be determined.

  The winning determination unit 107 has a function of transmitting information on the stop position to the sub-control board 60 each time the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped. Thus, the game is continued after performing the effect of notifying the player of the possible outcome (losing eyes) even if the result of the role lottery is a loss, which is a feature of the slot machine 10 in the present embodiment. An effect depending on whether or not the person has successfully pressed can be performed according to the stop of each reel 31L, 31C and 31R.

  The gaming state control unit 108 controls the special game until the predetermined end condition is satisfied from the next game when the winning determination unit 107 has won the special combination (BB, RB) as a result of the determination. Do. For example, the reel control unit 106 performs reel control for special games, or causes the sub-control board 60 to perform special game effects. In addition, the gaming state control unit 108 has a function of transmitting information for designating the effect of the outcome notification to the reel control unit 106 and the sub control board 60 in accordance with the lottery result of the outcome notification lottery unit 110 described later. .

  The payout control unit 109 causes the hopper device 93 to pay out medals according to the winning combination as a result of the determination by the winning determination unit 107. Instead of paying out medals, the number of credit medals may be increased.

  The event announcement lottery unit 110 is an effect that is a feature of the slot machine 10 of the present embodiment, and performs lottery as to whether or not to produce an effect of notifying the player of the game over three games (games). . In addition, when the event announcement lottery unit 110 performs an effect of notifying the event, there are roughly the following two types of effect patterns. One is the effect pattern 1 performed when the BB stock lottery in the slot machine 10 is won. In this case, regardless of whether or not the player has been able to hit the line as announced, the player can enter the BB when the effect of the outcome is finished. In other words, the state shifts to a state where the stocked BB can win a prize. The outcome announcement lottery unit 110 of the present embodiment further has a function of performing a process of releasing the stocked BB when a specific combination (for example, cherry) is won.

  The other one is a production pattern 2 that simply produces an announcement of the outcome, and in this case, at least one of the 3 games that produce the announcement of the outcome is the announcement that the player has announced. Even if the eye is pushed according to the eyes, the reel group 31 is controlled to stop so as not to be notified, and when the effect is finished, the normal gaming state is restored. In addition, only when the production pattern 1 is produced, it is possible to arrange the symbols as they appear as the player is notified by pressing in all three games. In this way, by producing the combination of the above-described production patterns 1 and 2, the player's expectation that he may have won the stock BB release lottery (actually, he may not win). You can increase the number of games you have.

  In the above-described embodiment, the event announcement lottery unit 110 selects the production pattern 1 when a special role can be won. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Transition to a specific game that the game state is more advantageous to the player than the normal game state, such as a game in which the panel 40 is used to announce the winning combination or an operation procedure for winning the winning combination The effect pattern 1 may be selected in the case of determining.

  Next, a functional configuration of the sub control board 60 will be described. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the sub control board 60. In the present embodiment, for example, the program of the sub CPU 61 and the ROM 62 constitutes a part of the effect pattern selection unit 201 and the effect control unit 202 shown below, and the effect pattern data for performing the effect is stored in the ROM 62, for example. Yes.

  In FIG. 5, the effect pattern selection unit 201 selects an effect pattern according to the gaming state, the winning combination, and the like. Specifically, the effect pattern selection unit 201 receives a signal from the role lottery unit 103 of the main control board 50 and selects an effect pattern according to the winning combination or the like, or a winning determination unit 107 of the main control board 50. In response to a signal from the gaming state control unit 108, an effect pattern corresponding to a winning combination or a gaming state is selected. In addition, when the gaming state control unit 108 gives an instruction to perform an outcome notification, the effect pattern selection unit 201 selects an effect pattern for the outcome notification. These effect patterns are stored in the ROM 62, for example.

  The effect control unit 202 controls the effect based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201. Specifically, the production control unit 202 creates image data to be displayed on the front panel 40 for production based on the production pattern, and controls the sound source circuit 67. As a result, an image corresponding to the image data is displayed on the front panel 40, or the sound signal generated by the sound source circuit 67 is amplified by the amplifier 68 and then output from the speaker 71, thereby producing an effect. The effect control unit 202 creates image data and displays it on the front panel 40 (notification information display control means), for example, software processing by the programs of the sub CPU 61 and the ROM 62 shown in FIG. 64 and hardware processing by the image data ROM 65 and the video RAM 66.

Here, an example of an image in the case where the effect control unit 202 performs the above-described effect of making an announcement on the front panel 40 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in the case where an effect of an appearance notification is performed on the front panel 40.
As shown in FIG. 6, a display window 21 is provided in the central portion of the front panel 40 so that the reel group 31 can be seen well, and an image cannot be displayed on this portion. Further, in the area other than the display window 21 on the front panel 40, an image for production and information for informing the player of the gaming state can be displayed.

  In addition, a panel 401 for notifying the first game is displayed on the display window 21. In addition, panels 402 and 403 arranged behind the panel 401 are panels for notifying the second game and the third game. As a result, it is shown that the outcome notification is performed continuously for three games. Here, an example of a notice of a losing eye or a winning combination in the panels 401 to 403 displayed on the front panel 40 as shown in FIG. 6 will be described.

  FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a notification example in the case where the losing eye is notified in the first and third games and the winning combination is notified in the second game. As shown in FIG. 10A, the panel 401 displays three rows of rectangles 901 to 903 indicating the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. A rectangle 901 indicates “red 7” at the lower stage of the reel 31L, a rectangle 902 indicates “red 7” at the upper stage of the reel 31C, and a rectangle 903 indicates “BAR” at the middle stage of the reel 31R. Similarly, on the panel 403, one symbol is announced for each reel. In addition, the panel 402 notifies the small role “Bell” which is the winning combination. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a notification example when the winning combination is notified in the first and third games and the losing eye is notified in the second game. As shown in FIG. 10B, the panel 401 notifies the winning combination of “Cherry”, the panel 403 notifies “Replay”, and the panel 402 notifies the losing eye. Also, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, whether to notify the losing eye or to announce the winning combination in each panel 401 to 403 depends on the role lottery process of the role lottery unit 103 in each game. It depends on the result.

  In the lower area of the front panel 40, an inserted number display unit 404, a credit number display unit 405, and a payout number display unit 406 are provided. The inserted number display portion 404 displays the number of inserted coins according to the operation of the bet switches 43 a and 43 b and the insertion of medals from the medal slot 23. The credit number display unit 405 displays the number of medals that have been credited. The payout number display unit 406 displays the number of medals when the medals are paid out.

  Next, an example of a functional configuration provided in the effect pattern selection unit 201 in order to perform an effect of an appearance announcement will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration provided in the effect pattern selection unit 201 in order to produce an effect of an appearance announcement. As shown in FIG. 7, the effect pattern selection unit 201 includes a data reception unit 201a, an appearance notification effect pattern selection unit (notification information determining means) 201b, a normal game effect pattern selection unit 201c, and a special game effect pattern selection unit 201d. It is composed of

  The data receiving unit 201a receives various data from the main control board 50, and instructs and directs the effects to the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b, the normal game effect pattern selection unit 201c, and the special game effect pattern selection unit 201d. Output the data required for.

  The outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b generates an effect pattern related to the display of the panels 401 to 403 shown in FIG. 6 (hereinafter referred to as a panel effect pattern) in response to the effect instruction of the outcome notification from the data receiving unit 201a. select. At this time, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b receives information on the winning combination from the data receiving unit 201a, and if there is a winning combination, selects a panel effect pattern that announces the winning combination, and loses no winning combination. In this case, the panel effect pattern for notifying the outcome (losing eye) is selected. Note that the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b selects a panel effect pattern different from the above in accordance with the effect pattern 1 and the effect pattern 2 selected by the outcome notification lottery unit 110 of the main control board 50 described above. In some cases, the details will be described later.

  Further, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b stores information on whether or not each reel 31 has stopped according to the outcome announced during the outcome of the outcome announcement (whether or not the player has been able to see). A panel effect pattern for effecting “successful pressing” or “failing pressing” is selected in the panels 401 to 403 shown in FIG. 6 received from the receiving unit 201a. Specifically, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b determines whether each of the panels 401 to 403 has a rectangular shape (FIG. 10) depending on whether each reel 31 has stopped according to the outcome announced during the outcome of the outcome announcement. If the background color of (a) 901 to 903) is “successful eye press”, the panel effect pattern is selected to be changed to blue, and “background press failure” is changed to red. In addition, the background color of each rectangle before changing is white.

  Further, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b displays “OK” (successful) on the front panel 40 when all of the pressing on one panel (the pressing on the three reels 31) is successful. When an effect pattern is selected and even one of the panel presses fails, an effect pattern for displaying the characters “NG” (failure) on the front panel 40 is selected.

The normal game effect pattern selection unit 201c receives instructions from the main control board 50 from the data reception unit 201a and performs various effects when the game is in the normal game state and is not in the above-described effect announcement effect. Select a production pattern. The special game effect pattern selection unit 201d receives information indicating that the game state has shifted to the special game from the data reception unit 201a, and selects an effect pattern for effecting the special game.
The effect control unit 202 performs an effect according to the effect pattern selected by the above-described outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b, the normal game effect pattern selection unit 201c, and the special game effect pattern selection unit 201d.

  Here, the process of selecting a panel effect pattern according to the effect pattern 1 and the effect pattern 2 selected by the event notification lottery unit 110 of the main control board 50, which is performed by the above-described event notification effect pattern selection unit 201b, will be described in detail. To do. As described above, the effect pattern 1 is an effect of shifting to a game in which the BB can win a prize after the effect of the outcome announcement, and the effect pattern 2 is an effect of returning to the normal game after the effect of the outcome notification. And only in the case of the production pattern 1, as shown in the outcome announced by the production of the announcement of the outcome, the player can look forward in all three games. However, it is not always possible to see.

  In the present embodiment, for example, when the reel 31 that has stopped first does not stop as announced, it is immediately devised to prevent the player from being discouraged if it is the production pattern 2. ing. The idea is to stop the reel group 31 so as not to be notified even when the player makes an announcement according to the outcome announced by the player at the time of the announcement of the outcome according to the performance pattern 1. It is set to perform with a predetermined probability. In other words, even when the player operates the stop switch group 42 at a timing at which the drawing control can be performed at the stop position at which the symbol is announced, the slot machine 10 notifies the symbol at the notified stop position. The reel group 31 is stopped with a predetermined probability so as not to stop.

  Here, a method for realizing the function of performing the stop control of the reel group 31 so as not to be notified even when the above-described player's announcement is performed according to the announcement made will be described. The method notifies the player of an outcome that can be stopped by the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b of the reel control unit 106 described above (= the outcome that the player can push on) (hereinafter, notification). A) and an effect of notifying the player of an outcome that cannot be stopped by the stop control pattern (= an outcome that the player cannot press) (hereinafter referred to as an announcement B). It is a method of using properly.

  As a result, the outcome notification pattern selecting unit 201b according to the present embodiment determines whether to produce the announcement A or the announcement B in each of the three games that perform the outcome of the outcome announcement. It has a function (notification instruction determining means) for determining a combination of patterns (hereinafter referred to as intergame effect patterns). Specifically, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b receives information on the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b of the reel control unit 106 from the data reception unit 201a, and notifies the notification A and the notification A according to the stop control pattern. The panel effect pattern that becomes the panel effect pattern that becomes the notification B is specified. In addition, the process example which specifies the panel production pattern used as the notification A and the panel production pattern used as the notification B according to a stop control pattern is mentioned later.

  Next, an inter-game effect pattern example in which the notice A or the notice B in the effect pattern 1 and the effect pattern 2 are combined will be described with reference to FIG. First, in FIG. 8, “◯” indicates notification A, and “×” indicates notification B. The inter-game effect pattern 51 indicates an inter-game effect pattern for performing notification A for all three games, and is an effect pattern that is selected by the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b only for the effect pattern 1. The intergame effect pattern 51 is an effect pattern that is selected with the highest probability (for example, 50%) by the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b in the case of the effect pattern 1. As a result, it is possible to increase the expectation that the player can win the BB if all three games are aimed, and to encourage the player to enjoy the aim according to the announcement of the outcome.

  In addition, the inter-game effect patterns 52 to 54 are inter-game effect patterns in which only one game is notification B and the other two games are notification A among the three games. The effect patterns can be selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201b. As a result, even when only one game has been missed (the player has not been able to push the game), the player can maintain a sense of expectation that enables winning of a BB.

  In addition, the inter-game effect patterns 55 to 57 are inter-game effect patterns in which two of the three games are the announcement B and the remaining one game is the announcement A. This is an effect pattern that can be selected by the selection unit 201b. As a result, even when two games are missed (cannot be pushed), the player can maintain a sense of expectation that enables winning a prize to BB.

  Further, the intergame effect pattern 58 is an intergame effect pattern in which all three games are notified B, and is an effect pattern that can be selected by the outcome notification effect pattern selecting unit 201b in both effect patterns 1 and 2. As a result, even when three games are missed (cannot be pushed), the player can maintain a sense of expectation that enables winning of a BB. Moreover, the game preference can be improved by performing various effects.

  As described above, in the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the inter-game effect patterns 52 to 58 are performed in both of the effect patterns 1 and 2 during the three games in which the effect of the outcome notification is performed. Can maintain a sense of expectation that BB will be able to win a prize after the performance is finished even if the player cannot push the line as announced. Further, in the slot machine 10 of the present embodiment, depending on which of the production patterns 1 and 2 has been selected (= whether the transition to a game where BB can be won has been decided) or the purpose of increasing the player's expectation Thus, the probability that the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b selects the inter-game effect patterns 52 to 58 in FIG. 8 is set.

  As an example of the setting, in the case of the production pattern 1, the probability that the game announcement production pattern selection unit 201b selects the inter-game production patterns 52 to 54 of FIG. The probability of selecting 57 is about 3%, and the probability of selecting the intergame effect pattern 58 is about 10%. Further, in the case of the production pattern 2, the probability that the game announcement production pattern selection unit 201b selects the inter-game production patterns 52 to 54 in FIG. 8 is about 13%, and the probability that the inter-game production patterns 55 to 57 are selected. Is about 20%, and the probability of selecting the inter-game effect pattern 58 is about 5%.

  In the setting example described above, in the case of the production pattern 1, the inter-game production patterns 52 to 54 that can be pushed in accordance with the two game announcements in the three games can be pushed up in accordance with the one game announcement in the three games. The inter-game effect patterns 55 to 57 that are selected with a higher probability than the inter-game effect patterns 55 to 57 and can be pushed according to the announcement of one of the three games in the case of the effect pattern 2 are two games in three games. This is a setting that is selected with a higher probability than the inter-game effect patterns 52 to 54 that can be pushed as announced. With this setting, the player is expected to be able to win a BB after the performance in the 3 games in which the game is announced, but the success of the 2 games will be successful after the performance. be able to. In the setting example described above, the probability of selecting the inter-game effect pattern 58 is higher in the case of the effect pattern 1 than in the case of the effect pattern 2. As a result, when the three games have not been continuously followed as announced, an effect is given to increase the expectation that a BB winning will be possible.

  Next, a specific description will be given of the process in which the above-described outcome announcement effect pattern selection unit 201b specifies the panel effect pattern that becomes the notification A and the panel effect pattern that becomes the notification B according to the stop control pattern selected by the reel control unit 106. An example will be described.

  For example, it is assumed that there are four stop control patterns to be selected by the reel control unit 106 (strictly, the pattern selection unit 106b) in the present embodiment when there is no winning combination (losing). In such a case, the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b can perform stop control only in each of the stop control patterns A to D for each of the four types of stop control patterns (hereinafter referred to as stop control patterns A to D). Holds multiple types of outcome patterns. For example, the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b holds 12 types of outcome pattern groups A to D as shown in FIG. 9 corresponding to the respective stop control patterns A to D.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outcome pattern held by the outcome announcement pattern selection unit 201b corresponding to the stop control pattern. As shown in FIG. There are 1 to 12 outcome patterns, and the outcome pattern group B is NO. There are 13 to 24 outcome patterns, and the outcome pattern group C includes NO. There are 25 to 36 outcome patterns, and the outcome pattern group D includes NO. There are 37-48 outcome patterns. Further, the numbers indicating the respective appearance patterns are numbers indicating the symbol numbers assigned to the symbols of the reel group 31 illustrated in FIG.

  As a result, when the stop control pattern selected by the reel control unit 106 is, for example, the stop control pattern A, the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b determines the NO. The panel effect pattern for notifying one of the outcome patterns 1 to 12 is specified as the panel effect pattern that becomes the notice A (the outcome notice that can be pushed), and the NO. A panel effect pattern for notifying 13 to 48 output patterns is specified as a panel effect pattern that becomes notification B (output notification that cannot be pushed).

  Further, in the panel effect pattern selected by the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10A, all symbols (total 9 symbols) specified by the outcome pattern are displayed. Instead of displaying, it is an effect of notifying and displaying one symbol (total of three symbols) on each reel 31 in the outcome pattern. Thus, when a plurality of the notified symbols are included in the reel 31, it is only necessary to stop at the stop position where any of the symbols is notified, so that it is easy for the player.

  Further, as described above, when only a part of the symbols of the outcome pattern is notified, any of the symbols included in the outcome pattern may be notified and displayed. In order to facilitate the pressing, a conspicuous symbol such as “red 7” indicated by reference numeral A1 in FIG. 13 or a symbol near the conspicuous symbol is preferable. In addition, when the stop control pattern is determined by selection by the reel control unit 106, a range in which stop control is possible when each symbol is pushed up (range where pull-in control is possible: for example, does not include a symbol for which a stop operation has been performed 1 (-4 symbols) is also determined. More preferably, the symbols to be notified should have a larger range in which stop control is possible. Thereby, even if the player's intention is not somewhat accurate, it is possible to stop the symbol notified to the stop position as announced by the pull-in control.

  As described above, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b according to the present embodiment notifies the player of the notification A that notifies the player of the outcome that can be aimed at (the outcome that can be stopped according to the announcement), and the player. The notice B or the notice B is displayed on the panels 401 to 403 depending on the game according to the inter-game performance pattern in which the notice B for notifying the outcome that cannot be pushed (the outcome that cannot be stopped as announced) is selected. It is possible to select a panel effect pattern that displays information for notifying the user.

  The functions of the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60 have been described above. However, the functional configuration is not limited to this, and other parts may have a part of the function of each part. For example, the winning determination unit 107 and the payout control unit 109 of FIG. 3 may be integrated. In addition, the main control board 50 and the sub control board 60 may be provided with functions other than those described above.

Next, the operation of the slot machine 10 in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 11A to FIG. 11C are flowcharts showing the game control operation flow of the slot machine 10. In the slot machine 10 of the present embodiment, whether or not to perform the effect of the outcome announcement is determined by the lottery of the outcome announcement lottery section 110 during the normal game, but in the following description, the outcome announcement lottery section It is assumed that the process of performing the notice of the outcome is decided by the lottery of 110 and the effect of the outcome of the outcome is performed from the next game. That is, it is assumed that an instruction has already been transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub-control board 60 so as to produce an effect of notice of the outcome from the next game. It is assumed that an instruction for specifying which of the above described effect patterns 1 or 2 is to be transmitted.

  First, a process from when a medal is inserted until the reel group 31 starts rotating will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11A, first, in step S1, the control unit 101 monitors the insertion of medals and determines whether or not a player has inserted medals. Specifically, the control unit 101 determines that a medal has been inserted when a medal is inserted from the medal insertion slot 23 or when the bet switch 43a or 43b is operated when there is a credit.

  If a medal is inserted in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and the control unit 101 obtains the number of inserted medals, and proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the control unit 101 transmits information regarding the number of inserted medals (bet information) to the sub-control board 60, and proceeds to step S4. In step S1, if no medal has been inserted, the process proceeds to step S4, where the control unit 101 determines whether the number of inserted medals is less than one. In step S4, when the number of inserted medals is less than one, the control unit 101 returns to step S1. If the number of inserted medals is one or more in step S4, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S5 and determines whether or not the start switch 41 is on.

  In step S5, when the start switch 41 is not on, the control unit 101 returns to step S1 again and determines whether or not a medal has been inserted. In step S5, if the start switch 41 is on, in step S6, the winning lottery unit 103 obtains a random value, and then proceeds to step S7 to obtain the random value obtained by referring to the lottery table 102. By specifying a combination corresponding to the combination, a combination lottery process is performed. The combination specified by the combination lottery unit 103 in this step S7 becomes the winning combination. In step S8, the winning lottery unit 103 turns on the winning combination flag corresponding to the winning combination. On the other hand, if no winning combination included in the lottery table 102 is won (in the case of a loss), the winning combination flag is not turned on. The winning combination flag turned on in step S8 is stored in the flag information storage unit 105.

  Next, in step S <b> 9, the pattern selection unit 106 b of the reel control unit 106 refers to the flag information storage unit 105 and selects a stop control pattern according to the gaming state, the winning combination or the loss. Next, in Steps S10 and S11, if there is no winning combination (losing) in Step S7, the pattern selection unit 106b of the reel control unit 106 sub-controls information on the stop control pattern selected in Step S9. Transmit to the substrate 60. In step S11, the pattern selection unit 106b also transmits the winning combination information indicating that it is a loss to the sub-control board 60. In step S11, the pattern selection unit 106b transmits information related to the stop control pattern to the sub-control board 60 only during the effect of the outcome announcement, and if the effect of the outcome announcement is not performed, it is a loss. Only the winning combination information indicating “” is transmitted to the sub-control board 60. After step S11, the process of step S13 described later is performed.

  In step S10, when there is a winning combination in step S7, in step S12, the winning lottery unit 103 transmits winning combination information that is information related to the winning combination to the sub-control board 60. Next, in step S <b> 13, the control unit 101 causes the reel control unit 106 to start rotating the reel group 31. Note that the processing in steps S11 and S12 is not limited to the above-described processing, and information regarding the winning combination information and the stop control pattern may always be transmitted to the sub-control board 60.

  Next, stop control for the rotating reel group 31 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the first to third stop switches are any one of the stop switches 42 in the stop switch group 42, but do not specify the stop switches 42L, 42C, 42R. The stop switches operated are shown in the order of operation. That is, the numbers “first to third” are numbers indicating the player's operation procedure. In the following description, the reel 31 refers to any one of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R in the reel group 31.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11B, in step S15, the reel control unit 106 refers to the flag information storage unit 105 to determine whether or not the result of the winning lottery is lost. If it is lost, the process proceeds to step S16, and the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the first stop switch. In step S16, if the player has not turned on the first stop switch, the reel control unit 106 waits until the player turns on the first stop switch. When the player turns on the first stop switch in step S16, the reel stop control unit 106c of the reel control unit 106 in step S17 determines the operation timing of the first stop switch by the player and in step S9. Based on the selected stop control pattern, stop control of the reel 31 corresponding to the first stop switch is performed.

  Next, in step S18, the winning determination unit 107 acquires information related to the stop position of the reel 31 stopped by the operation of the first stop switch (hereinafter referred to as stop position information) and transmits it to the sub-control board 60.

  Next, in step S19, the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the second stop switch. The process in step S19 is similar to the process in step S16 described above, and is a process that loops until it is detected that the player has turned on the second stop switch. If it is determined in step S19 that the player has turned on the second stop switch, the process proceeds to step S20, and the reel stop control unit 106c of the reel control unit 106 determines the operation timing and step of the second stop switch by the player. Based on the stop control pattern selected in S9, stop control of the reel 31 corresponding to the second stop switch is performed.

  Next, in step S <b> 21, the winning determination unit 107 acquires stop position information of the reel 31 stopped by the operation of the second stop switch, and transmits it to the sub-control board 60.

  Next, in step S22, the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the third stop switch. The process in step S22 is similar to the process in step S16 described above, and is a process that loops until it is detected that the player has turned on the third stop switch. If it is determined in step S22 that the player has turned on the third stop switch, the process proceeds to step S23, where the reel stop control unit 106c of the reel control unit 106 determines the operation timing and step of the second stop switch by the player. Based on the stop control pattern selected in S9, stop control of the reel 31 corresponding to the third stop switch is performed.

  Next, in step S <b> 24, the winning determination unit 107 acquires the stop position information of the reel 31 stopped by operating the third stop switch, and transmits it to the sub-control board 60.

  If it is determined in step S15 that the player has not lost (the winning combination flag is on), the process proceeds to step S30, and the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the first stop switch. . In step S30, when the first stop switch is on, the reel control unit 106 proceeds to step S31 and performs reel control based on the winning combination on the reel 31 corresponding to the first stop switch.

  Specifically, in step S31, the reel control unit 106 performs stop control (retractable symbols) of the reel 31 based on the operation timing of the first stop switch and the stop control pattern selected according to the winning combination in step S9. Determination of presence or absence, pull-in control or kick-off control), and the process proceeds to step S32. Here, the presence / absence of a drawable symbol means determining whether or not the symbol corresponding to the winning combination is within a range in which the pull-in control is possible. Here, the pull-in controllable range is defined in the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit 106b of the reel control unit 106, and the fifth design including the design at the time when the stop switch 42 is turned on at the maximum. Range. This pull-in controllable range is determined by the symbol arrangement interval, the rotation speed of the reel 31, and the maximum allowable time from turning on the stop switch 42 to stopping the reel 31.

  Next, in step S32, the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the second stop switch. The process in step S32 is similar to the process in step S30 described above, and is a process that loops until it is detected that the player has turned on the second stop switch. If it is determined in step S32 that the player has turned on the second stop switch, the reel control unit 106 proceeds to step S33 and performs reel control based on the winning combination in the reel 31 corresponding to the second stop switch. . Specifically, the reel control unit 106 performs pull-in control or kick-off control according to the presence / absence of a retractable symbol as described above, and proceeds to step S34.

  Next, in step S34, the reel control unit 106 determines whether or not the player has turned on the third stop switch. The process in step S34 is similar to the process in step S32 described above, and is a process that loops until it is detected that the player has turned on the third stop switch. In step S34, if the third stop switch is on, the reel control unit 106 proceeds to step S35, performs reel control based on the winning combination in the reel 31 corresponding to the third stop switch, and will be described later with reference to FIG. 3 moves to step S37. Specifically, the reel control unit 106 performs pull-in control or kick-off control in accordance with the presence / absence of a retractable symbol (winning symbol) as described above.

  In steps S31, S33, and S35 of FIG. 11-2 described above, the reel controller 106 determines whether or not there is a retractable symbol for the reel 31 each time the first to third stop switches are turned on. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the reel control unit 106 performs the kicking control on the reel 31 when the first stop switch is turned on, the reel control unit 106 is turned on when the second and third stop switches are subsequently turned on. May perform kicking control on the reel 31 without determining whether or not there is a retractable symbol.

Next, an operation from winning determination to processing according to a winning combination will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11C, in step S37, the winning determination unit 107 reads the stop position of the reel group 31 when the rotation of the reel group 31 stops according to the control of the reel control unit 106, and wins the winning combination. The presence or absence of is determined. If it is determined in step S37 that there is no winning, the process proceeds to step S46, and the winning determination unit 107 transmits winning combination information indicating no winning to the sub-control board 60, and then returns to the start of FIG. If it is determined in step S37 that there is a winning, the winning determination unit 107 proceeds to step S38 and transmits winning combination information regarding the winning combination to the sub-control board 60.

  Next, when the determination of the winning determination unit 107 is a special combination winning in step S39, in step S40, the hopper device 93 is set to a predetermined number (15 or 12) according to the instruction of the payout control unit 110. When the medals are paid out, the gaming state control unit 108 performs special game transition processing for transitioning the gaming state to the big bonus game or the regular bonus game. Further, the gaming state control unit 108 instructs the sub control board 60 to perform an effect corresponding to the bonus game.

  Next, in step S50, the control unit 101 and the reel control unit 106 perform a special game process. Specifically, the control unit 101 instructs the reel control unit 106 to provide a player with a bonus game corresponding to the big bonus game or the regular bonus game. As a result, the reel control unit 106, for example, if the winning combination symbol (the symbol of the winning combination with a high probability) in the bonus game is a “replay” symbol, the “replay” symbol is placed on the active line. Stop control is performed so that they are aligned, and a bonus game is provided to the player.

  When the predetermined number of bonus games prescribed in the big bonus game or the regular bonus game are digested, in step S51, the game state control unit 108 performs a process of shifting to the normal game, and returns to the start of FIG. .

  If it is determined in step S39 that the winning determination unit 107 does not win a special combination, in step S41, the control unit 101 displays the winning combination flag if the special combination winning combination flag is on in the flag information storage unit 105. The flag carryover process to carry over to the next game is performed.

  Next, when the determination of the winning determination unit 107 is a small combination winning in step S42, the payout control unit 110 outputs a payout instruction corresponding to the winning small combination to the hopper device 93 in step S43. . Thus, the hopper device 93 pays out the number of medals corresponding to the winning small combination.

  If the determination of the winning determination unit 107 is not a small combination in step S42, in step S44, the control unit 101 determines that the replay (re-playing combination) is a winning combination and determines the bet number set in the game. Automatically set to the next game (re-game operation).

  After steps S43 and S44 described above, in step S45, the control unit 101 clears the setting (such as winning combination flag) in the game. As described above, the slot machine 10 ends the game and moves to the next game (returns to the start of FIG. 11-1).

  Next, an effect operation by the sub control board 60 that operates in conjunction with the game operation shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C of the main control board 50 will be described with reference to the drawings. 12A and 12B are flowcharts showing the rendering operation by the sub control board 60. FIG. 12A and 12B is an effect operation in the case of performing the outcome notification effect in the slot machine 10, and the sub control board 60 receives the effect pattern 1 or the main control board 50 from the main control board 50. It is assumed that the information specifying 2 has been received and the inter-game effect pattern shown in FIG. 8 has also been determined.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, first, in step S60, the data receiving unit 201a of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 determines whether or not bet information has been received from the main control board 50. If it is determined in step S60 that the bet information has not been received, the data receiving unit 201a performs the process of step S60 again and continues the loop process until the bet information is received. The bet information is information transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60 by the process of step S3 shown in FIG.

  When the bet information is received in step S60, the process proceeds to step S61, and the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b of the effect pattern selection unit 201 selects an effect pattern that produces the background during the effect of the outcome notification. Specifically, the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b selects an effect pattern that is the background of the panels 401 to 403 shown in FIG.

  Next, in step S <b> 62, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67, thereby producing an effect based on the effect pattern selected by the appearance notification effect pattern selection unit 201 b of the effect pattern selection unit 201. Output is performed by the front panel 40 or the speaker 71. Thereby, the front panel 40 displays the background image for the effect of the announcement of the outcome, and the speaker 71 produces the effect sound for the effect.

  Next, in step S <b> 63, the data receiving unit 201 a of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 determines whether or not the winning combination information and the information regarding the stop control pattern are received from the main control board 50. If it is determined in step S63 that the winning combination information or the information related to the stop control pattern has not been received, the data receiving unit 201a performs the process of step S63 again to obtain the winning combination information and the information related to the stop control pattern. Loop processing continues until received. Note that the winning combination information is information transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub-control board 60 by the processes of steps S11 and S12 illustrated in FIG. Further, the information regarding the stop control pattern is information transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60 by the process of step S11 shown in FIG.

  When winning combination information indicating that any combination is won in step S63 is received, the process proceeds to step S64, and the effect pattern selection unit 201 selects an effect pattern for notifying the winning combination. In the case of the effect of the event announcement, the event notification effect pattern selection unit 201b of the effect pattern selection unit 201 displays a panel for notifying the winning combination such as the panels 401 to 403 shown in FIG. An effect pattern to be displayed at the position shown in FIG. 6 is selected. At this time, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b is included in the winning combination information when the game is defined as a game that performs notification A (notice that can be pushed) in the inter-game effect pattern. If the game is defined as a game for which the game B is announced in the inter-game production pattern, the role different from the winning combination included in the winning combination information is displayed. Announce. If the winning combination information indicating that no winning combination is won and information related to the stop control pattern corresponding to the winning combination information are received in step S63, the process proceeds to step S70 in FIG.

  Next, in step S <b> 65, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67 so that an effect output based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201 is output to the front panel 40 and the speaker 71. Do it. Thereby, the front panel 40 displays the panel 401 for announcing the winning combination, and the speaker 71 produces a sound effect for production.

  Next, in step S66, the data receiving unit 201a of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 determines whether or not winning combination information has been received from the main control board 50. The winning combination information is winning combination information transmitted to the sub control board 60 by the winning determination unit 107 in steps S38 and S46 shown in FIG. If it is determined in step S66 that no winning combination information has been received, the data receiving unit 201a of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 performs the process of step S66 again, and loops until receiving winning combination information. to continue.

  If it is determined in step S66 that the winning combination information has been received, the effect pattern selecting unit 201 proceeds to step S67, and the effect pattern corresponding to the winning combination or the loss specified by the received winning combination information. Select. For example, in the case of the effect of the outcome announcement, when the winning combination information received in step S66 is information indicating the winning of the small role bell, the outcome announcement selecting pattern selecting unit 201b of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 is: An effect pattern that displays, for example, “OK” is selected as an effect of notifying the panel 401 that has made an announcement and notifying the winning combination that has been announced. Also, if the winning combination information received in step S66 is information indicating a loss, the outcome notification pattern selecting unit 201b turns off the panel 401 that has announced the outcome, and has not been able to win the winning combination that has been announced. An effect pattern that indicates “NG” is selected.

  Next, in step S <b> 68, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67 so that an effect output based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201 is output to the front panel 40 and the speaker 71. Do it. Specifically, when an effect pattern that displays “OK” is selected in step S67 during the effect of the outcome announcement, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67. The panel on the front panel 40 that made the announcement of the appearance is erased, and the characters “OK” are displayed, and a sound effect is produced from the speaker 71. Thereby, the player can know that the aim was successful according to the notified small role bell while enjoying the production.

  It should be noted that the panels that have not yet made an appearance announcement (for example, the panels 402 and 403 after completing the game of the outcome announcement effect) have not yet made a display to announce the outcome. As a process after step S68, the process returns to the start of FIG. 12-1 and performs a process according to the next game. Further, the effect process according to the winning combination information at steps S64 and S65 and the effect process according to the winning combination information at steps S67 and 68 are not necessarily performed when the winning combination information or the winning combination information is received. That is, there is a case where the front panel 40 does not perform any special effects even if there is a winning combination or winning.

Next, the process after step S70 when the information regarding the stop control pattern and the winning combination information are received in step S63 described above will be described below with reference to FIG.
First, in step S70, the appearance notification effect pattern selection unit 201b of the effect pattern selection unit 201 selects a panel effect pattern based on the received information on the stop control pattern and the inter-game effect pattern. Specifically, the appearance notification effect pattern selection unit 201b selects a panel effect pattern that displays a panel for notification of an appearance (losing eye) as shown in FIG. At this time, the outcome notification pattern selection unit 201b determines whether the outcome to be notified according to the inter-game performance pattern shown in FIG. The panel effect pattern for displaying the panel that announces the event that becomes the event notification is selected.

  Next, in step S <b> 71, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67 so as to be based on the panel effect pattern selected by the appearance notification effect pattern selection unit 201 b of the effect pattern selection unit 201. Production output is performed by the front panel 40 and the speaker 71. As a result, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67 to display the panel 401 shown in FIG. 10A on the front panel 40 and generate sound effects from the speaker 71. . Thereby, the player can try to push according to the notified outcome.

  Next, in step S <b> 72, the data receiving unit 201 a of the effect pattern selecting unit 201 determines whether stop position information has been received from the main control board 50. If it is determined in step S72 that stop position information has not been received, the data reception unit 201a performs the process of step S72 again and continues the loop processing until stop position information is received. The stop position information is information transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60 by the processes of steps S18, S21, and S24 shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that when the player turns on the left stop switch 42L as the first stop switch, the left reel 31L stops and the stop position information is received.

  If stop position information is received in step S72, the process proceeds to step S73, where the effect pattern selection unit 201 determines whether or not the reel 31 has stopped according to the notice made based on the stop position information (successfully pressed. An effect pattern indicating to the player whether or not) is selected. More specifically, as described above, the outcome notification selection pattern selection unit 201b of the effect pattern selection unit 201 stops in accordance with the outcome announced by the left reel 31 due to the successful pressing, for example, as shown in FIG. The color of the rectangle 901 of the panel 401 shown in a) is changed to blue, and if the eye press fails, the panel effect pattern for changing the color of the rectangle 901 to red is selected.

  Next, in step S <b> 74, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67 so that an effect output based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201 is output to the front panel 40 and the speaker 71. Do it. As a result, the front panel 40 displays whether or not the pressing is successful on the corresponding rectangle 901 of the panel 401, and the speaker 71 produces a sound effect for the effect.

  Next, in step S75, the outcome notification selection pattern selection unit 201b of the presentation pattern selection unit 201 determines whether or not the stop position information for three reels has been processed. If not, the process of step S72 is performed. Returning to step S <b> 76, if it is processed, the process proceeds to step S <b> 76. That is, the stop position information of the reel 31 is received three times, and the processes in steps S72 to S75 are repeated. Here, when the middle reel 31C stops in the second game, the color of the rectangle 902 of the panel 401 shown in FIG. When the right reel 31R stops at the game eye, the color of the rectangle 903 of the panel 401 shown in FIG. 10A changes to blue / red according to the success / failure of pressing.

  Next, in step S76, the outcome notification selection pattern selection unit 201b of the effect pattern selection unit 201 determines whether or not to exit the panel according to whether or not it has stopped at the stop position as announced on all reels 31. An effect pattern for displaying “OK” / “NG” indicating success / failure of the press according to the notice is selected.

  Next, in step S77, the effect control unit 202 controls the image control processor 64 and the sound source circuit 67, so that an effect output based on the effect pattern selected by the effect pattern selection unit 201 is output to the front panel 40 and the speaker 71. Do it. As a result, the front panel 40 displays whether or not the pressing is successful in accordance with the announced appearance by using the characters “OK” / “NG”, and the speaker 71 produces a sound effect for the effect. . Thereby, the player can know whether or not the press according to the outcome notification in the game is successful while enjoying the production. As a process after step S77, the process returns to the start of FIG. 12-1 and performs a process according to the next game.

  When the bet information for the second and third games at the time of performing the three-game continuous outcome notification effect is received in step S60, the outcome notification effect pattern selection unit 201b receives the panels 402 and 403 in step S61. (In the case of the third game, only the panel 403 is selected). As a result, in step S62, the effect control unit 202 stops displaying “OK” / “NG” displayed in step S68 or step S77, and displays the panel 402 that has not made an appearance announcement. In addition, it is the timing of step S65 or step S71 that the information on the outcome notification is displayed on the panel 402.

  Furthermore, when the bet information in the next game after the completion of the three-game consecutive notice announcement effect is received in step S60, the normal game effect pattern selection unit 201c of the effect pattern selection unit 201 An effect pattern for effecting a game or an effect pattern for effecting a special effect according to an instruction from the main control board 50 is selected.

  As described above, the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment can perform an effect of giving a notice of an unforeseen loss, and from a normal game to a special game (in this embodiment, winning a special role) As an effect at the time of transition to a possible state), it is possible to provide an effect in which the player can demonstrate his / her own gaming skill (working skill). In addition, the slot machine 10 performs the effect of the advance notice for three games, but the special game (in the present embodiment, the state where the special role can be won) is provided even if all of them are not as expected. If there is a chance to shift to the game, even if the first or second game fails, the player will not lose the expectation of shifting to the special game and will realize a variety of performances. Therefore, it is possible to improve the game preference.

  In the embodiment described above, when there is a winning combination, information notifying the winning combination is displayed on the panels 401 to 403. However, this is not the case, and the symbol corresponding to the winning combination is stopped at a specific stop position. You may display the information of the notice of an outcome which urges the player to push forward. In the above-described embodiment, the effect of notifying the outcome is performed continuously for three games. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only one game, two games or four or more games may be continuous. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the effect of indicating the outcome of the announcement is used as an effect for indicating that the stocked BB shifts to a game state in which a winning is possible. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is suitable to be used as an effect for showing the transition to the special game.

The embodiment of the present invention can be realized by a computer executing a program. The means for supplying the program to the computer may be a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM recording the program or a transmission medium such as the Internet for transmitting the program.
The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the gist of the present invention.

It is a figure showing the appearance composition of the slot machine in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a slot machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the slot machine 10 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example for realizing a stop control function of a reel group 31 in the reel control unit 106 illustrated in FIG. 3. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a sub control board 60. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of an image in the case of performing the effect of an appearance notification in the front panel 40. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a function structure with which the production | presentation pattern selection part 201 is provided in order to perform the production | presentation of an outcome notification. It is a figure which shows the example of the effect pattern between games which combined the notification A or the notification B in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of an exit pattern which the outcome notification effect pattern selection part 201b hold | maintains corresponding to a stop control pattern. It is a figure which shows the example of notification when notifying all three games losing eyes with panels 401-403, and when notifying all three games winning combination. FIG. 4 is a view showing an operation flow of game control of the slot machine 10 by the main control board 50 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a view showing an operation flow of game control of the slot machine 10 by the main control board 50 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a view showing an operation flow of game control of the slot machine 10 by the main control board 50 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a rendering operation by a sub control board 60. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a rendering operation by a sub control board 60. It is a figure which shows the example of an arrangement | sequence of the symbol of the reel group 31 in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 slot machine 21 display window 31 reel 31L left reel 31C middle reel 31R right reel 40 front panel 50 main control board 51 main CPU
52, 62 ROM
53, 63 RAM
60 Sub-control board 101 Control part 103 Role lottery part 105 Flag information storage part 106 Reel control part 106a Control pattern table 106b Pattern selection part 106c Reel stop control part 107 Winning determination part 108 Game state control part 110 Game announcement lottery part 201 Effect Pattern selection unit 201a Data reception unit 201b Outgoing announcement effect pattern selection unit 201c Normal game effect pattern selection unit 201d Special game effect pattern selection unit 202 Effect control unit

Claims (6)

Display means for displaying various effect images;
A role lottery means for drawing a role;
Multiple reels with multiple types of symbols displayed,
Reel stop control means for controlling the stop operation of the rotating reel according to a stop control pattern;
Pattern storage means for storing a plurality of stop control patterns for the reels when a predetermined lottery result is obtained by the lottery means lottery means;
Pattern selection means for selecting a stop control pattern of the reel from the pattern storage means when a predetermined lottery result is obtained by the lottery means lottery means;
Notification information for notifying the player of a specific symbol that may be stopped by the stop control of the reel stop control unit based on the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit and information on the stop position of the symbol. Notification information determination means to be determined;
A gaming machine comprising: notification information display control means for controlling the display means to display an effect image corresponding to the notification information determined by the notification information determination means.   The notification information display control means includes a first symbol that is a specific symbol that can be controlled to stop according to the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection unit by the reel stop unit, and a stop position of the first symbol. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein an effect image notified to the player is controlled to be displayed on the display means. According to the stop control pattern selected by the pattern selection means in the notification information display control means, the reel stop means has a second symbol that is a specific symbol that cannot be stopped and a stop position of the second symbol. Furthermore, when it is controllable to display the effect image to notify the player on the display means, the stop position of the first symbol and the first symbol, the second symbol and the second symbol, A notification instruction determining means for determining a notification instruction for instructing the player of which stop position is to be notified to the notification information display control means;
The notification information display control means controls the display means to display an effect image for notifying a player of a specific symbol and a stop position of the specific symbol according to the notification instruction determined by the notification instruction determination unit. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein:   2. The notice information display control means controls to display on the display means an effect image that notifies a player of a specific symbol and a stop position of the specific symbol in succession for a plurality of games. The gaming machine according to any one of?   The notification instruction determining means is used when the notification information display control means controls the display means to display an effect image for notifying a player of a specific symbol and a stop position of the specific symbol continuously in a plurality of games. The game machine according to claim 4, wherein the notification instruction is determined for each of the plurality of games. Stop means provided corresponding to a plurality of the reels and operated by a player to stop the rotation of each reel;
The specific symbol displayed by the display means and the effect indicating the stop position of the specific symbol are such that the stop means is operated at a timing when the specific symbol indicated by the effect becomes the stop position indicated by the effect. 6. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising: an effect means for prompting the player to perform the effect in association with the transition to the special game.

Images