JP2008168080A - Game device having troubleshooting function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game device which can compensate for not only a bet amount but also a game condition in an important phase even when a trouble such as a blackout occurs in the important phase in a game involving betting operations. <P>SOLUTION: The game device includes: a judgment means for judging whether or not the kind of distribution of game media to a player and the order of distribution are fixed; a troubleshooting data storage means for storing troubleshooting data necessary for restoring a game condition in a nonvolatile storage medium at every checkpoint including at least a first timing when virtual game values owned by the player increases or decreases and a second timing when the kind of distribution and the order of distribution are fixed as the result of the game by the betting operation in a prescribed phase of a game as checkpoints; and a troubleshooting means for reading the troubleshooting data from the storage medium at the time of restoration including an outage during the execution of the game and for automatically restoring the game condition at the latest of the checkpoints on the basis of the troubleshooting data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a game device having a failure recovery function for recovering a game state when a failure such as a power failure of the game device or a software hang-up occurs, in particular, a player who is a player The present invention relates to a failure recovery processing technique in a game device that executes a computer game with a bet (BET) operation.

  In a game device having a game program execution function, the player or the game program can intentionally interrupt the game, and when the game is resumed, the game is interrupted based on the data stored in the storage medium. A method of restarting from the point in time is generally adopted.

  Further, examples of the game that can be reproduced in the past include those described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. In Patent Literature 1, all key operation information from the start of the game to the point when the play time elapses is recorded in a storage medium, and the game is resumed when the game is forcibly interrupted by setting the game play time limit. Sometimes, it is disclosed that the previous game operation is automatically reproduced based on the key operation information recorded in the storage medium, and further, the reproduction process is stopped at any scene during the reproduction, and the play is started from that scene. The point which can be restarted is disclosed (refer description of paragraph [0020] of patent document 1).

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 describes that only the minimum necessary section is reproduced without automatically reproducing all previous operations so that the player can easily grasp the game flow up to the previous time. A game device is disclosed. Specifically, as various game data generated during the execution of the game, there is provided storage means for sequentially storing data related to game play such as player key input data, character position information, movement sequences, event flags, etc. When the game is resumed after the game ends, game data from a predetermined break position in the game progress flow to the position where the previous game was completed is read from the storage means, and the game screen is automatically displayed based on the read game data. Is disclosed (see [Claim 1] and paragraph [0020] described in Patent Document 2).

  In the method described in Patent Document 1 described above, a time limit for game play can be set and time management can be performed. Further, since all the previous game operations are reproduced, the player can grasp the flow of the game up to the previous time. Furthermore, when an incorrect operation is performed in the past game operation, the game can be resumed from the scene again, so that it is possible to enjoy a different game development from the previous time. On the other hand, in the method described in Patent Document 2, it is possible to reproduce only the minimum necessary for the player to grasp the flow of the game without automatically reproducing all previous operations redundantly.

JP-A-7-303760 Japanese Patent No. 3731781

  However, both methods record key operation information for a predetermined period, and faithfully reproduce the game screen for a predetermined period using the key operation information, and the time limit is set so that the amount of data to be stored does not increase. However, it is necessary to save the play status from the time of the previous game start or the time of the game break to at least the end of the game. Also, since no hardware failure or software failure is assumed, an important situation is the case when a software failure such as unintentional power interruption in the middle of a game or so-called hang-up due to malfunction of the basic software occurs. There are cases where the game situation cannot be restored, or can only be reproduced to a point far back in time.

  In that case, there is not much problem if the player can give up without knowing, but in a game such as a casino game involving the player's betting operation, if a failure occurs in a game situation that the player is likely to win, For example, a situation where a big hit is likely to occur in a slot game or a situation where a rare hand (such as a royal flush) is established in a poker game and then only waiting for someone else's bet is possible. When a failure occurs, if the player goes back to the past time point as in the prior art, the player feels unable to give up. In particular, in a game having a gambling element in which a dividend becomes enormous by repeating betting, the game situation of one round is short compared to a general game, but it seems to be able to make a big profit In many cases. However, when a failure such as a power failure or software hang-up occurs in such an important situation, the game situation cannot be compensated for by the conventional game device.

  The present invention is made up of the circumstances as described above, and the object of the present invention is to provide only a bet amount when a failure such as a power failure occurs in an important aspect for a player in a computer game involving a bet operation. It is another object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus having a failure recovery function capable of compensating for the game situation of the important aspect.

  The present invention relates to a game device that executes a computer game accompanied by a virtual game value betting operation by a player, and the above object of the present invention comprises a predetermined number of game media in a predetermined aspect of the game. With respect to the game media group, determination means for determining whether or not the distribution type and distribution order of the game media to the player are confirmed, and the game value possessed by the player as a result of the game by the bet operation has increased or decreased Restoration data necessary for restoring the game situation at that time, with at least a first timing indicating the time point and a second timing indicating the time point when the determination means determines that the distribution type and distribution order have been determined. Recovery data storage means for storing each checkpoint in a non-volatile storage medium, and the game being executed A failure recovery means for reading the recovery data from the storage medium at the time of recovery from a failure including a power failure, and automatically restoring at least the latest game state of the checkpoint based on the recovery data. Achieved by:

  Further, the object of the present invention is to provide the recovery data storage means that inputs operation information of itself and other players, and at the same time determines whether or not the operation of the player is an operation related to the progress of the game. If it is determined that the operation is related to the progress of the game, the recovery data is stored using the time point when the operation is detected as the checkpoint. The restoration status data is restored from the game status from the start time of the game to the latest time of the checkpoint, or from the time of the latest checkpoint in the checkpoint group at the first timing. Sequentially reproduces the game situation up to the time when the game was last saved, and the failure recovery means restores the game situation. In the case of failure recovery from the second timing, it is determined whether or not the game has won or lost based on the recovery data. If it is determined that the game has not yet been determined, winning or losing is determined. The game value stored temporarily as a reward is undecided and thus temporarily stored is restored to the state at the latest time of the checkpoint, and the failure recovery means determines the game status at the time of the checkpoint. After the restoration, the game is automatically resumed from the restoration time point, and the game is a game in which an additional bet can be operated after a hand is determined by the game medium, and the failure recovery means The failure occurred at the timing when the player and other players can make the additional bet after the player's hand role is determined, and when the win / loss determination has not been completed. If it is determined, the reproduction of the game situation and the resumption of the game are performed, and the data storage means stores data storage points at regular intervals after the first timing or the second timing that varies according to the betting operation. And storing the recovery data using the data storage point as the check point, respectively.

  Furthermore, the object of the present invention is further provided with a sub game executing means for executing a sub game to which a predetermined amount of game value is given when a character operated by the player passes a predetermined passing point, and the data storage The means and the failure recovery means process the passing time of the passing point as the first timing, and data including a game result of the player recorded on an IC card detachably attached to the game device is stored in the game. Card update means for updating in a timely manner as the game progresses, and card data storage means for storing update data of the IC card at the time of the checkpoint in the storage medium, wherein the failure recovery means includes the game When restoring the situation, the update data is read from the storage medium, and the record data of the IC card is read from the checkpoint. Rewriting to the update data corresponding to the current time point, the game device is a medal game device using a medal as a game value medium, and the failure recovery means restores the game situation at the checkpoint time point, When a payout operation is performed, the game value possessed by the player at the time of restoration of the game situation is converted into the number of medals based on a predetermined exchange rate set in advance, and the medal payout mechanism is driven. By paying out the medals for the number of sheets to the return unit, each is achieved more effectively.

  According to the present invention, when the game value possessed by the player increases or decreases, and when the distribution type and distribution order of the game media that influence the player's victory or defeat are determined as checkpoints, the game situation at the time at the time of failure recovery is determined. Since the automatic restoration is performed, it is possible to compensate not only for the bet amount but also the game situation in an important aspect even when a failure such as a power failure occurs in an important aspect for the player. In addition, the failure recovery method according to the present invention does not need to record a series of data (key operation information, etc.) for a predetermined period as compared with the method of the prior art, so the storage area of the storage medium can be reduced, Moreover, it can be recovered in an extremely short recovery time.

  The game device according to the present invention is a game device having a function of recovering from a failure such as a power interruption due to a power failure or a software hang-up, and is a computer game involving a virtual game value betting operation by a player, particularly one game. The present invention is preferably applied to a game apparatus that executes a bet game in which an additional bet operation can be performed. Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is applied to a commercial medal game device that plays using medals as game value media will be described as an example. Further, as an example of a computer game having a gambling element, a so-called “seven stud poker game” (hereinafter simply referred to as “poker game”) will be described as a specific example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a commercial medal game device. The game apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, a card processing unit 12, an operation unit 13, a storage unit 14, an image display unit 15, an audio output unit 16, a communication control unit 17, a game processing unit 18, and a medal processing unit 19. ing.

  The control unit 11 includes a CPU and the like, and performs computer program execution control and input / output control with peripheral devices via an input / output interface. The card processing unit 12 includes an IC card mounting unit (connector), an IC card reader / writer, and the like, and reads / writes data from / to the IC card possessed by the player. In this example, player data such as user identification information and a player's battle history is recorded on the IC card 1.

  The operation unit 13 includes an input device including button switches for inputting player operation information and the like. In this embodiment, “50”, “100”, “150”, and “200” are used as bet amount instruction buttons in addition to “get off” and “pass” buttons as operation buttons for poker games and the like. ”Button is provided on a touch panel display, and various selection operations can be performed by a one-touch operation on the display.

  The storage unit 14 is configured from a predetermined storage medium such as a memory or a RAM, and programs and data having processing routines for causing a computer to execute each unit to be described later are stored in the internal storage medium in advance or stored in the game device. It is stored in an external storage medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) that can be mounted on the mounting unit. Further, recovery data and IC card update data, which will be described later, are stored in a nonvolatile storage medium in the storage unit 14.

  The image display unit 15 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display (in this example, a touch panel display), and the audio output unit 16 includes a sound output device such as a sound circuit or a speaker. The communication control unit 17 includes a data transfer control circuit and the like, and controls communication between game devices. In this example, the communication control unit 17 has a communication control function between game devices connected via a server via the Internet, and can execute an interpersonal online game that can be played against players nationwide. I have to.

  The game processing unit 18 includes a game processing program, an image processing device, and the like, and performs processing such as game progress control in accordance with the operation of the operating means by the player. The medal processing unit 19 includes a medal identification device, a medal payout mechanism, and the like, and performs identification, counting processing, payout processing, and the like of medals inserted from the insertion slot.

  Note that hardware devices in the game apparatus 10 are publicly known, and descriptions of operation examples of individual devices are omitted.

  Next, the main configuration of the game processing unit 18 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of the game processing unit 18 according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, each means 18a to 18h shown in FIG. 2 is realized by a computer program controlled by a CPU and stored in a predetermined storage medium. Then, it operates as a memory resident program or an overlay program at the time of execution. Each means 18a to 18h is classified by function with a means name for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the software configuration. In addition, here, mainly means for realizing the failure recovery function according to the present invention are shown, and general means such as means relating to the interpersonal communication game and image processing means are omitted.

  The game processing unit 18 mounted on the game apparatus 10 includes, as main components, a game progress control unit 18a, a game situation determination unit 18b, a recovery data storage unit 18c, a failure recovery unit 18d, a failure detection unit 18e, and a secondary game execution. Means 18f, card update means 18g, and card data storage means 18h are provided. Of these means 18a to 18h, means 18e to 18h are additional components.

  The game progress control means 18a is a means for controlling the progress of the entire game, including the waiting process and the process from the start to the end of the game. For example, when the game is won in the poker game, the secondary game execution means is activated. Then, control such as executing a bonus game as a sub game is performed.

  The game situation determination means 18b determines whether or not the distribution type and distribution order of the game media to the player are determined for a game media group (in this example, a card group of cards) consisting of a predetermined number of game media. For example, in the case of a poker game, when a card is distributed to each player (including a virtual player) (when the deck is determined), it is determined that the distribution type and distribution order are determined. . Note that when the distribution type and distribution order are determined, the win or loss of the game has not yet been determined. In other words, the card to be distributed to each player and the hand that can be played by the game are already known by the game progress control means 18a. However, not only the strength of the hand but also the player's betting operation etc. will ultimately determine the outcome of the game. "Game wins and losses" have not been finalized.

  The recovery data storage means 18c stores, in a nonvolatile storage medium, recovery data necessary for restoring the game situation including the bet amount possessed by the player at each time point for each checkpoint related to a change in game value. It is. In order to restore the game state at the time of failure, it is only necessary to save the latest recovery data. Instead of saving in time series for each checkpoint, overwrite the recovery data and save it. Also good. It should be noted that “failure” in the present invention includes “forced interruption due to operation of a player's reset switch or the like”.

  As a checkpoint for saving the recovery data, (1) In addition to the first timing indicating when the game value possessed by the player increases or decreases as a result of the game by the bet operation, (2) game situation determination means 18b Thus, at least the second timing indicating the time point when it is determined that the distribution type and distribution order of the game medium (the playing card in this example) to the player has been determined is included. In the case of a game in which the game progresses by repeating the operation of an additional bet and the distribution of the next card after the first card is distributed, as in the poker game in this embodiment, the game situation determination The time point of the second timing determined by the means 18b occurs a plurality of times.

  That is, the “check point” here means the timing of an action that causes a change in game value at the present time or in the near future as a result of the player's operation.

  As the first timing, for example, (1a) a virtual value in which a game value medium such as an inserted medal is used in a game based on a predetermined exchange rate (10 chips for one substitute), for example. (1b) timing indicating the time when the player or the opponent's player has bet action (bet operation), (1c) the result of the game in a predetermined aspect of the game, Timing indicating when game value as a payout corresponding to the bet amount is paid to the winning player, (1d) From a player who has lost as a result of a game in a predetermined aspect of the game (including a player who has descended) There are timings indicating when the bet amount is collected, (1e) timings indicating when the player or another player performs an operation related to the progress of the game, and the like.

  In the timing (1e) above, the recovery data storage means 18c operates the operation information of itself and other players (an operation signal from the operation unit of the game device of itself or a communication partner, or an operation command to the virtual player operated by the CPU). ) And the player's operation is an operation related to the progress of the game. If it is determined that the operation is related to the progress of the game, the timing of detecting the operation is set as the timing of (1e) above. Execute recovery data storage processing.

  In addition to the timing of the action that causes a change in game value, a data storage point may be set as appropriate according to the type of game, and the recovery data may be stored using the data storage point as a check point. Further, in the embodiment provided with the failure detection means 18e described later, the recovery data is stored as the check point when the failure is detected. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which data storage points are set at regular intervals after the first timing or the second timing, and the recovery data is stored using the data storage points as check points. Further, the second timing may include a point in time when the game progress control means 18a appears where a game value-added value is added (rarely or randomly appear depending on the progress of the game). .

  The restoration data to be saved is the minimum necessary data for restoring the game situation at that time, such as the player's win and loss, the acquired game value, card information (card data when an IC card is used), etc. It is data of. The “restored game situation” is not limited to the same game situation as the game situation at the time of the checkpoint. For example, in the case of a casino game using playing cards, if a failure occurs during the game, it is only necessary to guarantee a chip as a game value. In the present embodiment, for example, data indicating the chip information of the player and the opponent, the state of the playing cards, and the action of the player (betting amount designated by the betting operation, action such as passing, getting off) are stored as the recovery data. The

  The failure recovery means 18d is a means for restoring at least the latest game state at the time of a failure including a power interruption during the execution of the game, reading the recovery data from the nonvolatile storage medium, and for the recovery The game situation immediately before the occurrence of the failure is automatically restored based on the data. For example, in the case of a poker game, the time of occurrence of a failure such as a power interruption during the game or a forced interruption of the game due to a player resetting operation is the time when the hand / hand is confirmed and the time when the win / loss determination and reward distribution are If it was between, not only simply return the "hand / hand", but also the other player's hand and bet, the game value put to the "place" by the betting operation, Also, the state immediately before the occurrence of the failure (the latest state based on the recovery data) is also restored for the reward related thereto.

  At this time, in the present embodiment, the game situation at the latest time point is restored based on the recovery data at the latest check point time point, and the game situation at the restoration time point (game situation immediately before the failure occurs) The game situation from the start time of the game to the latest time of the checkpoint, or from the time of the latest checkpoint in the checkpoint group at the first timing to the time when the restoration data is last saved The game situation is reproduced in sequence. The “game start time” here refers to the start time of a game in the main game when the game is interrupted during execution of the main game consisting of a plurality of round games. When the game is interrupted during the execution of the sub-game consisting of a game, the start time of the sub-game is said.

  Further, when restoring the game situation, the failure recovery means 18d determines whether or not the latest checkpoint is at the first timing, and in the case of the first timing, the game situation at that time (latest checkpoint time) is determined. By restoring, the game situation at the time of the latest checkpoint is compensated.

  On the other hand, in the case of the second timing, the game situation is restored immediately before the failure occurs, and information stored as recovery data, for example, the hand of the game medium (the hand determined by the type or combination of cards, etc.) Based on the information of the role), it is determined whether or not the game has been confirmed, and when it is determined that the game has not been confirmed, the allocation destination as a reward is undecided because the victory or defeat has not been confirmed. The game value temporarily stored in is restored to the state of the latest checkpoint. Thereby, for example, in a casino game, the distribution destination as a reward is not determined, and the game value temporarily stored in the dealer can be compensated without disappearing. In addition, after the first card is distributed, the game progress control means 18a determines the victory or defeat while the game is progressing by repeating the operation of an additional bet and the distribution of the next card, and the settlement of chip data. When a failure occurs at a timing when processing is not being performed, the recovery data is saved with the time when winning or losing is confirmed as a checkpoint. In this case, the game situation at the time of the checkpoint is restored, but if the chip data settlement process (the increase / decrease process of the game value possessed by each player) is not performed after the winning / losing is confirmed, the game situation at the time of the checkpoint After restoring the above, as the game restart process, the chip data settlement process and the video display of the scene may be automatically performed according to the result of the already determined win or loss.

  Also, for example, in the case of a poker game, when a hand that seems to win the opponent such as straight or flash comes, in the case of a slot machine or pachinko game, for example, 2 out of 3 symbols (777 etc.) that will be a big hit If the probability of aligning becomes high due to probability fluctuations, or the probability of aligning becomes high, victory or defeat is not yet determined, but in this embodiment, even if a failure such as a power failure occurs in that state, the state is restored By doing so, the game situation at the time of failure (immediately before) is compensated. In this case, for example, information indicating the state of an important aspect for the player as described above is stored in the recovery data, and if that is the case, the player wins or loses based on a predetermined reference value or a random number, for example. As in the normal game, the game value may be increased or decreased according to the bet amount as a result of winning or losing.

  In the present embodiment, one game is composed of a multi-round poker game or the like, and after betting for the first time, during the game of the round (winning or losing is determined from a state where the hand is completed or is likely to be completed) This is a betting game in which additional betting is possible. In such a bet game, when a failure occurs during the game in the round corresponding to an action such as an operation for an additional bet, the game situation at the time of the failure (immediately before) is restored, and the game is resumed from that point. It is in form. Then, as soon as the game of the round ends, the game of the next round is finished without continuing. The game value at the end of the game owned by the player is paid out to the player as a game value medium or a virtual game value by a payout operation (player payout instruction). For example, when the game device is a medal game device that uses medals as substitute money, when a payout operation is performed, based on a predetermined exchange rate that is set in advance, such as one medal 10 chips, It is converted into a medal, the medal payout mechanism is driven, and the medal is paid out to the return unit (a game value corresponding to the medal is paid out in the home game machine), and the game ends. Note that the fraction generated when converting a possessed chip into a medal may be left on the game side without being converted, or may be rounded up, rounded down, or rounded off. The game value medium to be inserted and the game value medium to be paid out may not be medals, for example, cash, credit card amount information, or virtual game value that can be used in other games (so-called point card points, etc.) It is also good.

  Note that if the power is turned off while saving the recovery data, the recovery data may be written halfway. In order to deal with such a case, the same data is written sequentially (twice serially) by the recovery data storage means 18c so that the two identical data are stored, and the fault recovery means 18d Whether the data is correct or not is determined by a checksum or the like, and when it is determined that the data is incomplete, the other data is used for recovery. Alternatively, when the data of the latest checkpoint and the immediately preceding checkpoint are stored by the recovery data storage unit 18c, and the failure recovery unit 18d determines that the latest checkpoint data is incomplete data. It is good also as a form which restores using the data before one.

  The failure detection means 18e is a means for detecting a failure that prevents the game from progressing. For example, when an opening detection signal is input from an opening / closing detection sensor of a door of the game housing, a display device, a nonvolatile storage medium, etc. When a peripheral device failure (input / output error) is detected, a line failure detection signal from the communication control unit 17 is input, or a logic error is detected by the program, it is determined that the game cannot be progressed. And stop the game.

  The sub game executing means 18f is means for executing the sub game, and is activated by the game progress control means 18a in a predetermined situation. In this example, the bonus game is activated when the player has won the game a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times) and, as a sub game, a predetermined amount of game value is awarded when a character operated by the player passes a predetermined passing point. Run the game. For example, as a passing point, a plurality of gates having three doors whose game value is set on a specific door are provided on the travel path, and in the sub game execution means 18f, the character operated by the player is a specific door. When the game passes, a predetermined game value is given to the player.

  At that time, the sub game executing means 18f activates the recovery data storing means 18c, and executes the recovery data storing process with the passing point of the passing point as the first timing. For example, in a bonus game, even if the power is turned off in a state where 1000 chips have been acquired as a game value halfway, the game can be restarted from the 1000 chip acquisition state. Further, in the secondary game, the game situation determination means 18b determines whether or not the game value is highly likely to be given based on a predetermined determination reference value, and determines that the possibility is high, or The recovery data storage process may be executed with the point in time at which a special stage with a large game value to be acquired appears (appears or appears randomly depending on the progress of the game) as the second timing.

  The card update means 18g is a means for updating the data of the IC card, and updates the data of the player recorded on the IC card attached to the game device in accordance with the progress of the game. The updated data is the player's performance data recorded corresponding to the user identification information. For example, the player's strength is determined according to the winning / losing in the game, the score obtained, the experience value, the experience value, etc. This is data such as a rank (information indicating the first rank, the first rank, etc.). This battle record data is recorded at least once in N games (for example, N = 30) on the IC card of the player as the latest N battle record data as battle history data. At that time, the card updating means 18g records the minimum necessary data as the battle history data on the IC card. Note that an IC card is not essential, and the game can be played without using an IC card.

  The user identification information is composed of, for example, a unique ID for specifying an IC card (previously assigned system unique ID) and a user name, and the user name is an arbitrary name input by the player (in the case of a battle against CPU) Is the name of the virtual player set by the CPU. In addition to being displayed on the game screen, the user name is displayed as a list of user names ranked higher among the participants in an online game using the Internet, for example, by a browsing request to the server. Displayed on the screen. Note that the record destination of the battle history data is not limited to the IC card, but may be another storage medium such as a memory stick or a memory card (registered trademark).

  The card data storage unit 18h is a unit that stores the update data of the IC card at the time of the check point, and uses a nonvolatile storage medium in the storage unit 14 as a storage destination. When the failure recovery means 18d restores the game situation at the time of the checkpoint, the failure recovery means 18d reads the update data from the storage medium, and rewrites the record data of the IC card with the update data corresponding to the checkpoint time, thereby updating the game. Compensate for troubles caused by data corruption due to power interruption or inconsistency between game data and IC card update data when restoring the game situation.

  As other means, the game processing unit 18 includes means for recording the operation information of the player, and when the failure recovery means 18d recovers the failure, the game video up to the check point is reproduced and displayed on the screen. Like to do. At that time, the failure recovery means 18d accepts a command such as fast-forwarding from the operation unit 13 during playback display, and varies the speed of playback display according to the command. Here, the contents to be played and displayed are “card and chip exchanges (card distribution, additional bets, calls / folds, etc.) from the start of the game of the round to the point when the recovery data is saved immediately before the power interruption. This is a moving image that is sequentially displayed at a predetermined speed. Here, the starting time of the game of the round is the time when the next card is dealt after the winning / losing decision / reward distribution of the previous game is finished, in other words, who is already going to which card, It is the time when it is determined what kind of role can be played, and when playing and displaying, if power interruption occurs between that time and the end of winning / losing confirmation / reward allocation, the exchange of cards and chips during that time Display the process.

  Also, in this example, when the reward distribution is completed, a screen indicating “whether or not to continue the game” is displayed and the player is inquired. However, if power is interrupted at that stage, playback display and replay are not performed. The form returns to the title screen. In the present embodiment, in any case including that case, the recovered reward (corresponding to a chip displayed on the screen) that has not been paid out as a medal is used as recovery data (game status data). ) Is always saved. Then, when the recovery data is read from the storage medium and restored / reproduced and displayed, the player's troubled time and the like are all cut, and only the process (movement) between the card and the chip is reproduced and displayed at a predetermined speed. I have to.

  An operation example of the game device according to the present invention having the above-described configuration will be described. Hereinafter, a case where a game simulating a poker game in a casino game is executed will be described as an example. Further, a case where a game against CPU is executed in the single player mode will be described as an example. However, the main operation related to the failure recovery processing is not dependent on the type of game or the game play mode (three-player battle or five-player battle, CPU battle, interpersonal communication game, interpersonal online game, etc.) It is the same.

  First, an operation example of the game device according to the present invention will be described along the flow of the flowchart of FIG.

  When the power of the game device is turned on, the control unit 11 of the game device performs an initial process such as operation check of the device after the game device control unit 11 performs a game processing program (software of the game processing unit 18). The game processing unit 18 (game progress control means 18a) is activated (step S1). The game processing unit 18 determines whether or not the game control mode is the failure recovery mode (step S2), and in the case of the failure recovery mode, after executing a failure recovery process described later (step S3), the game control mode Is set to the standby mode, and the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the control mode of the game is not the failure recovery mode in step S2, a standby state is set until a medal insertion detection signal is input, the screen is touched, or an IC card is inserted, and a predetermined advertisement screen is displayed. Is displayed on the image display unit 15. In the standby state, when an IC card attachment detection signal owned by the player is input from the card processing unit 12, a card flag indicating that a card is present is turned on (step S4).

  When insertion of a medal is detected by the medal processing unit 19 or when the screen is touched or an IC card is inserted, the game processing unit 18 cancels the standby state and displays the game screen selected by the player. Then, the game is started (in this example, a poker game against CPU). At this time, if the card flag is on, the card processing unit 12 reads the IC card data into the memory, and if the player data is recorded (if not playing for the first time), the user name and the player's The player's data such as a rank indicating strength is displayed on the game screen (step S5).

  When the poker game is started, the game processing unit 18 converts the inserted medal into a gaming value (for example, 1 medal = 10 chips), turns on the in-game flag, and sets the initial bet amount (participating chip). Set. At that time, the recovery data storage unit 18c of the game processing unit 18 stores the recovery data in the nonvolatile storage medium using the time point when the initial bet amount is set as a checkpoint (step S6). Subsequently, the game processing unit 18 (game progress control means 18a) cuts the card based on a random number or the like, and then displays a video for distributing the card to the player and the virtual player (player operated by the CPU) (step S7). .

  The game situation determination means 18b of the game processing unit 18 determines whether or not the distribution type and distribution order for the player and the virtual player have been determined as a game situation check process (steps S8 and S9). If it is determined that the distribution type and distribution order have been determined, the recovery data storage unit 18c is activated and the recovery data is stored using that point as a checkpoint (step S10).

  The player looks at the hand displayed on the game screen and touches the corresponding button (button for instructing the type of action) displayed on the touch panel, thereby “betting”, “getting down”, “pass”, etc. Declare. The order and rules for declaring are the same as in a normal poker game, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In addition, “Seven Stud Poker” in this example is different from “Closed Poker” where you exchange cards while hiding all your hands, and instead of having to exchange cards, A card (invisible to the other party) and four open cards are dealt, and the best five of them are used to compete for the hand. Specifically, first, three cards (hands) are dealt face down to each player. The player looks at his hand. Next, cards are dealt to the player one by one face up. First bet once. When the betting is over, each player is again dealt one card face up, and an additional bet is placed by the player. Similarly, card distribution (adding a card when all bets are the same) and additional betting are alternately performed until the player has seven cards. Then, when the player has 7 cards and a bet is established, the game is a type of game in which the first dealt face-down card is revealed and wins or loses are determined.

  In the present embodiment, when the player makes an “additional bet”, the player selects from among buttons such as “50”, “100”, “150”, and “200” indicating the bet amount. The game processing unit 18 inputs a touch panel detection signal, determines the type of button instructed by the player, and if it is detected that the “bet” operation has been performed (step S11), the recovery data storage means 18c is activated, and the recovery data is stored using the time as a checkpoint (step S12).

  Subsequently, the bet amount of each player who has made a bet is compared, and if the bet amount of all the players is the same, it is determined that no one has made a round without raising, and each player who has not descended (player and virtual) The player's role is compared to determine the winner, a predetermined game value is paid out to the winner according to the payout rate corresponding to the role, and the amount of game value possessed by the loser is subtracted. Then, the recovery data storage unit 18c is activated, and the recovery data is stored using the time as a checkpoint (step S13).

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the player is a winner (step S14). If the player wins a certain number of times, a bonus game is executed as a sub game. In the sub game, as described above, for example, when a character operated by the player passes a predetermined passing point (check point), a predetermined amount of game value is given and recovery data is stored (step S15). ).

  It should be noted that the recovery data storage means 18c is configured such that when each player makes an additional bet operation, when a game win / loss is confirmed, and rewards are distributed to each player (chip data settlement). For each checkpoint related to a change in game value, the recovery data storage means 18c is activated, and the recovery data is stored using that point as a checkpoint.

  When the result of the game is that the player is a loser and the game end button is selected, or when the sub-game executed in step S14 is ended, a payout instruction by operating the player's PAYOUT button is given. The medal payout process is executed. In the medal payout process, the medal payout mechanism is driven by calculating the number of medals with respect to the total amount of game values of the player, paying out the medals for the calculated medal number to the return unit, turning off the in-game flag, The control mode is set to the standby mode and the game ends. At that time, if the card flag is on, the card flag is updated by updating the data (the player's winning / losing game value, experience value, experience value, rank, etc.) of the player recorded in the IC card. Is turned off to end the game (step S16).

  As described above, during the game, not all the operation information for a predetermined period is saved, but at each check point (at least the first timing and the second timing described above) related to the change in game value, Recovery data necessary for restoring the game situation including is stored in a nonvolatile storage medium. In addition, when the failure detection unit 18e detects a failure during which the game cannot progress, the game processing unit 18 (game progress control unit 18a) stops the game and, for example, the image display unit 15 The fault detection information indicating the fault occurrence and the fault type is output via the voice output unit 16 or the communication control unit 17. At that time, the failure detection time may be used as a checkpoint, and the recovery data storage unit 18c may be activated to store the recovery data.

Next, an operation example of the game device at the time of failure recovery will be described along the flow of the flowchart of FIG. Note that game control information (control mode, flags, etc.) is stored in a nonvolatile storage medium together with recovery data.
<Starting fault recovery processing>
When the power of the game device is turned on, the game processing unit 18 (game progress control means 18a) is activated by the control unit 11 of the game device as usual. The game processing unit 18 determines whether or not the game control mode is the failure recovery mode. If the game control mode is the failure recovery mode, the game processing unit 18 activates the failure recovery means 18d to start the failure recovery process (step S21).

The failure recovery means 18d first reads the game control information (control mode, flags) from the non-volatile storage medium and determines in which of the following states (C1) to (C3) the failure has occurred. judge.
(C1) After betting on the participating chips (initial bet amount), a state in which the chip data settlement process (increase / decrease process of the virtual game value possessed by the player) according to the winning / losing of the game of the round is completed.
(C2) After betting on the participating chips, the chip data is not settled according to the outcome of the game in the round and no cards are dealt.
(C3) After betting on the participating chips, the chip data is not settled according to the outcome of the game in the round, and the cards are dealt (the card distribution type and distribution order are fixed) State), or a state in which the sub-game (bonus game) is being executed and the chip data settlement process has not been performed.

When the failure recovery means 18d determines that a failure has occurred in the state (C1), a predetermined advertisement screen is displayed on the image display unit 15 in the same manner as when the power is normally turned on, and the standby state is set. To do. That is, the game failure recovery process is terminated without doing anything. On the other hand, if it is determined that a failure has occurred in the state (C2), the game value possessed by the player at that time (participating chip and additional bet amount, or game value (bonus points) acquired in the secondary game)) After the game is restored, the game value is returned to the player. At that time, as shown in FIG. 5, a screen G1 indicating that the game is invalid and the bet amount XX is returned is displayed (step S22). Then, the control mode is set to the standby mode to enter the standby state, a predetermined advertisement screen is displayed on the image display unit 15, and the failure recovery process is terminated (step S23).
<Card recovery processing>
On the other hand, if the in-game flag is on, it is determined whether or not the card flag is on (step S24). If the card flag is on, an IC card (recording card for player history data, etc.) is used in the game. It is determined that the card is being used, and as shown in FIG. 6, a card recovery screen G2 for starting card recovery is displayed. At this time, if it is determined that the IC card is not installed based on the installation detection signal from the card processing unit 12, a message prompting the user to insert the card into the mounting unit of the game device is displayed on the card recovery screen, and the IC card Is requested from the player (step S25). When an IC card is not inserted and a cancel instruction (in other words, “RESET KEY” + “EJECT” in the example of FIG. 6) is issued, a cancel instruction, that is, an instruction not to recover the card is issued (step S26). ), The process proceeds to step S30, and a game recovery process is executed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the IC card is installed, it tries to read the data on the IC card, and if it is determined that the IC card is damaged due to the occurrence of a reading error or the like, the fact is displayed. The IC card is ejected, and the process proceeds to step S30 to start the game recovery process. If data is not normally written due to a failure during data writing or the like, the data is restored in step S29 described later. If the IC card is damaged, the IC card may be restored by replacing it with a new IC card (step S27).

  If it is determined that the IC card is not broken, if the system unique ID of the card stored in the game device does not match the system unique ID of the card read at the time of failure recovery, a different card is installed If it is determined that the card has been inserted, the IC card is ejected and the process returns to step S26 to display a screen for prompting insertion of the correct card (step S28).

  If it is determined that the card is not broken and the correct card is installed, the update data of the IC card at the time of the checkpoint is read from the nonvolatile storage medium, and the recorded data of the IC card (until the game immediately before the failure) The data of the IC card is restored in synchronization with the time when the game situation is restored, and the card restoration process is completed. (Step S29).

  Even if the clerk turns on the game device and restarts it (the IC card is ejected at this time), the computer program may not be started if the device is broken. In that case, since it may take time for recovery work such as hardware replacement, it is assumed that the player can not wait and returns home with an IC card. In such a case, even if the cause of the failure is known and the power supply is restarted after the repair work is completed, the card cannot be restored because the card is not present. In order to deal with such a case, in this embodiment, the store clerk performs a setting operation in a recovery mode without an IC card, thereby skipping the IC card recovery processing and shifting to the game recovery processing. . However, in that case, the data of the IC card is stored in the storage medium on the server side, and is reflected from the server at the next timing when the player inserts the IC card. That is, in the game device, when the insertion of the IC card by the player is detected even during normal times, it is determined whether or not the data corresponding to the ID of the IC card is stored on the server side, and the data is stored. In such a case, a process of receiving the data from the server and writing it to the IC card is executed.

On the other hand, if the in-game flag is ON and the card flag is OFF in step S24, or if the IC card recovery process in step S27 is completed, the game recovery process is started.
<Game recovery processing>
When it is necessary to guarantee the bet, that is, when it is determined that a failure has occurred in the state (C3), the failure recovery means 18d reproduces the situation at the time of failure as shown in FIG. Is displayed on the game screen G3 being restored. In this example, the video of the normal game (or bonus game) from the game start time of the round to the latest checkpoint time (the checkpoint time immediately before the occurrence of a power failure or the like) is played on the touch panel display at a predetermined speed. The game is displayed until the time of occurrence of a failure such as a power interruption or the time immediately before. The content displayed at that time is a moving image that shows only the process (movement) between the card and the chip as described above, and the time that the player was worried about is a cut image. Meanwhile, the player can instruct fast-forwarding or skipping to the next situation by operating a skip button or the like on the touch panel, or can view information by operating the button (step S30).

  Note that the reproduction display process in step S30 is not essential for restoring the game situation at the time of the checkpoint, and may be omitted.

  When the reproduction display up to the checkpoint time is finished in step S30, the failure recovery means 18d displays a screen G4 indicating that the game is restarted as shown in FIG. "5" indicating 5 seconds) is displayed over the screen, and the time is counted down every second (step S31).

  In the failure recovery means 18d, for example, the bet amount, the acquired game value, the player, based on the recovery data read from the non-volatile storage medium during the reproduction / display of the game video in step S30 or during the countdown in step S31 The game situation immediately before the occurrence of a failure, such as winning or losing or hand, is automatically restored.

  The case here is a case where a failure has occurred in the state (C1), that is, after the betting of the participating chip, the chip data settlement process according to the winning or losing of the game of the round is not performed, and A failure has occurred in a state where the card distribution type and distribution order are fixed (the state after the second timing), or the sub-game is being executed and the chip data is not being settled. Case.

  In the failure recovery means 18d, when the game value is restored, data such as the game value (participating chip and additional bet amount or acquired game value in the secondary game) possessed by the player at the time of the latest checkpoint is stored. Restore. At that time, if it is determined that the winning or losing of the game has not been determined based on the recovery data, as described above, the latest point in time including the game value that is temporarily determined and the allocation destination as a reward is not yet determined. Restore to the state.

  Here, the recovery process from the failure after the operation of the additional bet will be described.

  The poker game in the present embodiment is not a game in which winning or losing is always determined by the hand of each player if the distribution type and distribution order of the cards are determined, but the player and the opponent after the hand is determined This type of game is such that the game proceeds with the additional bet and the reward (or the amount taken when losing) is different depending on the winning / losing determination after the additional bet.

In such a game, if, for example, a power interruption occurs before the winning or losing decision, the failure recovery means 18d reproduces not only its own bet but also the opponent's bet at the time of resumption so that it proceeds without interruption. Compensate for the amount of bet that would have been obtained. For example, the failure recovery means 18d recognizes the game situation at the time of failure based on the recovery data, and at the timing when an additional bet can be made by the player (player himself) and the opponent after determining the hand role, and the winning / losing determination has been completed. If it is determined that a failure has occurred, the game situation is reproduced and the game is replayed (resumption of the game in the next round in step S33) (step S32).
<Game restart processing>
Then, the game is resumed when the time countdown in step S31 becomes “0” (step S33). The game resumed in step S33 is the game from the state (C3), and as soon as the game of the round ends, the end process is executed without continuing the next game (step S34).
<Failure recovery end processing>
As the end processing, first, it is determined whether or not the card flag is on. If it is on, the latest data including the player's results recorded in the IC card is written, and then the card is ejected ( Step S35). Subsequently, according to the medal payout instruction from the player, the medal number corresponding to the total amount of game values at the end of the game is paid out to the return unit by driving the medal payout mechanism. Then, the control mode is set to the standby mode to enter the standby state, a predetermined advertisement screen is displayed on the image display unit 15 (step S36), and all the failure recovery processing is completed.
[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, the seven stud poker game has been described as an example, but other types of poker games (five stud poker, low stud poker, draw poker, low ball, deuce to seven , Flop, poker, etc.). The game to be executed is not limited to a poker game, but is a computer game involving a bet operation (blackjack, slot, baccarat, roulette, horse racing, boat racing, auto racing, mahjong simulation game, etc.) good.

  In particular, it is not a type of game in which the hand is fixed and the winning or losing is determined immediately, but it is a game with a rule in which the winning or losing of each player is determined for the first time when the player who has not left the game (not folded) opens the hand. However, the present invention can be suitably applied, and the type of game and the hardware configuration are not limited to the present embodiment. In other words, according to the rules of the game, the power interruption process of “from what state will be resumed” is different at the time of resumption because “the game is abnormally interrupted after the hand is confirmed and before winning or losing is decided” due to power interruption The present invention can be used as appropriate as long as the game has a possible rule.

  Further, although the business medal game device has been described as an example, the present invention can also be applied to business game devices (pachinko machines, slot machines, etc.) or business game devices other than the medal game device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the recovery data is stored in the nonvolatile storage medium in the game device has been described as an example. However, the server-side storage medium connected to the game device via the network, or Further, it may be stored in an external storage medium (storage medium owned by the player) such as an IC card mounted on the mounting portion of the game device. In addition, the case where the checkpoint and the recovery data are set in advance has been described as an example. However, according to the call from the game program, the designated data group at that time is saved and the failure recovery is performed. In some cases, the latest or designated data group may be read and restored.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the medal game device which concerns on this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of the game process part of the game device of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the normal time of the game device which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example at the time of the failure recovery of the game device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the 1st display screen at the time of failure recovery. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of a display screen at the time of failure recovery. It is a figure which shows the 3rd example of a display screen at the time of failure recovery. It is a figure which shows the example of the 4th display screen at the time of failure recovery.

Explanation of symbols

1 IC card 2 Substitute currency (medal)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game device 11 Control part 12 Card processing part 13 Operation part 14 Storage part 15 Image display part 16 Audio | voice output part 17 Communication control part 18 Game processing part 18a Game progress control means 18b Game situation determination means 18c Recovery data storage means 18d Failure Recovery means 18e Failure detection means 18f Sub-game execution means 18g Card update means 18h Card data storage means 19 Medal processing section

Claims (10)

A game device for executing a computer game involving a virtual game value betting operation by a player,
Determining means for determining whether or not the distribution type and distribution order of the game medium to the player have been determined for a game medium group including a predetermined number of game media in a predetermined aspect of the game;
A first timing indicating a time when the gaming value possessed by the player is increased or decreased as a result of the game by the betting operation, and a second timing indicating a time when the distribution type and distribution order are determined by the determination means. And at least a checkpoint, recovery data storage means for storing recovery data necessary for restoring the game situation at that time in a nonvolatile storage medium for each checkpoint;
Failure recovery that reads the recovery data from the storage medium upon recovery from a failure including a power interruption during execution of the game, and automatically restores at least the latest game state of the checkpoint based on the recovery data Means,
A game apparatus having a failure recovery function.   When the recovery data storage means inputs the operation information of itself and other players, and at the same time, determines whether the operation of the player is an operation related to the progress of the game, and determines that the operation is related to the progress of the game The game apparatus having a failure recovery function according to claim 1, wherein the recovery data storage process is executed using the time point when the operation is detected as the check point.   The failure recovery means restores the latest game situation at the time of restoration of the game situation, and checks the game situation from the start time of the game to the latest check point, or the check at the first timing. 2. The game apparatus having a failure recovery function according to claim 1, wherein the game situation from the time of the latest check point in the point group to the time when the recovery data is last saved is sequentially reproduced.   The failure recovery means determines whether or not the game has been won or lost based on the recovery data in the case of failure recovery from the second timing when the game situation is restored. When it is determined that it has not been confirmed, the game value that has been temporarily stored with the allocation destination as a reward being undecided because the victory or defeat has not been confirmed is restored to the state at the latest point of the checkpoint. A game apparatus having a failure recovery function according to claim 1.   5. The failure recovery function according to claim 1, wherein the failure recovery means automatically restarts the game from the restored time after restoring the game status at the time of the checkpoint. A game device having   The game is a game in which an additional bet can be operated after a hand role is determined by the game medium, and the failure recovery means is configured so that the player and other players can play the additional bet from the determination of the player's hand role. 6. The game state reproduction and the game resumption are performed when it is determined that a failure has occurred at a timing that can be performed and when the determination of winning or losing has not been completed. A game device having the described failure recovery function.   The data storage means sets data storage points at regular intervals after the first timing or the second timing that varies according to the bet operation, and uses the data storage points as the check points to store the recovery data. The game device having a failure recovery function according to claim 1, wherein the game device has a failure recovery function. A sub game executing means for executing a sub game to which a predetermined amount of game value is given when the character operated by the player passes a predetermined passing point;
The game device having a failure recovery function according to claim 1, wherein the data storage unit and the failure recovery unit process a passing time of the passing point as the first timing. Card update means for updating the data including the player's performance recorded in an IC card detachably attached to the game device in accordance with the progress of the game, and the update of the IC card at the time of the checkpoint Card data storage means for storing data in the storage medium,
The failure recovery means reads the update data from the storage medium when the game situation is restored, and rewrites the record data of the IC card to the update data corresponding to the checkpoint time point. Item 9. A game device having a failure recovery function according to any one of Items 1 to 8.   The game device is a medal game device using a medal as a game value medium, and the failure recovery means is set in advance when a payout operation is performed by a player after restoring the game situation at the time of the checkpoint. Based on a predetermined exchange rate, the game value possessed by the player at the time of restoration of the game situation is converted into the number of medals, and the medal payout mechanism is driven to pay out the medals of the number to the return unit. A game device having a failure recovery function according to claim 1.