JP4980638B2 - PROGRAM, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM, GAME DEVICE, AND GAME DEVICE MANAGEMENT DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a program for causing a computer capable of executing a given game in accordance with an operation input signal from an operation input means to realize a function of determining an abnormality of the operation input means.

  2. Description of the Related Art There are known game devices that execute a given game in response to an operation input when a player inputs a game operation from operation input means such as direction keys and button switches. In addition, amusement facilities called “game center” and “amusement facility” where a large number of such game devices are arranged in a store and an unspecified number of players can enjoy a game for a fee are also known.

In such amusement facilities where a large number of game devices are arranged, how to manage a large number of game devices with less labor and cost is an important problem in facility operation. As a technology related to this, for example, a management system that can easily cope with a change in the layout of the game device by making it possible to collect trouble information from the game device using a power line laid in the store is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-210067

  A game device (hereinafter referred to as “business game device”) installed in an amusement facility has a hardware failure in comparison with a home game device that is used personally at home because of its high frequency of use. Is likely to occur. Among them, the operation input means that is used many times in one game play has a much higher frequency of use than the other operation input means, and therefore the failure frequency increases. In particular, button switches used for shooting bullets in shooting games and inputting the timing of hitting and kicking in fighting games are overwhelmingly used, and therefore frequently fail. In the entertainment facilities as described above, the facility manager tests and diagnoses whether the operation input means is functioning normally based on the notification from the player who feels that he / she cannot play as expected during game play, and the operation input means (In the case of a button switch, each switch is often replaced).

  However, there are cases where the player is not limited to notifying the trouble, but playing without avoiding a game device that does not perform well, or moving to another entertainment facility. If a failure is not reported, the availability of the game device with a failure may be delayed, leading to a reduction in the operating rate and a situation where the store revenue is reduced due to the movement of customers to other facilities. It is not desirable from the viewpoint of entertainment facility management.

  In particular, one of the main customers in the entertainment facility has many advanced players who are proficient in games, and there is a strong tendency not to report defects. In addition, such advanced users often feel a sign of failure (abnormality) where the operation input means will not completely fail, avoid playing with the game device, and in many cases avoid the facility.

  The failure at the precursor stage is whether or not the failure occurs only several times over several tens of times compared to the case where anyone can easily determine the failure, such as when the button switch is clearly pressed but no input is made. Incidence rate. Therefore, at the precursor stage, even if there is a notification from the player to the facility manager as described above, the reproducibility is poor. Therefore, even if the entertainment facility manager checks, it is difficult to find out the occurrence of a malfunction. Therefore, if the entertainment facility manager diagnoses that it is normal and does not deal with it at the precursor stage, it may lead to a complete failure before long, and the advanced player may leave the facility in the meantime. there were. Moreover, just because there is a report from an advanced player, this is not necessarily 100% correct. Therefore, it is appropriate to replace the entire operation input means in every case every time a report is made. It can not be said.

  The present invention has been devised in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to make it possible to quickly cope with a failure at a precursor stage by detecting an abnormality before the operation input means reaches a complete failure.

  The first invention provides a computer (for example, the arcade game apparatus 1300 in FIG. 2) capable of executing a given game in response to an operation input signal from an operation input means (for example, the button switch 1310 in FIG. 2). Detection means (for example, the anomaly detection unit 120 in FIG. 3) that detects that a predetermined signal loss has occurred based on an operation input signal from the operation input means. 4), detection history storage means for storing a history of detection by the detection means (for example, the abnormality detection unit 120, the storage unit 300 in FIG. 3, and the primary abnormality determination history management unit 130 in FIG. 4). , An abnormality determination means for determining an abnormality of the operation input means based on the detection history stored by the detection history storage means (for example, the abnormality detection unit 120, the secondary abnormality determination unit in FIG. 3) 32), a program for functioning as notification means (for example, the abnormality notification control unit 140 in FIG. 3) for performing notification based on the determination result by the abnormality determination means (for example, the game program 302, abnormality detection program in FIG. 3). 304).

  Further, the fourteenth invention is a game device for executing a game in response to an operation input signal from the operation input means, wherein a signal omission predetermined as occurring when the operation input means is defective has occurred. On the basis of an operation input signal from the operation input means, a detection history storage means for storing a history of detection by the detection means, and a detection history stored by the detection history storage means A game device comprising abnormality determining means for determining abnormality of the operation input means and notification means for performing notification based on a determination result by the abnormality determining means.

  According to the first and fourteenth inventions, it is possible to detect the absence of a signal based on the operation input signal from the operation input means, and determine and notify the abnormality from the detection history. In other words, since it is possible to detect a precursor stage until the operation input means reaches a complete failure, it is possible to detect the failure at a stage before the failure progresses to the extent that a failure can be easily determined. Abnormality can be notified. Therefore, from the standpoint of managing the recreational facilities as described above, even if the abnormalities at the precursory stage, which are poorly reproducible even if the facility manager receives a report and tests them, grasp the abnormalities accurately and promptly Can deal with defects. As a result, it is possible to prevent a reduction in the operating rate of the game device and, in turn, a customer leaving the store.

  2nd invention is 1st invention, Comprising: The said abnormality determination means is based on the change of the detection frequency by the said detection means (for example, "low" "medium" "of the primary determination 320c of FIG. 10). This is a program for causing the computer to function so as to determine “high”, “no abnormality”, “caution”, and “warning” in the secondary determination of FIG.

  The fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the game apparatus according to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the abnormality determination means determines the degree of abnormality based on a change in detection frequency by the detection means. .

The process leading to the failure of the operation input means has a tendency that defects that have appeared very rarely gradually increase in appearance frequency and eventually become unusable.
According to the second and fifteenth inventions, the same effects as those of the first and fourteenth inventions can be obtained, and the degree of abnormality can be determined based on the change in the detection frequency by the detection means. Therefore, it is possible to determine and notify which abnormality level is present when assuming the course leading to the failure as described above.

  In the amusement facilities as described above, there are cases where customers are targeted at a relatively beginner level and cases where seniors are mainly targeted. The degree of abnormality to which the operation input means is exchanged is an important factor relating to how much the operation rate of the game apparatus is maintained and which leads to sales of facility management. According to the present invention, it can be said that it is possible to provide important judgment materials from the viewpoint of facility management.

  3rd invention is 2nd invention, Comprising: The said game is a game which can execute the unit game from which control progress changes variously by changing the said control data, and the said abnormality The determination means is a program for causing the computer to function so as to determine the degree of abnormality based on a change in the detection result of the detection means for each unit game executed.

  A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the game device according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the game is a game that can be executed by changing the control data for a unit game in which the game progress changes variously due to different control data. The abnormality determining means determines the degree of abnormality based on a change in the detection result of the detecting means for each unit game executed.

  The “unit game” here refers to, for example, a story chapter or scene of a role-playing game, a dungeon to be captured, etc., depending on the type of game, one stage for a shooting game, one battle for a fighting game It corresponds to a game. The so-called bonus stage inserted during the game also corresponds to this.

  When a unit game is played, various parameters indicating control data (for example, a list of unit games that have been captured, a list of hit points and items, and the type and number of enemy characters that have been captured) correspond to this. Is changed, and the next unit game that can be played changes according to the state, so that it is a single game as a whole, but the content is rich in variety.

  In the case of such a game, in the configuration in which the abnormality of the operation input means is notified after the game is over, there is a risk that the player may feel disappointed that a long time has been spent. According to the third and sixteenth inventions, the same effects as those of the second and fifteenth inventions can be obtained, and an abnormality can be determined for each unit game, which can be prevented in advance.

  A fourth aspect of the invention is any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, in which a specific situation detecting means for detecting that the progress situation of the game is a predetermined specific situation (for example, the abnormality detection unit in FIG. 3). 120, causing the computer to function as the specific situation detection unit 126) in FIG. 4, and the detection means detects the occurrence of signal loss based on the operation input signal when the detection is performed by the specific situation detection means. This is a program for causing the computer to function.

  The seventeenth invention is the game device according to any one of the fourteenth to sixteenth inventions, further comprising specific situation detecting means for detecting that the progress of the game is a predetermined particular situation, The game device characterized in that the detection means detects the occurrence of a signal loss based on an operation input signal detected by the specific situation detection means.

Statistically observing the tendency of operation input, even if it is a condition used by an unspecified number of players, if the progress of the game meets certain conditions, the influence of the player's personality will be reduced There is a specific trend in the input.
Therefore, according to the fourth and seventeenth inventions, the abnormality determination is made by paying attention to the operation input when the progress of the game is a specific situation, so that it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the lack of the operation input signal. .

  5th invention is 4th invention, Comprising: The said specific situation detection means detects the situation which a favorable result can be expected as a said specific situation by performing the continuous input with a short time interval from the said operation input means. It is a program for causing a computer to function.

  According to the fifth invention, the same effect as that of the fourth invention is achieved, and attention is paid to continuous input with a short time interval. can do.

  In a situation where good results can be expected by continuous input with short time intervals, everyone tries to input as soon as possible, so the tendency seen in operation input can be compared between unspecified majority or to a specific player. Even if it is observed for a limited time, the variation will be small and within a certain range. That is, by making the specific situation a situation where good results can be expected by continuous input with a short time interval, it is easy to identify a reference state indicating that the operation input means is in a normal state, and a missing input signal is detected. It becomes easy. Thereby, the accuracy of abnormality determination can be increased.

  6th invention is 4th or 5th invention, Comprising: The said game is a game with the time limit, The said specific situation is based on the relationship between the said time limit and the execution elapsed time of a game. The program is a program for causing the computer to function so as to detect the specific situation based on the elapsed time of execution of the game.

  According to the sixth invention, the same effect as in the fourth or fifth invention is produced, and attention is paid to an operation input in a specific situation determined in advance based on the relationship between the time limit and the game execution elapsed time. It is possible to detect the absence of an operation input signal and determine an abnormality.

  Depending on how much time is left, that is, the relationship between the time limit and the elapsed execution time, the player plays hard. As a result, the operation input at that time is performed in a state close to the limit of the player, sometimes the limit of the movement of human fingers. Therefore, the variation in the tendency seen in the operation input at this time is extremely small, and it becomes easier to specify the reference state indicating that the operation input means is in the normal state, and it is easy to detect the missing input signal. As a result, the accuracy of abnormality determination can be further increased.

  A seventh invention is the invention according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the game has a different operation method of the operation input means depending on an operation target such as a type of player character and / or a possessed item. The detection unit causes the computer to function to detect that a signal loss of the operation target in the currently running game has occurred among the predetermined signal loss according to the operation target. It is a program for.

  An eighteenth aspect of the invention is the game apparatus according to any one of the fourteenth to seventeenth aspects, wherein the game is operated by the operation input means according to an operation target such as a type of player character and / or a possessed item. Is a game in which the detection means detects that a signal loss of the operation target in the currently executed game has occurred among the signal loss predetermined according to each of the operation targets. This is a featured game device.

According to the seventh and eighteenth inventions, since it is easy to define signal loss in each operation object, it is possible to accurately determine signal loss.
As an example in which the operation input differs depending on the type of player character that is the operation target or the possessed item, for example, a special technique (attack method) is set depending on the character, and in order to activate this special technique, a specific technique is used. Applicable when an input operation procedure is required. The same applies to the types of weapons that the character possesses. For example, weapons and magic that are fired and activated at the moment when repeated hits are accumulated, and attack power is accumulated by hitting the hits repeatedly. . In any case, the operation input pattern is limited by the operation object, and the event corresponding to the signal loss is also limited. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether the signal is missing or not, and as a result, the accuracy of abnormality determination can be improved.

  The eighth invention is the seventh invention, wherein the detection history storage means stores a detection result by the detection means in association with an operation object at the time of detection, and the abnormality determination means A program for causing the computer to function so as to determine abnormality of the operation input unit based on an operation method corresponding to each operation object.

  According to the eighth aspect, the same effect as in the seventh aspect can be obtained, and an abnormality can be determined according to the combination of the operation target and the detection result, so that the determination accuracy can be further improved.

  A ninth invention is any one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the game includes a plurality of game stages having different operation methods of the operation input means, and the detection means is the game. This is a program for causing the computer to function so as to detect that a signal loss corresponding to a currently executed game stage has occurred among signal loss predetermined according to each stage.

  A nineteenth invention is the game apparatus according to any one of the fourteenth to eighteenth inventions, wherein the game includes a plurality of game stages in which operation methods of the operation input means are different, and the detection means includes The game apparatus is characterized in that it detects that a signal loss corresponding to a currently executed game stage has occurred among signal loss predetermined according to each game stage.

The tendency of operation input is affected by the contents of the game. As a trend in recent years, there is a game that includes a plurality of game stages with different operation methods so that various ways of enjoying can be enjoyed even with one game as a whole. If there is a feature in the operation method, there is naturally a feature in the signal loss that appears when the operation input means is abnormal.
According to the ninth and nineteenth inventions, it is possible to define the absence of a signal in accordance with each game stage and detect that a signal loss corresponding to the currently executed game stage has occurred. Even in a game including a plurality of game stages having different operation methods, it is possible to realize an appropriate and accurate abnormality determination according to the game content of the game stage.

  A tenth invention is the ninth invention, wherein the detection history storage means stores a detection result by the detection means in association with a game stage at the time of the detection, and the abnormality determination means has the game This is a program for causing the computer to function so as to determine abnormality of the operation input means based on an operation method corresponding to each stage.

  According to the tenth invention, the same effect as in the ninth invention can be obtained, and the detection result can be stored in association with the game stage, and an abnormality can be determined based on this. Therefore, abnormality can be determined for each game stage.

  An eleventh aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, in which when the computer is further terminated, the game play history information is updated based on the current game play result. When the history information update means (for example, the game calculation section 110, the game play history update section 160 in FIG. 3 and step S124 in FIG. 17) is determined to be abnormal by the abnormality determination means, the game play history information update means It is a program characterized by functioning as update cancellation processing means (for example, the game calculation unit 110, the game play history update unit 160 in FIG. 3, and step S122 in FIG. 17) for canceling the update.

  A twentieth aspect of the invention is the game device according to any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth aspects of the invention, wherein the game play history information is updated based on the current game play result when the game is finished. A game apparatus comprising: a play history information update means; and an update cancel processing means for canceling the update by the game play history information update means when the abnormality determination means determines that an abnormality has occurred. Yes.

  The game play history information stores past game result history provided for each player, and data of various parameters (for example, level, owned item, virtual money, etc.) set as a result. The more experienced the player is, the more important the game play history information that stores the results of the game play, and there is a tendency not to reflect the unintended game results.

  According to the eleventh and twentieth inventions, the update of the game play history information can be canceled when the abnormality of the operation input means is determined. Therefore, as described above, from the standpoint of the player who values the contents of the game play history information, it was decided that there was no game play this time that was not fully demonstrated due to an abnormality in the operation input means. Therefore, even if there is a malfunction of the game device, it can be convinced. Since the response from the standpoint of the player can be taken, it is extremely advantageous from the standpoint of operating the entertainment facility.

  A twelfth aspect of the invention is any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the invention, in which the notifying unit causes the computer to function so as to make a notification while the game is in progress.

  According to the twelfth invention, the same effect as any one of the first to eleventh inventions can be obtained, and it can be notified that there is an abnormality while the game is in progress. Therefore, the game will continue to be played hard without being informed of the malfunction of the operation input means, and at the end of the game the play so far has not fully demonstrated its original ability due to the malfunction of the operation input means It is possible to prevent the player from being informed and disappointing the player.

  A thirteenth invention is a computer-readable information storage medium storing the program according to any one of the first to twelfth.

  Here, the “information storage medium” is a storage medium such as a hard disk, an MO, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a memory card, and an IC memory, which can read stored information. Therefore, according to the thirteenth aspect, by causing the computer to read the information stored in the information storage medium and executing the arithmetic processing, the same effects as any one of the first to twelfth aspects can be achieved. Can do.

  According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, an operation history data collecting unit that collects the operation history data from each of a plurality of game devices having a function of storing operation history data including the number of operations is collected by the operation history data collecting unit. An abnormal device determination unit that determines an abnormal game device based on a difference in operation history data between game devices.

  A game device having an abnormality in the operation input means is avoided by the player and tends to be inferior in operating condition compared to other game devices. Therefore, in the twenty-first aspect, by collecting operation history data and comparing the game devices, a game device in which an abnormality has occurred is determined by finding out an operation rate that is avoided by the player and is inferior to the others. can do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the operation input means and detect an abnormality in the operation input means at a stage before the failure progresses to such an extent that a failure can be easily determined. In addition, since it can be realized by software without adding special hardware elements for determining an abnormality, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost during implementation and to implement the game apparatus having various specifications.

  From the standpoint of managing an amusement facility, even if the facility manager tests after receiving a report, even if it is an anomaly at the precursor stage that is not reproducible, it can accurately grasp the abnormality and deal with the malfunction at an early stage. become able to. As a result, it is possible to prevent a reduction in the operating rate of the game device and, in turn, a customer leaving the store.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described as one preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following, a case where a video game is executed by a commercial game apparatus arranged in an amusement facility or the like will be described, but embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited thereto.

[System configuration overview]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a system configuration according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the system 1 of the present embodiment is provided in an entertainment facility called a “game center” or “amusement facility”, and a plurality of arcade game devices 1300-n (n is an individual device). (Hereinafter simply referred to as a game device 1300) is connected to the store management terminal 1400 via the communication line N so as to be able to send and receive data.
Here, the communication line N means a communication path capable of carrying data. That is, the communication line N includes not only a dedicated line (dedicated cable) for direct connection, a LAN (Local Area Network) by Ethernet (registered trademark), but also a communication network such as a telephone communication network, a cable network, and the Internet. This means that the communication method may be wired or wireless.

[Outline of game device]
FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of the arcade game apparatus 1300. The arcade game apparatus 1300 includes a display 1302 that displays a game screen, a speaker 1304 that outputs sound such as game sound effects and BGM, a stick 1309 and a button switch 1310 that are means for inputting game operations, and a game play fee. And a coin insertion unit 1320 for inserting coins.

  The button switch 1310 is a switch that is energized when pressed. In this embodiment, a plurality of A buttons 1312, B buttons 1314, and C buttons 1316 are provided and can be individually recognized as hardware. The button switch 1310 is used, for example, to input a timing at which a player character issues a bullet or technique. The type, number, and shape of the button switch 1310 are appropriately set according to the game to be executed.

  The arcade game device 1300 can also be connected to a system board 1340, a communication device 1308 that is connected to the communication line N to enable data communication with an external device, and an external memory 1362 that stores data in a nonvolatile manner. A memory connection device 1360 is provided. The external memory 1362 is a memory card owned by each player, and is used to record its own play history.

  The system board 1340 includes electronic components used for information processing such as a microprocessor 1344, an image generation IC, and a sound generation IC. The system board 1340 performs arithmetic processing by the microprocessor 1344 based on programs and data read from the memory 1342, data read from the external memory 1362, operation signals input from the stick 1309 and the button switch 1310, etc. The game apparatus 1300 is controlled so that the game can be executed.

  The player inserts and pays a predetermined amount of coins into the coin insertion unit 1320, and enjoys the game by operating the stick 1309 and the button switch 1310 and inputting the game operation while viewing the game screen displayed on the display 1302. Can do.

  Note that the game in the present embodiment includes a unit game in which the game progress changes in various ways due to different control data. Each unit game differs depending on the type of game. For example, a role playing game corresponds to a chapter or scene of a story, a dungeon to be captured, or the like. A shooting game is equivalent to one stage, and a fighting game is equivalent to one battle game. When a unit game is played, control data (for example, a list of unit games that have been captured, hit points and item lists, and various parameters indicating the progress of the game, such as the type and number of enemy characters that have been captured, correspond to this) The unit game that can be played next changes according to the state of the control data.

  In the present embodiment, first, a plurality of shooting game type game stages are captured and boarded at an enemy power base, and then a fighting game type game stage is used to fight against and defeat enemy characters lurking at the enemy base. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[Functional configuration of arcade game device]
Next, the functional configuration of the arcade game apparatus 1300 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the arcade game apparatus 1300 in the present embodiment. The arcade game apparatus 1300 includes a processing unit 100, an operation input unit 200, an image display unit 202, a sound output unit 204, a communication unit 206, and a storage unit 300.

  The processing unit 100 performs various processes such as instructions to each functional unit and transmission / reception of data based on programs and data stored in the storage unit 300 and operation input signals from the operation input unit 200. The entire apparatus 1300 is controlled. The function of the processing unit 100 can be realized by using hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.), ASIC (gate array, etc.). This corresponds to the system board 1340 of FIG. 2, in particular, the microprocessor 1344.

  The operation input unit 200 is a means for a player to input various operations related to game play, and outputs an input signal to the processing unit 100 when operated. For example, it can be realized by a push switch, lever, dial, stick, trackball, keyboard, mouse, touch panel, and the like. The button switch 1310 in FIG. 2 corresponds to this.

  The image display unit 202 is a device that displays a screen according to instructions and data output from the processing unit 100, and is realized by, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an ELD (Electronic Luminescent Display), or the like. Is done. The display 1302 in FIG. 2 corresponds to this.

  The sound output unit 204 is a unit that outputs sound in accordance with the instructions and data output from the processing unit 100, and can be realized by, for example, headphones or speakers. The speaker 1304 in FIG. 2 corresponds to this.

  The communication unit 206 is a device that realizes data communication with an external device by connecting to the communication line N according to instructions and data output from the processing unit 100. For example, a wireless communication module, modem, TA (terminal adapter), wired This is realized by a communication cable jack or a control circuit. The communication device 1308 in FIG. 2 corresponds to this.

  The storage unit 300 is an information storage device that stores programs and data, and is realized by, for example, an IC memory, a hard disk, an IC memory card, an MO, a CD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a DVD-ROM, or the like. This corresponds to the memory 1342 and the external memory 1362 shown in FIG.

  The processing unit 100 further includes a game calculation unit 110 that performs processing related to game execution, an image generation unit 112 that performs processing for generating an image to be displayed on the image display unit 202, and various sound effects to the sound output unit 204. And a sound generation unit 114 that performs processing for outputting system sounds, and a communication control unit 116 that performs processing for data communication with an external device (store management terminal 1400 in the present embodiment) via the communication unit 206.

  The game calculation unit 110 further includes an abnormality detection unit 120 that detects signs of abnormality before the malfunction proceeds to such an extent that it can be easily determined that the operation input unit 200 has failed, and a player when an abnormality is detected. An abnormality notification control unit 140 that performs processing for notifying the abnormality, an operation history data management unit 150 that manages data related to the operation history of the game apparatus 1300, and a game for each player based on the result of the current game play at the end of the game. A game play history update unit 160 that executes a process of updating the play history data, and allows the player to select to cancel the update of the game play history data when an abnormality of the operation input unit 200 is detected; Prepare.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the abnormality detection unit 120 detects a precursor phenomenon that appears before the operation input unit 200 reaches a state where it can be clearly determined as a failure based on the operation input from the operation input unit 200. Primary abnormality determination unit 122 that performs primary abnormality determination according to the situation, primary abnormality determination history management unit 130 that manages the history of primary abnormality determination results, and the time course of primary abnormality determination with reference to the history of primary abnormality determination results A secondary abnormality determination unit 132 that finally determines the presence / absence of abnormality and the degree of abnormality from a general tendency.

  Further, the primary abnormality determination unit 122 stores operation input history data from the start to the end of the unit game every time a unit game is stored in the storage unit 300, and appropriately manages operation such as data update. The history management unit 124, the specific situation detection unit 126 that detects that the game progress situation is in a specific situation suitable for determining abnormality, and the number of inputs of the operation input unit 200 are accumulated in the storage unit 300. And a normal state reference data management unit 128 that statistically creates and manages normal state reference data serving as a reference indicating that the operation input unit 200 is functioning normally.

  In this embodiment, a case where a push switch is used as the operation input unit 200 is taken as an example. Therefore, the malfunction event according to the present embodiment is a missing input signal (hereinafter also referred to as a signal loss) in which an input signal is not output from the operation input unit 200 to the processing unit 100 even though it is input. This is detected as a precursor phenomenon. A failure in which an input signal is lost occurs due to a contact failure caused by the formation of an oxide film on the contact portion of the switch terminal or a contact failure caused by peeling of a soldered portion. Therefore, even if a missing input signal appears, it appears very rarely at first, and as the number of times of use and time elapses, the appearance rate increases over time, eventually leading to a complete failure state that clearly appears to be a failure. . In this embodiment, in order to detect a missing input signal that appears rarely, in the present embodiment, the primary abnormality determination unit 122 acquires an operation input history while playing a unit game by the operation input history management unit 124. This is because if an input signal is lost, it must be stored in the operation input history.

  Now, the problem here is that, in a device that is used for an unspecified number of people, such as the arcade game device 1300, because the individuality of each player appears in the operation input itself, the history of operation input is taken. However, it is not easy to find missing input signals by simply comparing histories.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the specific situation detection unit 126 detects that the game progress has become a specific situation in which a difference in operation input hardly occurs even if there is an individual difference among players, and the game progress matches the specific situation. It is decided to carry out abnormality judgment when doing so. When the game progress status matches the specific status, the normal state reference data management unit 128 uses the operation input count as normal state reference data to be used as a reference for determining that the operation input unit 200 is in a normal state. Etc. are stored accumulatively. Then, if the normal state reference data is accumulated until a statistically sufficient amount is accumulated, the primary abnormality determination unit 122 is based on the history of operation inputs stored by newly executing the unit game this time. A determination parameter value that can be compared with normal state reference data is calculated, and the degree of abnormality is determined by comparing the calculated determination parameter value with normal state reference data. That is, the possibility of failure is determined.

  Further, in order to increase the accuracy of the abnormality determination, the primary abnormality determination history management unit 130 takes the history of the primary abnormality determination, and the secondary abnormality determination unit 132 determines the change in the detection frequency of the primary determination from the history of the primary abnormality determination. Based on this, the final abnormality is determined.

  Next, programs and data stored in the storage unit 300 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about a system program, data, etc. for implement | achieving basic operation | movement of game devices 1300, such as a system program, since well-known technique can be utilized suitably, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  First, a game program 302 is stored as a program, and the game program 302 includes an abnormality detection program 304.

  The game program 302 is read by the microprocessor 1344 and executed, whereby the functions of the game calculation unit 110 can be realized. Similarly, by executing the abnormality detection program 304, the function of the abnormality detection unit 120 can be realized. When the game program 302 is executed, a given game is executed while reading various setting data from the game setting data 310, and various control data representing the game progress is stored as play result data 312. Is done.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the game setting data 310 is an aggregate of individual data sets 310-1, 310-2,... Provided in association with each unit game in the present embodiment. In the individual data set, what the game creator intended to play in the unit game is stored as various settings. The individual data set 310-1 relating to the shooting game type unit game includes a stage ID 310 a that is identification information of the unit game, a time limit 310 b that can be played on the game stage, and the number of players that indicate the number of player characters that can be used. 310c is stored.

Further, the individual data set 310-1 stores the operation method 310f set in advance by the player character type 310d and the possessed item 310e as the operation method setting on the game stage. In other words, the operation method of the operation input unit 200 is defined by the type of player character and / or the operation object such as the possessed item.
In addition, as information on main capture targets and attack targets in the same stage, an appearance character setting 310g that defines information such as model data, motion data, and hit points of an enemy character that appears, a hit point 310h of the same character, An appearance timing 310j in which the appearance time of the same character appears as an execution elapsed time from the start of the unit game is stored in association with each other. In addition, the background model and sound effect data settings for configuring the stage, the clearing conditions for the game stage, the settings for the next game stage to be moved according to the game result when cleared are stored as appropriate. ing.

  The example in the figure is an example of a shooting type game stage. For example, in the individual data set according to the fighting game type game stage in the present embodiment, the possessed item 310e stores weapons to be used and special techniques, and the operation method. In 310f, a specific procedure set for each possessed item (for example, the upward input with the stick 1309, the A button 1312 twice, the B button 1314 once, and the C button 1316 once input “set” The definition of “input” “technical input”.) Is stored.

  In addition, the game setting data 310 of the present embodiment is set so as to include a game stage that is set to reach the game progress status corresponding to the specific status, as in the individual data set 310-1. Yes.

  Specifically, in order to leave good results at the game stage or to play the next game stage without being over, the operation input unit 200 is required to perform continuous input with a short time interval. Is set. In other words, the setting is intentionally made to prompt the player for continuous input.

  For example, the game of this embodiment includes a plurality of shooting game type game stages in the first half. The settings related to some of these shooting game type game stages include, for example, the number of own machines that can be used in each stage, and boss characters that must be destroyed to clear the game stage, among other enemy characters. The appearance timing and the appearance time of the character, the hit point of the boss character (of course, it is set higher in the enemy character), and the like are included. In other words, you must defeat the boss character within the time limit in order to move to the next game stage with good results at this game stage, and hit the boss character a lot of attacks from your own machine. The hit point set for the boss character must be set to zero. That is, from the viewpoint of the player, it is necessary to attack the boss character promptly by making continuous attacks so hard. In that sense, the same effect can be obtained not only for setting a boss character but also for setting an obstacle such as an enemy facility or a wall that is placed ahead of the boss character, for example.

  Further, the setting for intentionally prompting the player to perform continuous input is not limited to the setting of the time limit or the setting of the boss character hit points in the shooting game type game stage.

  For example, the game of this embodiment includes a plurality of fighting game type game stages in the second half. In the settings relating to some of these fighting game type game stages, setting of enemy characters possessing special items such as armor, setting of battle time (match time) shorter than the standard, and plural types of button switches 1312, 1314, 1316 (See FIG. 2) A setting is made for a specific technique to be performed by continuously inputting in a specific input procedure. That is, from the viewpoint of the player, the button switches 1312 to 1316 must be continuously input in accordance with a specific input procedure in a short time so as not to be attacked by the enemy character. In addition, it is also effective in, for example, a role-playing game in which a character that casts a magic spell by continuous input appears outside a fighting game type game stage.

  On the other hand, the play result data 312 stores various control data representing the game progress status. Particularly in the present embodiment, control data for the specific situation detection unit 126 to determine whether or not the current game progress situation matches the specific situation is stored. Specifically, the content of the control data changes depending on what game content is set in the previous game setting data 310. For example, the current game stage identification information, the elapsed time from the start of the game, the player The player character type and hit points and their possessed items, the enemy characters appearing on the stage, their hit points, current scores, acquired parameters, acquired items, various flags, etc. are stored as appropriate. The

  As shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 300 includes operation input history data 314, specific situation definition data 316, normal state reference data 318, a primary abnormality determination map 320, and primary data as data relating to abnormality determination. The abnormality determination history data 322, the secondary abnormality determination map 324, and the abnormality determination notification setting data 326 are stored.

  The operation input history data 314 is an operation input history input by the player from the operation input unit 200 and is managed by the operation input history management unit 124. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, each time an operation input is made, the identification information 314 a of the operation input unit 200, the input time information 314 b for which the operation input has been made, and the information regarding the possessed item used by the character operated by the player The operation target information 314c including the control data 314c and the control data 314d that is a copy of the control data stored in the play result data 312 are stored in association with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the specific situation definition data 316 is an aggregate of individual data sets 316-1, 316-2, etc. provided in association with each unit game. A specific game progress is set as a condition for executing abnormality determination in the game.

  In this embodiment, it is set for each game stage. For example, in the individual data set 316-1 corresponding to the shooting game type game stage, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 7, the operation target is associated with the condition ID 316a. Player character types and possessed item types (specifically, specific weapon types for ground attacks in flight simulation games), enemy character types that appear, the number of remaining aircraft, and the remaining time limit Time and the like are stored as the progress condition 316b. In other words, the progress condition 316 is defined as a condition in which the player is desperate to continuously input in order to leave a good result.

  Further, for example, in the individual data set 316-n setting corresponding to the fighting game type game stage, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 7, as the progress condition 316b, a specific operation input for delivering a special technique (specifically, Is a so-called “technical input” in which the A button 1312 is input twice continuously following the downward input by the stick 1309, then the B button 1304 is input once, and then the C button 1316 is input once). A combination of a player character and an enemy character, use of a specific item, a state of an item used by the enemy character, and the like are stored.

  In the case where it is determined that a specific operation input is to be performed according to a predetermined input procedure such as so-called “technical input”, in order to determine that the specific operation input is generally valid, in a short time. It is necessary to input continuously, and the player is desperately required to input in as short a time as possible. Or, if the player character only owns an item that can raise only a few attack points in a single attack, but the enemy character owns an item that has a high defense value, it must Therefore, there is a high possibility that continuous input is suitable for abnormality determination and easy to detect missing input signals.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the normal state reference data 318 is an aggregate of individual data sets 318-1, 318-2,... Provided in association with each unit game. The reference data indicating that the operation input unit 200 is in a normal state is stored. For example, in the individual data set 318-1 related to the shooting-type game stage, for each condition ID 318a corresponding to the game progress condition ID 316a defined in the progress condition 316b, the type (not shown) of the operation input unit 200 and its total The number of times of input 318b and the number of times of partial loss of input in a state where the input is continuously performed or a state where the input is performed by a specific input procedure, that is, the number of times of signal loss 318c are stored.

  The “total number of inputs” referred to here is the total number of inputs required for the player to capture in a specific game progress situation defined by the progress situation definition data 316. The total input count 318b stores a statistical value such as an average value or a median value of the total input count input by the player when the corresponding specific game progress status is reached. Similarly, a statistical value of the number of signal losses is also stored in the number of signal losses 318c. What is used as the statistical value of the total input count 318b and the signal loss count 318c (average value, median value, etc.) is the most appropriate one based on actual measurements such as test play at the prototype stage. It is good to choose.

  Further, the “partial missing of input” referred to here is an event that appears when there is a malfunction in the button switch 1310, and an input that is missing so that the comb teeth are missing during continuous input. Missing signal.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a concept of partial omission of input (signal omission) and a determination principle. This figure shows the history of operation input over time, and the horizontal axis is the input time for each type of operation input means, and vertical bars are written at the input timing.

  FIG. 9A shows a determination principle suitable for a case where continuous input is performed from a certain operation input unit 200. In the determination of signal loss, as described above, in the “condition where the player is expected to continuously input in order to keep a good performance”, since the input is desperate, the variation in the time interval of each input is It is based on the knowledge that it falls within a certain range. That is, the interval tn of each input time is measured, and an input having an interval tn that satisfies a predetermined short-time condition ts (for example, 0.3 seconds or less) is continuously input for a predetermined number of times (for example, 3 times or more). In a situation where a time interval tm that is approximately twice the short time condition ts is detected and continuous input continues to satisfy the short time condition ts again, this is regarded as a partial omission of the input. Can be determined. On the other hand, if it exceeds approximately twice the short-time condition ts, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the player has intentionally shifted the attack timing or is tired, so it is not determined that the signal is missing. .

  Note that the time of “about twice” here is the time interval tm1 and tm2 for two times before and after the missing input P that would have been measured if the operation input unit 200 was normal and no input was missing. , And the sum of the ON times tm3 that would have been input when the missing input P was not missing. More realistic numerical values are not necessarily constant depending on various specifications such as the arrangement interval of the button switch 1310 and the stroke setting of the button switch. Therefore, it is desirable to set based on the results of test play at the prototype stage.

FIG. 9B shows a determination principle suitable for the case of continuous input such as “technical input” in which continuous inputs are combined by different operation input means.
When the input order is defined in advance, such as so-called “technical input”, an input pattern similar to the predefined input order is searched from the operation input history, and similar to the defined input order. If there is something, this is counted as a signal loss. In the example of the figure, in the period W1, an input pattern having the same input order as the predefined input order is detected, but in the period W2, one input of the A button is insufficient (symbol L). When viewed in the entire period W2, the input pattern is similar to the predefined input order, but is partially different. Therefore, the input signal of the A button corresponding to the symbol L is regarded as signal loss.

  Whether the former or the latter determination principle is used may be appropriately set according to the progress situation condition 316b having the same condition ID in the specific situation definition data 316. In the present embodiment, the latter is used if “specific operation input” is set in the progress status condition 316b of the same condition ID, and the former is used if not set.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the button switch 1310 is provided as the operation input unit 200 is described as an example, so that it is described that a partial omission of input is detected. When the unit 200 is, for example, a stick 1309, a trackball, or a touch panel, a signal loss pattern that matches an event that appears at the time of failure is set by each device and detected. For example, in the case of a device having a mechanical link mechanism such as a lever that outputs a degree of input at a voltage value corresponding to an operation amount, there is a case where an event starting from a twisting of the link mechanism to a semi-fixed state appears. Therefore, in the event that the voltage rise of the input signal rises extremely rapidly (because it has a twist, it is difficult to move at the beginning, but it starts moving at a stretch with a certain load), the rapid rise part is input normally In some cases, it may not be possible to follow the game process sufficiently, so that this may be detected as “missing operation input”.

  The primary abnormality determination map 320 is data serving as a determination reference when the primary abnormality determination unit 122 compares the normal state reference data 318 with the determination parameter value obtained from the operation input history data 314 to perform abnormality determination. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, for each condition ID 320a in a specific situation, three levels of abnormal levels of “high”, “medium”, and “low” are defined. The abnormal level is determined from among these three stages, and is determined by the total number of inputs and the number of missing signals.

  This will be specifically described. First, the total input count 318b and the signal loss count 318c corresponding to the same condition ID 318a as the condition ID 320a are read from the normal state reference data 318. In addition, from the operation input history recorded in the operation input history data 314, an operation input in a situation that matches the progress status condition 316b of the condition ID 320a is searched, and the total number of inputs and the number of missing signals at that time are searched. Ask for. Then, according to the calculated total input count and signal loss count deviation 320b with respect to the previously read total input count 318b and signal loss count 318c, three levels of abnormal levels 320c of “low”, “medium”, and “high” are obtained. It is determined.

  The primary abnormality determination history data 322 is managed by the primary abnormality determination history management unit 130 and stores a history of primary abnormality determination. For example, identification information of the game stage, information on the type of character to be operated and the possessed item that the player was operating at the time of determination, and one of “low”, “medium”, and “high” as a result of the primary abnormality determination Are stored in association with the date and time of determination.

  The secondary abnormality determination map 324 is used to determine the secondary abnormality based on the past primary determination result stored in the primary abnormality determination history data 322 by the secondary abnormality determination unit 132 (the final determination result in the present embodiment). This is the data for which the criteria for

  Specifically, the secondary abnormality determination map 324 is defined for each stage ID and condition ID, and is associated with each of the three stages of “no abnormality”, “caution”, and “warning” that are secondary determination results. The result of primary abnormality determination for a predetermined number of times (six times in this embodiment) is defined retroactively from the current primary abnormality determination result. As a result of the primary abnormality determination for a predetermined number of times, for example, as shown in the upper example of FIG. 11, the number of primary abnormality determination results of “high”, “medium”, and “low”, As shown in the lower example, how the latest primary abnormality determination result has changed from the oldest primary abnormality determination result of the past six times is defined. Since the result of the primary abnormality determination for the predetermined number of times varies depending on the stage and the game progress status, various results are defined according to the stage ID and the condition ID.

  Although it is defined in three stages of “no abnormality”, “caution”, and “warning”, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, numerical values such as percentages “0”, “30”, “80” indicating the probability of failure are shown. May be associated. The result determined according to the secondary abnormality determination map 324 is temporarily stored as a secondary abnormality determination result 328.

  The abnormality determination notification setting data 326 defines a form of output to notify the player according to the result of the secondary abnormality determination. In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a warning sound is output with a predetermined sound output pattern 326 a from the sound output unit 204 according to the result of the secondary abnormality determination, and further provided in the operation input unit 200. An issuing element (for example, LED) is turned on according to the lighting pattern 326b with a specific color or pattern.

  When notifying the result of the abnormality determination, the special display 326c that displays a specific notification image on the game screen is particularly effective. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, if the secondary abnormality determination is “caution”, the character M1 is displayed on the screen, and if it is “warning”, a specific display that makes it appear that the function is partially defective. The object M2 is displayed along with the player character CP.

  The characters M1 and the specific display M2 are clearly appealing to the eye, and can clearly inform the player that the operation input unit 200 is in an abnormal state. In addition, it is possible for the facility manager to clearly determine that the operation input unit 200 is in an abnormal state. For this reason, for example, the facility manager can smoothly respond to an abnormality report from the player.

  Originally, an abnormality in the operation input unit 200 is an unwelcome situation for the player, but depending on the content of the specific display M2, the feeling of the player who has been notified of the abnormality can be eased. Specifically, a display object that gives an image of injury such as a huge bandage or bandage, a display object that can laugh, such as “Chumbage” or “Nose Beard”, or a thing that carries a comical character on its back is suitable.

  The game play history data 330 stores past game result history provided for each player, and data of various parameters (for example, levels, owned items, virtual money, etc.) set as a result. The more advanced players who are proficient in the game, the more important the game play history data 330 in which the results of game play are stored, and there is a tendency that it is not desirable to reflect unintended game results. This game play history data 330 is stored in the external memory 1362.

The update cancel flag 332 stores the player's selection result as to whether or not to update the game play history data 330 based on the results of the current game stored in the play result data 312 at the end of the game.
Specifically, when the secondary abnormality determination result has reached “high”, the game play history update unit 160 determines that the game play history data is based on the play result data 312 at the end of the unit game currently being executed. In other words, the player is allowed to select whether or not to update 330, in other words, whether or not to cancel the update based on the absence of the current game play. The update cancellation flag 332 stores the selection result. In the present embodiment, “1” is stored when cancellation of update is selected.

  The operation history data 340 is managed by the operation history data management unit 150 and stores a history of operation of the arcade game apparatus 1300. In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the accumulated operation count 340a is stored, the date and time 340b when coins are inserted and the day of the week 340c, and the play mode 340d indicating whether 1P play or 2P play is selected. It is associated and stored in time series. It is updated when the game play starts. In addition, including identification information for individual identification, game identification information for identifying an executable game, etc.

[Process flow]
FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a flow of processing relating to abnormality determination of the operation input unit 200 in the present embodiment. The processing described below is realized by the processing unit 100 reading and executing the abnormality detection program 304.

  First, when the processing unit 100 detects that a predetermined amount of coins has been inserted into the coin insertion unit 1320 and selection of 1P play or 2P play has been input (YES in step S2), the operation history data 340 is updated. (Step S4). In updating the operation history data 340, “1” is added to the accumulated operation count 340a, and the selection result of 1P play or 2P play is newly stored in the play mode 340d in association with the date and time 340b and the day of the week 340c as the game start time. To do. Next, the game is started to be executed (step S6). When an operation is input from the operation input unit 200, the operation input history data 314 is accumulated and stored each time.

  Next, the processing unit 100 first determines whether or not the cumulative operation count 340a has reached a predetermined reference value (for example, 1000 times) (step S8). If the predetermined number of times has not been reached (NO in step S8), it is determined that sufficient data for statistical determination of normality / abnormality is not accumulated, and normal state reference data acquisition processing is executed (step S10). ).

  As shown in FIG. 16, in the normal state reference data acquisition process, when the unit game (game stage) currently being executed ends (YES in step S102), the processing unit 100 stores the operation input history data 314 stored this time. Referring to this, normal state reference data 318 associated with the game stage that has been executed up to now is updated (step S104).

  Specifically, referring to the specific situation definition data 316 corresponding to the currently executed game stage, the operation input in each situation of each progress situation condition 316b of the game stage is stored in the operation input history data 314. It is extracted from the control data 314d. Then, the total number of inputs and the number of missing input signals regarding the extracted operation input are calculated, and the average value of the calculated values and the values stored in the normal state reference data 316 is used as a new reference value in the normal state. The reference data 316 is updated.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the game is over (step S106). If the game is not over and the process proceeds to the next game stage (NO in step S106), the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, if the game is over (YES in step S106), the normal state reference data acquisition process is terminated. This completes the collection of operation input data for the current play.

Returning to the flow of FIG. 15, next, the processing unit 100 performs a play history update process (step S12).
In the play history update process, as shown in FIG. 17, first, the update cancel flag 332 of the game play history data is referred to (step S120), and it is determined whether or not the flag is “1” (step S122). The default value of the update cancel flag 332 is “0”. Therefore, since it is set not to cancel the update at this stage (NO in step S122), the game play history data 330 is updated based on the play result data 312 (step S124), and the play history update process is terminated. Then, returning to the flow of FIG. 15, the series of processing ends when the game ends.

  On the other hand, when the cumulative number of operations 340a reaches a predetermined reference value (for example, 1000 times) (YES in step S8), operation input data for determining whether the operation input unit is normal / abnormal is sufficiently accumulated. The abnormality determination process is performed (step S20).

  As shown in FIG. 18, in the abnormality determination process, first, the control data 314d related to the unit game currently being executed is read out from the control data 314d stored in the operation input history data 314. Then, the situation data matching the specific situation of the unit game currently being executed is extracted with reference to the specific situation definition data 316 (step S130). Then, a determination parameter value is calculated based on the extracted operation input history data 314 (step S132). In the present embodiment, the total number of inputs and the number of missing signals are calculated as determination parameter values and are temporarily stored in the storage unit 300.

Next, the processing unit 100 refers to the normal state reference data 318 corresponding to the game stage currently being executed, reads the total input count 318b and the signal loss count 318c that match the condition ID, and is calculated in step S132. Comparison is made with the total number of inputs and the number of missing signals as judgment parameter values. Then, the primary abnormality determination is executed according to the temporary abnormality determination map 320 (step S134). Next, the determination result is additionally updated to the primary abnormality determination history data 322 (step S136). By storing the results of the primary abnormality determination in time series, it becomes possible to know the appearance frequency of primary abnormality determination, a change in frequency, and the like.
Next, based on the primary abnormality determination history data 322, secondary abnormality determination is executed according to the secondary abnormality determination map 324 (step S138), and the result is stored in the storage unit 300 as the secondary abnormality determination result 328. The abnormality determination process ends.

  Returning to the flow of FIG. 15, the processing unit 100 refers to the abnormality determination notification setting data 326 and notifies the player of the abnormality in an output form associated with the previously determined secondary abnormality determination result (step S100). S22). If the unit game is being executed (NO in step S24), the process returns to step S20. On the other hand, if the execution of the unit game is completed (YES in step S24), a play history update cancel setting process is executed (step S26).

As shown in FIG. 19, in the play history update cancel setting process, the processing unit 100 first refers to the secondary abnormality determination result 328 to determine whether or not the final abnormality determination result is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference level. To do. In this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the “warning” level is exceeded (step S140). If it is less than the “warning” level (NO in step S140), the process is terminated as it is and the original flow is returned. If it is above the “warning” level (YES in step S140), a selection screen as to whether or not to reflect the current play result in the play history is displayed on the image display unit 202 (step S142), and the update is canceled according to the selection result. The flag 332 is set (step S144). In the present embodiment, when the selection is made not to be reflected on the previous selection screen, the update cancel flag 332 is changed from the default “0 (update)” to “1 (not update)”.
After setting the update cancel flag 334, the play history update cancel setting process ends.

Returning to the flow of FIG. 15, when the result of the secondary abnormality determination is equal to or higher than the “caution” level (YES in step S <b> 28), the processing unit 100 continues or interrupts the operation on the image display unit 202. The selection screen is displayed (step S30).
If the player has selected interruption (YES in step S32), the process exits loop A, executes the play history update process, and ends the game. By making it possible for the player to select the interruption of the game, it is possible to prevent the customer's time from being wasted by causing the player to continue the game even though the operation input unit 200 is defective.

  On the other hand, if the player does not select interruption (NO in step S32), the game over determination is executed (step S34). If not over (NO in step S34), loop A is repeated for the next unit game. Repeat the abnormality determination process. If the game is over (YES in step S34), a play history update process is executed (step S12), and the series of processes ends.

  Although not clearly shown in the processing flow of FIG. 15, when the secondary abnormality determination result reaches a level equal to or higher than a predetermined standard (caution), the entertainment facility manager inspects the arcade game device 1300. The abnormality notification is continued until a predetermined release procedure (for example, operating a specific release switch) is executed. Therefore, even if the player who has recognized that an abnormality has occurred in the operation input unit 200 does not notify the entertainment facility manager, the notification can be continued. It becomes possible to deal with.

[Hardware configuration]
Next, a hardware configuration capable of realizing the arcade game device 1300 will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration according to the present embodiment. The arcade game apparatus 1300 includes a CPU 1000, a ROM 1002, a RAM 1004, an information storage medium 1006, a sound generation IC 1008, an image generation IC 1010, and I / O ports 1012 and 1014. Data input / output is connected.

The CPU 1000 corresponds to the processing unit 100 in FIG. 3, and controls the entire apparatus according to a program stored in the information storage medium 1006, a system program stored in the ROM 1002, an operation input signal input by the control device 1022, and the like. And various data processing.
The ROM 1002, the RAM 1004, and the information storage medium 1006 correspond to the storage unit 300 in FIG. 3, the memory 1342 mounted on the system base 1340 in FIG. 2, and the external memory 1362, and store programs and data according to the present invention.
The information storage medium 1006 stores information that is realized by an IC memory card, a removable hard disk unit, an MO, and the like and is stored in the ROM 1002, and is read and used as appropriate.

The sound generation IC 1008 corresponds to the sound generation unit 114 in FIG. 3 and is an integrated circuit that generates game sounds such as sound effects and BGM based on information stored in the ROM 1002 and the information storage medium 1006. In FIG. 2, it is mounted on the system board 1340. The generated sound signal is output by the speaker 1020. Note that the speaker 1020 corresponds to the sound output unit 204 in FIG. 3 and the speaker 1304 in FIG.
The image generation IC 1010 is an integrated circuit that generates pixel information for outputting an image to the display device 1018. The image generation unit 112 in FIG. 3 corresponds to this. The display device 1018 corresponds to the image display unit 202 in FIG. 3 and the display 1302 in FIG.

A control device 1022 is connected to the I / O port 1012, and a communication device 1024 is connected to the I / O port 1014.
The control device 1022 corresponds to the operation input unit 200 in FIG. 3, the stick 1309 and the button switch 1310 in FIG. 2, and is a device for the player to input various game operations.
The communication device 1024 exchanges various types of information used inside the game device with the outside. The communication device 1024 is connected to other game devices to transmit / receive given information according to the game program or via a communication line. It is used to send and receive information such as game programs. This corresponds to the communication unit 206 in FIG. 3 and the communication device 1308 in FIG.

  Note that the processing performed by the image generation IC 1010, the sound generation IC 1008, and the like may be executed in software by the CPU 1000 or a general-purpose DSP.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the arcade game apparatus 1300 shown in FIG. 2, but also a variety of game machines 1200 such as a home game apparatus, a portable game apparatus, and a large attraction apparatus in which a large number of players participate as shown in FIG. The same applies to the device.

  The home game device 1200 includes a game controller 1220 and a main device 1210 and is connected to a display 1230 including a speaker 1231.

  The programs and data according to the first embodiment are stored in, for example, a CD-ROM 1212, an IC memory 1213, a memory card 1214, and the like, which are information storage media that can be attached to and detached from the main body device 1210. Alternatively, the game information is acquired from the external device by connecting to the communication line N via the communication device 1215 provided in the main body device 1210.

  The main unit 1210 includes, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU, an IC memory, and an information storage medium reading unit such as a CD-ROM 1212. Various game processes are executed based on the game information read from the CD-ROM 1212 and the like and the operation signal from the game controller 1220, the game screen is displayed on the display 1230, and the game sound is output from the speaker 1231.

  The player can enjoy the game by operating the direction keys 1221 and various buttons 1222 provided on the game controller 1220 while viewing the game screen displayed on the display 1230.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. This embodiment can also be implemented together with the first embodiment. In that case, the abnormality determination can be made more reliable. In addition, the same code | symbol is provided in the component similar to 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

[Configuration of store management terminal]
First, the store management terminal 1400 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the store management terminal 1400 communicates with each business game device 1300 via the communication line N to acquire various data, and the manager processes the acquired data to process the data. For example, a general personal computer or the like. Accordingly, the standard equipment of the store management terminal 1400 includes a display 1402, a main body 1404 equipped with a microprocessor, a communication device for connecting to the communication line N, a speaker, and the like, and a keyboard 1406 as an operation input means. ing.

  FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the store management terminal 1400 in the present embodiment. The store management terminal 1400 includes a processing unit 600, an image display unit 610, a communication unit 620, a storage unit 630, an operation input unit, and a sound output unit.

  The processing unit 600 further acquires operation history data 340 from each of the plurality of arcade game apparatuses 1300 arranged in the entertainment facility via the communication line N connected by the communication unit 620, and stores and manages the operation history. An acquisition unit 602, an abnormal device determination unit 604 that determines an arcade game device 1300 in which an abnormality has occurred based on the acquired operation history data 340, and an abnormality that informs the entertainment facility manager of the device that has been determined to have an abnormality A device notification unit 606 and a communication control unit 608 that controls the communication unit 620 to connect to the communication line N and enable data communication with the arcade game device 1300 are provided.

  The operation history acquisition unit 602 periodically connects to each arcade game device 1300 via the communication unit 620 and executes processing for collecting each operation history data 340. Of course, the arcade game device 1300 is appropriately provided with a function of automatically transmitting the operation history data 340 in response to a request signal from the store management terminal 1400.

The collected data is stored and managed in the storage unit 630 as an operation history database 634 for each arcade game device. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, the operation history database 634 in the present embodiment stores the collected operation history data 634b and day-by-day average operation information 634c in association with the identification information 634a of the arcade game apparatus 1300. Has been.
The average operation information for each day of the week 634c is data indicating what operation tendency the corresponding arcade game device 1300 has for each day of the week. In general, sales trends of entertainment facilities vary greatly depending on the day of the week. Therefore, the average number of operations 634e for the same day is associated with each day 634d. These are updated by the processing unit 600 every time new operation history data is collected.

  The abnormal device determination unit 604 compares the received operation history data 634b and day-by-day average operation information 634c between the arcade game devices, thereby indicating an abnormality occurrence sign from among the many arcade game devices 1300 installed. Determine the device in which the is seen.

  The abnormal device notifying unit 606 performs a specific display on the image display unit 610 and notifies the entertainment facility manager to that effect.

  The storage unit 630 is read and executed by a microprocessor, and as a program for realizing the functions of the operation history acquisition unit 602, abnormal device determination unit 604, and abnormal device notification unit 606, an operation history acquisition program 631, an abnormality A device determination program 632 and an abnormal device notification program 633 are stored.

[Process flow]
FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing relating to abnormality determination in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the processing unit 600 first connects to each arcade game apparatus 1300 via the communication line N, automatically collects the operation history data 340 according to a predetermined procedure, and stores the operation history database 634. Update (step S200).

  Next, in a loop C, a series of processes for determining the presence / absence of abnormality in each arcade game device 1300 is executed. Specifically, referring to the newly collected operation history data 340, the operation history of the same day of the week as the collection date is extracted, and the extracted operation history is counted to calculate the “current operation count” on the collection date. . Further, the average operation information 634e for the same day corresponding to the game device is referred from the operation history database 634, and a deviation (first deviation) between the average operation information 634e and the current operation count calculated previously is calculated (step). S202).

Next, it is determined whether or not the calculated first deviation is equal to or less than a reference value (step S204). The reference value is set to, for example, “−20”, although an appropriate value varies depending on the type of game.
If it is equal to or less than the reference value (YES in step S204), it indicates that the arcade game device 1300 that is the current determination target is not used extremely compared to the conventional case. It is considered that the number of operations has decreased because some abnormality has occurred in the game device and the customer has avoided the game device.

  Therefore, the processing unit 600 next determines whether the decrease in the number of operations is a result of a small number of visitors as a whole store or a problem for each device. Specifically, the first deviation is calculated in the same manner for each of the other arcade game apparatuses equipped with the same kind of game (step S206). And when only the 1st deviation of the apparatus currently made into judgment object has deviated compared with the 1st deviation of other apparatuses (YES of Step S208), it judges with some abnormalities having occurred in the concerned apparatus ( In step S210), the image display unit 610 is notified, for example, that the identification information and warning of the device in which an abnormality has occurred are displayed on the screen (step S212).

  On the other hand, when the calculated first deviation is not equal to or less than the reference value (NO in step S204), the processing unit 600 shifts the process to step S202 with the next arcade game device as a processing target.

  By these processes, when the abnormality is not detected by the abnormality determination of the first embodiment on the arcade game device 1300 side, or when the abnormality determination function itself described in the first embodiment cannot be provided Even so, it is possible to determine abnormality of the game device and notify the store manager.

[Description of modification]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the application form of this invention is not limited to these, A component can be added / deleted / changed suitably.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the operation input unit is an operation input device that can determine ON / OFF of an input represented by a push switch. However, the operation input unit is not limited to the push type, but is a toggle type, lever type, touch type, tablet It may be an expression. The overall shape is not limited to the button shape, but may be a weapon shape such as a model gun or a sword, a musical instrument such as a guitar or a drum, or a tool such as a knife.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which provides vibration generation means, such as a vibrator, in a game device, and alert | reports abnormality determination with the pattern of vibration.

The system diagram explaining the outline | summary of the system configuration | structure in 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is an overview diagram illustrating an example of the arcade game apparatus according to the first embodiment. The functional block diagram which showed an example of the function structure of the arcade game apparatus in 1st Embodiment. The functional block diagram which showed an example of the further detailed functional structure of the abnormality detection part in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the game setting data in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the operation input log | history data in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the specific condition definition data in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the normal state reference | standard data in 1st Embodiment. Diagram explaining the concept of partial missing of input and the principle of determination The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the primary abnormality determination map in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the secondary abnormality determination map in 1st Embodiment. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the abnormality determination alerting | reporting setting data in 1st Embodiment. The image figure of the game screen which shows an example of the abnormality determination alert | report by a screen display. The figure which showed an example of the data structure of the operation history data in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the process concerning abnormality determination of the operation input means in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the normal state reference | standard data acquisition process in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the play history update process in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the abnormality determination process in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the play history update cancellation setting process in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions in 1st Embodiment. 1 is an overview diagram showing an example of a home game device. The functional block diagram which showed an example of the function structure of the management terminal for shops in 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data structure of the operation history database in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the flow of the process which concerns on the abnormality determination in this embodiment in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Processing part 110 Game calculating part 120 Abnormality detection part
122 Primary abnormality determination unit
124 Operation input history management unit
126 Specific situation detection unit
128 Normal condition reference data management unit
130 Primary Abnormality Determination History Management Unit
132 secondary abnormality determination unit 140 abnormality notification control unit 160 game play history update unit 300 storage unit 302 game program
304 Abnormality detection program 314 Operation input history data 316 Specific situation definition data 318 Normal state reference data 320 Primary abnormality determination map 322 Primary abnormality determination history data 324 Secondary abnormality determination map 326 Abnormality determination notification setting data 332 Update cancel flag 600 Processing unit ( Store management terminal)
602 Operation history acquisition unit 604 Abnormal device determination unit 606 Abnormal device notification unit 630 Storage unit 631 Operation history acquisition program 632 Abnormal device determination program 634 Operation history database
634c Average operation information by day of the week 1300 Business game device 1310 Push button 1340 System base 1400 Store management terminal

Claims (21)

A computer capable of executing a given game in response to an operation input signal from the operation input means;
Detecting means for detecting based on an operation input signal from the operation input means that a predetermined signal loss has occurred as occurring when the operation input means malfunctions;
Detection history storage means for storing a history of detection by the detection means;
An abnormality determination means for determining an abnormality of the operation input means based on the detection history stored by the detection history storage means;
Notification means for performing notification based on the determination result by the abnormality determination means;
Program to function as. The program according to claim 1,
A program for causing the computer to function so that the abnormality determination unit determines the degree of abnormality based on a change in detection frequency by the detection unit. The program according to claim 2,
The game is a game that can be executed by changing the control data, a unit game in which the game progress changes variously due to different control data,
The program for making the said computer function so that the said abnormality determination means may determine the abnormality degree based on the change of the detection result of the said detection means for every unit game performed. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Causing the computer to function as specific situation detection means for detecting that the progress of the game is a predetermined specific situation;
The detection means causes the computer to function to detect the occurrence of signal loss based on an operation input signal when the specific situation detection means is detecting;
Program for. A game program according to claim 4,
A program for causing the computer to function so as to detect, as the specific situation, the specific situation detection unit detects a situation where good results can be expected by continuously inputting from the operation input unit with a short time interval. The program according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The game is a game with a time limit,
The specific situation is a situation predetermined based on the relationship between the time limit and the elapsed game execution time,
The program for making the said computer function so that the said specific condition detection means may detect that it is the said specific condition based on the execution elapsed time of the said game. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The game is a game in which the operation method of the operation input means is different depending on the type of player character and / or the operation target such as the possessed item,
The detection means causes the computer to function so as to detect that a signal loss of an operation target in a currently running game has occurred among signal loss predetermined according to the operation target. Program. The program according to claim 7,
The detection history storage means stores the detection result by the detection means in association with the operation object at the time of detection,
The abnormality determination means determines an abnormality of the operation input means based on an operation method corresponding to each of the operation objects;
Program for causing the computer to function. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The game includes a plurality of game stages with different operation methods of the operation input means,
A program for causing the computer to function so that the detection means detects a signal loss corresponding to a game stage that is currently being executed among signal loss predetermined for each game stage. . The program according to claim 9, wherein
The detection history storage means stores the detection result by the detection means in association with the game stage at the time of detection,
The abnormality determining means determines an abnormality of the operation input means based on an operation method corresponding to each of the game stages;
Program for causing the computer to function. It is a program as described in any one of Claims 1-10,
Said computer further
Game play history information updating means for updating game play history information based on the current game play result when the game is ended,
An update cancel processing means for canceling the update by the game play history information update means when the abnormality determination means determines that an abnormality has occurred;
A program characterized by functioning as A program according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A program for causing the computer to function so that the notification means performs notification while the game is in progress.   The computer-readable information storage medium which memorize | stored the program as described in any one of Claims 1-12. A game device that executes a game in response to an operation input signal from an operation input means,
Detecting means for detecting based on an operation input signal from the operation input means that a predetermined signal loss has occurred as occurring when the operation input means malfunctions;
Detection history storage means for storing a history of detection by the detection means;
An abnormality determination means for determining an abnormality of the operation input means based on the detection history stored by the detection history storage means;
Notification means for performing notification based on a determination result by the abnormality determination means;
A game device comprising: 15. The game device according to claim 14, wherein
The game apparatus, wherein the abnormality determination means determines the degree of abnormality based on a change in detection frequency by the detection means. The game device according to claim 15,
The game is a game that can be executed by changing the control data, a unit game in which the game progress changes variously due to different control data,
The game apparatus, wherein the abnormality determination means determines the degree of abnormality based on a change in a detection result of the detection means for each unit game executed. A game device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein
A specific situation detecting means for detecting that the progress status of the game is a predetermined specific situation;
The game device characterized in that the detection means detects the occurrence of a signal loss based on an operation input signal detected by the specific situation detection means. A game device according to any one of claims 14 to 17,
The game is a game in which the operation method of the operation input means is different depending on the type of player character and / or the operation target such as the possessed item,
The game device, wherein the detection unit detects that a signal loss of an operation target in a game currently being executed occurs among signal loss predetermined according to each of the operation targets. A game device according to any one of claims 14 to 18,
The game includes a plurality of game stages with different operation methods of the operation input means,
The game apparatus, wherein the detection means detects that a signal loss corresponding to a currently executed game stage has occurred among signal loss predetermined for each of the game stages. A game device according to any one of claims 14 to 19,
Furthermore,
Game play history information updating means for updating the game play history information based on the current game play result when the game is ended;
An update cancel processing means for canceling the update by the game play history information update means when the abnormality determination means determines that there is an abnormality. An operation history data collecting means for collecting the operation history data from each of a plurality of game devices having a function of storing operation history data including the number of operations;
Abnormal device determination means for determining a game device in which an abnormality has occurred based on the difference in operation history data between game devices collected by the operation history data collection means;
A game device management device.

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