JP6794897B2 - Goods acquisition game device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article acquisition game in which an article such as a prize is moved and acquired, in particular, a setting of an article acquisition game.

Crane game devices (article acquisition game devices) are installed in many arcades. A stage (game field) is provided in the housing of the crane game device, and prizes (articles) such as stuffed animals and sweets are placed on the stage (game field). The player operates the crane by making full use of the horizontal and vertical buttons. If the prize can be grasped by the crane and moved to the drop opening, the player can obtain the prize (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-259216

Various settings are possible in the crane game device. Specifically, the adjustment of the gripping force and the moving speed of the arm, the position of the drop port, the type and number of prizes, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "setting information") are applicable. These settings are often left to the operator of the game center. Usually, the operator himself cannot accurately manage when and what kind of setting was made. Therefore, it is considered that most of the useful setting information is dead or lost.

In particular, the difficulty level of the game and the player's willingness to take on the challenge change greatly depending on how the prizes are arranged on the crane game device. It can be said that the method of arranging the prize is also a kind of useful setting information. However, at present, even if an excellent prize placement method is devised, the process of recording it is not performed or it is interpolated by the efforts of the operator.

The present invention is an invention completed based on the above-mentioned problem recognition, and a main object thereof is to provide a technique for facilitating the utilization of setting information of an article acquisition game device.

The article acquisition game device according to an aspect of the present invention is provided in a play space, and has a game field having a first region on which an article to be acquired is placed and a second region to which the article is moved, and an imaging means. An imaging unit that captures an image of the game field, a crane that grips the article, an operation unit that accepts operations from the player, a crane control unit that drives the crane according to the operation, and success or failure of movement of the article to the second region. The device information generation unit that generates device information by associating the setting related to both or one of the game field and the crane with the captured image of the game field when the setting is made, and the device information externally. It is provided with a device information transmitting unit for transmitting to.

According to the present invention, it becomes easy to utilize the setting information and the like of the article acquisition game device.

It is a hardware block diagram of a game system. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the crane game apparatus roughly. It is a functional block diagram of a game system. It is a schematic diagram of a field image. It is a data structure diagram of device information. It is a data structure diagram of aggregated information. It is a screen view of the setting confirmation screen displayed on a store terminal.

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system 100 according to the present embodiment.
In the game system 100 (information management system), the server 102 is collectively referred to as a plurality of crane game devices 104a, 104b ... 104n (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "claw game device 104" when collectively referred to or not particularly distinguished. ) And the store terminal 108 are connected via the Internet 106.

The crane game device 104 is installed in amusement facilities such as an amusement park and an arcade. The store terminal 108 is a tablet terminal used by an operator who operates a play facility. The store terminal 108 may be a smartphone, a laptop PC, or a desktop PC.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the crane game device 104 according to the present embodiment.
The crane game device 104 includes a rectangular parallelepiped base 112 and a box-shaped prize accommodating portion 114 provided on the base 112. A play space S is formed inside the prize accommodating portion 114, and a prize storage stand 116 (game field) is provided. A prize P such as a stuffed animal or miscellaneous goods is arranged on the prize mounting table 116. A crane 118 is provided above the prize mounting table 116. The crane 118 can move back and forth, left and right, and up and down in the play space S, and grips / releases the prize P.

The front surface and left and right sides of the prize accommodating portion 114 are covered with transparent glass. The visibility of the prize P from the outside is taken into consideration. A monitor 120 is installed on the rear surface (back side surface) of the prize accommodating portion 114. The monitor 120 displays various effect images. A camera 122 is installed on the ceiling surface of the crane game device 104. The camera 122 takes an image of the prize mounting table 116 from above. The monitor 120 can also display the image captured by the camera 122.

An LED (Light Emitting Diode) is arranged on the vertical pillar 150 of the crane game device 104, and lights up as a part of the effect during play. A door 124 is provided on the front surface of the prize accommodating unit 114, and the operator can install the prize P in the prize accommodating unit 114.

The prize mounting table 116 is divided into a first area 126 and a second area 128. Each compartment area consists of removable panels. By removing either one of the panels, a drop port 130 for dropping the prize P can be formed. When the prize P is placed in the first area 126 and the drop port 130 is formed in the second area 128, if the player can move the prize P from the first area 126 to the second area 128 (fall port 130), the prize P is placed. You can get P.

Inside the base 112, a prize stock space 132 for accommodating the prize P that has fallen from the drop port 130 is formed. On the front surface of the base 112, a prize outlet 134 for taking out the prize P that has fallen into the prize stock space 132 is formed.

An operation console 136 is provided on the front side of the base 112. The operation console 136 is provided with a coin slot 138, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card reader 140, an operation unit 142, and a setting display unit 144. At the start of the game, the player inserts a coin into the coin slot 138 or touches an IC card charged with electronic money in the IC card reader 140. In the latter case, payment processing using electronic money is executed, but since it is a known technique, the details thereof will be omitted.

The operation unit 142 has operation buttons 142a and 142b for the player to move the crane 118. The operation unit 142 functions as a "crane operation unit" that receives an input signal based on the operation of the player. The operation button 142a is a button for moving the crane 118 in the left-right direction (X direction), and the operation button 142b is a button for moving the crane 118 in the front-rear direction (Y direction). As a modification, the crane 118 may be moved back and forth and left and right by a joystick.

A touch panel is installed on the setting display unit 144. The setting display unit 144 functions as a "setting input unit" for the administrator to input game setting information, and also as an "information display unit" for displaying information related to the game such as the operation method of the operation unit 142 and the game result. Function. The crane game device 104 also includes a speaker (not shown), an external connection terminal, and the like.

The crane 118 has an arm 146 capable of gripping and releasing the prize P. The crane 118 includes a motor that opens and closes the arm 146. By opening and closing the arm 146, the prize P is gripped and released.

The crane 118 is movable along a guide rail (not shown) installed above the prize accommodating portion 114, and is driven by the crane driving portion 148. The crane driving unit 148 includes a moving mechanism that drives the crane 118 in the lateral direction (X direction) and the vertical direction (Y direction), and an elevating mechanism that drives the crane 118 in the vertical direction (Z direction). The moving mechanism includes an X-direction motor and a Y-direction motor. The elevating mechanism includes a Z-direction motor. The crane drive unit 148 allows the crane 118 to be moved to an arbitrary position in the play space S. Since such a drive mechanism is known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the game system 100.
Each component of the crane game device 104, the server 102, and the store terminal 108 included in the game system 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a computing unit such as various coprocessors, a storage device such as memory and storage, and a wired connection thereof. Alternatively, it is realized by hardware including a wireless communication line and software stored in a storage device and supplying processing instructions to a coprocessor. A computer program may be composed of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located on the upper layers thereof, and a library that provides common functions to these programs. Each block described below shows a block for each function, not a configuration for each hardware.

(Crane game device 104)
The crane game device 104 includes a user interface processing unit 152, a mechanism unit 154, a communication unit 183, a data processing unit 156, and a data storage unit 158.
The user interface processing unit 152 accepts operations from the player via various input devices, and is in charge of processing related to the user interface such as image display and audio output. The mechanism unit 154 drives various mechanisms such as the crane 118 and the prize stock space 132. The communication unit 183 is in charge of communication processing with the server 102 and the like. The data storage unit 158 stores various data. The data processing unit 156 executes various processes based on the input from the user interface processing unit 152, the data received by the communication unit 183, and the data stored in the data storage unit 158. The data processing unit 156 also functions as an interface for the mechanism unit 154, the communication unit 183, the user interface processing unit 152, and the data storage unit 158.

The user interface processing unit 152 includes an input unit 160 that receives input from the player and an output unit 162 that outputs various information such as images and sounds to the player.

The input unit 160 includes a setting input unit 164 and a crane operation unit 166.
The setting input unit 164 receives a setting input from the operator via the setting display unit 144. The crane operation unit 166 receives an operation input from the player via the operation unit 142. The crane game device 104 has a setting mode and a game mode. In the setting mode, the operator makes various settings described later. The prize is also brought in during the setting mode. In the game mode, the player operates the operation unit 142 to play the crane game.

The output unit 162 includes an image display unit 168 and an audio output unit 170. The image display unit 168 causes the monitor 120 and the setting display unit 144 to display various images. The audio output unit 170 outputs audio.

The mechanical unit 154 includes a crane driving unit 148 and a camera 122 (imaging means and imaging unit). As described above, the camera 122 installed on the ceiling of the crane game device 104 images the prize mounting table 116 (game field). From this captured image, it is possible to grasp the arrangement and movement progress of the prize. Further, if the captured image is displayed on the monitor 120, the player can easily grasp the positional relationship between the crane 118 and the prize more accurately. As described above, the crane drive unit 148 executes the movement, gripping and releasing of the crane 118.

The communication unit 183 includes a device information transmission unit 155. The device information transmission unit 155 transmits the device information described later to the server 102.

The data processing unit 156 includes a crane control unit 172, a movement determination unit 174, an apparatus information generation unit 176, a mode control unit 178, an arrangement determination unit 180, and a setting change unit 182.
The crane control unit 172 instructs the crane drive unit 148 to move, grip, and release according to the operation instruction by the crane operation unit 166. The movement determination unit 174 determines whether the prize drop port 130 has fallen, in other words, the success or failure of the crane game. The device information generation unit 176 generates device information by packaging (associating) the setting information of the crane game device 104, the success or failure of play, and the image captured by the camera 122. Details of the device information will be described later in relation to FIG. The mode control unit 178 switches between the setting mode and the game mode according to the operation input from the operator.

The placement determination unit 180 detects the type and position of the prize from the image of the game field acquired from the camera 122 (hereinafter referred to as "field image") by image recognition, and determines the success or failure of the "placement condition" regarding the prize placement. judge. The placement condition is a condition that defines the prize placement state in the game field, and the details will be described later. The setting change unit 182 automatically changes the setting of the crane game device 104 when the arrangement condition is satisfied.

The data storage unit 158 includes a game program storage unit 184 and a setting storage unit 186.
The game program storage unit 184 stores the game program of the crane game. The setting storage unit 186 stores information on the usage state such as the setting and the game play result.

(Server 102)
The server 102 includes a data processing unit 200, a data storage unit 202, and a communication unit 204.
The communication unit 204 is in charge of communication processing with the crane game device 104, the store terminal 108, and the like. The data storage unit 202 stores various data. The data processing unit 200 executes various processes based on the received data of the communication unit 204 and the data stored in the data storage unit 202. The data processing unit 200 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 204 and the data storage unit 202.

The data storage unit 202 includes a data analysis unit 192. The data analysis unit 192 collects device information transmitted from the crane game device 104 by a method described later, and aggregates the usage state of each crane game device 104 (detailed later in relation to FIG. 6).

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the field image 210.
When the operator carries in or replaces the prize with the crane game device 104 and performs an operation of switching from the setting mode to the game mode, the setting changing unit 182 instructs the camera 122 to image the field image 210. It is possible to notify the operator that the field image 210 is to be imaged and obtain permission, but it is troublesome for the operator to obtain such permission each time the setting is made. In the present embodiment, the field image 210 is captured by switching from the setting mode to the game mode without notifying the operator that the field image 210 is to be captured by one operation of switching from the setting mode to the game mode. Run. In other words, the image of the field image 210 is automatically executed in conjunction with the operation of switching from the setting mode to the game mode.

The arrangement determination unit 180 detects the type and position coordinates of the prize from the field image 210 by a known image recognition technique. In the present embodiment, when any of the prizes is detected within a predetermined range from the drop port 130, in other words, at a position close to the drop port 130, the setting changing unit 182 determines that the arrangement condition is satisfied. The setting changing unit 182 increases the gripping force of the arm 146 when the arrangement condition is satisfied. That is, when the prize is near the drop port 130 and is in a state where it is easy to obtain the prize, the setting is automatically changed to a setting that makes it easy to obtain the prize (hereinafter, referred to as "special setting").

For example, suppose an operator wants a toddler-friendly setting. Usually, the operator not only changes the setting information in favor of the player, but also often arranges the prize at a position where the prize can be easily obtained, for example, near the drop port 130. In the crane game device 104 of the present embodiment, if the operator places the prize near the drop port 130 during the setting mode, the setting changing unit 182 automatically changes from the normal setting to a special setting advantageous to the player. Therefore, the operator can appropriately change the gripping force of the arm 146, the initial position of the crane 118, and the like by simply changing the prize arrangement.

When the arrangement condition is not satisfied during play, the setting changing unit 182 may return the special setting to the normal setting, or may maintain the special setting until the next setting mode is switched to.

The field image 210 shows the state of the game field when switching from the setting mode to the game mode. In other words, the field image 210 shows the arrangement state of the prize immediately after the setting. Since the prize arrangement is not disturbed by the play, the prize arrangement state intended by the operator at the time of setting can be captured as the field image 210.

The arrangement determination unit 180 can detect the arrangement of the prize by various methods other than recognizing the prize from the field image 210. For example, the arrangement determination unit 180 may detect the arrangement of the prize by detecting the reflected light from the field image 210 by a known optical sensor, or may detect the arrangement of the article by detecting the mark affixed to the prize. May be detected. Alternatively, the arrangement determination unit 180 may detect the arrangement of the prize by measuring the weight distribution of the field image 210.

FIG. 5 is a data structure diagram of the device information 214.
The device information 214 includes the setting information 208 and the image file 212. The image file 212 is image data corresponding to the field image 210, and is "arrangement information" of the prize. The device information generation unit 176 packages the setting information 208 and the image file 212 (arrangement information) each time the setting mode is switched to the game mode, and generates the device information 214. The communication unit 183 transmits the device information 214 to the server 102.

The setting information 208 includes a device ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “UID”) which is an ID of the crane game device 104, and a setting ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “SID”) uniquely generated by the mode control unit 178 for each setting change. Notation) is included. The setting information 208 shown in FIG. 5 includes the gripping force and size of the arm 146, the starting position (home position) of the crane 118, and the number of arms 146 as the settings of the crane game device 104. In addition to this, the setting information 208 also includes the position of the drop port 130, the installation position of the crane game device 104 (store name, area name, or latitude / longitude information), the charge per play, and the like.

Further, the device information generation unit 176 generates device information 214 including setting information 208 and play information 206 each time the game is played. At this time, the image file 212 (arrangement information) is not packaged. The play information 206 indicates a play result such as a play date and time and success or failure of acquisition of a prize. When a player who has registered a player ID (hereinafter, also referred to as "PID") in advance on a game card or the like plays, the play information 206 also includes the PID.

In summary, when switching from the setting mode to the game mode, the device information 214 including the setting information 208 and the image file 212 (arrangement information) is transmitted to the server 102, and the setting information 208 and the play information 206 are included for each play. The device information 214 is transmitted to the server 102. Therefore, the server 102 collects information such as what kind of prize arrangement was made at what kind of setting and what kind of play result was obtained at what kind of setting.

The operator makes various settings on the crane game device 104 via the setting input unit 164. The setting information 208 includes all or a part of such a setting. In addition to this, the setting information 208 may include various information such as the moving speed of the crane 118, the type and number of prizes, and the shape of the tip (claw) of the arm 146. The setting information 208 is stored in the setting storage unit 186 of the crane game device 104.

The information of the store where the crane game device 104 is installed may be transmitted to the server 102 as a part of the device information 214, or the operator may register the store information by accessing the server 102 from the store terminal 108.

FIG. 6 is a data structure diagram of the aggregated information 190.
The aggregated information 190 is stored in the data storage unit 202 of the server 102. Each time the setting mode is changed to the game mode, the crane game device 104 transmits the device information 214 to the server 102, and the data analysis unit 192 updates the aggregated information 190.

According to FIG. 6, the crane game device 104 with UID = U001 (hereinafter referred to as “crane game device 104 (U001)”) is installed in Umeda, Osaka (17th area of Umeda). For the crane game device 104 (U001), three types of settings (S001), settings (S002), and settings (S003) have been obtained. After the setting (S001), it is changed to the setting (S002), and then changed to the setting (S003).

In the setting (S001) and the setting (S002), the gripping force of the arm 146 is "medium" out of three stages of strong, medium, and weak. In the setting (S003), it is set to "weak". The crane game device 104 includes the numerical information of the gripping force in the setting information 208 (device information 214) and transmits it, and the data analysis unit 192 of the server 102 classifies this into a plurality of levels such as strong, medium, and weak. Information is reduced with. In addition to this, the size of the crane 118, the starting position (home position), the number of arms 146, and the like are set targets. The amusement facility is identified by a store ID (hereinafter, also referred to as "LID"). The crane game device 104 (U001) will be installed in a store (L01) in Umeda, Osaka. In the setting (S001), the one-play fee is 100 yen, but after the setting (S002), the setting is changed to 200 yen.

The image file 212 is identified by an image ID (hereinafter, referred to as "FID"). The field image 210 (arrangement information) corresponding to the setting (S001) is the image file 212 (F01). In this way, in the aggregated information 190, the setting information 208 and the image file 212 are registered in association with each other.

As described above, each time the game is played on the crane game device 104, the device information transmission unit 155 transmits the play information 206 to the server 102 as a part of the device information 214. The data analysis unit 192 calculates the success rate of prize acquisition at any time by aggregating the play information 206. The crane game device 104 (U001) has a 4.4% probability of successfully acquiring a prize in the setting (S001). The success rate in the setting (S002) is 10.2%, and the success rate in the setting (S003) is 7.6%. That is, the setting (S002) is the player-friendly setting, and the setting (S001) is the player-friendly setting. The difficulty level of the game changes depending on the set value of the crane 118 or the like, and also changes depending on the arrangement of prizes in the game field. Therefore, the low success rate in the setting (S001) may be due to the setting information or the prize arrangement (arrangement information). According to the aggregated information 190, there is almost no difference between the setting (S001) and the setting (S002). Therefore, it can be estimated that the difficulty level of the setting (S001) and the setting (S002) is greatly influenced by the arrangement of prizes.

The data analysis unit 192 determines the difficulty level for each crane game device 104 and each setting by weighted averaging these parameters related to the setting and the play result. In this embodiment, the difficulty level is ranked in three stages, A, B, and C, from the most difficult one.

FIG. 7 is a screen view of the setting confirmation screen 230 displayed on the store terminal 108.
The operator can display the setting confirmation screen 230 on the store terminal 108 by accessing the server 102 from the store terminal 108. The setting confirmation screen 230 is a web page showing the settings of the crane game device 104, and includes an image area 232 and a setting area 234. The image area 232 corresponds to the field image 210 (arrangement information), and the setting area 234 corresponds to the setting information 208. The setting area 234 can be scroll-displayed by the scroll bar 236.

The operator specifies the device ID and the setting ID, and transmits the download signal from the store terminal 108 to the server 102. When the data processing unit 200 of the server 102 receives the download signal, the data analysis unit 192 generates a web page of the setting confirmation screen 230 based on the aggregated information 190 stored in the data storage unit 202, and causes the store terminal 108 to generate a web page. Send.

In the setting area 234 of the setting confirmation screen 230, not only the setting but also the play result such as the success rate is displayed. The utilization rate may be displayed as a play result. The data analysis unit 192 may calculate the operating rate for each setting by counting the number of plays per unit time.

The server 102 can publish setting information, arrangement information, and play results of various crane game devices 104. By designating the device ID from the store terminal 108, the operator can also display the setting information of 104 of another store on the setting confirmation screen 230. By sharing the setting information etc. of each store, it becomes easier to devise the setting etc. that motivates the challenge more while referring to the setting information etc. of each store. By designating the device ID and the set date and time from the store terminal 108, the operator can also read the setting information and the like of the various crane game devices 104 at various times. In addition, there is an advantage that the prize can be arranged while checking the image area 232 of the setting confirmation screen 230 and referring to the prize arrangement in the past or another store. The setting confirmation screen 230 is not limited to the store terminal 108, and may be displayed on the setting display unit 144. That is, the crane game device 104 may access the server 102 to acquire the setting confirmation screen 230.

The game system 100 has been described above based on the embodiment.
According to the present invention, the device information 214 of the crane game device 104 can be aggregated in the server 102. The device information 214 includes not only the setting information 208 but also the image file 212 indicating the arrangement state of the prize. Therefore, in the server 102, it is possible to grasp not only what kind of setting was made in which crane game device 104, but also what kind of prize arrangement was made based on the setting. In addition to the settings, you can also check the play results such as success rate and operating rate. The setting information 208 and the image file 212 at the time of setting are associated with each other and stored in a package. More specifically, by packaging (integrating) into a single file or a single folder, the numerical setting information and the image-like prize arrangement are stored so that they can be confirmed together.

There may be an exquisite combination of the setting of the crane 118 etc. and the arrangement of prizes that can greatly arouse the motivation to play. For example, the combination of setting A1 and prize arrangement B1 may not have a high operating rate. However, the combination of setting A1 and prize arrangement B2 may result in a very high utilization rate. Further, the combination of the setting A2 and the prize arrangement B2 may not have a high operating rate. In this case, it is considered that the combination of the setting A1 and the prize arrangement B2 arouses the motivation to play.

In general, the player plays a crane game that is likely to win a prize. Each store has devised a prize arrangement to make the player feel that it is likely to be taken. On the other hand, a crane game that seems to be difficult to get a prize may arouse the challenge of advanced players. In many cases, a unique prize arrangement is made that the developer of the crane game device 104 did not anticipate. Exquisite prize placement is often an improvisational idea of the operator. According to the present embodiment, since the field image 210 is captured at the end of the setting mode, a unique and novel prize arrangement method can be saved together with the setting.

The camera 122 of the crane game device 104 is often provided for convenience when the player operates the crane 118. For example, the image display unit 168 may display the field image 210 during play captured by the camera 122 on the monitor 120, the touch panel, or the like. According to the present embodiment, since such a camera 122 can also be used for storing an image of a prize arrangement, there is an advantage that the existing camera 122 can be effectively used.

Further, the manufacturer of the crane game device 104 can utilize the aggregated information 190 for product development. For example, when the parameter P1 (for example, the moving speed of the arm 146) is hardly changed among the two parameters P1 and P2 that can be set, it can be determined that the setting function of the parameter P1 is not required in the market. Further, when the parameter P2 (for example, the gripping force of the arm 146) is large and finely dispersed by the crane game device 104, it can be seen that the operator attaches importance to the parameter P2. In this case, there may be a need for a product that can adjust the parameter P2 more precisely.

At present, there is no mechanism for aggregating the settings of each operator, so it may be later found that the parameters that the manufacturer deems unnecessary and abolished were important for the operator. By aggregating the device information 214 on the server 102, the potential needs of the market (operator) can be scooped up, so that necessary functions and unnecessary functions can be efficiently distinguished.

In addition, many operators set the crane game device 104 through trial and error. If the operator can propose the setting information for increasing the operating rate, the operator can predict the profit, and it is considered that the operator can easily decide to introduce the crane game device 104. The manufacturer of the crane game device 104 may provide not only the crane game device 104 but also its setting information.

The crane game device 104 is often resold. At present, it is extremely difficult for manufacturers to grasp where and how the crane game device 104 after sale is used. One of the reasons for this is that many crane games are not connected to the Internet 106. According to the present embodiment, since the position information of the crane game device 104 can be appropriately received, the manufacturer can easily track the distribution route of the crane game device 104 after sale. Some crane game devices 104 continue to be used longer than expected. It is considered useful for the development of the crane game device 104 to identify the long-selling crane game device 104 and analyze what was good about such a crane game device 104 (hit factor).

Further, if the operating rate of the crane game device 104 can be grasped, the wear rate (for example, the cumulative usage time) of the used crane game device 104 can be grasped. Just as the value (price) of a used car changes depending on the mileage, it becomes easier to set an appropriate selling price based on the wear rate of the used crane game device 104. Fostering a sound second-hand market for the crane game device 104 is considered to contribute to the expansion of the player base of the crane game.

The store where the crane game device 104 is installed can also easily increase the profitability of the crane game device 104 by introducing the setting information of another store. In addition, since the server 102 can manage its own setting history, it is possible to self-analyze what kind of setting was made and what kind of operation rate and success rate were. An incentive may be given to encourage the server 102 to aggregate the device information 214. For example, a new crane game device 104 may be offered at a discounted price to friendly stores that cooperate in collecting data on the server 102.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment or modification, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments and modifications. In addition, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiments and modifications.

The crane game device 104 may provide device information 214 directly to an external medium by providing an external connection terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal. The operator may read the device information 214 from the external connection terminal to the store terminal 108 and then transmit it to the server 102. Further, the crane game device 104 may transmit the device information 214 to an external medium by short-range wireless communication. Near field communication here is wireless transmission with a transmission range of several centimeters to 1 meter, and is NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification), IrDA (Infrared Data). Association) is a typical example.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the field image 210 is captured after the end of the setting mode. As a modification, the camera 122 may shoot a moving image of the game field even during play. Then, this moving image may be included as a part of the device information 214. According to such a control method, it is possible to grasp not only the setting but also how the crane 118 is operated and how the prize arrangement changes depending on the setting. For example, a prize arrangement that allows the prize to be moved close to the drop port 130 but cannot be easily dropped into the drop port 130 is considered to be an excellent prize arrangement that arouses the player's willingness to take on the challenge.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the arrangement condition is satisfied when there is a prize sufficiently close to the drop port 130. In addition to this, various arrangement conditions can be defined depending on the fact that there are a plurality of prizes within a predetermined distance from the drop port 130, that the plurality of prizes are stacked, the angle and type of the prizes, and the like. Further, the arrangement condition does not have to be "arrangement that makes it easy to take a prize", and "arrangement that makes it difficult to take a prize" is acceptable. When the arrangement condition is satisfied, the setting changing unit 182 may change to a special setting that makes it easy to take a prize, or may change to a special setting that makes it difficult to take a prize.

By arranging a predetermined prize at a predetermined position, the arrangement condition may be satisfied. For example, when a certain prize is placed at the back right of the game field, the placement condition is satisfied, and the setting changing unit 182 may greatly reduce the difficulty of the game by strengthening the gripping force of the arm 146. According to such a control method, when the operator wants to service an infant or the like, the prize is placed in the back right to generate a secret sign (that is, the placement condition is satisfied), and the difficulty level of the crane game is casually lowered. be able to. If the placement conditions are not always changed, a skilled player may be able to grasp the difficulty level of the game from the situation of the game field. Therefore, the arrangement condition can be changed by the setting change unit 182 by the operation of the operator. In addition, the setting input by the operator can enable or disable the automatic change function of the setting information linked to the arrangement condition. For this reason, it becomes more difficult to grasp the difficulty level from the situation of the game field.

The setting change unit 182 may switch between enabling and disabling the automatic setting function according to the player attribute. For example, when the registered player inputs the player ID with the game card, the setting change unit 182 detects the player attribute associated with the player ID in advance. The player attributes referred to here mean age, gender, play history, and the like. The communication unit 183 may enable an automatic setting function that automatically sets various settings such as the gripping force of the arm 146 when a predetermined attribute condition for the player attribute is satisfied. That is, the setting change unit 182 executes the automatic setting only when both the arrangement condition and the attribute condition are satisfied. For example, the automatic setting function may be enabled only when the player is an infant, or the automatic setting function may be enabled when the success rate of the player in the past crane game is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Various setting information may be defined in advance according to the player attributes.

The transmission method in this embodiment can also be applied to a so-called net catcher. The net catcher is a crane game in which a player operates a crane 118 of a crane game device 104 at a remote location by transmitting operation information from a PC. The prize acquired by the player is mailed to the player. In this case as well, it is considered that there is a setting method suitable for the net catcher.

100 game system, 102 server, 104 crane game device, 106 internet, 108 store terminal, 112 base, 114 prize storage, 116 prize stand, 118 crane, 120 monitor, 122 camera, 124 door, 126 first area, 128 Second area, 130 Drop port, 132 Stock space, 134 Free gift outlet, 136 Operation desk, 138 Coin slot, 140 IC card reader, 142 Operation unit, 144 Setting display unit, 146 arm, 148 Crane drive unit, 150 Standing pillar, 152 User interface processing unit, 154 mechanism unit, 155 device information transmission unit, 156 data processing unit, 158 data storage unit, 160 input unit, 162 output unit, 164 setting input unit, 166 crane operation unit, 168 image display unit , 170 voice output unit, 172 crane control unit, 174 movement judgment unit, 176 device information generation unit, 178 mode control unit, 180 placement judgment unit, 182 setting change unit, 183 communication unit, 184 game program storage unit, 186 setting storage Unit, 190 Aggregate information, 192 data analysis unit, 200 data processing unit, 202 data storage unit, 204 communication unit, 206 play information, 208 setting information, 210 field image, 212 image file, 214 device information, 230 setting confirmation screen, 232 image area, 234 setting area, 236 scroll bar

Claims (6)

A game field provided in the play space and having a first area on which the article to be acquired is placed and a second area to which the article is moved.
An imaging unit that captures the game field by imaging means,
A crane that grips the article and
An operation unit that accepts operations from the player,
A crane control unit that drives the crane according to the operation,
A movement determination unit that determines the success or failure of movement of the article to the second region,
A setting input unit that receives a setting input for the gripping force of the crane from the operator,
A device information generation unit that generates device information by associating a setting including the gripping force of the crane with a captured image of the game field when the gripping force is set.
A device information transmission unit that transmits the device information to the outside,
It is equipped with a mode setting unit that sets the setting mode or game mode.
The imaging unit controls the imaging means at the timing when it detects an operation input from the administrator instructing the transition from the setting mode to the game mode to image the game field.
The device information generation unit is an article acquisition game device characterized in that an captured image at the time of transition to the game mode is generated as the device information. The article acquisition game device according to claim 1, wherein the device information generation unit generates the device information including a play result based on the setting. When the operation input is detected, two types of processing, a transition process from the setting mode to the game mode by the mode setting unit and an imaging process of the game field by the imaging unit, are collectively executed. The article acquisition game device according to claim 1 . An arrangement determination unit that determines whether or not the arrangement of a plurality of articles satisfies a predetermined arrangement condition,
The article acquisition game device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a setting changing unit for changing the setting related to the crane when the arrangement condition is satisfied. The article acquisition game device according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement determination unit detects the arrangement of the plurality of articles from the captured image of the game field by image recognition. The article acquisition game according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the setting changing unit enables and disables a function of changing the setting in conjunction with the arrangement condition in response to an operation input from the operator. apparatus.

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