JP7224019B2 - game machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to game machine control technology, and more particularly to game control or game state control technology in a game machine such as a slot machine equipped with a reel device.

Conventionally, in gaming machines such as reel-type gaming machines (slot machines) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "gaming machines"), a high-probability game mode is achieved by drawing a rare role during a game to establish a rare role pattern. , a transition to a bonus game by drawing a jackpot and establishing a jackpot pattern, or a transition to a normal game by completing a bonus game by playing a predetermined game or receiving a predetermined payout, etc. Many original ideas have been made to improve the interest in the game by changing the game state at a predetermined opportunity during the game, and to further improve the interest in the game by navigation control such as push-order navigation, AT, and ART. rice field.

As an example, a gaming machine has been proposed that can enhance interest in games (Patent Document 1).

That is, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols arranged on their respective peripheral surfaces, a start operation detection means for detecting a start operation, and a start operation detection means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of reels are provided to stop the reels. Stop operation detecting means for detecting an operation, main control means for controlling the progress of the game, and sub-control means for controlling performance based on information transmitted by one-way communication from the main control means. wherein the main control means comprises winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination based on the detection of the start operation by the start operation detection means; Based on the detection of the operation, based on the symbol variation means for variably displaying the plurality of symbols, the winning combination determined by the winning combination determination means, and the stop operation detected by the stop operation detection means. a stop control means for performing stop control of the symbols that are variably displayed by the symbol variation means; judging means for judging whether or not a combination of symbols has been displayed; privilege giving means for giving a prescribed privilege when the judging means judges that a combination of predetermined symbols has been displayed; is determined, winning combination information storage means for storing information related to the special winning combination until the determination means determines that the combination of symbols related to the special winning combination has been displayed; A state transition means for shifting from a normal state to a special state advantageous to a player when it is determined that a combination of symbols relating to a special winning combination has been displayed; winning combination information control means for performing predetermined control; and information transmitting means for transmitting information relating to the winning combination determined by the winning combination determining means to the sub control means, wherein the sub control means information receiving means for receiving information transmitted to the information transmitting means; and effect control means for performing effects based on the information received by the information receiving means, wherein the winning combination determining means selects a plurality of types of the Any of the winning combinations including the special winning combination is determined, and the winning combination information control means selects the special winning combination when any of the special winning combinations is determined by the winning combination determination means. from the determination of the type until the notification of the type of the special winning combination is permitted, and the information transmission means, When any of the special winning combinations is determined by the winning combination determining means, the sub-control means is notified of the determination of the special winning combination from the determination of the special winning combination to the elapse of the type non-informed game number. does not transmit information indicating the type of the special winning combination that has been determined, but transmits special winning combination winning information indicating that one of the plurality of types of special winning combinations has been determined, and the effect control means receives the information. Disclosed is a gaming machine characterized in that, when the special winning combination winning information is received by means, an effect based on the special winning combination winning information can be executed until the number of types of non-informed games has elapsed. It is

Also, a gaming machine has been proposed that can favorably improve the interest of a game (Patent Document 2).

That is, in Patent Document 2, game control means for controlling a game execution means so that one game is executed based on the establishment of a start condition, and game control means for controlling a game over a plurality of games when a predetermined condition is established. A setting means for setting a continuous expected state, an expected effect control means for performing an expected effect that enables a player to expect the awarding of a privilege in each game in the expected state, and the expected state. a number-of-games determination means for determining the number of games to be continued in an expected state when the predetermined condition is satisfied in the above; The standby information storage means stores information on the total number of continuous games determined by the number-of-games determining means when the predetermined condition is satisfied multiple times in the expected state, and When the expected state ends and the information stored in the waiting information storage means is information corresponding to the number of continuous games equal to or greater than 1, the expected performance control means stores the information in the waiting information storage means. A gaming machine is disclosed that is characterized by starting the expected state that continues over the number of continuous games that are played.

On the other hand, in recent years, a new type of gaming machine that manages and controls two game state sections, which are roughly classified into "normal section" and "advantageous section", is spreading.

To summarize, the normal section is positioned as a section in which it is not possible (that is, not permitted) to play games related to the instruction function (navigation function such as push order navigation), and the advantageous section is a section in which games related to the instruction function can be performed (that is, permitted).

In the normal section, navigation lottery cannot be performed, but bonus lottery such as big bonus (BB) and regular bonus (RB) can be performed, and at the same time, transition lottery to advantageous section is performed. The winning probability of the transition lottery from the normal section to the advantageous section is set to 1/17500 or more except for the case where it is zero.

In addition, in the advantageous section, push order navigation is performed, at least part of this section is set as a chance zone (CZ), ART lottery and bonus (BB, RB) lottery are carried out in this section, or It is possible to conduct a lottery, etc. for the continuous operation device (middle bonus MB, challenge bonus CB) of the second type special role that is positioned as a petit bonus or mini bonus that ends when the payout exceeds a certain number such as 13 or 14. (Conversely, there is also the option of not implementing some or all of these).

Here, the ART lottery can be said to be a lottery for generating an advantageous state that assists the winning of a specific role symbol.
In addition, MB (middle bonus) is generated or activated when a specific outcome is won, and the next game (game) always (or with a high probability) wins some kind of small win, compared to a normal bonus game. It is a mini bonus game with a small amount of money. Typically, it ends when a specified number of game media or the like is paid out (or it may end when a bonus is established). Alternatively, it can be said to be an advantageous state in which the game is activated when a special combination is established and ends when a prescribed number of coins is paid out or a bonus combination is established.
CB (challenge bonus) is also a mini bonus of the same kind as MB.

In addition, in the ART lottery during the advantageous section, ART-related mode transition lottery, and additional lottery (for example, lottery related to ART), so-called lottery common to all settings is performed, as well as lottery with different settings can also be done. In addition, the upper limit of the number of games that can be continued in this section (1500 G as an example) and the difference number MY (2400 cards as an example) are set. In addition to the upper limit (limiter) of MY, arbitrary conditions other than some restrictions can be adopted. Then, when the advantageous section ends, all flags and the like related to the indication function are reset.

Such a new type of game machine also requires a great deal of originality and ingenuity so as to further enhance the enjoyment of the game.

JP 2017-213023 A JP 2014-140495 A

However, in conventional gaming machines, sufficient ingenuity regarding game control or game state control to effectively suppress a rapid increase in ball output when the probability is greatly biased and to maintain appropriate gambling properties has not yet been made. not

Therefore, it is desired to further devise a game control or a game state control for maintaining appropriate gambling properties.

Therefore, a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is a gaming machine having a main control board, wherein the main control board performs at least a lottery process performed for each game, and a state transition control between at least two game states based on the above, and when winning a lottery for a specific game that is executed when the game state transitions to a more advantageous game state among the two game states, further It is characterized by performing the following two lotteries.
(A) The number of premonitory games until the specific game is activated.
(B) The number of interval games to be continued after the specific game ends.

According to the gaming machine and the like of the present invention, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that effectively suppresses a rapid increase in ball payouts due to an imbalance in probability and maintains appropriate gambling properties.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the appearance of a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the appearance of a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is an explanatory view explaining the state of the internal structure and power supply box of the game machine in one embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view explaining a functional block of a game machine in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of control of the gaming state of the gaming machine in one embodiment of the present invention; It is a flowchart explaining the game control flow of the game machine in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an arrangement example of rotating reel symbols of the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a setting or design example of a gaming machine in one embodiment of the present invention; 1 is an explanatory diagram ((A) in FIG. 1) for exemplifying the progress of a game in a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention and an explanatory diagram ((B) in FIG. 1) for exemplifying the progress of a game in a conventional gaming machine; is. 1 is an explanatory diagram ((A) in FIG. 1) for exemplifying the progress of a game in a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention and an explanatory diagram ((B) in FIG. 1) for exemplifying the progress of a game in a conventional gaming machine; is.

A mode for carrying out the gaming machine etc. according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, suppose that "a spinning drum" is also called a "rotating reel."

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(A) is a front view of the gaming machine, and FIG. 1(B) is a right side view of the gaming machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the game machine 100 can be broadly divided in terms of its mechanism into a housing 101 having an open front surface and a housing 101 attached to the opening surface of the housing 101 by a hinge or the like so as to be openable and closable. A front door 102 is provided. On the front portion of the front door 102 are arranged buttons, a display section, and the like for the player to play games, as will be described later.

A display unit 1021, a lighting unit, and a speaker unit are arranged above the front door 102 positioned in front of the gaming machine 100. FIG. A display window 103 is provided in the middle of the front door 102 . A player can view the outer peripheral surfaces of the plurality of rotating reels housed inside the housing 101 through the display window 103 .

More specifically, the rotating reels are composed of a first rotating reel 1041, a second rotating reel 1042, and a third rotating reel 1043, each of which is rotatably provided. pattern is attached. Through the display window 103, the player can see three vertical patterns attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of the first reel 1041, the second reel 1042, and the third reel 1043. A total of 9 symbols, 3 symbols vertically up to the 3rd reel, can be visually recognized. It should be noted that the display window 103 can also be configured to display four or more vertical patterns.

A game medium (medal) slot 105, a MAXBET button 106, and a status display (not shown in FIG. 1) are arranged on the top surface of the table that is located in the middle of the front door 102 and protrudes from the front. It is
In addition, a start lever 107, a 1BET button 108, a checkout button 109, a first reel stop button 110, a second reel stop button 111, and a third reel stop button 112 are provided on the front surface of the table protruding. are placed. A game medium (medal) tray 115 having a game medium (medal) payout port is attached to the lower portion of the front door 102 .

A display unit 1021 arranged in the center of the upper part of the front door 102 is typically a liquid crystal display (LCD), and displays effects such as images and presents information to the player.
Also, a speaker unit and a lighting unit can be provided at arbitrary positions on the left and right sides of the display unit 1021 . The display section 1021, the speaker section, and the lighting section can enhance the effect of game presentation.

The rotating reels provided inside the housing 101 are typically composed of three pieces (the first rotating reel 1041, the second rotating reel 1042, and the third rotating reel 1043) as described above, and have a reel-like shape. , and arranged to be rotatable by a rotary reel drive unit comprising a stepping (pulse) motor. The spinning reels can be independently stopped by pressing the first spinning reel stop button 110, the second spinning reel stop button 111, and the third spinning reel stop button 112, respectively. A lamp is built in each reel stop button, and the built-in lamp lights up when the reel stop button becomes operable. Further, when the reel stop button is pressed, the lamp is extinguished (or changed to a different color) so that the operation of the reel stop button is not accepted.

In addition, the number of rotating reels may be configured to exceed three (for example, four).

In the display window where the symbols of the first reel 1041, the second reel 1042, and the third reel 1043 can be checked, the symbols of the reels are effective according to the number of medals (bet number) inserted by the player. A valid line is set as a sequence of It should be noted that the number of medals (the number of bets) may be fixed at MAX (for example, 3), and the effective line may be fixedly set with respect to this MAX value.

The winning combination determined by the lottery process to be described later and the combination of symbols on the rotating reels corresponding thereto are defined in advance. Winning is determined when the balls are aligned on the effective line.

A medal insertion slot 105 is provided on the upper surface of a protruding table located in the middle of the front door 102, and is used to insert a predetermined number of medals before the start of a game. When the start lever 107 is operated after inserting medals or pressing the BET button, the first rotating reel 1041, the second rotating reel 1042, and the third rotating reel 1043 are rotated to start a game and draw a lottery. will be

The 1BET button 108 is for automatically inserting one medal stored inside the gaming machine 100 and betting one medal on one game. By pressing the 1BET button 108, the need to insert one medal from the medal insertion slot 105 is eliminated. Also, when betting two medals, the 1BET button 108 is pressed twice. When betting three medals at once, it is convenient to press the MAXBET button 106 below.

The MAXBET button 106 is for automatically inserting three medals stored inside the gaming machine 100 and betting three medals for one game. This MAXBET button 106 eliminates the need to insert three medals from the medal slot 105 or press the 1BET button 3 times.

The checkout button 109 is used to pay out internally stored (credited) medals to the medal tray 115 from the medal payout port for checkout.

FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the upper surface of the table that is located in the middle of the front door 102 and protrudes to the front. FIG. 2A is a top view of the gaming machine 100 including the top surface of the table, and it can be seen that the medal slot 105, the MAXBET button 106, and the status display section 201 are arranged on the top surface of the table.
FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the status display section 201 arranged on the top surface of the table.

In FIG. 2B, the status display unit 201 is provided with a plurality of 7-segment LEDs that numerically display the number of medals, etc., and various LEDs that inform the player of the usage status of the gaming machine 100, and the like.

The number of inserted medals LED 2011 displays the number of medals betted at the present time. As an example, when one medal is bet, the "1BET" LED is lit, and when the second medal is bet, the "2BET" LED is further lit and the third medal is bet. When the "3BET" LED lights up further.

The insertable LED 2012 is an LED indicating that medals can be inserted at present. A wait LED 2013 is an LED indicating that medals cannot be inserted at present. A start LED 2014 is an LED indicating that a game is currently being started. The replay LED 2015 is an LED indicating replay.

The payout number display 7-segment LED 1016 displays the payout number at the time of winning. As an example, each time medals are actually paid out, the number can be calculated backward from the total number of medals paid out and displayed.

The stored medal number display 7-segment LED 1017 is an LED that displays the number of currently stored medals.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the game machine and the state of the power supply box in one embodiment of the present invention. Although the present invention is not limited to this configuration, as shown in FIG. A key 3012 and a select switch 3013 are arranged.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the setting key 3012 in FIG. 3A. The setting key 3012 consists of a cylinder portion 3012a and a keyhole portion 3012b. To change the set value of the winning probability, first, insert the key (operation key) into the keyhole portion 3012b and rotate it from the OFF position to the ON position to change the setting, and press the select switch 3013. Increment the setting value. After the highest setting, it returns to the lowest setting. As an example, in the case of a gaming machine with six levels of set values, the values are "1" → "2" → "3" → "4" → "5" → "6" → "1" → "2". → change like this. It should be noted that the setting values that are sequentially changed by the select switch can be configured so as to be sequentially displayed on the payout number display 7-segment LED 1016 for confirmation, as an example.
The select switch 3013 can also function as an error release switch for releasing an error state occurring in the game machine when the setting cannot be changed (the keyhole is in the "OFF" position).

FIG. 4 illustrates functional blocks of a gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. A series of characteristic operations of the gaming machine 100, which will be described later, are realized by individual operations of the hardware described below and cooperative operations of these hardware and software.

The gaming machine comprises a main control board 41 and a sub-control board 42 connected via wiring (harness) as a control configuration in one embodiment, and housed inside the housing 101 .
The main control board 41 is a kind of board computer, and includes a CPU 411 that performs arithmetic processing, device control of the game machine 100, etc., a rewritable RAM 412 that temporarily stores data as a program work area, and a game machine. 100 control programs and a lottery table for game lottery processing, etc.; An input/output unit 415 for driving units and the like is provided.

The main functions of the main control board 41 are to perform lottery processing, control of rotating reels, display of game status (game state), etc., and are designed to perform processing operations based on rules and standards regarding gaming machines. ing.

The sub-control board 42 is a kind of board computer, and includes a CPU 421 that performs arithmetic processing, control of the display section 481, etc., a rewritable RAM 422 that temporarily stores data as a program work area, and a display section 481. , a ROM 423 storing programs and various data for controlling the illumination unit 482 and the speaker unit 483, a control unit 424 for controlling the data communication bus, etc., an input/output unit 425 for driving the illumination, etc., and a display unit 481. and a sound source IC 427 storing a sound source for generating sound, effect sound, etc. from the speaker unit 483 .

The main function of the sub-control board 42 is production based on the lottery results determined by the main control board. Specifically, the ROM 423 of the sub-control board 42 also stores effect data including image data and the like for performing various effects by the display 481, the illumination unit 482, and the speaker unit 483. Based on the effect data stored in the ROM, the display unit 481, the illumination unit 482, and the speaker unit 483 are driven based on the effect content.

The effects performed by the display unit 481, the lighting unit 482, and the speaker unit 483 as described above are stored in the ROM 423 or the like as computer programs, and are realized by being called to the RAM 422 or the like and executed by the CPU 421 as appropriate. be done.

Next, the input/output system of the main control board 41 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, first, the main control board 41, via the input/output unit 415, BET button 451 (including 1BET button and MAXBET button), checkout button 452, start lever 453, first spinning reel stop button 454, second reel stop button 455, and third reel stop button 456 can be read out.

In addition, the main control board 41 has, via the input/output unit 415, a wait LED 461 of the status display unit 46, an insertable LED 462, a replay LED 463, a start LED 464, an input number LED 465, a payout number 7 segment LED 466, and a number of accumulated medals 7. A segmented LED 467 is connected, and is configured to perform lighting control of various LEDs and display control of numbers to be output to each indicator.

The selector unit 457 also includes an insertion sensor and a solenoid (not shown), reads a signal from the insertion sensor provided in the medal insertion slot 105 through the input/output unit 415, and determines the authenticity of the inserted medal. check.
Further, the solenoid of the selector portion 457 operates to return the medals even if the medals are inserted when, for example, a specified number of medals are inserted or the start lever 107 is operated. function to prevent

The setting key 471 of the power supply box 47 has a function of setting the winning probability of each combination of the lottery table in the lottery during the game to a stage and changing the payout rate for each setting. As an example, the winning probability can be set in six stages. The main control board 41 can manage setting values set by the setting keys 471 via the input/output unit 415 . More specifically, when the setting key is turned ON, the main control board enters the setting changeable mode, and when the select switch 472 is pressed, a signal indicating that the select switch 472 is pressed is sent to the main control board, and the main control board manages it. set value is incremented (or decremented). The select switch 472 of the power supply box 47 is a switch for changing the set value forward (or backward) when the setting key 471 is in a setting enabled (setting ON) state, and in the setting disabled (OFF) state, The CPU 411 and the like of the main control board 41 can be initialized when an error or the like occurs in the game machine. The power switch 473 is for supplying power to the gaming machine.

The rotating reel unit 43 includes a first rotating reel driving section 431 and a second rotating reel driving section 432 having stepping motors for rotating the first rotating reel 1041, the second rotating reel 1042, and the third rotating reel 1043, respectively. , and a third spinning reel drive 433, each spinning reel being independently controllable to rotate and/or stop. In addition, a first reel position sensor 434, a second reel position sensor 435, and a third reel position sensor 436 for detecting the position of each reel during rotation, and an index corresponding to each sensor (Fig. 4) are provided.

For example, a predetermined position of the rotating first reel is detected by the first reel position sensor 434, and stepping is performed from the predetermined position (index position) of the first reel detected by the first reel position sensor 434. By counting the number of pulses that drive the motor, the position information of the first reel can be acquired. Similarly, the second reel position sensor 435 and the third reel position sensor 436 can obtain the positional information of each of the second reel and the third reel.
In this way, it is possible to control the display of symbols based on the result of the lottery process, which will be described later.

The hopper unit 44 is for paying out medals when winning a prize, and a predetermined number of medals are paid out by a hopper drive unit and a payout sensor (not shown).

In addition, an external relay terminal (not shown in FIG. 4) is provided to connect the main control board 41 and a data lamp (not shown in FIG. 4) for displaying game data provided outside to It functions as a terminal for transmitting a signal from the control board 41 to the data lamp.

Programs or software necessary for implementing the present invention are usually installed or stored in memories such as ROMs 413 and 423, and all or part of them are stored in memories such as RAMs 412 and 422 as necessary when the programs or software are executed. It is read out as a software module of the unit, and the CPUs 411 and 421 perform calculations.

It should be noted that it is not always necessary to execute arithmetic operations in a central processing unit such as a CPU, and an auxiliary arithmetic unit such as a digital signal processor (DSP) (not shown) may be employed.

[Lottery processing]
The lottery process in the gaming machine 100 is executed, for example, based on a program and a table stored in the ROM 413 of the main control board 41 when the start lever is operated. In addition to the lottery processing program, the ROM 413 stores a winning probability table, a symbol table, a winning symbol combination table, and the like. The winning probability table classifies the random numbers generated by the random number generator (not shown) and stores them in association with various winnings and "no winning (loss)". By referring to the generated random number data, the winning probability table, etc., various wins or losses in the game are determined.

At this time, if the result of the lottery process is a loss, it is controlled so that the predetermined symbols are not aligned, and conversely, if the result of the lottery process is a win, the stop button is pressed at a predetermined timing. In some cases, it is controlled so that predetermined patterns are aligned under the condition. These controls are called "slip control" or "pull-in control". As an example, if there is a rule such as ``Stop the reel within 0.19 seconds after pressing the stop button'', the number of frames (number of symbols) that can be slipped by calculating backward from the rotation speed of the reel is determined. After winning various prizes, if predetermined patterns are arranged, medals corresponding to winning patterns are paid out.

[Basic concept of the present invention (control of game state)]
The gaming machine in one embodiment of the present invention performs the basic operations as described above, and an example of control of the game state as the basic operations of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the game state (game status) of the gaming machine in one embodiment of the present invention is roughly divided into a normal section 502 and an advantageous section 501, and these game states are controlled according to the progress of the game. is done.
In the following, transition conditions and the like between the normal section 502 and the advantageous section 501 will be described in detail.

The normal section 502 is a section in which a game related to an instruction function (for example, a navigation function such as push order navigation) cannot be performed (that is, not permitted). The game proceeds along the basic operations of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. When a transition condition (1), which will be described later, is satisfied, the game state transitions to an advantageous section.
In the normal section 502, it is possible to win a small winning combination, a rare winning combination, a chance winning combination, or a bonus by playing a game (lottery on the main board by operating the start lever).

Here, the bonus includes a regular bonus (RB), a big bonus (BB), etc., and a winning probability corresponding to a set value that can be set for each gaming machine can be adopted.

The advantageous section 501 is a section in which a game related to the instruction function can be played (that is, permitted). Then, when transition condition (2), which will be described later, is satisfied, the advantageous section 501 returns to the normal section 502 .
In the advantageous section 501, in addition to games related to instruction functions such as "AT (assist time)" and "ART (assist replay time)" that are advantageous for the player, as in the normal section 502, "BB (Big Advantageous games for the player such as "Bonus" and "RB (regular bonus)" can be played.
In one embodiment of the present invention, in the sense of a game that is advantageous to the player in the advantageous section 501, it is a game related to instruction functions such as "AT (assist time)" and "ART (assist replay time)". A game advantageous to the player can also be positioned as a bonus game.
Such a bonus game ends when a predetermined condition such as paying out a predetermined number of game media to be paid out is cleared.

Next, transition conditions between each game section (game state) in FIG. 5 will be described in detail.

(Transition condition (1))
As an example, it is possible to control the transition from the normal section 502 to the advantageous section 501 in such a manner that the transition to the advantageous section 501 is won when a lottery for transition to the advantageous section 501 is won for each game.

Examples of winning a lottery for transition to the advantageous section 501 include winning a specific bonus or winning a rare role. A rare combination is a combination that is established by stopping a "cherry" combination or a "watermelon" combination at a predetermined symbol combination, position, or the like. There are rare roles such as "weak watermelon" and "strong watermelon" depending on the pattern combination. As an example, when a rare combination is won (stopped at a predetermined pattern if necessary) when the start lever is operated, and an advantageous section transition lottery according to the winning combination is won, the normal section 502 to the advantageous section 501 is won. can be moved to

(Transition condition (2))
For example, the transition from the advantageous section 501 to the normal section 502 can be controlled by completing a predetermined number of games CZ_MAX_G (eg, 1500 G). Alternatively, it is also possible to perform control so that when the difference number MY (the difference number from the base point when the difference number is the lowest) exceeds 2400 sheets, for example, the transition to the normal section 502 is performed. In addition, when the game related to the instruction function performed during the advantageous section 501 affects the number of balls released, it is possible to perform control to shift to the normal section 502 under arbitrary conditions other than the above.

[Characteristic control of the present invention]
Next, an exemplary game control flow in the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will be taken up and explained in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 illustrates the game control flow (after AT wins) of the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. These controls are realized by the cooperative operation of the hardware and software described with reference to FIGS. 1-4.

In step S601 of FIG. 6, when the process after the AT winning is started, the process proceeds to step S602, and the lottery process for the number of precursor games is performed. The number of games as a lottery result is stored in a memory and used as a counter.
Next, the process proceeds to step S603, and lottery processing for the number of interval games (the number of addictive games) is performed. The number of games as a lottery result is stored in a memory and used as a counter.
The interval game can also be said to be one or more continuous games controlled so as not to start the activation of the specific game after the specific game and the decrease in the number of premonitory games until the specific game is activated.
The process up to this point is performed after the AT wins. After that, the game progresses for each number of games (there is also a part where a plurality of game intervals are summarized and explained, such as AT activation).

At step S604, it is determined whether or not the number of precursor games (counter for checking the remaining number of precursor games) extracted at step S602 has become zero. Then, the process advances to step S607 to decrement the number of precursor games. Then, the process returns to step S604.
In one embodiment of the present invention, one game consists of steps S604 to S607 (for example, a start lever (not shown) is operated for each game).

In the case of Yes in step S604, the process proceeds to step S604 and AT is activated (becomes an AT game section). In step S605, an AT game (not shown) is repeated, and when the AT game ends under a predetermined condition, the process proceeds to step S608.

At step S608, it is determined whether or not the number of interval games (counter for checking the remaining number of interval games) is zero. In one embodiment of the present invention, an AT lottery may be performed in step S609 (that is, an AT lottery is also performed during the Hamari section), but the winning AT is activated in step S612, which will be described later. In.
Next, the process proceeds to step S610, the number of interval games is decremented, and the process returns to step S608.
In one embodiment of the present invention, steps S608 to S610 constitute one game (for example, a start lever (not shown) is operated for each game).

In the case of Yes in step S608, the process proceeds to step S611, and it is determined whether or not AT is winning during interval game play (during addiction). In the case of Yes in step S611, the process proceeds to step S612, the AT is activated and the AT section game proceeds, but in the case of No in step S611, the process proceeds to step S613 and returns to the normal game. Then, the flow ends (step S614; the game itself may be continued).

FIG. 7(A) shows an example arrangement of rotating reel symbols of a game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Although the present invention is not limited to this pattern arrangement, at least the pattern arrangement as shown in FIG. 7 enables game state control that fully utilizes the above-described features of the present invention.

In FIG. 7(A), the numbers on the left end (first column) represent the index numbers, the second column from the left represents the name of the symbol attached to the first reel, and the third from the left. column represents the names of the symbols placed on the second reel, and the fourth column from the left represents the names of symbols placed on the third reel. In the drawing, the names of the patterns ("watermelon", "bell", "BAR", etc.) are given, but in reality, designed patterns corresponding to each name are given.

Then, the characteristic stop pattern has a specific meaning such as a role or an indication pattern (for example, in addition to the jackpot role pattern, indication patterns such as a chance eye or a reach eye, which will be described later), to make the progress of the game more interesting. can do.

FIG. 7B shows activated lines in the gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7B, the effective lines are set in the middle of each of the first reel 701a, the second reel 701b, and the third reel 701c (exactly horizontally aligned).

Also, although not shown in FIG. 7, a so-called "chance number" can be set if necessary. A chance eye is neither a bonus winning pattern nor a rare role pattern, but it is not a complete losing eye, and means a winning eye with a high degree of expectation for winning a bonus or the like, or transitioning from a normal section to an advantageous section.

Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to set a so-called "reach number" as required. Reach eyes refer to stop symbols (outs) that appear when a bonus game is won (but the winning symbols are not yet complete) during normal game mode, and are a kind of bonus game notification method. is.

(Setting example of game machine in one embodiment of the present invention)
As above, the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail and in a multifaceted manner. Here, with reference to FIG. A setting change table example) will be described.

FIG. 8A exemplifies combinations of the number of precursor games and the number of interval (Hamari) games drawn at steps S602 and S603. These combinations are not necessarily a set and can be drawn independently.

On the other hand, in another embodiment of the present invention, it is not excluded to adjust the lottery probability so that the number of addictive games increases if the number of precursor games is small (or vice versa).
For example, the number of predictive games and the number of addictive games can be set as shown in the following table to form a lottery result (in this case, steps S602 and S603 are integrated).

In FIG. 8A, the number of AT games is unified to 30 games for easy understanding of the invention (the invention is not limited to this).

In FIG. 8A, in pattern 1, the number of predictive games is 1 and the number of addictive games is 31; in pattern 2, the number of predictive games is 4 and the number of addictive games is 28; and in pattern 3, the number of predictive games is 8, the number of addictive games is 24; in pattern 4, the number of precursor games is 12 and the number of addictive games is 20; in pattern 5, the number of precursor games is 16 and the number of addictive games is 16; , the number of premonitory games is 20 and the number of games is 12; in pattern 7, the number of premonition games is 24 and the number of games is 8; and in pattern 8, the number of premonition games is 32 and the number of games is zero. .

FIG. 8(B) is an example of a probability table set corresponding to the pattern of FIG. 8(A).
Probability table pattern 1 in FIG. 8B is a probability table set corresponding to pattern 1 in FIG. 8A, and probability table pattern 2 in FIG. 8B is a probability table set corresponding to pattern 2, and probability table pattern 3 in FIG. 8B is a probability table set corresponding to pattern 3 in FIG. ) is a probability table set corresponding to pattern 4 in FIG. 8(A), and probability table pattern 5 in FIG. 8(B) corresponds to pattern 5 in FIG. 8(A). The probability table pattern 6 in FIG. 8B is a probability table set corresponding to the pattern 6 in FIG. 8A, and the probability table in FIG. Pattern 7 is a probability table set corresponding to pattern 7 in FIG. 8(A), and probability table pattern 8 in FIG. 8(B) is set corresponding to pattern 8 in FIG. 8(A). is a probability table.

Here, the features of the present invention are expressed in the following points. That is, in FIG. 8B, the setting is such that the longer the number of precursor games, the higher the winning probability of a combination with a greater chance (a strong cherry against a weak cherry). Similarly, in FIG. 8B, the longer the number of precursor games, the higher the probability of winning the chance eye.

This is because if the number of omen games is long, the number of balls played tends to be sluggish. The goal is to stabilize. As a result, it is expected that the gambling aspect of the game will be maintained within an appropriate range.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of game progress in a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention in comparison with an example of game progress in a conventional gaming machine.

FIG. 9(A) is an example of game progress of the game machine in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the game progresses through a normal game 901, an omen game 902, and an AT903. After that, the normal game 905, the sign game 906, and the AT 907 are performed, but after that, the game 908 continues for the number of games determined by lottery. Even if the premonitory game 909 is entered without passing through the normal game, after the AT 910, the hamari 911 continues for the number of games determined by lottery.

FIG. 9B shows an example of game progress in a conventional gaming machine. As shown in the figure, the game advances through a normal game 951, a precursor game 952, and an AT 953, and then returns to the normal game (954) or enters the precursor game (957, 959). In this case, the number of balls paid out may increase rapidly due to the probability bias.

Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the gambling aspect of the game is maintained within an appropriate range by continuing the interval game (Hamari) for the number of games determined by lottery after the AT game. works.

(Example of game progress of game machine in one embodiment of the present invention)
Next, with reference to FIG. 10, an example of game progress (an example of transition of paid balls) in the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in comparison with an example of game progress in the conventional gaming machine.

In FIG. 10 showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10A shows an example of game progress (an example of ball output transition) in a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows an example of game progress (an example of ball output transition) in a conventional gaming machine. In both figures, the horizontal axis represents the number of games, and the vertical axis represents the number of balls released. In addition, in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the solid line represents an increase in the number of paid balls due to the normal game or the AT game, and the dashed line represents the decrease in the number of paid balls due to the premonition game. Also, the dotted line in FIG. 10(A) represents the decrease in the number of balls released due to the interval game (Hamari).

As shown in FIG. 10(A), in the game progress of the gaming machine in one embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that the sign game sections (time t0 to t1, t4 to t5, t7 to t8, t10 to t11) are short. Even in such a case, interval game intervals (t3 to t4, t6 to t7, t9 to t10) are included, so that a rapid increase in the number of balls paid out due to stochastic overlapping of the increase intervals can be effectively suppressed. can be done.

On the other hand, in the conventional gaming machine, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the prognostic game intervals (time t0 to t21, t23 to t24, t25 to t26, t27 to t28) are generally shortened stochastically, A rapid increase in the number of paid balls may occur due to overlapping of the increase intervals.

Comparing FIGS. 10A and 10B, the effect of the game machine in one embodiment of the present invention will be clear.

As described above, the embodiments of the gaming machine and the like according to the present invention have been described based on specific examples. As an example, it is possible to adopt an embodiment as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, a memory card, or the like.

Moreover, the implementation form of the program is not limited to an application program such as an object code compiled by a compiler or a program code executed by an interpreter. good.

Furthermore, the program does not necessarily have to be executed entirely by the CPU on the control board. ) can also be configured to implement a part or all of it.

For all elements described in this specification (including the claims, abstract, and drawings) and/or for any method or process step disclosed, these features are mutually exclusive. Any combination can be used except for the combination of

Moreover, each of the features disclosed in this specification (including the claims, abstract, and drawings) may serve the same, equivalent, or similar purpose unless expressly contradicted. Alternate features may be substituted. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of identical or equivalent features.

Furthermore, the invention is not limited to any specific configuration of the embodiments described above. The present invention resides in any novel feature or combination thereof, or any novel method or process step, or method described in this specification (including claims, abstract, and drawings). can be extended to combinations of

100 gaming machine (slot machine)
101 Case 102 Front Door 103 Display Window 105 Medal Slot 107 Start Lever 108 1BET Button 109 Settlement Button 115 Medal Tray (Receiver)
41 Main control board 42 Sub control board 43 Reel unit 431 First reel drive unit 432 Second reel drive unit 433 Third reel drive unit 434 First reel position sensor 435 Second reel position sensor 436 Third Spinning reel position sensor 44 Hopper unit 454 First spinning reel stop button 455 Second spinning reel stop button 456 Third spinning reel stop button 47 Power supply unit

Claims (3)

A gaming machine having a main control board,
The main control board performs at least a lottery process performed for each game, and performs state transition control between at least two game states based on the result of the lottery process,
Of the two game states, when the player wins the lottery for the specific game that is executed when the game state is shifted to a more advantageous game state, the following two lotteries are performed .
(A) the number of premonitory games until the specific game is activated ;
(B) the number of interval games to be continued after the specific game ends ;
and
The longer the number of the precursor games, the higher the winning probability of the combination designed to lead to the AT win in the precursor game.
A gaming machine characterized by: A gaming machine having a main control board,
The main control board performs at least a lottery process performed for each game, and performs state transition control between at least two game states based on the result of the lottery process,
Of the two game states, when the player wins the lottery for the specific game that is executed when the game state is shifted to a more advantageous game state, the following two lotteries are performed.
(A) the number of premonitory games until the specific game is activated;
(B) the number of interval games to be continued after the specific game ends;
and
The winning probability is set so that the number of interval games becomes shorter as the number of precursor games becomes longer,
The interval game is one or more continuous games that are controlled so as not to start at least the specific game after the specific game.
A gaming machine characterized by: A gaming machine having a main control board,
The main control board performs at least a lottery process performed for each game, and performs state transition control between at least two game states based on the result of the lottery process,
Of the two game states, when the lottery for a specific game that is executed when the game state is shifted to a more advantageous game state is won, the following two game numbers
(A) the number of premonitory games until the specific game is activated;
(B) the number of interval games to be continued after the specific game ends;
Perform a lottery to derive
Adjusted so that the sum of the number of precursor games and the number of interval games is equal
A gaming machine characterized by:

Images