JP7503847B2 - Gaming Machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines.

A conventional gaming machine is known in which, when a reach state is reached and a super reach state is generated in which the probability of a jackpot occurring when the subsequent patterns are confirmed is set to be significantly higher than in a normal reach state, the variable pattern display area is reduced and moved downward, and at the same time, a sumo match, for example, is displayed in a variable state in the relatively enlarged pattern display area, and when the pattern in the variable pattern display area is confirmed, the match of the patterns in the pattern display area is confirmed through a process in which it becomes clear whether the pattern will be a win or a loss depending on whether it is a jackpot or a miss (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 2868992 (0013, FIG. 3)

According to Patent Document 1, while shrinking the pattern element display area makes it easy to tell that a Super Reach state is occurring, there is a problem in that the reliance on a clear change such as shrinking results in monotony in the reach presentation.

The present invention aims to provide a gaming machine that does not make reach presentations monotonous.

The gaming machine of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, is a gaming machine comprising a main control means capable of controlling the variation of patterns and awarding a bonus when a specified lottery is won, a performance execution means, a performance data storage means which stores performance data, and a performance control means which causes the performance execution means to execute a performance using the performance data stored in the performance data storage means, and further characterized in having the following configuration.
(1A) The presentation control means includes a pattern change presentation control means for executing a pattern change presentation in which a plurality of changing patterns are displayed in a changing manner and the changing display is stopped so as to form a combination corresponding to the result of the lottery.
(1B) The pattern change performance control means includes a reach performance control means for executing a reach performance in which the plurality of changing patterns are stopped in sequence in the pattern change performance and, depending on the last changing pattern to be stopped, notifies or suggests a reach state which may result in the winning.
(1C) The reach performance control means includes a pre-reach special performance control means for executing a pre-reach special performance to make a player feel that the stopping of the variable patterns constituting the reach state in the reach performance is delayed.
(1D) The effect data storage means stores, as pre-reach special effect data for executing the pre-reach special effect, a plurality of special effect display data in which the increments for reducing the display of the remaining time are different, as mentally delayed image data for giving the user the mental image that the rate of change of the changing pattern is slowing down by making the increments for reducing the display of the remaining time within a predetermined period before the reach smaller toward the end of the predetermined period, and the pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing the pre-reach special effect by displaying any one of the plurality of special effect display data at a predetermined position over the predetermined period at a predetermined timing .
(1E) The effect data storage means also stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, data for executing the pre-reach special effect in a display state in which a background pattern is vibrated up and down, left and right, or diagonally when the special effect display data is displayed.
(1F) The presentation control means is configured as a means for executing a reliability notification presentation that notifies or suggests the reliability of the win depending on which of the plurality of special presentation display data is used when the pattern-changing presentation control means executes the pattern-changing presentation, and is configured as a means for not executing reliability notification presentations other than the pre-reach special presentation when the pre-reach special presentation is being executed.
Furthermore, the gaming machine of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, is equipped with a main control means capable of controlling the variation of patterns and awarding a bonus when a specified lottery is won, an effect execution means, an effect data storage means which stores effect data, and an effect control means which causes the effect execution means to execute an effect using the effect data stored in the effect data storage means, and can also be configured as a gaming machine characterized by further having the following configuration.
(2A) The presentation control means includes a pattern change presentation control means for executing a pattern change presentation in which a plurality of changing patterns are displayed in a changing manner and the changing display is stopped so as to form a combination corresponding to the result of the lottery.
(2B) The pattern change performance control means includes a reach performance control means for executing a reach performance in which the plurality of changing patterns are stopped in sequence in the pattern change performance and, depending on the last changing pattern to be stopped, notifies or suggests a reach state which may result in the winning.
(2C) The reach performance control means is provided with a pre-reach special performance control means for executing a pre-reach special performance to make a player feel that the stopping of the variable patterns constituting the reach state in the reach performance is delayed.
(2D) The effect data storage means stores, as pre-reach special effect data for executing the pre-reach special effect, a plurality of special effect sound data having the same melody but different pitches as auditory delayed image data which gives the auditory impression that the speed of change of the changing pattern is slowing down by lowering the pitch of sound data consisting of a predetermined melody which is sounded within a predetermined period before the reach, and the pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing the pre-reach special effect by sounding any one of the plurality of special effect sound data for the predetermined period at a predetermined timing.
(2E) The effect data storage means also stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, data for executing the pre-reach special effect in a display state in which the background pattern is vibrated up and down, left and right, or diagonally when sound is emitted based on the audio data for the special effect.
(2F) The presentation control means is configured as a means for executing a reliability notification presentation that notifies or suggests the reliability of the win depending on which of the plurality of special presentation sound data is used when the pattern change presentation control means executes the pattern change presentation, and is configured as a means for not executing reliability notification presentations other than the pre-reach special presentation when the pre-reach special presentation is being executed.

According to the gaming machine of the present invention, the symbol change effect control means executes a symbol change effect in which a plurality of changing symbols are displayed in a changing manner and the display of the changing symbols is stopped so that the combination corresponds to the result of the lottery. In this symbol change effect, the reach effect control means executes a reach effect in which the plurality of changing symbols are stopped in sequence and the last one to be stopped executes a reach effect that notifies or suggests a reach state in which a win may occur. In this reach effect, the pre-reach special effect control means executes a pre-reach special effect to make the player feel that the stopping of the changing symbols that constitute the reach state is delayed. This pre-reach special effect is achieved by the pre-reach special effect control means executing an effect based on the pre-reach special effect data stored in the effect data storage means at a predetermined timing. The pre-reach special effect data used in such pre-reach special effect is stored in the effect data storage means in association with the jackpot reliability, making it possible to notify or suggest the jackpot reliability to the player depending on what effect is executed as the pre-reach special effect.

For example, data can be stored that lowers the frequency of the audio in the audio effect to create an auditory impression of a delay, or that changes the remaining time display slowly to create a mental impression of a delay, and then effects based on these data can be overlaid to create a simulated delayed impression.

These gaming machines of the present invention may further include the following configuration.
(3) The effect data storage means stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, data for executing the pre-reach special effect by making a player feel that the visibility of the variable patterns constituting the reach state has decreased.

For example, data that creates a visual impression of a delay can be stored, such as overlaying visibility-changing elements such as motion blur or edge effects on the changing pattern, overlaying a noise image on the background pattern, reducing the clarity of the background pattern, or creating a camera shake effect on the background pattern, and by overlaying effects based on this data, a pseudo-experience of a delay can be created.

These gaming machines of the present invention may further include the following configuration.
(4) The effect data storage means stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, a plurality of types of data from different perspectives which may give the impression that the stopping of the variable pattern is delayed, and the pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing the pre-reach special effect based on one or more of the plurality of types of data from different perspectives.

By storing data with different perspectives on how to make the player imagine a delay, such as data that gives a mental image of a delay, data that gives an auditory image of a delay, and data that gives a visual image of a delay, and executing a pre-reach special performance based on one or more of these types of data with different perspectives, it is possible to notify or suggest the jackpot reliability without becoming repetitive. In that sense, by storing such pre-reach special performance data with different perspectives in the performance data storage means in association with the jackpot reliability, it becomes possible to notify or suggest the jackpot reliability to the player through various performances by combining them, etc.

These gaming machines of the present invention may further include the following configuration.
(5A) The pattern change performance control means is configured as a means for executing the changing display by moving the changing pattern along multiple columns or multiple rows.
(5B) The effect data storage means stores pre-reach special effect prediction data that predicts in which column or row of the multiple columns or rows the pre-reach special effect will be executed.
(5C) The pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing a pre-reach special effect notice prior to the pre-reach special effect based on the pre-reach special effect notice data.

With a gaming machine having such a configuration, when executing a variable display that moves a variable pattern along multiple columns or rows, the pre-reach special performance control means executes a pre-reach special performance announcement that precedes the pre-reach special performance based on the pre-reach special performance announcement data, which makes it possible to create an even more innovative pseudo-delayed image.

These gaming machines of the present invention may further include the following configuration.
(6) The presentation control means is configured as a means for executing a reliability notification presentation that notifies or suggests the reliability of the win when the pattern change presentation control means executes the pattern change presentation, and is configured as a means for not executing the reliability notification presentation other than the pre-reach special presentation when the pre-reach special presentation is being executed.

This is to prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable or distrustful of the reliability due to a cluttered or unnatural impression caused by other reliability notification effects overlapping when the pre-reach special effect itself is implemented as a reliability notification effect, and to allow the player to concentrate on the pre-reach special effect. After the pre-reach special effect has ended, a reliability notification effect using a character pattern or sound may be executed. Also, pre-reading effects such as hold change effects are possible because they do not interfere with concentration on the pre-reach special effect.

The present invention provides a gaming machine that does not monotonize reach effects.

1 shows a pachinko machine of Example 1, in which (A) is a front view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is a front view with the front frame open. 1 shows the game board assembly of a pachinko machine of Example 1, where (A) is an exploded oblique view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a vertical cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 is a front view of the game board of the pachinko machine of the first embodiment. A block diagram showing the overall configuration of a control device for a pachinko machine of Example 1. 1 shows an overview of the display control process in the pachinko machine of Example 1, where (A) is a front view of a display example, and (B1)-(B2) are schematic diagrams showing how raster scan information is generated. 1 shows the memory section of the effect control board of the pachinko machine of Example 1, where (A) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the effect data memory means, (B) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the effect data during the variable game, (C) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of data for special effects before a reach, and (D) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the look-ahead memory section. 1 shows an example of data for a pre-reach special effect of the pachinko machine of Example 1, where (A) is a schematic diagram of display data for the special effect, and (B) is a schematic diagram of audio data for the special effect. 1 shows an example of background display layer data as data for a pre-reach special display effect of the pachinko machine of Example 1, where (A) is a schematic diagram of the data structure and (B) is a front view showing the execution screen of the special display effect as viewed by the player. A schematic diagram showing an example of data for executing a pre-reach special performance during a pseudo-consecutive win in the pachinko machine of Example 1. A schematic diagram showing an example of data for executing a pre-reach special performance during a pseudo-consecutive win in a pachinko machine of Example 2.

Below, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[1. Overview of the gaming machine]
The pachinko machine P1 of the first embodiment comprises an outer frame A, a middle frame B, a game board C, a front frame D, an upper ball tray E, a lower ball tray F, a launching device G and a locking device H, as shown in FIG.

The front frame D is provided with a transparent protective window W into which the glass plate of the game board C is fitted, and is also provided with speakers SPl, SPr used for sound effects, and decorative lamps LDl, LDr, LDu used for light effects. As shown in FIG. 1(C), the back surface of the front frame D is provided with speakers SPl, SPr, decorative lamps LDl, LDr, LDu, and boards KBspl, KBspr, KBldl, KBldr, KBldu, KBg for driving and controlling the launcher G.

These drive control boards KBspl, KBspr, KBldl, KBldr, KBldu, and KBg are configured to receive power and control signals from the middle frame B by connecting the main body side connector CNT1 installed in the middle frame B to the mounting member side connector CNT2 installed in the front frame D. The front frame D is made of an opaque material except for the transparent protective window W, and each board KBspl etc. is connected to the connector CNT2 by a wire harness that is hidden by the opaque material and cannot be seen from the front.

The game board C is a transparent synthetic resin board with obstacle nails and the like set on it, and as shown in Figure 1 (C), it is assembled into the middle frame B with the liquid crystal display device LCD and the back unit BUT attached to its back side.

[2 Overview of the game board]
As shown in FIG. 2(A), the back unit BUT is a box-shaped molded body having a side frame BUT1 and a back frame BUT2 and an open front. As shown in FIG. 2(A) to (C), a general-purpose wide liquid crystal monitor is attached as a liquid crystal display device LCD with its top and bottom supported on the inner surface of the back unit BUT so that the display area is vertically long. In this case, the liquid crystal display device LCD is installed at the back side of the back unit BUT so that there is a gap between the LCD and the game board C. Then, through an opening BUT3 provided in the center of the back frame BUT2, it is connected to a performance control board (not shown) in a board case attached to the back of the back frame BUT2. This opening BUT3 is not an image display window but is for connecting signal lines and power lines, so it can be made the minimum size required.

As shown in FIG. 2(B), the liquid crystal display device LCD has a display area large enough to overlap the entire play area of the game board C (the area where the obstacle nails and various accessories are arranged and from the exit of the launch rail to the outgoing), and is installed so as to be located in the center of the width direction of the back unit BUT so that this display area overlaps the entire play area. As a result, inside the back unit BUT, a relatively large void can be secured on the back side of the game board C and on the left and right sides of the liquid crystal display device LCD. In this embodiment, this void is used to install the falling movable body KDdwn and the pendulum movable body KDswing while securing a movable space between the liquid crystal display device LCD and the game board C. As can be seen by comparing FIG. 1(A) with FIG. 1(C) and FIG. 2(C), these movable body accessories are installed so that they are hidden behind the front frame D in the standby state before operation. In addition, signal lines and power lines to these movable body accessories can be wired using the voids on the left and right sides of the liquid crystal display device LCD. In this embodiment, the movable part is made of a molded body made of colored transparent plastic with optical transparency, so that the LCD display on the back can be seen even when it is dropped to the operating position or swung out.

As shown in FIG. 3, the game board C has a center decoration 30 attached to the front of a rectangular transparent base plate 1 in the center of a game area 10 in which obstacle nails 11 and windmills 12 are planted, and a start winning device 7 is provided directly below the center of the center decoration 30, and is provided with a large winning hole 15, a guide rail 17, a normal winning hole 18, an outlet 19, etc. The center decoration 30 is in the shape of a ring, including a partition decoration 31, a stage 32, and a warp passage 33, and an obstacle block 34 in place of an obstacle nail is provided in the upper left part. The pachinko machine P1 is a type that is "right-handed play" in the event of a big win, etc., and is provided with a right-handed passage 35, and a gate 37 and a second start winning device 27 are installed in the right-side game area 20. This second start winning device 27 is provided with an electric tulip that opens and closes based on the result of a normal pattern lottery that is executed when a game ball passes through the gate 37. In addition, a left corner ornament 41 and a right corner ornament 42 are provided to divide the roughly circular play area 10.

In this embodiment, a transparent base plate 1 wider than the rectangular area defined by the outer periphery of the corner decorations 41, 42 is used to cover the front open portion of the rear unit BUT. This corresponds to the rear unit BUT becoming larger due to the need to make the display area of the liquid crystal display device LCD housed in the vertically long, turned sideways, overlap the entire play area of the game board C. Note that the transparent base plate 1 does not have to be a single plate, but can be two plates glued together front to back. For example, a structure can be used in which a front transparent plate extending to the outer periphery of the corner decorations 41, 42 is glued together with a rear transparent plate of sufficient width to cover the front open portion of the rear unit BUT.

In this embodiment, the surface parts such as the start winning device 7, windmill 12, big winning hole 15, normal winning hole 18, outlet hole 19, second start winning device 27, partition decoration 31, stage 32, warp passage 33, obstacle block 34, gate 37, left corner decoration 41, and right corner decoration 42 are made of transparent synthetic resin moldings. Therefore, images and videos displayed on the liquid crystal display device LCD on the back can be seen through these various parts, and they do not interfere with the LCD display in the play area.

The obstacle nails 11, the nails of the windmill 12, and the guide rails 17 are visible as dots or lines, but do not significantly interfere with the LCD display in the game area. On the contrary, it is preferable for the obstacle nails 11 to be visible as dots, so that the player can enjoy watching the game ball bounce in various directions and flow down.

In addition, a ball discharge passage 51 is attached to the back surface of the transparent base plate 1 to discharge game balls that have entered the winning hole or the outlet. The ball discharge passage 51 is also made of a transparent synthetic resin molding. This allows images and videos displayed on the liquid crystal display device LCD on the back surface to be viewed through the ball discharge passage 51, and does not interfere with the LCD display within the game area.

The ball discharge passage 51 is equipped with a special chart 1 switch SW1 and a special chart 2 switch SW2 for detecting balls entering the start winning device 7, 27, winning detection switches SW11-SW13 for detecting balls entering the normal winning port 18, a winning detection switch SW7 for detecting balls entering the large winning port 15, and a discharged ball detection sensor SW21 for detecting discharged balls. These detection switches are installed so that they are located outside the visible area VWAR indicated by the dashed dotted line. This ensures that the special chart switch SW1 and others do not interfere with the LCD display within the play area.

The switch SW37 of gate 37 is formed by printing using a transparent conductive film-forming material (ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide)) at the corresponding position on the back surface of transparent base plate 1, and the wiring WH is also formed by printing using a transparent conductive film-forming material so that it extends to the peripheral edge of transparent base plate 1. This ensures that switch SW37 and wiring WH do not interfere with the LCD display in the play area.

The link member L7 for opening and closing the large prize opening 15 and the link member L27 for opening and closing the tulip of the second start prize device 27 are also made of transparent synthetic resin. The solenoids SOL7 and SOL27 for driving these link members L7 and L27 are attached outside the visible area VWAR. This ensures that the link members L7 and L27 do not interfere with the LCD display within the play area.

The three normal winning holes 18, 18, 18 are molded as a single unit from transparent synthetic resin. The flat portion has the illumination devices LD1, LD2 attached to the back side of the transparent base plate 1. The illumination boards KBld1, KBld2 for driving these illumination devices LD1, LD2 are made of transparent synthetic resin with internal wiring printed with a transparent conductive film forming material, and the wiring WH is also printed with a transparent conductive film forming material so that it extends to the periphery of the transparent base plate 1. This prevents the illumination boards KBld1, KBld2 and the wiring WH from interfering with the liquid crystal display in the game area. As shown in FIG. 1(A), a portion of the entire screen of the liquid crystal display device LCD is visible to the player. This visible range VRW is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 3.

[3 Overview of the control device]
Next, the game characteristics of the pachinko machine P1 of this embodiment will be described. First, the control system will be described based on Fig. 4. A main control board 310 equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, clock, etc. receives detection signals from the first special symbol switch SW1 provided in the start winning device 7, the second special symbol switch SW2 provided in the second start winning device 27, the normal symbol switch SW37 provided in the gate 37, the winning detection switch SW7 provided in the large winning opening 15, the winning detection switches SW11 to SW13 provided in the normal winning opening 18, and the discharged ball detection switch SW21. A detection signal from the open/close detection switch 50 indicating the open/close state of the front frame D is also input to the main control board 310.

In addition, commands are output from the main control board 310 to the performance control board 320, the payout control board 330, the launch control board 340, the special chart display TKZ, the performance display monitor 600, the solenoid SOL7 for opening and closing the large winning opening 15, and the solenoid SOL27 for opening and closing the normal electric role of the second start winning device 27. The payout control board 330 is also connected to input signals to the main control board 310. Signals are also input and output between the payout control board 330 and the launch control board 340. As a result, in this embodiment, signals can be input from the launch control board 340 to the main control board 310 via the payout control board 330.

The control system also includes a BC unit 335, an interface board 350, a power supply board 360, a performance display control board 370, a power supply relay board 380, a ball lending operation board 390, a hall computer 400, a card unit CDU, etc.

Based on the performance command signal from the main control board 310, the performance control board 320 outputs control signals to the motor drive control board KBmt, which drives and controls the motors and solenoids that drive the movable body props, the solenoid drive control board KBsol, the speaker drive control boards KBspl and KBspr, which control the audio output from the speakers SPl and SPr, the front frame light emission control boards KBldl, KBldr, and KBldu, which control the illumination of the decorative lamps LDl, LDr, and LDu installed on the front frame D, and the illumination boards KBld1 and KBld2, which control the illumination of the illumination devices LD1 and LD2 of the board props, etc., to execute the prop light emission performance, frame light emission performance, audio performance, movable body performance, etc., and also outputs commands for performance display to the performance display control board 370, causing the liquid crystal display device LCD to execute display performance.

The push button PB on the front frame D and the cursor key CK operation signals are input to the performance control board 320, and the ball loan button Q and card removal button R operation signals are input to the ball loan operation board 390.

The main control board 310 is provided with a special chart 1 reserve memory section 311 and a special chart 2 reserve memory section 312 in the RAM in order to reserve and store up to four special chart 1 determination random numbers obtained in response to the input of a detection signal from the special chart 1 switch SW1, and up to four special chart 2 determination random numbers obtained in response to the input of a detection signal from the special chart 2 switch SW2. The special chart 1 determination random numbers and special chart 2 determination random numbers are respectively composed of "random numbers for hit/miss determination (random number 1: SW1-1, SW2-1)", "random numbers for special chart allocation determination (random number 2: SW1-2, SW2-2)", "random numbers for performance execution determination (random number 3: SW1-3, SW2-3)", and "random numbers for variation pattern allocation (random number 4: SW1-4, SW2-4)". Random number 1 is obtained by hardware logic in response to the input of a special switch detection signal, and random numbers 2 to 4 are obtained by software logic in response to the input of a special switch detection signal.

In the judgment process executed at a predetermined timing, the main control board 310 judges that it is a "jackpot" when the random number 1 matches a preset "jackpot judgment value", and judges that it is a "miss" if it does not match. The random number for special chart allocation judgment (random number 2) is a random number for allocating the jackpot type, such as the number of rounds in a special game. The random number for effect execution judgment (random number 3) is a random number for determining whether or not to perform a reach effect. The reach effect is configured to be executed at a predetermined rate not only in the case of a "win" but also in the case of a "miss". The random number for variation pattern allocation (random number 4) is a random number for allocating variation patterns. Note that if random number 1 results in a "jackpot", the jackpot type is allocated by random number 2 to one of several types of win types with different advantages to the player, such as "2R", "7R", and "15R".

The effect control board 320 is equipped with an effect data storage means 325 for executing sound effects, display effects, light emission effects, and movable body effects. The effect data storage means 325 stores during-variation game effect data DH executed during the special symbol variation game, during-jackpot effect data DV executed during a jackpot game, during-demo effect data DM executed during a demo, and decorative symbol variation effect data DKZ for displaying a decorative symbol variation game according to the variation pattern executed in the special symbol variation game.

The variable game performance data DH is a combination of background display data, character display data, light emission performance data, sound performance data, and movable body performance data. The variable game performance data DH has multiple types of patterns for each of the lottery results by the main control board 310 (normal miss, normal win, reach miss, reach win, super reach miss, super reach win, etc.). In these patterns, for example, data for performing a variable game performance without a movable body performance is composed of blank data for the movable body performance data.

Like the variable game performance data DH, the jackpot performance data DV is also composed of a combination of some or all of the background display data, character display data, light emission performance data, sound performance data, and movable body performance data, and multiple patterns are provided depending on the type of jackpot.

The demo performance data DM, like the variable game performance data DH, is composed of a combination of some or all of the background display data, character display data, light emission performance data, sound performance data, and movable body performance data, and is provided with multiple patterns such as for demo 1 and demo 2.

The decorative symbol variation performance data DKZ is stored as data corresponding to a variation pattern commanded based on the results of a lottery by the main control board 310, such as normal miss, normal win, reach miss, reach win, super reach miss, and super reach win. For this reason, in this embodiment, the decorative symbol variation performance data DKZa for normal state, which is the decorative symbol variation time corresponding to the normal state variation pattern table 315, and the decorative symbol variation performance data DKZb for variable short state, which is the decorative symbol variation time corresponding to the variable short state variation pattern table 316, are stored in the performance data storage means 325 of the performance control board 320.

The display control board 370 displays the decorative pattern variation performance data DKZ corresponding to the variation pattern by superimposing it on the background image displayed on the liquid crystal display device LCD according to the background display data commanded from the performance control board 320. In addition, in this display performance, if character display data exists, a performance is also executed in which a character image is superimposed and displayed.

Here, in this embodiment, the in-game performance data DH does not have a one-to-one correspondence with the variation patterns, but is configured to be determined by the performance control board 320 by allocation from among multiple, such as performance 1, performance 2, etc. for variation pattern 1. Similarly, the decorative symbol variation performance data DKZ also has a one-to-one correspondence, such as variation time 1 for variation pattern 1, variation time 2 for variation pattern 1, etc., but multiple decorative symbol variation patterns are provided for each variation time, and the performance control board 320 is configured to determine by allocation from among these multiple. The allocation probability is set for these allocable performance data DH and decorative symbol variation patterns DKZ to form reliability groups, such as a group that is easily allocated when the variation pattern is a big hit and difficult to allocate when it is a miss, and the opposite group.

[4. Overview of control processing related to gameplay on the main control board]
When the winning detection signal is input from the special switches SW1 and SW2 and the winning detection sensors SW7, SW11, and SW12, the main control board 310 executes a prize ball payout process that outputs a prize ball payout command corresponding to the number of prize balls to be paid out corresponding to each switch to the payout control board 330. In response to this, the payout control board 330 executes a payout operation of a predetermined number of prize balls corresponding to the winning ball entry port. The main control board 310 stores the number of prize balls to be paid out as an accumulated value for each game state such as "normal game", "time-saving game", and "jackpot game". The main control board 310 also stores the number of discharged balls for each of these game states as an accumulated value based on the detection signal from the discharged ball detection switch SW21. The main control board 310 calculates the base (number of payouts/(number of shots=number of discharges)) in each game state based on the accumulated value of the number of prize balls to be paid out and the accumulated value of the number of discharged balls. Of these bases for each game state, the value calculated for "normal game" is sent from the main control board 310 to the microcomputer board of the performance display monitor 600, and is displayed as a numerical value on the performance display monitor 600. By performing a predetermined operation, the performance display monitor 600 can also be used to display the bases in "time-saving game" and "jackpot game."

When a detection signal is input from either the special symbol switch SW1 or SW2, the main control board 310 executes a special symbol input process to obtain a random number for determining a special symbol and store the result in RAM as start pending information. In this embodiment, the main control board 310 is configured to be able to store up to four pieces of start pending information based on the detection signal from the first special symbol switch SW1 (special symbol 1 start pending information) and up to four pieces of start pending information based on the detection signal from the second special symbol switch SW2 (special symbol 2 start pending information).

The main control board 310 reads the start hold information stored in the RAM in this way, and executes the special pattern change in response to "win/lose" in the special pattern display unit TKZ, while executing the special pattern start process to execute the sound effect, light emission effect, display effect, movable body effect, etc. through the performance control board 320. In this special pattern start process, the "change pattern" and the "final stop pattern" are determined based on the result of the lottery process based on the start hold information, and a predetermined control command is output to the performance control board 320 at a predetermined timing. Specifically, the main control board 310 outputs a change pattern designation command that designates the change pattern and instructs the start of the pattern change, and starts measuring the performance time specified by the change pattern. At the same time, the main control board 310 controls the special pattern display unit TKZ to start the special pattern change display. In addition, the main control board 310 outputs a special pattern designation command to designate the special pattern that will be the final stop pattern. In this way, the main control board 310 ends the special pattern start process. After that, in a process separate from the special pattern start process, the main control board 310 controls the display content of the special pattern display TKZ so that the determined final stop pattern is displayed based on the performance time set in the specified variation pattern. Also, the main control board 310 instructs the performance control board 320 to stop the variation of the decorative pattern based on the performance time set in the specified variation pattern, and outputs an all-pattern stop command to display the pattern combination as a final stop.

[5. Overview of control process related to gameplay on the performance control board]
The performance control board 320 executes the variable performance by receiving a variable command from the main control board 310. This variable performance is executed when neither a special game is being played nor a demo display state is being performed. When the performance control board 320 receives a variable command, it determines the decorative pattern variable performance data DKZ and the variable game performance data DH to be used for the current display performance.

In this embodiment, the performance data storage means 325 stores multiple decorative pattern variation performance data DKZ for each variation pattern (variation time), and when a variation pattern is specified by input from the main control board 310, one DKZ to be used in the performance during the current variation game is selected by lottery from among the multiple DKZs that can be selected for that variation pattern.

In addition, the performance data storage means 325 stores multiple in-game performance data DH for each fluctuation pattern (fluctuation time), and when a fluctuation pattern is identified by input from the main control board 310, one DH to be used in the current in-game performance is selected by lottery from among the multiple DHs that can be selected for that fluctuation pattern.

The data corresponding to the DH and DKZ thus determined is read from the performance data storage means 325, and the variable performance begins. The performance based on the performance data DH during the variable game ends when the all-pattern stop command is received from the main control board 310, by stopping the confirmed pattern in the decorative pattern variable performance. The timing of stopping the confirmed pattern in this decorative pattern variable display is synchronized with the timing of the special pattern confirmation on the special pattern display device TKZ by the main control board 310.

When a special game is in progress, the jackpot performance data DV is read out instead of the variable game performance data DH, and the jackpot performance is executed. Also, when it is demo display timing, the demo performance data DM is read out and the demo performance is executed.

In this embodiment, as light-emitting effects during the variable game, jackpot, and demo, in addition to the role light-emitting effects using the decorative lamps on the game board C, a frame light-emitting effect using the decorative lamps on the front frame D is also executed. The effect data storage means 325 of the effect control board 320 stores multiple effect data for the frame light-emitting effects executed during the variable game, with allocation probabilities set to form reliability groups, such as a group that is likely to be assigned in the case of a jackpot and difficult to be assigned in the case of a miss, and the opposite group.

[6 Display control process]
In this embodiment, a general-purpose wide liquid crystal monitor is installed in a portrait orientation as the liquid crystal display device LCD. For this reason, in the display performance, as shown in Fig. 5 (A), when the background image information IMGbgr, the decorative image information IMGkz, and the character image information IMGch are displayed in a superimposed manner on the liquid crystal display device LCD, the performance display control board 370 generates raster scan information RSCbgr, RSCkz, and RSCch with the vertical direction of the image information IMGbgr, IMGkz, and IMGch stored in the memory as the main scanning direction, as shown in Fig. 5 (B1) to (B3), and executes the process of outputting the information to the liquid crystal display device LCD.

This process allows a general-purpose wide LCD monitor to be used in portrait orientation, so the correct image information can be displayed without having to store image information in landscape orientation. As a result, it is possible to reduce the effort required to create image information, or to enable display effects that use all or part of existing image information.

[7 Production Data Details]
Next, the details of the performance data stored in the performance data storage means 325 of the performance control board 320 will be described.

In the performance control board 320, performance data for audio performance, display performance, light emission performance, movable body performance, and special display performance is pre-stored in a specified area of the performance data storage unit 320g of the performance control ROM. As shown in FIG. 6(A), this performance data storage unit 320g stores, as performance data, in-variation game performance data DH executed during the special pattern variation game, in-jackpot performance data DV executed during a jackpot game, and in-demo performance data DM executed during a demo. In addition, decorative pattern variation performance data DKZ for displaying a decorative pattern variation game according to the variation pattern executed in the special pattern variation game is also stored.

In this embodiment, the presentation control board 320 is configured to also execute special zone presentations by pre-reading reserved data. For this reason, data DHSZ for special zone presentations is stored in the variable game presentation data DH.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the variable game performance data DHn is a combination of background display data (DHn1), character display data (DHn2), light emission performance data (DHn3), sound performance data (DHn4), movable body performance data (DHn5), and pre-reach special performance data (DHn6). Of DHn1 to DHn6 in the variable game performance data DHn, for example, if no movable body performance is performed, DHn5 becomes blank data, and if no pre-reach special performance is performed, DHn6 becomes blank data. As shown in FIG. 6C, the reach special performance data DHn6 is configured as data for special display performance that combines special performance display data DHn6a, special performance sound data DHn6b, and background display layer data DHn6c. Even when pre-reach special effect data DHn6 exists, there are cases where all of special effect display data DHn6a, special effect audio data DHn6b, and background display layer data DHn6c exist, as well as cases where there is a combination of one or two of special effect display data DHn6a, special effect audio data DHn6b, and background display layer data DHn6c.

In this embodiment, the liquid crystal display device LCD has multiple display layers for displaying background images. These multiple display layers are configured to display the same background display data DHn1 at the same timing. Meanwhile, each display layer for displaying a background image has different origin coordinates. The display layer data DHn6c is data for determining which of the multiple display layers with different origin coordinates is to be used for displaying the background image.

[7.1 Data Configuration Example 1 (Special Effects Display Data)]
In this embodiment, as the special effect display data DHn6a, time code A, time code B, and time code C with different increments of time decrease are stored as shown in FIG. 7A. All of the time codes A, B, and C are displayed at a predetermined position on the liquid crystal display screen within the same period. The time code A makes the player aware that the time decreases in increments of 0.2 seconds, whereas the time code B decreases in increments of 0.4 seconds for a while, then decreases in increments of 0.1 seconds, and finally decreases by 0.05 seconds, giving the impression that the change in time is suddenly delayed compared to the time code A. The time code C decreases in increments of 0.02 seconds at the end, giving the impression of an even greater delay. Although the time code appeals to the visual sense, the player tries to understand the information obtained visually with his head, which makes the player feel the sudden delay in thought.

[7.2 Data Configuration Example 2 (Audio Data for Special Effects)]
In this embodiment, special sound data A, special sound data B, and special sound data C with different pitches are stored as the sound data DHn6b for special effects, as shown in Fig. 7(B). All of the special sound data A, B, and C are emitted from the speaker within the same period. The special sound data B has a lower pitch than the special sound data A, and the special sound data C has a lower pitch than the special sound data B. The lower the pitch, the easier it is for the player to imagine an auditory delay.

[7.3 Data Structure Example 3 (Display Layer Data)]
Figure 8 (A) shows an example of how the same background image is displayed on a liquid crystal display device LCD depending on display layer data DHn6c, which determines which of multiple display layers with different origin coordinates is to be used for displaying the background image.

In this embodiment, display layer data DHn6c0 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (0,0), display layer data DHn6c1 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (0,+△y), display layer data DHn6c2 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (0,-△y), display layer data DHn6c3 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (+△x,0), display layer data DHn6c4 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (-△x,0), display layer data DHn6c5 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (+△x,+△y), and display layer data DHn6c6 specifies the display layer with origin coordinates (-△x,-△y).

The relationship between the display layer data DHn6c and the background image displayed in the visible range VRW is shown in Figure 8 (B). The display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c0 becomes the basic background image displayed in the visible range VWR. In contrast, the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c1 is the basic background image shifted by +△y in the y direction, the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c2 is the basic background image shifted by -△y in the y direction, the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c3 is the basic background image shifted by +△x in the x direction, the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c4 is the basic background image shifted by -△y in the x direction, the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c5 is the basic background image shifted by +△x in the x direction and +△y in the y direction, and the background image displayed in the visible range VRW by the display layer corresponding to the display layer data DHn6c6 is the basic background image shifted by -△x in the x direction and -△y in the y direction.

[8. Examples of special effects before reaching the target]
Next, a pre-reach special effect using the effect data in which the special effect display data DHn6a, the special effect sound data DHn6b, and the display layer data DHn6c are stored will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in the figure, in variable presentation data where the first reach occurs at time t13 and the second reach occurs at time t15, for the period t12 to t13-△t before the first reach occurs, [time code B] is stored as the special presentation display data DHn6a, [special audio data B] is stored as the special presentation audio data DHn6b, and [vertical vibration DHn6cy] is stored as the display layer data DHn6c, and for the period t14 to t15-△t before the second reach occurs, [time code C] is stored as the special presentation display data DHn6a, [special audio data C] is stored as the special presentation audio data DHn6b, and [diagonal vibration DHn6cxy] is stored as the display layer data DHn6c.

According to this performance data, the unshaken background display DHn6c0 before time t12 is in a state in which up and down vibration DHn6cy continues from time t12 to time t13-△t. At the same time, a time code display based on time code B is displayed at a specified position on the display screen, and sound based on special audio data B is emitted from the speaker. As mentioned above, the time code display based on time code B decreases in 0.4 second increments for a while, then decreases in 0.1 second increments, and finally decreases by 0.05 seconds. Furthermore, the special audio data B has a lower pitch than the special audio data A. These displays and sounds overlap with a background display that vibrates up and down continuously, so that during the period from time t12 to time t13-△t, the player feels a delay as the continuous up and down vibration reduces the visibility of the background pattern, and the auditory delay as the sound is lowered in tone, and the visual and mental delay as the time code ticks away, all combine to create the feeling that there is a delay in the confirmation of the reach during the period before the first reach.

After that, at time t13, the first reach occurs, and the display returns to the unblurred background display DHn6c0. Then, the background display based on the unblurred background display DHn6c0 continues until time t14, after which the diagonal vibration DHn6cxy continues for the period from time t14 to time t15-△t. At the same time, a time code display based on time code C is displayed at a specified position on the display screen, and sound is emitted from the speaker based on special audio data C. As mentioned above, the time code display based on time code C is in 0.02 second increments towards the end, and the special audio data C has an even lower pitch than the special audio data B. These displays and sounds overlap with the background display that vibrates diagonally continuously, and during the period from time t14 to time t15-△t, the combination of a visual delay caused by the reduced visibility of the background pattern due to the continuous diagonal vibration, an auditory delay caused by the lowering of the sound, and a visual and mental delay caused by the ticking of the time code all give the impression of a delay in the period before the second reach, as if the reach confirmation was delayed.

In addition, in this example, the pre-reach special effect for the second reach feels like a greater delay than the pre-reach special effect for the first reach, creating the excitement of a pseudo consecutive win. Note that, compared to a combination in which the pre-reach special effect for the first reach and the pre-reach special effect for the second reach feel the same degree of delay, a combination in which the second reach feels like a greater delay than the first, as in the above example, is set to be selected more easily when the reliability of a jackpot is high. This makes it possible to associate the degree of delay felt by the player with the notification or indication of the reliability of a jackpot.

Next, we will explain an example of combining a special character display with a pre-reach special effect.

An example of the data configuration of Example 2 is shown in FIG. 10. In Example 2, as the special effect display data DHn6a, special display data DHn6a21 of a clear character with display position coordinates (x21, y21) for the time period t21 to t22 within the variable time, special display data DHn6a22 of a blurred character with display position coordinates (x22, y22) for the time period t22 to t23-△t before the first reach, and special display data DHn6a23 of a clear character with display position coordinates (x23, y23) for the time period t23 to t24 are shown. a23, special display data DHn6a24 of a blurred character with display position coordinates (x24, y24) for the time period between t24 and t25-△t before the second reach is set, and special display data DHn6a25 of a large, clear character with display position coordinates (x25, y25) for the time period t25 when the second reach is established is set, and the special performance sound data DHn6b and display layer data DHn6c corresponding to the timing of each reach are set in the same way as in Example 1, in this data configuration example.

According to this effect data, the unshaken background display DHn6c0 before time t22 is in a state in which the up and down vibration DHn6cy continues from time t22 to time t23-△t. At this time, at time t22, a clear character based on the special effect display data DHn6a21 appears on the display screen at (x21, y21), and as the up and down vibration of the background display begins, a blurred character based on the special effect display data DHn6a22 appears on the display screen at (x22, y22), and sound is emitted from the speaker based on the special sound data B. As explained in Example 1, the special sound data B has a lower pitch than the special sound data A. As a result, during the period from time t22 to time t23-△t before the first reach, the combination of a visual delay image due to reduced visibility of the background pattern caused by the continuous up and down vibration, an auditory delay image due to the lowering of the sound, and a visual delay image due to the blurring of the characters, gives the impression that the reach confirmation is delayed during the period before the first reach.

After that, at time t23, the first reach occurs, and the background display DHn6c0 and the character display return to a clear, unblurred state. The background display remains clear until time t24, and then the diagonal vibration DHn6cxy continues for the period from time t24 to time t25-△t. As the diagonal vibration of the background starts, a blurred character appears on the display screen at (x24, y24) based on the special performance display data DHn6a24, and a lower-pitched sound is emitted from the speaker based on the special sound data C. As a result, the visual delay image due to the reduced visibility of the background pattern caused by the continuous diagonal vibration, the auditory delay image due to the lowering of the sound, and the visual delay image due to the blurred characters combine to create the feeling that the reach confirmation is delayed during the period before the second reach from time t24 to time t25-△t before the second reach.

Then, by making the pre-reach special effect for the second reach seem to have a greater delay than the pre-reach special effect for the first reach, it is possible to create the excitement of a pseudo consecutive win. In the second embodiment as well, a combination in which the second reach seems to have a greater delay than the first is more likely to be selected when the reliability of a jackpot is high, compared to a combination in which the pre-reach special effect for the first reach and the pre-reach special effect for the second reach have the same degree of delay. This makes it possible to associate the degree of delay felt by the player with the notification or indication of the reliability of a jackpot.

In Examples 1 and 2, when the pre-reach special performance begins, the background image vibrates. This notifies the player of the pre-reach special performance. The continued vibration thereafter reduces visibility, enhancing the impression of a delay, and creates a novel pseudo-delay impression, even though no delay is actually occurring in the pattern change.

In addition, in Examples 1 and 2, while the pre-reach special performance is notifying or suggesting the reliability of the jackpot, other jackpot reliability notification performances are not executed, so as to avoid a sense of discomfort or distrust in the reliability due to a complicated or unnatural image. After the pre-reach special performance ends, reliability notification performances such as a group preview or peak flash may be executed. Also, pre-reading performances such as reserve change performances are possible because they do not hinder concentration on the pre-reach special performance.

As described above, according to the first and second embodiments, it is possible to notify or suggest the probability of a jackpot using a delayed image without affecting the fluctuation time or monotonizing the reach effect.

The above describes an embodiment as the best mode for carrying out the invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, while the first and second embodiments described a pre-reach special effect in a pseudo-consecutive win, it is also possible to have it occur only when informing or suggesting to the player that "there is a variable-time state after a jackpot," "the player has entered a so-called rush," "this is a premium effect," etc. Also, in display effects in slot machines, rather than pachinko machines, it is possible to configure the pre-reach special effect to inform or suggest the reliability of a jackpot.

The present invention can be used in gaming machines.

1: transparent base plate, 7: start winning device, 10: game area, 11: obstacle nail, 12: windmill, 15: big winning hole, 17: guide rail, 18: normal winning hole, 19: out hole, 20: right side game area, 27: second start winning device, 30: center decoration, 31: partition decoration, 32: stage, 33: warp passage, 34: obstacle block, 35: right hitting passage, 37: gate, 41: left corner decoration, 42: right corner decoration, 50: open/close detection switch, 51: ball discharge passage, 310. ...Main control board, 311...Special chart 1 hold memory unit, 312...Special chart 2 hold memory unit, 315...Fluctuating pattern table for normal state, 316...Fluctuating pattern table for short state, 320...Performance control board, 325...Performance data storage means, 330...Payout control board, 335...BC unit, 340...Launch control board, 350...Interface board, 360...Power supply board, 370...Performance display control board, 380...Power supply relay board, 390...Ball lending operation board, 400...Hall computer, 600...Performance display monitor.
P1: Pachinko machine, CTAR: Image cut-out area, DH, DHn: Data for performance during variable game, DHn1: Data for background display, DHn2: Data for character display, DHn3: Data for light-emitting performance, DHn4: Data for sound performance, DHn5: Data for moving body performance, DHn6: Data for special performance before reach, DHn6a: Display data for special performance, DHn6b: Sound data for special performance, DHn6c: Background display layer data, DKZ: Decorative pattern variable performance data, DM: Performance data during demo, DV: Performance data during jackpot, LCD: Liquid crystal display device, VRW: Visible range.

Claims (2)

A gaming machine comprising a main control means capable of controlling the variation of symbols and awarding a special privilege when a specified lottery is won, a performance execution means, a performance data storage means for storing performance data, and a performance control means for causing the performance execution means to execute a performance using the performance data stored in the performance data storage means, said gaming machine further comprising the following configuration:
(1A) The presentation control means includes a pattern change presentation control means for executing a pattern change presentation in which a plurality of changing patterns are displayed in a changing manner and the changing display is stopped so as to form a combination corresponding to the result of the lottery.
(1B) The pattern change performance control means includes a reach performance control means for executing a reach performance in which the plurality of changing patterns are stopped in sequence in the pattern change performance and, depending on the last changing pattern to be stopped, notifies or suggests a reach state which may result in the winning.
(1C) The reach performance control means includes a pre-reach special performance control means for executing a pre-reach special performance to make a player feel that the stopping of the variable patterns constituting the reach state in the reach performance is delayed.
(1D) The effect data storage means stores, as pre-reach special effect data for executing the pre-reach special effect, a plurality of special effect display data in which the increments for reducing the display of the remaining time are different, as mentally delayed image data for giving the user the mental image that the rate of change of the changing pattern is slowing down by making the increments for reducing the display of the remaining time within a predetermined period before the reach smaller toward the end of the predetermined period, and the pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing the pre-reach special effect by displaying any one of the plurality of special effect display data at a predetermined position over the predetermined period at a predetermined timing .
(1E) The effect data storage means also stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, data for executing the pre-reach special effect in a display state in which a background pattern is vibrated up and down, left and right, or diagonally when the special effect display data is displayed.
(1F) The presentation control means is configured as a means for executing a reliability notification presentation that notifies or suggests the reliability of the win depending on which of the plurality of special presentation display data is used when the pattern-changing presentation control means executes the pattern-changing presentation, and is configured as a means for not executing reliability notification presentations other than the pre-reach special presentation when the pre-reach special presentation is being executed. A gaming machine comprising a main control means capable of controlling the variation of symbols and awarding a special privilege when a specified lottery is won, a performance execution means, a performance data storage means for storing performance data, and a performance control means for causing the performance execution means to execute a performance using the performance data stored in the performance data storage means, said gaming machine further comprising the following configuration:
(2A) The presentation control means includes a pattern change presentation control means for executing a pattern change presentation in which a plurality of changing patterns are displayed in a changing manner and the changing display is stopped so as to form a combination corresponding to the result of the lottery.
(2B) The pattern change performance control means includes a reach performance control means for executing a reach performance in which the plurality of changing patterns are stopped in sequence in the pattern change performance and, depending on the last changing pattern to be stopped, notifies or suggests a reach state which may result in the winning.
(2C) The reach performance control means is provided with a pre-reach special performance control means for executing a pre-reach special performance to make a player feel that the stopping of the variable patterns constituting the reach state in the reach performance is delayed.
(2D) The effect data storage means stores, as pre-reach special effect data for executing the pre-reach special effect, a plurality of special effect sound data having the same melody but different pitches as auditory delayed image data which gives the auditory impression that the speed of change of the changing pattern is slowing down by lowering the pitch of sound data consisting of a predetermined melody which is sounded within a predetermined period before the reach, and the pre-reach special effect control means is configured as a means for executing the pre-reach special effect by sounding any one of the plurality of special effect sound data for the predetermined period at a predetermined timing.
(2E) The effect data storage means also stores, as the pre-reach special effect data, data for executing the pre-reach special effect in a display state in which the background pattern is vibrated up and down, left and right, or diagonally when sound is emitted based on the audio data for the special effect.
(2F) The presentation control means is configured as a means for executing a reliability notification presentation that notifies or suggests the reliability of the win depending on which of the plurality of special presentation sound data is used when the pattern change presentation control means executes the pattern change presentation, and is configured as a means for not executing reliability notification presentations other than the pre-reach special presentation when the pre-reach special presentation is being executed.