JPS61193686A - Industrial television game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a commercial video game machine.

In recent years, commercial video game machines that are installed in game centers and are played by inserting coins have become extremely popular.
A wide variety of game contents have been developed.

However, if the game content is easy, users will quickly get tired of it, so even if new game software is developed these days, its life cycle is becoming extremely short. For this reason, game software with somewhat complicated or difficult content is desired for use in video game machines.

However, in the conventional television game machine, after the game is finished by inserting a coin - times, the game is restarted from the starting point each time when a coin is inserted and the game is played again. For this reason, no matter how many times you try a complex game, the game ends quickly in the early stages, making it too difficult for beginners to get used to it, and only a few experienced players can use it. It becomes something that cannot be done.

For example, as shown in Figure 1, in the case of a complex game where the game starts, goes through level 1, level 2, and the highest goal is level 30, the game always starts from level 1, so coin 1 Due to the game time constraints, if the user is a beginner, for example, if the game ends at level 4, the next time the user tries, the game will end at the same early stage, making it difficult to reach a high level. First, the game itself becomes uninteresting.

For this reason, the video game machines installed in game centers and other places play so-called ``action games'' such as ``Invaders'' and ``Backman,'' which compete on finger reflexes, or games such as mahjong, Gomoku, and Hanafuda. So-called "table games" are the mainstream,
Somewhat difficult and complex games, such as so-called "adventure games" (games in which the player enters commands to enter the story and solve puzzles or hunt for treasure) developed as game software for PCs, or "simulation games". ``games'' (games in which you understand your position while reading data and gradually approach your goal), or even the action games and table games mentioned above, which are more complex and difficult, are rarely played. do not have. For this reason, the current situation with game centers is that once users become familiar with the game, they lose interest and leave.
Satisfying both beginners and experts has become a pressing issue in the video game industry.

The present invention was made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a television game machine that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players, from beginners to experts.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the television game machine of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a display device, 2 is a game fee (
A collection device 3 for collecting coins or cards) or medals is a timer that counts the game time corresponding to the game fee or medals from the time when the game fee or medals are collected by the collection device 2.

4 is the first memory that stores the game program that progresses step by step.
, and 5 is a manual input device for the user to input operation signals by operating keys or levers during game execution.

6 is driven by the output of the timer 3, and the manual input device 5
A control device that receives an operation signal from a controller, executes a game program according to the game program stored in the first storage device 4, causes the display device 1 to display game content in stages, and operates the audio device 11. be.

7 is a determination device that determines which stage the game program is in when the game ends according to the timer 3;
Reference numeral 8 denotes a writing device that writes the game program stage determined by the determining device 7 into a portable external storage device (for example, a magnetic card).

Reference numeral 9 indicates a reading device for reading out the game program stage written in the portable external storage device (magnetic card), and 10 indicates when the game program step is read out from the portable external storage device (magnetic card) by the reading device 9. , the control device starts the game program from the game program stage! This is a start stage instructing device that instructs I6 to start the stage. Note that 11 is an audio device, and 12 is a power supply device.

As mentioned above, the portable external storage device 10 can be constructed of a magnetic card, for example, and as shown in FIG. 3, it has a card identification area A for distinguishing it from other cards in circulation.
An index area B1 registers the usage status of the divided data area C. A data area C is provided as a storage area for storing the divided program stages of the game specified by the registration status of the index. Magnetic cards can have two stripes, four stripes, or have magnetic material attached to the entire front and back sides to increase the amount of information stored.

Next, the operation of the commercial video game machine will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

By turning on the power supply device 12, power is supplied to each part and the video game machine is started (21). When a coin is inserted, the collection device 2 determines whether it is a regular coin or not, and if it is a regular coin, collects a predetermined amount (22). It is determined whether or not to start the game from the step (23). A selection button for this purpose may be provided on the manual input device 5.

Here, it is assumed that the game starts from level 1 and the final level is 30, as shown in FIG.

If you do not use cards, proceed to the game level 1 settings (
27+).

When using a card, the user inserts the card into the insertion slot. The reading device @9 reads out and determines the game program stage (level) in which the card is a regular one (2
6). Then, the start instructing device F10 instructs the level (272 to 27.,) corresponding to this read level.

From the time when one of levels 1 to 29 is determined, the control device 6 starts the game program stored in the first storage device 4 from the set level based on the output of the timer device 3, and starts the game program from the level set. It is executed according to the operation signal from the input device 5 (28), the display device 1 is caused to display the information, and the audio device 11 is activated.

When the game ends, the determination bag W17 determines the stage (level) of the game program at the time of end (29).

Next, determine whether or not to write this level to the card (
31). A selection button for this purpose may be provided on the manual input device F5.

If no cards are used, the game ends, and if you want to start the game again later, start from level 1 h.

When writing to a card, it is determined whether the card is genuine (32). If it is a regular one, the writing device 8 writes the level. Therefore, for example, if the end level is 4 as shown in FIG. 5, this level 4 will be written on the card, so when you start the next game, if you read the end level written on this card, You can proceed with the game from the previous ending level 4. Therefore, even if the game is complicated, a beginner can continue playing the game, thereby maintaining interest.

In addition, for example, if the user wants to interrupt the game without ending the game, the level at the time of interruption can be determined (30).
It is also possible to write this interruption level on a card and have the player play the game by reading out the card balance instead of inserting coins.

In this case, the game fee balance at the time the game is interrupted may be written together with the game ending level.

In addition, in a video game machine that uses medals to play games and releases medals according to the score at the end of the game, information on the number of medals to be released when the game is interrupted is written on a card along with level information. Then, the next time you play a game, you can read out the medal information written on the card to enable the game.

In the video game machine having the above configuration, the level information at the end of the game is written on the card, but as another method, as shown in FIG. The level at the end of the game is memorized together with the password input by the user, and when the user plays the next game, by inputting the password, the user will be able to recall the previous completed level for himself/herself. Read out,
It is also possible to start the next game.

In addition, if the game is not based on the level of the game, but the content is such that the player competes for points using a manual input device, and the game time is extended depending on the score, the user will interrupt the game before the end and store the score at the time of interruption on a card etc. You can also do it like this.

As explained above, with the arcade video game machine of the present invention, it is possible to continue the next game from an intermediate stage, so both beginners and experts can fully enjoy games with complex and difficult content. In addition to simple games, game contents can be significantly diversified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of how to use the game with a conventional device, Figure 2
3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a storage area of a magnetic card, FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Display device, 2... Collection device, 3... Timer device, 4... First storage device, 5...... Manual input device, 6...
...Control device, 7...Discrimination device, 8...
・Writing device, 9...Reading device, 10...
...Start instruction device, 13...Second storage device,
14... Start instruction device, 13... Second storage device, 14... Password input device. Agent Patent Attorney Makoto HayakawaFigure 2Figure 3Figure 5Figure 1 234 567
Figure 4 Procedural amendment (white side March 22, 1985, 1985 Patent Application No. 34077 2, Name of the invention Commercial video game machine 3, Person making the amendment Relationship to the case Patent applicant address 1-12-9-402 Eimae, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Name
1) Kunihiko (and 2 others) 4, agent 〒105
Phone: 433-4702 Address: 4-2 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
4-3 6. Contents of amendment

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A display device; A collection device for collecting game fees or medals; A timer device that counts the game time corresponding to the fees or medals from the time the collection device collects the game fees or medals; a first storage device that stores a game program that progresses step by step; a manual input device that allows the user to input operation signals by operating keys or levers during game execution; and a manual input device that is driven by the output of the timer device. , a control device that receives an operation signal from the manual input device, causes the game program to be executed according to the game program stored in the first storage device, and causes the display device to display game content in stages; a determining device that determines which stage the game program is in when the game ends by a timer device; a writing device that writes the game program stage determined by the determining device into a portable external storage device; a reading device for reading out a game program step written in a portable external storage device; and when the reading device reads out a game program step from the portable external storage device, the game program is started from the game program step. A commercial video game machine comprising a start stage instructing device for instructing the control device to perform a start stage. (2) a display device; a collection device for collecting game fees or medals; and a timer device that counts the game time corresponding to the fees or medals from the time when the game fees or medals are collected by the collection device; a first storage device that stores a game program that progresses step by step; a manual input device for a user to operate a key or lever to input an operation signal during game execution; a control device that is driven, receives an operation signal from the manual input device, causes the game program to be executed according to the game program stored in the first storage device, and causes the display device to display game content step by step; a determination device that determines which stage the game program is in when the game ends by a timer device; a second storage device that stores the game program stage determined by the determination device together with each user code; a reading device for reading a game program step stored in the second storage device; when a game program step is read by the reading device, causing the control device to start the game program from the game program step; A commercial video game machine comprising a start stage indicating device for indicating a stage.