JP2004267242A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a symbol display device for game machines which achieves a higher effect in the continuation of the expectations for wins by displaying the symbols by a matrix array. <P>SOLUTION: A symbol display window 3 provided on a slot machine comprises a center display part 3a for displaying the symbols in 3×3 arrays and a peripheral display part 3b for displaying the symbols in the perimeter of the center display part 3a. In an ordinary game, the determination of the wins is made on prize winning lines set within the center display part 3a. When specified conditions are satisfied, the symbols of the peripheral display part 3b are to be determined and a special game is conducted to increase the prize winning lines from those in the ordinary game. In the special game, highly unexpected display is accomplished until the win is defined. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming machine in which hits and losses are displayed using symbols.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Slot machines and pachinko machines are known as gaming machines that use symbols to display hits and losses (for example, see Patent Document 1). In these gaming machines, a mechanical type that variably displays symbols arranged on the peripheral surface by a reel driven by a motor, and an electronic type that variably displays symbols on a CRT screen or a liquid crystal screen by resembling the movement of a reel. There are things. In either method, it is common to perform a floating display in which symbols appear from above the display surface and disappear below, and a hit and a loss are displayed depending on whether or not the symbols are stopped and displayed in a line in a specific combination. I have.
[0003]
In the slot machine, a game is started by performing a start operation after inserting a medal or a coin and variably displaying symbols. Currently, slot machines that are widely used include those in which all symbols are automatically stopped and displayed after a fixed time has elapsed after variable display of symbols is started, and those in which symbols are stopped and displayed by a player's stop operation. is there.
[0004]
In a slot machine in which symbol stop display is automatically performed, an electronic lottery using random numbers is used to determine at which position a specific symbol is stopped, and when all symbols are stopped and displayed, the symbols are activated by a bet operation. A win and a loss are determined based on whether or not there are symbols arranged in a winning combination on the winning line. On the other hand, in a slot machine in which a player performs a stop operation, a winning type and a loss are determined in advance by an electronic lottery performed at the start of the game, and types and combinations of symbols that are stopped and displayed when the player performs a stop operation. Is controlled to reflect the result of the electronic lottery. In the following description, a method of determining the presence or absence of a hit after all symbols have been stopped is referred to as a post-prize determination method, and a method of determining in advance whether or not a hit has occurred and controlling the stop display of the symbols based on the determined method. This is called the prize-winning method.
[0005]
The pachinko machine employs a prize-winning method, in which when the variable display of symbols is started, the winning type or loss is determined in advance by electronic lottery. In addition, according to the case of a hit and a case of a loss, the type and combination of symbols to be stopped and displayed are also determined, and when a predetermined time has elapsed, a predetermined combination is automatically stopped and displayed. Controlled.
[0006]
In each of the above-described gaming machines, a configuration in which a total of nine symbols are stopped and displayed in a square matrix of three columns and three rows is mainly used. Also, among the gaming machines that display nine symbols, a three-reel type display in which three symbols are simultaneously displayed in a fixed arrangement order and a type in which nine symbols are independently controlled. There is a type in which 9-reel display is variably displayed.
[0007]
In a gaming machine that performs a three-reel display, a winning symbol line in which a specific symbol is arranged when a hit is displayed is set to three horizontal and two diagonal lines, for a total of five, and a nine-reel display is performed. The machine has a total of eight pay lines, three horizontal lines, three vertical lines, and two diagonal lines. A gaming machine that performs 9-reel display has a larger number of winning lines set and a wider variety of winning display patterns than a gaming machine that performs 3-reel display, so the timing for stopping and displaying each symbol can be adjusted appropriately. By shifting to, the expectation of the player can be maintained for a relatively long time.
[0008]
The larger the number of winning lines set, the more varieties of winning or losing display patterns can be made.However, simply increasing the number of symbols displayed and increasing the number of winning lines increases the complexity of the display. It is difficult to be accepted by players. Therefore, the present applicant sets symbols at the four corners outside the range in which nine symbols are displayed, sets a winning line in which five symbols are arranged in a diagonal direction. A gaming machine (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-136733) which receives a prize when more than one symbol is displayed, and four symbols moving straight up, down, left and right outside the display range of nine symbols, and four or five symbols are displayed. (Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-10951) that changes the position of a winning line in which symbols are arranged.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-686
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above two gaming machines can appeal to the player that the display mode of the symbols is different from the conventional one, but since the display range of the symbols has a peculiar shape as a whole, the conventional matrix There is a problem that a player accustomed to the arrangement of shapes has a sense of incongruity, and there is room for improvement as a widely accepted general-purpose gaming machine.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has the same arrangement of symbols as in the conventional matrix, which can enhance the effect of maintaining a sense of expectation, and can improve the number and position of winning lines. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine capable of suppressing the display from being complicated even when the number is changed.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the gaming machine of the present invention includes a symbol display device that displays a hit or a loss by stopping and displaying a variably displayed symbol on a symbol display surface. A main display area provided with a plurality of basic areas in which one symbol is stopped and displayed; and a sub display area provided with the basic areas arranged around the main display area, wherein the main display area and the sub display area are provided. First display control means for variably displaying symbols in the main display area and stopping and displaying symbols in each of the basic areas, wherein the first and second display areas are arranged so that the basic areas are arranged in a matrix by areas. Second display control means for variably displaying and stopping display of symbols in at least a part of the basic area of the sub display area, and whether to activate the second control means Or characterized in that a switching means for switching those that permit display rich in unpredictability by setting the region in which the variable display of symbols is not performed and the region to be performed each time.
[0013]
The gaming machine according to claim 2, further comprising: a notifying unit for notifying an effective basic area in which variable display and stop display of symbols are performed by the second display control unit. When a symbol is variably displayed in a part, a player should recognize a reel or a screen to be noticed in advance.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, as an effective means for informing the player of the effective basic area, an area other than the effective basic area is invisible or difficult to visually recognize, thereby performing a notification appealing to the player's vision. Things.
[0015]
A gaming machine according to a fourth aspect is configured such that a display using only the main display area and a display using the sub-display area are switched based on a result of the electronic lottery. The gaming machine selects, by electronic lottery, a display position of a symbol that may constitute a hit display when performing display in combination with the sub display area.
[0016]
In the gaming machine according to the sixth aspect, after all the symbols are stopped and displayed in the main display area, the variable display of the symbols is started in the sub display area, and the presence or absence of a hit is displayed using only the main display area. The first stage and the effect in which the loss display of the first stage changes to a hit display or the effect in which the first stage hit display develops into a higher-grade hit display are performed, and a display in which the unexpectedness is further enhanced is provided. Is what you do.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In FIG. 1, a symbol display window 3 is provided on the front of the slot machine 2. Below the symbol display window 3, a message display section 4, a credit number display section 5, a bet number display section 6, a 1 bet button 7, a spin button 8, a max bet button 9, a payout button 10, and a medal slot 11 are provided. Has been.
[0018]
The message display section 4 displays a guidance message or the like according to the progress of the game. The number-of-credits display field 5 displays the number of medals temporarily credited to the slot machine 2 by the insertion of medals or the payout at the time of winning. The bet number display column 6 displays the number of medals used in one game as the bet number. Each time the 1 bet button 7 is pressed once, the bet number is incremented by one, and instead the credit number is reduced by one and medals are consumed one by one. When the max bet button 9 is operated, the maximum bet number for one game is set, and the corresponding medals are consumed. When the number of bets reaches the maximum value of one game, or when the spin button 8 is operated, the symbols are variably displayed and the game is started. The credited medals are paid out to the tray 12 by operating the payout button 10.
[0019]
In FIG. 2, the slot machine 2 includes a liquid crystal display on which nine symbols are displayed, and sixteen reels on which symbols are drawn on a peripheral surface. The symbol display window 3 displays a central main display area 3a on which nine symbols are displayed by the liquid crystal display device, and one symbol provided on each of the 16 reels around the main display area 3a. And a sub display area 3b. In the main display area 3a, one symbol is stopped and displayed in each of the basic regions obtained by dividing the liquid crystal screen into nine rows and columns in a square matrix. The slot machine 2 is composed of nine symbols in the main display area 3a and 16 symbols in the sub display area 3b surrounding the main display area 3a, for a total of 25 symbols in a square matrix of 5 rows and 5 columns. Can be displayed.
[0020]
Outside the sub-display area 3b, a plurality of display lamps 15 for displaying activated pay lines are provided. By operating the 1-bet button 7 or the max-bet button 9 when playing a game, a winning line is activated. When a specific type of symbol stops on the activated winning line, a winning is achieved.
[0021]
For example, when the 1-bet button 7 is operated once, three horizontal pay lines in the main display area 3a are activated. In this case, if the symbols are arranged side by side in the main display area 3a, a hit occurs. When the 1-bet button 7 is operated twice, three horizontal pay lines and three vertical pay lines in the main display area 3a are activated. When the one-bet button is operated three times or the max-bet button 9 is operated, two diagonal pay lines are activated in addition to three vertical and horizontal lines. Since the greater the number of activated pay lines, the higher the probability of winning is, the player arbitrarily determines the number of activated pay lines in consideration of the number of medals consumed and the number of payouts. Each time a winning line is activated, the corresponding indicator light 15 is turned on.
[0022]
In the slot machine 2, a base game that determines whether or not a hit is made only by the symbols displayed in the main display area 3a, and a special game that determines whether or not a hit is made by the symbols displayed in the main display area 3a and the sub display area 3b. Games and are provided. The three horizontal lines, three vertical lines, and two diagonal winning lines activated by the betting operation are common winning lines (hereinafter, referred to as common winning lines) in the two types of games. In the symbol display window 3, a black line serving as an index of the common winning line is drawn so as to overlap the liquid crystal screen.
[0023]
In the special game, by using the sub display area 3b together, three types of winning lines in which three to five symbols are arranged are set, and it is a hit when three or more symbols are aligned on the winning lines. . The winning line set in this special game includes a first winning line in which a maximum of five symbols are arranged by a symbol on a common winning line activated by a bet operation and a symbol on an extension thereof, and a main display area 3a. Two diagonal winning lines in which a maximum of four symbols are arranged by two displayed symbols and two symbols in the sub display area 3b, one symbol in the main display area 3a and two symbols in the peripheral display 3b , And is classified into a diagonal third prize line in which a total of three symbols are arranged. Hereinafter, the first to third prize lines are collectively referred to as extended prize lines.
[0024]
The number of first prize lines is eight, which is equal to the common prize line. The second and third prize lines are each set to four lines. In the special game, the number of winning lines is set to be larger than that in the normal game, and furthermore, when the first and second winning lines are lined up, three out of five or four symbols are lined up. In this game, a payout can be obtained with a high probability. In addition, the winning of the combination of four symbols is higher than that of the combination of three symbols, and the winning of the combination of five symbols is higher than that of the four symbols. The higher the value, the larger the number of medals to pay. By setting a winning line in which only the symbols of the sub display area 3b are arranged as an extended winning line, four more first-class winning lines may be added.
[0025]
Whether or not a special game is played is determined by electronic lottery by sampling random numbers. The probability that the special game will be played is set to be several tenths lower than the total value of the number of games played. Further, an extended winning line activated when the special game is played is also determined by electronic lottery.
[0026]
In FIG. 3, a CPU 20 executes a game program stored in a ROM 21 and manages the progress of the game while controlling each unit. The medal sensor 22 detects a medal inserted into the medal insertion slot 11 and inputs a medal detection signal to the CPU 20. In the CPU 20, the number of credits is added according to the medal detection signal. The 7-segment display device 23 displays the number of credits and the number of bets on the number-of-credits display field 5 and the number-of-bets display field 6, respectively. The number of credits is added by the insertion of medals and the payout at the time of winning, and is subtracted by a bet operation or a payout operation. The bet number is added by a bet operation, and is reset for each game.
[0027]
The pay line display device 24 turns on the display lamp 15 having an arrow shape based on the valid line display signal input from the CPU 20, and notifies the player of the activated pay line. The activated line display signal is input when a winning line to be activated is determined, that is, when a betting operation is detected and when a special game is executed. The motor driver 25 is connected to the 16 stepping motors 26, sends a drive pulse to each motor in accordance with a reel drive signal output from the CPU 20, and controls the rotation drive. The 16 reels 27 for displaying symbols in each basic area of the sub display area 3b are connected to the drive shaft of the stepping motor 26, respectively.
[0028]
The pulse counter 28 counts the number of drive pulses output from the motor driver 25 to each motor. The reel sensor 29 detects a reference position set on the reel 27 and outputs a count reset signal to the pulse counter 28 every time the reel 27 makes one rotation. The count value of the pulse counter 28 is input to the motor driver 25 as information indicating the position of each reel. The CPU 20 sends a reel stop signal indicating the stop position of the reel 27 to the motor driver 25, and the reel 27 is accurately stopped at an arbitrary position.
[0029]
The liquid crystal display device 30 simulates the rotation display of the reels in the main display area 3a by the image signal output from the CPU 20, and performs variable display of symbols. The ROM 21 stores, as a part of the game program, a graphic control program for rotating the pseudo reels on the liquid crystal screen. The graphic control program includes image data of symbols, symbol arrangement patterns of the respective pseudo reels. Is defined.
[0030]
The ROM 21 has a random number sampling program for generating a random number for sampling, a program for determining the rotation stop position of the reel 27 and the pseudo reel on the liquid crystal screen based on the sampled random number, and whether or not to execute the special game. And a program for randomly selecting an extended pay line, and the symbol arrangement data of each reel 27 are also stored. The RAM 31 is used as a work memory for storing data generated with the execution of these game programs, and the number of credits is also stored in the RAM 31.
[0031]
The first winning determination unit 32 determines whether or not there is a line in which the symbols are aligned among the common winning lines activated by the bet operation during the base game. If the winning is determined, the winning class is identified from the type and arrangement of the symbols, and a payout processing signal is output to the CPU 20. At the time of the special game, the second winning determination unit 33 determines whether or not there is a line in which the symbols are aligned among the common winning line activated by the betting operation and the extended winning line activated by the lottery. If the winning is determined, the class of the winning is identified, and a payout processing signal is output to the CPU 20.
[0032]
The medal payout device 34 pays out medals credited to the slot machine 2 to the tray 12 when the payout button 10 is pressed. When the payout processing signal is output from the first winning determination unit 32 or the second winning determination unit 33, the CPU 20 performs a process of adding credits to perform a process of crediting a payout medal, and also performs a process of crediting the number of credits, for example, 50. If the number exceeds the limit, a medal payout signal is output to the medal payout device 34, and control for paying out the remaining payout medals directly from the tray 12 is performed.
[0033]
The reel lighting device 35 turns on and off the backlights 36 provided on the 16 reels 27, respectively. The backlight 36 illuminates the reel 27 from the inside, and notifies the player of symbols on the extended pay line activated by lottery when a special game is played.
[0034]
Next, the operation of the slot machine 2 will be described with reference to FIG. When playing a game, several medals are inserted through the medal insertion slot 11 in advance. The credit number display field 5 displays the number of credits according to the number of inserted medals. If at least one medal has been credited, the 1 bet button 7 can be operated, and if the number of credits is 3 or more, the Mac bet button medal 9 can be operated. The common pay line set in the main display area 3a is activated by the bet operation, and the display lamp 15 is turned on accordingly. After determining the number of activated common paylines, the player operates the spin button 8 or the max bet button 9 to start the game.
[0035]
At the start of the game, a normal game is executed. The CPU 20 executes a graphic control program for rotating a pseudo reel on the display screen of the liquid crystal display device 30, and starts variable display of symbols in the main display area 3a. When the variable display of the symbols is started, the CPU 20 reads a program for randomly selecting the stop positions of the pseudo reels, and samples the random numbers of the pseudo reels to determine the stop positions of the pseudo reels. As shown in FIG. 5, during the base game, before and after the start, the backlight 36 is all turned off, the visibility of the symbols in the sub display area 3b is reduced, and the reel 27 is not driven.
[0036]
After a certain period of time, the stop control of the nine pseudo reels displayed in the main display area 3a is started, and the pseudo reels are stopped individually while shifting the timing. In the main display area 3a, symbols are stopped and displayed for each basic area.
[0037]
When all the pseudo reels stop, a lottery is performed to determine whether or not to execute the special game. When the transition from the base game to the special game is not performed, information on the symbols stopped and displayed in each basic area of the main display area 3a is input to the first winning determination unit 32. The first winning determination unit 32 determines whether a winning or a loss has occurred on the common winning line activated at the time of the bet operation, based on whether or not a winning combination has been made.
[0038]
In the case of a loss, one game ends. In the case of a win, a win class is identified for each line in which three symbols are arranged. The first winning determination unit 32 outputs to the CPU 20 a payout processing signal obtained by integrating the number of payouts of medals according to the winning class of each line. The CPU 20 adds the number of credits, and the number-of-credits display field 5 displays the number of credits after the payout. When the payout number of medals exceeds the credit limit, the medal payout device 34 pays out medals. One game is completed by performing the payout process.
[0039]
On the other hand, when a lottery result for shifting from the base game to the special game is obtained, an extended pay line for determining a hit in the special game is determined regardless of whether the display in the main display area 3a is a hit or a loss. The extended pay line is determined by randomly selecting valid reels and invalid reels among the 16 reels displaying symbols in the sub display area 3b. The valid reel means a reel whose stopped symbol is used for winning determination, and the invalid reel means a reel whose stopped symbol is regarded as an invalid symbol which does not constitute any winning combination. At this time, if there is a common winning line that has not been activated, a reel that is an extension of the common winning line, that is, a reel on the first-prize winning line that overlaps the common winning line that has not been activated is unconditionally set. Is set as an invalid reel. Further, a winning line that does not constitute a winning display even if a symbol displayed in the sub-display area 3b is used is identified in advance, and reels positioned on the winning line that is unlikely to be a winning are unconditionally determined. Set to an invalid reel.
[0040]
When the valid reel and the invalid reel are determined, the CPU 20 starts the rotation of the pseudo reel of the liquid crystal display device 30, sends a reel drive signal to the motor driver 25, and drives only the valid reel determined by the previous lottery. And a reel drive signal for causing the reel drive signal to be output. The CPU 20 sends a backlight lighting signal limited to the backlight illuminating the effective reel to the reel lighting device 35. Further, the CPU 20 sends a display light lighting signal to the pay line display device 24 to light only the third winning line in which two valid reels are arranged and the display light 15 of the second winning line in which at least one effective reel is arranged. Send. As shown in FIG. 6, the player compares the symbol whose visibility is increased by the illumination of the backlight 36 with the symbol of low visibility whose backlight 36 is turned off, and compares the symbol with the activated extension. The winning line can be easily recognized. Further, by checking the indicator light 15, the extended pay line can be checked.
[0041]
When the reel 27 is driven to start variable display of symbols in the sub-display area 3b, sampling of random numbers is performed to determine the effective reel stop positions. After a certain time, stop control of the reel 27 is started, and symbols are stopped and displayed in each basic area of the sub display area 3b. When all the symbols in the sub display area 3b are stopped and displayed, the CPU 20 reads the symbol array data in the ROM 21 based on the stop positions of the valid reels. The information of the stopped symbols is input to the second winning determination unit 33. As described above, the symbol displayed by the invalid reel is input as an invalid symbol that does not constitute a winning combination.
[0042]
The second winning determination unit 33 determines whether a winning or a losing occurs based on whether or not a combination of three or more symbols has been made from a combination of symbols arranged on the first to third winning lines. In the case of a loss, one game ends. In the case of a win, whether the extended winning line obtained from the combination is a winning combination of 5 rows, a winning combination of 4 rows, or a combination of 3 rows The winning class is identified by, and a finer class is identified by the type of the symbol. The second winning determination unit 33 calculates the total number of medals to be paid according to the winning class determined for each winning line, and outputs a payout processing signal to the CPU 20. The CPU 20 adds the number of credits and ends one game.
[0043]
Note that, in the above-described embodiment, a description is given of a combination of a mechanical reel and a pseudo reel. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and symbols may be displayed only on a mechanical reel or only on a pseudo reel displayed on a screen. Good. When a mechanical reel is used, in order to make it easy to distinguish an effective reel from an invalid reel, the invalid reel may be covered with a shielding means such as a shutter so as to be completely invisible to a player. In addition, the symbols of the symbols arranged on the reel are formed with special ink that emits light by ultraviolet light, so that they can not be distinguished from the background color of the symbol under normal lighting, so that only the effective reel is irradiated with ultraviolet light Then, the player may be made to recognize the activated extended winning symbol. The determination of whether or not to execute the special game and the determination of the extended winning line may be performed by means other than the electronic lottery. A distribution pattern may be defined in advance, and the distribution pattern may be circulated in a predetermined rotation.
[0044]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, after the base game using only the main display area 3a ends, the process is shifted to the special game using the sub display area 3b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The timing for starting variable display of symbols and the timing for performing stop display within 3b can be changed as appropriate. For example, before the symbols are all stopped and displayed in the main display area 3a, the variable display of the symbols may be started in the sub display area 3b. In addition, the lottery for determining whether or not to execute the special game is not limited to being performed after the end of the base game, and the variable display of the main display area 3a and the sub display area 3b may be simultaneously performed at the start of the game by the start operation.
[0045]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In FIG. 7, a pachinko machine 40 to which the present invention is applied has a symbol display device 42 incorporated in a board surface 41. A starting hole 43 is provided below the symbol display device 42. The board 41 is provided with an appropriate number of normal winning holes 44, attackers 45, out holes 46, obstacle nails and windmills (not shown). The pachinko balls hit by the ball firing device on the board surface 41 one by one enter one of the starting hole 43, the normal winning hole 44, and the out hole 46. When the pachinko ball enters the starting hole 43, the symbol display device 42 operates, and when a hit comes out, the attacker 45 opens.
[0046]
When a pachinko ball enters the starting hole 43 and the normal winning hole 44, a win is made and a premium ball is paid out. When the attacker 45 is opened, a prize hole appears, and when a pachinko ball enters, a prize ball is paid out. The attacker 45 is closed when a predetermined number (for example, 10) of pachinko balls enter the winning hole that has appeared, and is opened immediately. The attacker 45 repeats this opening and closing operation a certain number of times. Pachinko balls are likely to enter the prize holes that appear when the attacker 45 is opened, and when the attacker 45 is opened, many prize balls are paid out.
[0047]
In FIG. 8, the display screen 42a of the symbol display device 42 is divided into a square matrix of 5 rows and 5 columns, and one symbol is stopped and displayed in each divided basic region. The display screen 42a includes a main display area 47 in which symbols are displayed in three rows and three columns, and a sub display area 48 surrounding the main display area 47. The main display area 47 is composed of a total of nine basic areas, and the sub display area 48 is composed of 16 basic areas. Note that the frame dividing the screen is not essential and may be omitted. The symbol display device 42 performs a fluid display in which a plurality of types of symbols appear from above and disappear from below in each basic area, and one of the winning lines set in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions. The time when the same symbol is stopped and displayed together is displayed as a hit.
[0048]
FIG. 9 schematically shows the internal configuration of the pachinko machine 40. Illustration and description of the configuration common to general pachinko machines, for example, the detection of a pachinko ball that has entered the normal winning hole 44 and the payout process of a premium ball associated therewith are omitted.
[0049]
The main controller 50 manages the operation of the pachinko machine according to a predetermined sequence. When a pachinko ball is detected by the starting hole sensor 51 incorporated in the starting hole 43, a start signal is input to the main control unit 50. The main controller 50 activates the display controller 52 in response to the start signal. The display control unit 52 reads the graphic data of the symbols and the arrangement data of the symbols stored in the symbol data memory 53, outputs an image signal to the liquid crystal display device 54, and performs variable display and stop display of the symbols on the display screen 42a. Control.
[0050]
The random number generation unit 55 outputs a random number value extracted at random. The winning determination unit 56 refers to the winning probability table 57 based on the input random number value, and determines whether the result of the lottery corresponds to a jackpot, a hit, or a loss. The winning probability table 57 is obtained by assigning a big hit, a hit, and a loss to the random number value output from the random number generating unit 55, and includes a first probability table 57a and a second probability table 57b.
[0051]
Normally, the first probability table 57a is used, and for example, the total occurrence probability of hits and jackpots is set to 1/359. On the other hand, the second probability table 57b is used when a big hit occurs, and the total occurrence probability of the hit and the big hit is set to 1/60. When a big hit occurs, the probability table to be referred to is switched from the first probability table 57a to the second probability table 57b, and the second probability table 57b is used for the next winning determination. In the following description, the case where the first probability table 57a is referred to at the time of winning determination is referred to as a normal mode, and the case where the second probability table 57b is referred to is referred to as a probability variation mode. When the result of the winning determination is a win or a big hit, the main control unit 50 activates the attacker driving unit 58 and causes the attacker 45 to perform the opening / closing operation.
[0052]
The winning determination unit 56 shifts to the probability change mode when a big hit occurs in the normal mode, and shifts to the normal mode when a hit or a loss occurs in the probability change mode. If a big hit occurs in the probability variation mode, the probability variation mode is continued. In the probability variation mode, the attacker 45 is more likely to be opened because the probability of a hit or a big hit is higher than in the normal mode, and the number of prize balls to be paid out increases. Note that the transition to the probability variation mode is notified to the player by a display (not shown) incorporated in the pachinko machine 40.
[0053]
In response to the input of the determination result by the winning determination unit 56, the display symbol determination unit 59 refers to the display pattern storage table 60, and displays a symbol for displaying a win, a big hit, and a loss on the display screen 42a. Determine the display pattern. The display pattern storage table 60 includes a jackpot combination storage table 60a, a winning combination storage table 60b, and a losing pattern storage table 60c. The display pattern storage table 60 stores a predetermined symbol based on the arrangement of the symbols stored in the symbol data memory 53. The combination data is stored.
[0054]
In the winning combination storage table 60b, a pattern in which three identical symbols are aligned on one winning line only in the main display area 47, and the same symbol is assigned to one winning line by the main display area 47 and the sub display area 48. A pattern in which three or four pieces are arranged on the upper side is stored. The jackpot combination storage table 60a includes a pattern in which three symbols are aligned and arranged on a plurality of pay lines in the main display area 47, and a pattern in which five identical symbols are aligned and arranged by the main display area 47 and the sub display area 48. Is stored. The loss pattern storage table 60c stores display patterns in which three or more symbols are not aligned on the pay line other than these combinations.
[0055]
In response to the input of a new random number value from random number generation section 55, display symbol determination section 59 extracts one display pattern from a table according to the result of the winning determination. The display symbol determination unit 59 outputs the extracted display pattern data to the display control unit 52. The display control unit 52 stops and displays the symbols on the display screen 42a according to the input display pattern data.
[0056]
Next, the operation flow of the pachinko machine 40 will be described with reference to FIG. When the player operates the ball launching device, the pachinko balls are launched one by one, and the launched pachinko balls enter any one of the starting hole 43, the normal winning hole 44, and the out hole 46 in the process of falling on the board surface 41. Before the pachinko ball enters the starting hole 43, the symbol is stopped and displayed only in the main display area 47, and the symbol is not displayed in the sub display area 48. When the pachinko ball enters the starting hole 43, this is detected by the starting hole sensor 51, and the main control unit 50 activates the display control unit 52 to start variable display of symbols on the liquid crystal screen. In addition, the random number generation unit 55 and the winning determination unit 56 operate to perform a winning lottery. The winning determination unit 56 is set to the normal mode in an initial state, and performs a winning determination with reference to the first probability table 57a.
[0057]
When the winning determination is completed, the result is input from the main control unit 50 to the display symbol determination unit 59. The display symbol determination section 59 reads out the display pattern data from the display pattern storage table 60 based on the random number value according to the determination result, and outputs this. The display pattern data is input to the display control unit 52, and symbols are variably displayed on the display screen 42a according to the determined display pattern. That is, when the determined display pattern uses nine symbols in the main display area 47, only the main display area 47 is displayed on the display screen 42a before and after variable display of symbols is started. 9 symbols are displayed.
[0058]
On the other hand, if the determined display pattern uses nine or more symbols in the main display area 47 and the sub display area 48, only nine symbols are displayed in the main display area 47 before the variable display of the symbols is started. From the non-display state, the symbols appear at several places in the sub display area 48 after the variable display starts. The number of symbols that appear after the start of the variable display differs depending on the display pattern data stored in advance in the display pattern storage table 60. When the symbols appear in all the sub display areas 48, one symbol appears in the sub display area 48. There are various types, such as when only symbols appear.
[0059]
In the pachinko machine 40, regardless of whether or not a symbol appears in the sub display area 48, it is already determined whether a hit, a jackpot, or a loss will occur. However, as the number of appearing symbols increases, the final If the display pattern of the symbol is set so that the frequency of hitting is increased, the effect of maintaining the expectation of the player can be further enhanced.
[0060]
When the symbols are variably displayed for a certain period of time, the display control unit 52 gradually reduces the variable display speed of the symbols, and the symbols are stopped and displayed in each basic area. When all the symbols are stopped and displayed, any of the win, big hit, and loss is determined. In the case of the hit and big hit, the display on the display screen 42a or the lighting device provided in the pachinko machine 40 (shown in FIG. (None), an appeal effect indicating that a hit or a big hit has been made is performed.
[0061]
When the display of the win or the big hit is determined, the main control unit 50 operates the attacker driving unit 58, the attacker 45 is opened, and a special winning hole appears. When ten pachinko balls enter the special winning hole, the attacker 45 is temporarily closed and opened again. When the opening and closing operation is performed 16 times, the attacker driving section 58 closes the attacker 45, and the game for one hit is completed.
[0062]
In the above embodiments, the main display area in which symbols are stopped and displayed in a 3 × 3 square matrix and the sub-display area in which basic areas all surrounding the main display area are arranged are arranged as a whole. Although a square matrix symbol can be displayed, the symbol display surface is arranged so that the main display area in which the basic areas are linearly arranged and the sub-display area surrounding the main display area form a rectangular matrix as a whole. It may be formed. Further, the sub-display area may be composed of a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows of basic areas.
[0063]
The term "basic area" used in this specification is a small window provided so that a player can easily recognize a symbol stopped and displayed by a motor-driven reel, and a symbol is displayed by an electronic display. This means an area on the display screen defined to have a predetermined size when displaying. However, it is not necessary to separately provide small windows for the purpose of stopping and displaying one symbol. When a three-reel display is performed, a small window large enough to simultaneously display three symbols is formed. The basic region does not necessarily have to be visually recognized. In addition, in the case of displaying symbols using an electronic display, the size of the basic region can be appropriately changed during a game, so that the final region in which all symbols are stopped and displayed is displayed. As a display mode, the basic regions may be arranged in a matrix.
[0064]
In the present invention, not only a winning line in which a hit may be displayed is notified by a lighting effect, but also a notification for visually appealing to a player by irregular rotation of a reel or the like, a special effect sound or an audio guide. In addition to this, the notification of four rows, five pieces, and a higher-ranked hit that is set more, and the notification of the reach eye that becomes a hit when one remaining symbol is arranged are also used. A directing may be performed.
[0065]
The present invention is not limited to a slot machine that determines the presence or absence of a prize after all symbols are stopped and displayed, and a slot machine that performs stop display of symbols by a player's stop operation, without being limited to a pachinko machine that determines a hit or a loss in advance. Or, it may be used as an auxiliary game for other gaming machines. In addition, the way of displaying the winning may be changed as appropriate, and not only the combination when the specific symbols are stopped side by side on the winning line, but also the display of the winning based on the number of displayed specific symbols stopped. And so on. Also, a symbol pattern can be appropriately selected as a number, a mark, a pattern, a color, a character, or the like. In addition to displaying symbols using a dot matrix type display device, another electronic display device such as a 7 segment type display device may be used, and the type and number of symbols are not limited.
[0066]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the gaming machine symbol display device of the present invention, the main display area on which a plurality of symbols are displayed and the sub-display area surrounding the main display area display the symbols as a whole in a matrix. This makes it possible to perform a display that gives a unified feeling to the player and gives a cohesive impression as compared with the conventional one in which the symbol display surface has a peculiar shape. In the case where the main display area is arranged in a three-row, three-column arrangement to display symbols in the same manner as in the related art, the number of displayed symbols is increased by notifying an effective pay line determined by medal insertion, electronic lottery or the like. Display can be prevented from becoming complicated. Regarding the notification of the activated pay line, the complication of the display can be further suppressed by hiding or hiding the symbols that do not need to be watched by the player or reducing the visibility of the symbols that do not need to be watched.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a slot machine to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a symbol display window.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the slot machine.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of the slot machine.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a display mode of symbols during a base game.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a display mode of symbols during a special game.
FIG. 7 is a front view of a pachinko machine to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a screen configuration of the liquid crystal display device.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a pachinko machine.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of the operation of the symbol display device.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 slot machine
3 Symbol display window
3a, 47 Main display area
3b, 48 Sub display area
15 Indicator light
24 Winning line display device
27 reel
30,54 liquid crystal display device
32 1st prize judging section
33 2nd prize judging section
35 Reel lighting device
36 Backlight
40 Pachinko machine
42 Symbol display device
42a Display screen
55 Prize-winning judgment section
57 Win probability table
59 Display symbol determination unit
60 display pattern storage table

Claims (6)

In a gaming machine equipped with a symbol display device that displays a winning or a losing by variably displaying symbols stopped and displayed on a symbol display surface,
The symbol display surface includes a main display area in which a plurality of basic areas in which one symbol is stopped and displayed are arranged, and a sub display area in which the basic areas are arranged around the main display area. The basic area is arranged in a matrix by the area and the sub display area,
First display control means for variably displaying symbols in the main display area and stopping and displaying symbols for each of the basic areas;
Second display control means for performing variable display and stop display of symbols in at least a part of the basic area of the sub display area,
A gaming machine comprising: switching means for switching whether to activate the second display control means. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying unit for notifying an effective basic area in which variable display and stop display of symbols are performed by the second display control unit. 3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the notifying unit performs a display for improving visibility of the symbol displayed in the effective basic area as compared with an invalid basic area in which the variable display of the symbol is not performed. 4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches an operation of the second display control unit based on a result of the electronic lottery. 5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein an effective basic area in which variable display and stop display of symbols are performed by the second display control means is determined based on an electronic lottery result. The second display control means starts variable display of symbols in the sub display area after the first display control means stops and displays all symbols in the main display area. Item 6. The gaming machine according to any one of Items 1 to 5.

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