Gaming machine, server, and program with virtual player

• US 20040092312A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Co., LTD
• Inventors: Toyoda, Hirobumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,306,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A gaming machine, with which a plurality of players play a game against each other, is provided so as to enable the players to perform realistic tactical interactions with each other. In such player-versus-player type gaming machine, a virtual player is prepared in advance. Each virtual player is provided with an individual personality data and/or response data so that an image of the virtual player is arranged to be displayed in accordance with the data.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a display means for displaying a state of a game; and

a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a player;

wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game against each other, the gaming machine comprising;

an image data storage means for storing image data to be displayed on said display means as an image of the virtual player; and

a response image data storage means for storing response image data, the response image data being provided individually according to each virtual player and displayed as images on said display means in association with expressions exhibited in accordance with a circumstance of the game being played with the gaming machine;

wherein said game control means causes the response image data to be reproduced in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

an audio output means for providing audio output in accordance with the circumstance of the game; and

a response audio data storage means for storing response audio data in association with a plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game, the audio data comprising a plurality of response audio data of each virtual player, the audio data being output as a voice of the virtual player with said audio output means;

wherein said game control means causes the response audio data to be reproduced in association with an expression exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, further comprising a data changing means for changing the response image data and/or the response audio data in accordance with a game playing history information of the virtual player, and/or fortune information of the virtual player.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said display means is installed individually for each player playing the game with said gaming machine.

5. The gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a message information sending means, with which a first player among the plurality of players sends message information to a second player among the plurality of players;

and

a message information receiving means, with which the second player receives the message information from the first player.

6. A gaming machine comprising;

a display means for displaying a state of a game; and

a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a player;

wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game against each other, the gaming machine further comprising;

a response image data storage means for storing response image data of each virtual player and in association with a plurality of expressions that each virtual player exhibits in accordance with the circumstance of the game, wherein image data displayed as an image of the virtual player with said display means comprises the response image data of each virtual player;

wherein said game control means causes the response image data to be reproduced in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 6, further comprising:

an audio output means for providing audio output in accordance with the circumstance of the game; and

a response audio data storage means for storing response audio data in association with a plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game, the audio data comprising a plurality of response audio data of each virtual player, the audio data being output as a voice of the virtual player with said audio output means;

wherein said game control means causes the response audio data to be reproduced in association with an expression exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 6, further comprising:

a game playing history storage means for storing game playing history information of each virtual player in association with each virtual player; and

a data changing means for changing association between image data of each virtual player and the plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game in accordance with the game playing history information.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein said display means is installed individually for each player playing the game with said gaming machine.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 6, further comprising a message information sending means, with which a first player among the plurality of players sends message information to a second player among the plurality of players;

and

a message information receiving means, with which the second player receives the message information from the first player.

11. A server controlling gaming machines via a communication line, each gaming machine comprising:

a display means for displaying a state of a game; and

a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a player;

wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game against each other, the server comprising;

an image data storage means for storing image data to be displayed on said display means as an image of the virtual player; and

a response image data storage means for storing response image data, the response image data being provided individually according to each virtual player and displayed as images on said display means in association with expressions exhibited in accordance with a circumstance of the game being played with the each gaming machine;

wherein said game control means causes the response image data to be displayed on said display means, the response image data being stored by said response image data storage.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the each gaming machine further comprises an audio output means for providing sound or voice in accordance with the circumstance of the game, the server comprising:

a response audio data storage means for storing response audio data of each virtual player in association with a plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game, the audio data comprising the plurality of response audio data of each virtual player, the audio data being output as a voice of the virtual player with said audio output means;

wherein said game control means causes the response audio data to be reproduced in association with an expression exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the each gaming machine.

13. The server according to claim 12, further comprising:

a game playing history storage means for storing game playing history information of each virtual player in association with each virtual player; and

a data changing means for changing association between image data of each virtual player and the plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game in accordance with the game playing history information.

14. The server according to claim 13, each of the gaming machines comprising a message information sending/receiving means, with which a plurality of real players send and receive message information among each other,

wherein the server comprises a communication control means for controlling communication among the gaming machines.

15. A program being executed with a gaming machine comprising:

a display means for displaying a state of a game; and

a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a player;

wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game against each other, and the gaming machine furthermore comprising;

an image data storage means for storing image data to be displayed on said display means as an image of the virtual player; and

a response image data storage means for storing response image data, the response image data being provided individually according to each virtual player and displayed as images on said display means in association with expressions exhibited in accordance with a circumstance of the game being played with the gaming machine;

wherein the program comprises playing the response image data in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine, the response image data being stored by said response image data storage means.

16. A gaming machine comprising:

a display screen which displays a state of a game; and

a game control device which administers a progress of the game and controls the state of the game in accordance with information input by a player;

wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game against each other, the gaming machine further comprising;

an image data storage device which stores a plurality of image data that are displayed on said display screen as an image of the virtual player; and

a response image data storage device which stores response image data of each virtual player being provided individually and being displayed as an image on said display screen in association with an expression exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game being played with the gaming machine;

wherein said game control device causes the response image data to be reproduced in accordance with the circumstance of the game being played with the gaming machine.

17. The gaming machine according to claim 16, further comprising:

an audio output device which provides audio output in accordance with the circumstance of the game; and

a response audio data storage device which stores the response audio data in association with a plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game, the audio data comprising a plurality of response audio data of each virtual player, the audio data being output as a voice of the virtual player with said audio output means;

wherein said game control device causes the response audio data to be reproduced in association with an expression exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game played with the gaming machine.

18. The gaming machine as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

a game playing history storage device which stores game playing history information in association with each virtual player; and

a data change controlling device which changes association between the respective response image data of each virtual player and the plurality of expressions exhibited in accordance with the circumstance of the game based on the game playing history information.

19. The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein said display screen is installed individually for each real player playing the game.

20. The gaming machine according to claim 16, further comprising a message information sending/receiving device such that a plurality of real players send and receive message information each other.