Game system

• US 6,676,514 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kusuda, Kazuhiro, Ando, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US09/538,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/24
• US Class Current: 463/24
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

A game system which is capable of ensuring continuity of a game is provided. A game system for paying for recreation value according to progress of a game, has a magnetic information reading device for reading information in an attachable/detachable recording medium, an SRAM for storing state and history of a suspended game corresponding to each of the recording media, and a medal management device for paying for recreation value according to progress of the game. Specifying information for specifying each of the recording media is recorded in each of the recording media, the state and history of the game are stored in the SRAM corresponding to the specifying information, and the rest of the game is continuously progressed by using the state and history of the game which were stored in the RAM corresponding to the specifying information read by the magnetic information reading device.

Claims

1. A game system for paying for recreating value according to progress of a game, comprising:

a plurality of recording mediums, each of said recording mediums containing unique code information; and

an arcade machine, said recording mediums being detachably connectable to said arcade machine, said arcade machine having

reading means for reading the code information in each of said recording mediums when said recording mediums are coupled to said arcade machine;

storage means for storing a state and a history of suspended games each in association with the code information in a respective one of said recording mediums;

stations for accepting input operations by players;

game progress means for progressing a game in accordance with the input operations accepted by said stations; and

paying means for paying for recreation value according to the progress of the game in said game progress means,

wherein

said game progress means restarts a suspended game using the state and history of the suspended game stored in said storage means when said reading means read the code information on a respective one of said recording mediums associated with the suspended game.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said recording mediums do not contain the state and history of a suspended game.

3. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said recording mediums contain additional information not related to progress of the game.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said recording mediums are magnetic cards.

5. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said arcade machine further comprises determining means for determining whether the code information read by said reading means is correct.

6. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the state and history of the game include final play information regarding the last time the game was played;

and

wherein the older states and histories of games stored in said storage means take priority in a deletion process based on the final play information.

7. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said reading means is provided to each of said stations.

8. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said storage means includes:

a first storage device provided to each of said stations, for temporarily storing the state and history of the game generated according to the input operations; and

a second storage device for updating the old state and history of the game by means of the state and history of the game stored in said first storage device.

9. A game system according to claim 8, wherein said game progress means reads the corresponding state and history of the game from said second storage device into said first storage device based on the code information read by said reading means, and continuously progresses the game using the state and history of the game read into said first storage device.

10. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said arcade machine further comprises

a common field for progressing the game;

said stations being arranged to accept input operations by a player relating to the game progressed in said common field.

11. A game system according to claim 6, wherein the object to be raised is a race horse on the game, and the object is nominated for the race in said common field.

12. A game system according to claim 10, wherein:

the state and history of the game include raised results of an object to be raised by the player in the station; and

the object to be raised participates in a race on the game in said common field, and the object displays its ability in the race according to the raised results.

13. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the state and history of the game include raising results of an object to be raised by the player on the game.

14. A game system according to claim 13, wherein:

the state and history of the game include the raising results of an object to be raised by the player on the game; and

the object to be raised participates in a race on the game, and the object displays its ability in the race according to the raised results.

15. A game system according to claim 13, wherein said recording mediums are magnetic cards.

16. A game system according to claim 13, wherein said arcade machine further comprises determining means for determining whether the code information read by said reading means is correct.

17. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said arcade machine further comprises

writing means for writing information into said recording mediums,

wherein said writing means writes the code information into each of said recording mediums at the time of suspension of the game.

18. A game system according to claim 17, wherein said arcade machine further comprises

a common field for progressing the game;

said stations being arranged to accept input operations by a player relating to the game progressed in said common field.

19. A game system according to claim 17, wherein the state and history of the game include final play information regarding the last time the game was played;

and

wherein the older states and histories of games stored in said storage means take priority in a deletion process based on the final play information.

20. A game system according to claim 17, wherein said recording mediums are magnetic cards.

21. A game system according to claim 17, wherein the state and history of the game include raising results of an object to be raised by the player on the game.

22. A game system according to claim 21, wherein said arcade machine further comprises determining means for determining whether the code information read by said reading means is correct.

23. A game system according to claim 21, wherein said recording mediums are magnetic cards.

24. A game system according to claim 17, wherein said writing means rewrites the code information in the recording mediums at the time of suspension of the game.

25. A game system according to claim 24, wherein said arcade machine further comprises:

collating means for collating the code information stored in said recording mediums and in said storage means; and

code information creating means for creating the code information based on internal information in said game system,

wherein said writing means writes the code information created by said code information creating means into said recording mediums; and

the code information created by said code information creating means is stored in said storage means.

26. A game system according to claim 24, wherein said arcade machine further comprises

a common field for progressing the game;

said stations being arranged to accept input operations by a player relating to the game progressed in said common field.

27. A game system according to claim 24, wherein the state and history of the game include final play information regarding the last time the game was played;

and

wherein the older states and histories of games stored in said storage means take priority in a deletion process based on the final play information.

28. A game system according to claim 24, wherein the state and history of the game include raising results of an object to be raised by the player on the game.

29. A game system according to claim 24, wherein said arcade machine further comprises determining means for determining whether the code information read by said reading means is correct.

30. A game system according to claim 24, wherein said recording mediums are magnetic cards.

31. A game system according to claim 17, wherein said arcade machine further comprises determining means for determining whether the code information read by said reading means is correct.

32. A game system for paying for recreation value according to progress of a game, comprising:

a first arcade game machine;

a second arcade game machine;

a plurality of recording mediums, each of said recording mediums containing unique code information and being detachably connectable to said first and second arcade game machines;

storage means arranged in said first arcade game machine for storing a state and history of suspended games each in association with the code information in a respective one of said recording mediums; and

communication means for connecting said second arcade game machine and said storage means,

wherein said first and second arcade game machines are each provided with;

reading means for reading the code information in each of said recording mediums when said recording mediums are coupled to said arcade machine;

stations for accepting input operations by players;

game progress means for progressing a game in accordance with the input operations accepted by said stations; and

pay means for paying recreation value according to progress of the game in said game progress means,

wherein

said game progress means of said second arcade game machine acquires the state and history of the suspended game stored in said storage means via said communication means when said reading means of said second arcade game machine read the code information on a respective one of said recording mediums associated with the suspended game, and restarts the suspended game in said second arcade game machine using the acquired state and history of the suspended game.

33. A game system according to claim 32, wherein said recording mediums do not contain the state and history of a suspended game.