Online game method and game system

• US 6,848,991 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Kusuda, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/785,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 6, 463/16, 463 21- 25, 463/27, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 700 91- 93
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/143 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A plurality of horse racing game machines (1a, 1b, . . . 1n) and a control unit (2) for controlling game execution states of the horse racing game machines (1a, 1b, . . . 1n) are connected via a communication line (L). The control unit (2) provides the horse racing game machines for performing the race with part or the entirety of game-related data required for executing the game. The race is simultaneously held at the horse racing game machines (1a, 1b, . . . 1n). Execution states of the race and betting odds generated at all the horse racing game machines (1a, 1b, . . . 1n) are collected by the control unit (2). At the same time, the collected race execution states and integrated betting odds are presented in real time to the players surrounding all the horse racing game machines (1a, 1b, . . . 1n) using synthesized speech.

Claims

1. An online game method comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of game machines, each machine being capable of executing the same game program for a single betting-type racing game played by a plurality of players assembled in one place and a control unit for controlling game execution states of each of the game machines via a communication line;

providing, by the control unit, part or the entirety of game-related data required for executing the racing game to each of the game machines for performing the race at each game machine;

after the providing step, simultaneously executing, by each of the game machines, the racing game based on the game-related data;

collecting, by the control unit, execution states of the of game program being executed for the race at each of the game machines and betting odds generated at each of the game machines; and

presenting, in real time, (1) the collected race execution states from all game machines and (2) the integrated betting odds from all game machines to the players surrounding all the game machines using at least one of visual information and auditory information.

2. The online game method of claim 1, wherein the game machines for performing the race cause the players to compete with one another in running abilities of running models whose running abilities are improved by the respective players, and wherein when the race is terminated, a game value in accordance with the betting odds is paid off.

3. The online game method of claim 1, wherein the racing game is a game simulating an actual race, and wherein whenever up-to-date information on the actual race is generated, the control unit provides the game machines for performing the race with the information as part of the game-related data.

4. The online game method of claim 1, wherein the control unit periodically provides the game machines for performing the race with up-to-date information generated by an actual race as part of the game-related data.

5. The online game method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the game machines comprises an accepting device which accepts speech registration data desired by the players, and wherein when the game machine presents the race execution states using synthesized speech, the game machine forms and presents synthesized speech which at least includes the speech registration data as part of the synthesized speech.

6. The online game method of claim 1, further comprising receiving by the control unit predetermined characteristics of the players running model.

7. The online game method of claim 1, further comprising controlling by said control unit each of the plurality of game machines so as to synchronize the start of race games respectively executed by the plurality of game machines.

8. The online game method of claim 1, further comprising computing by said control unit integrated odds which are common among all of the plurality of game machines based on betting odds inputted by each player at each of the plurality of game machines.

9. The online game method of claim 1, wherein the races executed by the plurality of game machines are independent of each other.

10. The online game method of claim 1, further comprising collecting by said control unit executing states of the races and presenting the collected race execution states to the players surrounding all the game machines using at least one of visual information and auditory information in real time.

11. An online game method comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of game machines capable of performing a single betting-type racing game played by a plurality of players assembled in one place and a control unit for controlling game execution states of each of the game machines via a communication line;

providing, by the control unit, part or the entirety of game-related data required for executing the racing game to the game machines for performing the race;

after the providing step, enabling the game machines to execute the racing game based on the game-related data;

collecting, by the control unit, betting odds generated at all the game machines and execution states of the race at the game machines for performing the race; and

presenting, in real time, the race execution states and integrated betting odds to the players surrounding all the game machines using at least one of visual information and auditory information.

12. The online game method of claim 11, wherein the game machines for performing the race cause the players to compete with one another in running abilities of running models whose running abilities are improved by the respective players, and wherein when the race is terminated, a game value in accordance with the betting odds is paid off.

13. The online game method of claim 11, wherein the racing game is a game simulating an actual race, and wherein whenever up-to-date information on the actual race is generated, the control unit provides the game machines for performing the race with the information as part of the game-related data.

14. The online game method of claim 11, wherein the control unit periodically provides the game machines for performing the race with up-to-date information generated by an actual race as part of the game-related data.

15. The online game method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the game machines comprises an accepting device which accepts speech registration data desired by the players, and wherein when the game machine presents the race execution states using synthesized speech, the game machine forms and presents synthesized speech which at least includes the speech registration data as part of the synthesized speech.

16. A game system, comprising:

a plurality of game machines capable of performing a single betting-type racing game played by a plurality of players assembled in one place, the plurality of game machines being connected via a communication line; and

a control unit which performs game execution control of the game machines connected to the communication line,

wherein each of the game machines comprises;

an execution device which obtains part or the entirety of game-related data required for executing the racing game from the control unit, and which executes the racing game based on the obtained game-related data;

a totaling device which totals betting odds for the race;

a sender which sends the totaled betting odds and race execution states of the game machine to the control unit; and

a receiver receiving, from the control unit, integrated race execution states, which are obtained by integrating the race execution states from the game machine and another game machine, and integrated betting odds, the receiver presenting the race execution states in real time to the player surrounding the game machine using at least one of visual information and auditory information, and the receiver displaying the integrated betting odds and betting odds at the game machine.

17. The game system of claim 16, wherein the control unit comprises:

a syllabic phoneme data storing device which stores syllabic phoneme data including accent and intonation; and

a retrieval device which retrieves, from the syllabic phoneme data storing device, a combination of syllabic phoneme data corresponding to the integrated race information, and which outputs the retrieved combination of the syllabic phoneme data to all the game machines, and

wherein each of the game machines further comprises;

a speech synthesis device which produces synthesized speech based on the combination of syllabic phoneme data obtained from the control unit; and

a commentator which gives a running commentary of the racing game using the synthesized speech produced by the speech synthesis device.

18. The game system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the game machines further comprises:

an accepting device which accepts speech registration data registered by the player playing the game machine;

a syllabic phoneme data storing device which stores syllabic phoneme data including accent or intonation;

a speech synthesis device which retrieves the accepted speech registration data and a combination of syllabic phoneme data, which correspond to the integrated race information obtained from the control unit, from the syllabic phoneme data storing device, and the speech synthesis device producing synthesized speech which at least includes the registration data as part of the synthesized speech; and

a commentator which gives a running commentary of the racing game using the synthesized speech produced by the speech synthesis device.

19. The game system of claim 16, wherein the game machines cause the players to compete with one another in running abilities of running models whose running abilities are improved by the respective players, and wherein when the race is terminated, a game value in accordance with the betting odds is paid off.

20. The game system of claim 19, further comprising a ranking device which ranks race results of all the running models appearing in the racing game, and which periodically posts the ranking results on an electronic medium which can be read by the public.

21. The game system of claim 16, wherein the game machines are arcade-type horse racing game machines which partially include information generated by an actual horse race.

22. The game system of claim 16, wherein said game machine further comprising means for a player to specify predetermined characteristics of the players running model.

23. The game system of claim 16, wherein said control unit is operative to control each of the plurality of game machines so as to synchronize the start of race games respectively executed by the plurality of game machines.

24. The game system of claim 16, wherein said control unit is operative to compute unit integrated odds which are common among all of the plurality of game machines based on betting odds inputted by each player at each of the plurality of game machines.

25. The game system of claim 16, wherein the races executed by the plurality of game machines are independent of each other.

26. The game system of claim 16, wherein said control unit is operative to collect executing states of the races and present the collected race execution states to the players surrounding all the game machines using at least one of visual information and auditory information in real time.