Gaming machine, server, and program with image of real player

• US 7,309,280 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Co., LTD
• Inventors: Toyoda, Hirobumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US10/619,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20040087355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/16
• 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 a player-versus-player type gaming machine, a plurality of players including a virtual player prepared in advance play the game. Each virtual player is provided with individual personality data and/or response data and images of players are arranged to be displayed in accordance with these data. A change in expression of a real player may be captured by an image taking device.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a display part 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 plurality of players;

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

an image taking means for taking an image of the real player, said image taking means being installed in the gaming machine;

an image data storage means for storing a plurality of image data that are displayed on said display part as images of the virtual player and the real player;

a response image data storage means for storing response image data of each virtual player in relation to the state of the game, the image data being displayed as an image in said display part at a predetermined state of the game played with the gaming machine;

a detection means for detecting player insufficiency in playing the game with the gaming machine; and

a virtual player selection means for selecting the virtual player according to a detection result by said detection means;

wherein said game control means has the virtual player participate in the game being played with the gaming machine, the virtual player being selected by said virtual player selection means according to the detection result by said detection means; and

wherein said game control means causes said display part to show an image of the real player being taken at a predetermined timing by said image taking means, and the response image data being stored by said response image data storage means according to the state of the game being played with the gaming machine.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing comprises a timing at which a change is about to occur, a change is occurring, or a change has occurred in the game state with at least one player among the plurality of players playing the game with the gaming machine.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein each virtual player is set to have each predetermined personality such that a first virtual player shows a first response image corresponding to a first expression, which differs from a second expression corresponding to a second response image by a second virtual player on at least one state of the game or a change of the state of the game.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein each virtual player is set to have each predetermined personality such that a first virtual player shows a first response image corresponding to a first expression, which differs from a second expression corresponding to a second response image by a second virtual player on at least one state of the game or a change of the state of the game.

5. A gaming machine comprising:

a display part for displaying a state of a game;

a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a plurality of players, wherein the plurality of players include at least one real player and at least one virtual player who is not a real player and the players play the game against each other; and

a responding image data storage means for storing image data to be displayed selectively on said display part as an image of the virtual player on a predetermined occasion of the game being played on the gaming machine, the image data comprising a plurality of response image data of each virtual player;

wherein said game control means has the virtual player participate in the game being played on the gaming machine so that the response image data stored in said image data storage means is displayed on said display part at a predetermined timing depending on a state of the game being played on the gaming machine;

wherein said game control means (i) determines a quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player and (ii) selects the stored image data to be displayed such that the displayed image of the virtual player represents a play tactic of that virtual player corresponding to the determined quality for play of the at least one real player;

wherein the quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player is determined based on (i) past play history of that real player, including one or more of number of times betting, betted quality, average betting time, and number of wins, and (ii) personality of that real player, including one or more of carefulness, degree as a gambler, decisiveness and gaming strength.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined timing comprises a timing at which a change is about to occur, a change is occurring, or a change has occurred in the game state with at least one player among the plurality of players playing the game with the gaming machine.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 6, wherein each virtual player is set to have each predetermined personality such that a first virtual player shows a first response image corresponding to a first expression, which differs from a second expression corresponding to a second response image by a second virtual player on at least one state of the game or a change of the state of the game.

8. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein each virtual player is set to have each predetermined personality such that a first virtual player shows a first response image corresponding to a first expression, which differs from a second expression corresponding to a second response image by a second virtual player on at least one state of the game or a change of the state of the game.

9. A server controlling gaming machines via a communication line, wherein each gaming machine comprises a display part for displaying a state of a game, a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a real player, and an image taking means for taking an image of the real player, and wherein a plurality of players including at least one virtual player who is not a real player play the game again each other, the server comprising:

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

a response image data storage means for storing response image data of each virtual player in relation to the state of the game, the image data being displayed as an image on said display part at a predetermined state of the game played with the gaming machine;

a detection means for detecting player insufficiency in playing the game with the gaming machine; and

a virtual player selection means for selecting the virtual player according to a detection result by said detection means;

wherein said game control means have the virtual player participate in the game being played with the gaming machine, said virtual player being selected by said virtual player selection means according to the detection result by said detection means;

wherein said game control means cause said display part to show at least one of an image of the real player being taken at a predetermined timing by said image taking means, and the response image data being stored by said response image data storage means according to the state of the game being played with the gaming machine;

wherein said game control means (i) determine a quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player and (ii) select the stored response image data to be displayed such that the displayed image of the virtual player represents a play tactic of that virtual player corresponding to the determined quality for play of the at least one real player;

wherein the quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player is determined based on (i) past play history of that real player, including one or more of number of times betting, betted quality, average betting time, and number of wins, and (ii) personality of that real player, including one or more of carefulness, degree as a gambler, decisiveness and gaming strength.

10. A computer program recorded on a computer readable medium for execution by a gaming machine comprising a display part for displaying a state of a game, a game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a real player, and an image taking means for taking an image of the real player, an image data storage means for storing a plurality of image data to be displayed on said display part as an image of a virtual player or the real player, and a response image data storage means for storing response image data of each virtual player in relation to the state of the game, the image data being displayed as an image on said display part at a predetermined state of the game played with the gaming machine, wherein a plurality of players, including at least one virtual player who is not a real player, play the game against each other, the execution of the program resulting in the game machine:

detecting player insufficiency in playing the game with the gaming machine;

causing a virtual player to participate in the game being played with the gaming machine, the virtual player being selected according to a detection result by said detection means;

displaying on said display part at least one of an image of the real player being taken at a predetermined timing by said image taking means and the response image data being stored by said response image data storage means according to the state of the game being played with the gaming machine;

determining a quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player; and

selecting the stored response image data to be displayed such that the displayed image of the virtual player represents a play tactic of that virtual player corresponding to the determined quality for play of the at least one real player;

wherein the quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player is determined based on (i) past play history of that real player, including one or more of number of times betting, betted quality, average betting time, and number of wins, and (ii) personality of that player, including one or more of carefulness, degree as a gambler, decisiveness and gaming strength.

11. A gaming machine including a display part for displaying a state of a game, and game control means for controlling the state of the game in accordance with information input by a plurality of players playing the game against each other, wherein the plurality of players include at least one real player and at least one virtual player who is not a real player, the gaming machine comprising:

a responding image data storage means for storing image data to be displayed selectively on said display part as an image of a virtual player on a predetermined occasion of the name being played on the gaming machine, the image data including a plurality of response image data of each virtual player;

wherein said game control means have the virtual player participate in the game being played on the gaming machine so that the response image data stored in said image data storage means is displayed on said display part at a predetermined timing depending on a state of the game being played on the gaming machine, and said game control means select the response image data based on game condition data for each real player, the game condition data represents a quality of player of the game by each of the at least one real player;

wherein said game control means select the response image data such that the displayed image of the virtual player represents a play tactic of that virtual player corresponding to the quality for play of the at least one real player; and

wherein the quality of play of the game by each of the at least one real player corresponds to (i) past play history of that real player, including one or more of number of times betting, betted quality, average betting time, and number of wins, and (ii) personality of that real player, including one or more of carefulness, degree as a gambler, decisiveness and gaming strength.