Slot machine and control method of game

• US 8,342,936 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay Trent
• Application Number:
  US11/734,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 463/20, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A slot machine of the present invention includes a controller programmed to execute (C) counting the number of games played after shifting to an insurance mode, in the insurance mode, (D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches a specific number, (E) displaying a normal effect image to the image display device in each game until the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches a notice set value, and displaying a winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof, and (F) displaying a specific effect image to the image display device in place of the normal effect image in each game when the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches the notice set value, without displaying the winning effect image.

Claims

1. A slot machine comprising:

a symbol display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols;

an image display device; and

a controller, said controller programmed to execute the processing of;

(A) executing a game in which said plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to said symbol display device after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to said plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination thereof;

(B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted;

(C) counting the number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode;

(D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a specific number;

(E) displaying a normal effect image to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is greater than 1 and smaller than said specific number by a predetermined value, and displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof; and

(F) displaying a specific effect image to said image display device in place of said normal effect image in each game when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value, and not displaying, even when the symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or the combination thereof satisfies said predetermined condition in the game, said winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or the combination thereof.

2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein

said controller is further programmed to execute the processing of:

(G) displaying to said image display device an image showing the number of game media to be paid out according to the symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or the combination thereof in each game, when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value which is smaller than said specific number by the predetermined value.

3. The slot machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

said controller displays, in said processing (F) when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value, said specific effect image to said image display device in place of said normal effect image in each game, and displaying, when the mode is shifted from said insurance mode to said non-insurance mode as a result of the game, said winning effect image according to the symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device in the game or the combination thereof.

4. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further programmed to execute the processing of:

(H) displaying said specific effect image displayed in said processing (F) such that said specific effect image changes according to the number of games.

5. The slot machine according to claim 4, wherein

said specific effect image is a character image, and

said processing (H) includes,

displaying said character image displayed in said processing (F) such that said character performs a series of actions according to the number of games.

6. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further programmed to execute the processing of:

(I) displaying to said image display device an image showing the number of games left to be played until the number of games reaches said specific number, when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value.

7. The slot machine according to claim 6, wherein said processing (I) includes,

displaying said image showing the number of games left to be played to said image display device, every time a game is played until the number of games reaches said specific number, when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value.

8. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said processing (C) includes,

counting the number of games in which game media are BET in number equal to said maximum number of BETs after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode.

9. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said processing (E) includes,

displayed displaying a normal effect image to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is equal to or greater than 60% of said specific number, and

displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof.

10. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said processing (E) includes,

displaying a normal effect image to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is equal to or more than 80% of said specific number, and

displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof.

11. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein display windows in which their back faces are visible are formed on said image display device,

said processing (A) includes a processing in which said plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed via each of said display windows, and

said controller is further programmed to execute the processing of:

(G) displaying a specific effect image in said display windows when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value.

12. The slot machine according to claim 11, wherein said controller is further programmed to execute the processing of:

(H) paying out game media in said processing (D),

ending the display of the specific effect image displayed in the display windows in said processing (G), and

paying out the game media based on the combination of symbols with the combination of symbols stop-displayed in the game in the display windows being visible, when the combination of symbols that are stop-displayed is a predetermined combination in a game with which the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches the specific number.

13. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said processing (E) includes,

displaying a normal effect image to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is smaller than said specific number by a predetermined value, and

displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a different winning effect image according to each symbol stop-displayed or the combination thereof.

14. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said processing (E) includes,

displaying a normal effect image not indicating a payout of game media in said processing (D) to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is smaller than said specific number by a predetermined value, and

displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a winning effect image according to these symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof.

15. A game control method comprising:

(A) executing, in a controller, a game in which a plurality of symbols are variably displayed and then stop-displayed to a symbol display device capable of variably displaying said plurality of symbols after game media are BET in number equal to or less than a previously set maximum number of BETs, and game media are paid out in number according to said plurality of symbols stop-displayed or a combination thereof;

(B) shifting, in the controller, a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted;

(C) counting, in the controller, the number of games played after shifting to said insurance mode, in said insurance mode;

(D) paying out, via the controller, a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in said step (C) reaches a specific number;

(E) displaying, via the controller, a normal effect image to said image display device in each game until the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches a notice set value which is greater than 1 and smaller than said specific number by a predetermined value, and displaying, when symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or a combination thereof satisfies a predetermined condition in the game, a winning effect image according to the symbols stop-displayed or the combination thereof; and

(F) displaying, via the controller, a specific effect image to said image display device in place of said normal effect image in each game when the number of games counted in said processing (C) reaches said notice set value, and not displaying, even when the symbols stop- displayed to said symbol display device or the combination thereof satisfies said predetermined condition in the game, said winning effect image according to the symbols stop-displayed to said symbol display device or the combination thereof.