Gaming machine capable of awarding payout based on the number of games played and playing method thereof

• US 8,398,478 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interblock DOO
• Original Assignee: Aruze Gaming America Incorporated (Aruze Gaming America, Inc. /Okada/), Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/787,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The gaming machine: counts the number of base games having been run; causes shifting to a second state which is more advantageous for a player than the base game, when a first predetermined number of base games is counted without shifting to the first state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game; runs a skill-requiring game after the second state, which game outputs a result according to an operation from outside, and increases or decreases a second predetermined number according to a result of the skill-requiring game; runs the base game after the skill-requiring game; and causes shifting to a third state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, when the increased or decreased second predetermined number of base games having run are counted after the skill-requiring game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first input device which is able to receive an operation from outside; and

a controller programmed to execute;

(a1) a process to run a base game which is started based on betting and awards a base payout according to a result;

(a2) a process to count the number of base games having been run;

(a3) a process to shift to a first state which is more advantageous for a player than the base game, if the result of the base game satisfies a predetermined condition;

(a4) a process to reset counting of the number of base games if shifting to the first state has been done;

(a5) a process to shift to a second state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, if the number of counted base games becomes equal to a first predetermined number;

(a6) a process to run, after the second state, a skill-requiring game which outputs a result in accordance with an operation input to the first input device;

(a7) a process to increase or decrease a second predetermined number based on a result of the skill-requiring game;

(a8) a process to run the base game after the skill-requiring game; and

(a9) a process to shift to a third state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, when the number of base games run after the skill-requiring game becomes equal to the second predetermined number of base games after increase or decrease, wherein

the number of base games counted before shift to one of the second state and third state is not shown to a game player.

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

a second input device which is able to switch between an insured mode and a non-insured mode, wherein,

the controller is programmed to execute the process (a2) only when the insured mode has been set by the second input device.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein,

the first input device functions as a maximum bet device which carries out the betting with a maximum bet value in response to an input from the outside, and

the maximum bet device also functions as a second input device.

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

a second input device which is able to switch between an insured mode and a non-insured mode, wherein, the controller is programmed to execute the process (a2) only when the insured mode has been set by the second input device.

5. A gaming method of a gaming machine, comprising the step S of:

running a base game which is started based on betting and awards a base payout according to a result;

counting the number of base games having been run;

shifting to a first state which is more advantageous for a player than the base game, if the result of the base game satisfies a predetermined condition;

resetting counting of the number of base games if shifting to the first state has been done;

shifting to a second state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, if the number of counted base games becomes equal to a first predetermined number;

running, after the second state, a skill-requiring game which outputs a result in accordance with an operation input to a first input device which is able to receive an operation from outside;

increasing or decreasing a second predetermined number based on a result of the skill-requiring game;

running the base game after the skill-requiring game; and

shifting to a third state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, when the number of base games run after the skill-requiring game becomes equal to the second predetermined number of base games after increase or decrease, wherein

the number of base games counted before shift to one of the second state and third state is not shown to a game player.

6. A gaming machine, comprising:

a first input device which is able to receive an operation from outside; and

a controller programmed to execute;

(a1) a process to run a base game which is started based on betting and awards a base payout according to a result;

(a2) a process to count the number of base games having been run;

(a3) a process to shift to a first state which is more advantageous for a player than the base game, if the result of the base game satisfies a predetermined condition;

(a4) a process to reset counting of the number of base games if shifting to the first state has been done;

(a5) a process to shift to a second state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, if the number of counted base games becomes equal to a first predetermined number;

(a6) a process to run, after the second state, a skill-requiring game which outputs a result in accordance with an operation input to the first input device;

(a7) a process to increase or decrease a second predetermined number based on a result of the skill-requiring game;

(a8) a process to run the base game after the skill-requiring game; and

(a9) a process to shift to a third state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, when the number of base games becomes equal to the second predetermined number of base games, wherein

the number of base games counted before shift to one of the second state and third state is not shown to a game player.

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

a second input device which is able to switch between an insured mode and a non-insured mode, wherein,

the controller is programmed to execute the process (a2) only when the insured mode has been set by the second input device.

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

a second input device which is able to switch between an insured mode and a non-insured mode, wherein, the controller is programmed to execute the process (a2) only when the insured mode has been set by the second input device.

9. A gaming method of a gaming machine, comprising the step S of:

running a base game which is started based on betting and awards a base payout according to a result;

counting the number of base games having been run;

shifting to a first state which is more advantageous for a player than the base game, if the result of the base game satisfies a predetermined condition;

resetting counting of the number of base games if shifting to the first state has been done;

shifting to a second state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, if the number of counted base games becomes equal to a first predetermined number;

running, after the second state, a skill-requiring game which outputs a result in accordance with an operation input to a first input device which is able to receive an operation from outside;

increasing or decreasing a second predetermined number based on a result of the skill-requiring game;

running the base game after the skill-requiring game; and

shifting to a third state which is more advantageous for the player than the base game, when the number of base games becomes equal to the second predetermined number of base games, wherein

the number of base games counted before shift to one of the second state and third state is not shown to a game player.