Gaming machine having effect corresponding to award to be provided for special game and playing method thereof

• US 8,821,254 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Tsukahara, Nakayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US12/183,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/30, 463/31, 463 17- 19, 463 11- 13, 463/25, 463 26- 28, 463 35- 39, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463 2- 10
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

In a gaming machine, a unit game causing arranged symbols to be rearranged is displayed on a display. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, a special game including a predetermined number of the unit games is displayed on the display. Additionally, a total amount of payout to be provided to a player when the special game is executed, a symbol rearrangement pattern in the predetermined number of unit games for providing the total amount of payout, and contents of an effect corresponding to the total amount of payout to be provided to the player are determined before start of the special game. Moreover, the contents of the effect previously determined and the predetermined number of unit games according to the symbol rearrangement pattern previously determined are displayed on the display during the special game. Furthermore, after the special game including the predetermined number of unit games is executed, the total amount of payout previously determined are provided to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a display configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged, and to display a special game and an effect, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed; and

a controller configured to

(a) determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game,

(b) determine a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game by lottery prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition,

(c) determine symbol rearrangement patterns for generating, during the special game, the determined total amount of the award for the plurality of the unit games by referring to a pattern table after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game,

(d) determine contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

(e) execute the special game based on the symbol rearrangement patterns as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and provide the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the controller is configured to determine contents of the effect according to the determined total amount of the award, such that the larger the determined total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the display includes:

a first display configured to display the unit game and to display the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition; and

a second display configured to display the effect during the special game.

4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a symbol rearrangement pattern for each of the plurality of the unit games of the special game in reference to a pattern table in which the total amount of the award to be provided for the special game and symbol rearrangement patterns in the plurality of unit games are associated with each other.

5. A gaming machine comprising:

a display configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged, and to display a special game and an effect, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed;

a memory configured to store a table associating a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game with contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game; and

a controller configured to

(a) determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game,

(b) determine a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game by lottery prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition,

(c) determine symbol rearrangement patterns for generating, during the special game, the determined total amount of the award for the plurality of the unit games by referring to a pattern table after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game,

(d) determine contents of an effect associated with the determined total amount of the award in the table as the contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

(e) execute the special game based on the symbol rearrangement pattern as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and provide the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

6. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the table associates the total amount of the award with the contents of the effect such that the larger the total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

7. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the display includes:

a first display configured to display the unit game and to display the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition; and

a second display configured to display the effect during the special game.

8. A gaming machine comprising:

a display configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged, and to display a special game and an effect, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed; and

a controller configured to

(a) determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game,

(b) determine symbol rearrangement patterns for the plurality of the unit games to be displayed on the display as the special game by referring to a pattern table, prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition, wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game,

(c) determine contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game prior to the start of the special game, in accordance with a total amount of an award to be generated for the determined symbol rearrangement pattern during the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

(d) execute the special game based on the symbol rearrangement pattern as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and provide the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

9. The gaming machine according to claim 8, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the controller is configured to determine contents of the effect according to the determined total amount of an award, such that the larger the determined total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

10. The gaming machine according to claim 8, wherein the display includes:

a first display configured to display the unit game and to display the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition are satisfied; and

a second display configured to display the effect during the special game.

11. A method for playing a gaming machine configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged on a display and to display a special game and an effect on the display, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit game to be executed, the method comprising:

determining whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game;

determining a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game by lottery prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition;

determining symbol rearrangement patterns for generating, during the special game, the determined total amount of the award for the plurality of the unit games by referring to a pattern table after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game,;

determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

executing the special game based on the symbol rearrangement pattern as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and providing the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the step of determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award prior to the start of the special game includes:

determining contents of the effect according to the determined total amount of the award, such that the larger the determined total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the unit game and the special game are displayed on a first display of the display, the effect is displayed on a second display of the display during the special game, and

the step of determining contents of the effect, which is displayed on the display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award prior to the start of the special game includes:

determining contents of the effect, which is displayed on the second display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award prior to the start of the special game.

14. A method for playing a gaming machine configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged on a display and to display a special game and an effect on the display, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed, the method comprising:

determining whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game;

determining a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game by lottery prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition;

determining symbol rearrangement patterns for generating, during the special game, the determined total amount of the award for the plurality of the unit games by referring to a pattern table after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game;

determining contents of an effect associated with the determined total amount of the award in a table as the contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, the table associating the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game with contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

executing the special game based on the symbol rearrangement pattern as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and providing the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the table associates the total amount of the award with the contents of the effect such that the larger the total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the unit game and the special game are displayed on a first display of the display,

the effect is displayed on a second display of the display during the special game, and

the step of determining contents of an effect associated with the determined total amount of the award in a table associating the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game with contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, as the contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game includes:

determining contents of an effect stored in the memory in association with the determined total amount of the award in a table associating the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game with contents of the effect to be displayed on the second display during the special game, as the contents of the effect to be displayed on the second display during the special game.

17. A method for playing a gaming machine configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged on a display and to display a special game and an effect on the display, the special game and the effect being started upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition through execution of the unit game, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed, the method comprising:

determining whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game;

determining symbol rearrangement patterns for the plurality of the unit games to be displayed on the display as the special game by referring to a pattern table, prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game;

determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game prior to the start of the special game, in accordance with a total amount of an award to be generated when the predetermined number of unit games are displayed on the display along with the determined symbol rearrangement pattern during the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

executing the special game based on the symbol rearrangement pattern as determined for each of the plurality of the unit games and providing the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the effect announces in advance how much the award to be provided to the player in the special game is, and

the step of determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game prior to the start of the special game, in accordance with a total amount of an award to be generated when the plurality of unit games are displayed on the display along with the determined symbol rearrangement pattern during the special game includes:

determining contents of the effect according to the determined total amount of the award, such that the larger the determined total amount of the award is, the contents announce in advance that the more award is to be provided to the player in the special game.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the unit game and the special game are displayed on a first display of the display,

the effect is displayed on a second display of the display during the special game,

the step of determining a symbol rearrangement pattern for each of the plurality of the unit games to be displayed on the display as the special game, prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition includes:

determining a symbol rearrangement pattern for each of the plurality of the unit games to be displayed on the first display as the special game, prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition, and the step of determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game prior to the start of the special game, in accordance with a total amount of an award to be generated when the plurality of unit games are displayed on the display along with the determined symbol rearrangement pattern during the special game includes;

determining contents of the effect to be displayed on the second display during the special game prior to the start of the special game, in accordance with a total amount of an award to be generated when the plurality of unit games are displayed on the first display along with the determined symbol rearrangement pattern during the special game.

20. A gaming machine comprising:

a display configured to display a unit game causing a plurality of arranged symbols to be rearranged, and to display a special game and an effect upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition, the special game including a plurality of unit games to be executed; and

a controller configured to

(a) determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied during executing the unit game,

(b) determine a total amount of an award to be provided to a player in the special game by lottery prior to start of the special game upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition, the total amount of the award being a final amount to be provided to the player for the special game regardless of a manner of play by the player in the special game,

(c) determine symbol rearrangement patterns for generating, during the special game, the determined total amount of the award for the plurality of the unit games by referring to a pattern table after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein award amounts of the symbol rearrangement patterns are different from each other and each of the symbol rearrangement patterns is prepared for each of the plurality of the unit games included in the special game,

(d) determine contents of the effect to be displayed on the display during the special game, according to the determined total amount of the award after determining the total amount of the award to be provided to the player in the special game and prior to the start of the special game, wherein the contents of the effect is different from the symbol rearrangement patterns representing the result of each unit game in the special game or none-special game, and

(e) provide the player with each of the award amounts of the determined symbol rearrangement patterns as an award for each of the unit games included in the special game after completing each of the unit games.