Amusement devices: games – Surface projectile game; game element – Ball games
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2002-06-04
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Surface projectile game; game element
Ball games
C273S14300R, C463S016000, C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398217
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a pachinko game machine that is provided with a variable display for displaying a varying plurality of symbols necessary for a game, and a controller, such as a microcomputer, for controlling the variable display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A ball-shooting gaming machine, such as a pachinko game machine, is provided with a symbol display that is arranged to commence display of a varying plurality of symbols when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and rewards a player when the variation of the symbols is stopped while the symbol display presents a display of a predetermined combination of symbols. In recent years, an electrical display, such as a liquid crystal display, is commonly used as the symbol display since various effects can be demonstrated therein.
Such electrical displays permit various indications or demonstrations that enhance the player's interest in the game. For example, such indications may include: a real-time indication of the number of times during a game that an advantageous open state has been attained in response to a specified combination of symbols (e.g., “big hit”); a real-time indication of the number of playing balls that entered a variable winning device; a change in a background color to indicate in an exciting way that a specified pattern of symbols corresponds to a “big hit;” the appearance of new characters that are different from the symbols that will be variably displayed; an indication of a pattern with unusual motion to indicate that the “big hit” can be obtained if one more special symbol is arranged in the display (i.e., “reach” state), thereby indicating to the player that a “big hit” may soon appear; etc.
A particularly useful demonstration for elevating the player's interest is a pattern or symbol variation display that is termed a “reach action” in the “reach state” mentioned above. When the reach action begins, the player's attention is drawn to the display with an expectation of the appearance of a “big hit.” The reach action includes, for example, a change in the speed of the displayed pattern or symbol variation, a change of the duration of the symbol variation, or the like. Sometimes, the “big hit” will appear 100% of the time after a special reach action. Thus, such a reach action is predictive of the appearance of a “big hit.”
The reach action on a display of a conventional gaming machine, however, may disadvantageously be but a simple indication, such as a change of speed or duration of a particular pattern or symbol variation. Since the “big hit” might not always appear, the conventional simple indication may betray the player's expectation and thereby have the contrary effect of reducing the player's interest in the game.
In addition, as mentioned above, it is known that the reach action is carried out by indicating a symbol (or a character) other than the symbols that are variably displayed. The conventional reach action is but a simple symbol indication, and does not provide any information as to the possibility of the appearance of a “big hit” (hereinafter termed likelihood of “big hit”). The player therefore easily tires of the conventional simple reach action, and the game becomes monotonous.
Reliable information relative to the appearance of a “big hit” will not give the player excessive expectation of a “big hit”, and the player will not feel betrayed when a “loss” is definitely determined. If the information indicative of the probability of a “big hit” is not only simple information, but also an interesting and effective demonstration with variety, it would enhance the player's interest in the entire game.
A predictive display can be accomplished as to information indicative of not only the above-mentioned likelihood of “big hit” but also a possibility of the appearance of a “reach” action (hereinafter termed probability of development into “reach”) if a demonstration with various symbols shall be performed in a period of from start of the symbol variation to establishment of a “reach” condition. Such predictive display should enhance the player's expectation to the appearance of “big hit” and the player's interest in the entire game.
Such a predictive display can enhance the player's interest and can provide more exact information of the game to the player if a combination of symbols or variation of display modes of the predictive display shall express a detailed information of the game such as the above-mentioned likelihood of “big hit”, the probability of development into “reach”, etc.
The predictive display has been directed to have a great variety due to an expectation of a larger effect. However, the player, who expects that the variation display will stop at a specified combination of the symbols, concentrates his or her attention on a change of display state of symbol variation. The player, except an expert player, cannot pay attention to the detail of the demonstration display that is expressed by different symbols from the variable symbols.
If information relating to a coming result of the game is indicated by a delicate change in the demonstration display, the player may not recognize the information. Thus, the object of the demonstration display cannot sometimes be accomplished. When the demonstration display is too emphasized, the player tends to pay little attention on the display of the variable symbols.
Therefore, a display mode of the demonstration that can convey easily and exactly the meaning of the display to the player will be expected when the demonstration display is diversified to increase the effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having a display arrangement for displaying a plurality of predictive symbols that are arranged to have respective relationship, which can provide to a player an indication of the possibility of a transfer from a conventional game condition to a special game condition depending on the meaning of the relationship of the symbols that are displayed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine having a display arrangement in which an effect of the demonstration is increased by an expression having a sense of unity or perceptible relationship between the demonstration display and the variable display on the display arrangement.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine having a display arrangement for displaying symbols that are related to a game, and a controller that determines in response to a predetermined input signal whether or not the game condition will be transferred to a specified game condition that is advantageous to the player and controls the display arrangement to display a display mode corresponding to the result of the determination. The display mode includes a special symbol for informing a player that the game condition is transferred to the specified game condition by showing a predetermined stop state when a symbol variation is stopped, and a predictive symbol for predicting the stop state of the special symbol. The predictive symbol is provided as a plurality of symbols having respective relationships.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a predictive display such that the player can anticipate the stop mode of the special symbol, when the player recognizes the relationship.
In the gaming machine, when the meaning of the relationship of the plurality of symbols included in the predictive symbol is arranged different depending on the likelihood whether or not the game condition will be transferred to the specified game condition, the player who is aware of the relationship can anticipate the likelihood with a certainty.
In the gaming machine, when the relationship is expressed in words or movements corresponding to the plurality of different symbols, the player can easily recognize the relationship by the word or the movement.
In the gaming ma
Ohnuki Yoshikazu
Shimizu Shingo
Suzuki Hideyuki
Aitken Andrew C.
Aruze Corporation
O'Neill Michael
Venable Baetjer Howard & Civiletti LLP
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