JP2006006459A - Game machine capable of lending case body by time - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine provided with a mode of lending a case body by time in which free play is possible for fixed time by feeding a fixed charge in addition to a normal game by making the time occupancy operation of the game machine possible. <P>SOLUTION: In a demonstration display state, when credits are given by coin feed, in the case that pay-by-the-time mode setting is off, a game is started in a normal game mode. In the case that the pay-by-the-time mode setting is on, when the number of the credits set corresponding to the coin feed is equal to or more than the number of the credits set in a pay-by-the-time mode, a picture for selecting the normal game mode or the pay-by-the-time mode is displayed. When a player selects the pay-by-the-time mode, the game can be played any number of times within the time set in the pay-by-the-time mode. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a coin operation setting method for an arcade video game machine or the like.
Hereinafter, in the present invention, it is defined as “free play” that a game can be repeated repeatedly within the time set by the game machine, no matter how many times the game is over.

In general, video game machines for business use are games in which a player inserts coins to play a game, and the number of coins to be inserted is determined when the number of times of play is determined according to the number of coins inserted. In many cases. The number of plays can be set by the operator, and for example, the number of games can be played five times with two coins. In some cases, there are game machines that can be played for free.
JP 2000-299853 A

However, in the conventional coin operation setting method, the same number of games can be played for the same number of coins, no matter how many times the player plays the game with the same game machine. Each time the number of games is repeated, the player's skill is expected to improve, and the time that can be cleared in the battle game is shortened.
In addition, in a drive game or the like, there were cases where there was no benefit and the player remained dissatisfied even though the game could be done well when it ended early.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and by enabling the time-occupied operation of the game machine, in addition to the normal game mode, a case time lending mode that allows free play for a certain time with a fixed charge is provided. It is in providing the game machine which has.

In order to achieve the above object, claim 1 of the present invention is a game machine in which various settings relating to a game can be performed by an administrator operation unit, and a coin operation having a time lending mode by an operation signal from the administrator operation unit. A management screen starting means for launching a setting screen; and a screen switching means for switching to a time lending mode setting screen capable of inputting any time for any number of credits when the time lending mode is selected on the coin operation setting screen; Credit number / time input means for inputting the number of credits and time, and when the credit number / time input means is used to enter the number of credits and time and the time lending mode is set, the time lending mode can be played at the start of play. Input data processing storage means for storing time lending mode setting information in order to Characterized by comprising.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a monitoring means for detecting that a credit is set by inserting a coin, and when the monitoring means detects a credit setting, the player is in a normal game mode. If the player selects the time lending mode, the game is started in the time lending mode, and the game is played when the time set in the time lending mode is reached. It is characterized by comprising time management processing means for performing processing to be terminated.
A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect of the present invention, the normal game mode is a mode in which n coins can be played m times.

  According to the above configuration, the player can play without worrying about the play fee. In particular, it is effective in a game having a short play time (such as a battle game) and can be sufficiently played.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a video game machine to which a coin operation setting method according to the present invention is applied.
This video game machine 1 has two driver seats arranged on the left and right sides, the first driver seat 2, the first driving operation unit 3 and the first screen display unit 4 on the left side, and the second driver seat 5, on the right side. A race game machine in which a second driving operation unit 6 and a second screen display unit 7 are arranged.
The circuit portion of each race game machine is connected and can communicate. For example, when the first game machine side selects to race with the second game machine side at the start of the game, the first screen display The car selected by the player in the part 4 and the car selected on the second game machine side as the opponent's car are displayed. It is also possible to play against a computer-side car instead of the second game machine side.

If a coin is inserted into the coin insertion slot 9 while the demo screen is displayed on the first screen display unit 4 (second screen display unit 7), Is displayed. Here, the number of coins is the number of coins inserted at 100 yen if it is a 100 yen slot, and the number of coins that is 500 yen if it is a 500 yen slot. Credit means a unit of right to play one game and means the number of possible games. Therefore, if 2 credits are displayed, the game can be performed twice. For example, on the coin operation setting screen for the administrator, “2 coins 5 credits” is set in a mode in which the number of credits M can be set within a predetermined range with respect to the number of coins N (different from the time lending mode). For example, 5 games can be played with 2 coins. If the coin slot is a game machine with 100 yen, it will be displayed as 5 credits when 200 yen is inserted, and if 5 coins are inserted, there will be insufficient coins and no credit value will be displayed on the screen. I can't play one game.
However, in the present invention, in addition to such a normal game mode, the player can play a game by selecting a time lending mode.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of a video game machine to which the coin operation setting method according to the present invention is applied. Such a circuit block is mounted on each of the first and second game machines.
A coin-related device (coin counter, coin box, etc.) 20 that detects a coin input from the coin insertion slot 9 is connected to the bus 23 via an input / output control device 21. The backup memory 22 stores setting values such as the number of coins.

The operation unit 27 includes a start button that also serves as a determination button, a handle, an accelerator, a brake, a shift lever, a view change button (these buttons are not shown), and the like. When the buttons of the operation unit 27 are operated, a switch contact (not shown) is operated, and a signal generated by the operation of the switch contact is sent to the CPU 28 via the input / output control device 21 and the bus 23. The CPU 28 recognizes which signal from which button of the operation unit 27 is, and performs processing based on the input signal.
The manager operation unit 35 that can be operated only by the manager includes a management function start button 35a, a selection button 35b, an alphanumeric input button 35c, and a decision button 35d. A signal from the manager operation unit 35 is sent to the CPU 28 via the input / output control device 21 and the bus 23, and the CPU 28 recognizes what kind of signal from which button of the manager operation unit 35 is. Then, processing based on the signal is performed.

The CPU 28 controls the entire game machine based on the program stored in the ROM 30, and advances the race game by an operation signal from the operation unit. In addition, communication is performed with one game machine via the communication interface unit 34, and communication control is performed when racing with the car of the opponent game machine. The work RAM 29 is used as a work area when the CPU 28 calculates and processes.
The three-dimensional image processing unit 32 performs a three-dimensional process according to a display control instruction from the CPU 28 and displays a 3D image on the monitor 33.
The communication RAM 24 stores a command of the CPU 28 related to sound, and is used when the CPU 28 confirms the sound status. The sound system circuit 25 generates a sound based on a command from the CPU 28.

The CPU 28 switches to the detailed setting screen when the item selected by the management screen activation unit 28a and the selection button 35b, for example, the time lending mode, is launched in accordance with the operation of the management function activation button 35a. When the screen switching unit 28b and the detailed setting screen of the time lending mode are switched and the time and the number of credits are input, certain data (in order to count up to the time input at the start of the game and end the game) Information) is generated, and the information is stored in the RAM 31 and has the function of the input data storage processing unit 28c.
Further, after detecting the coin insertion, the monitoring unit 28d for monitoring whether or not the player has detected coin insertion in the demonstration display state, it is determined that the number of credits exceeds the setting of the time lending mode after coin insertion. When the player selects to play the game in the time lending mode, the game time is managed according to the time. When the player enters the normal game mode, the input is set by coin input every time the predetermined number of games is finished. A time management processing unit 28e for subtracting the number of credits.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation when the administrator sets the coin operation.
When the management activation button 35a of the manager operation unit 35 is pressed, the management screen activation unit 28a displays the coin operation setting screen shown in FIG. When the time lending mode is selected by the selection button 35b and the determination button 35d is pressed, the screen switching unit 28b switches to a screen for setting the details of the time lending mode as shown in FIG.
This screen is a screen on which an arbitrary time can be set for an arbitrary number of credits. It is possible to input and set the time portion and the number of credits with the alphanumeric input button 35c.
The time is, for example, every 10 minutes, and the number of credits can be input from 1 to 9. In the example of FIG. 3B, the game time is set to 30 minutes with 9 credits.

When the determination button 35d is pressed after setting as described above, the data is stored in the RAM 31 and the management screen is closed. The RAM 31 stores, for example, data for performing processing for ending the game time in 30 minutes from the start of the game with 9 credits as information on the time lending mode.
By the above operation, the player selects one of the time lending mode, for example, the mode in which the game can be played for 30 minutes with 9 credits, in addition to the game in the normal game mode (for example, 3 plays with 1 credit). Is possible.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation sequence including the time lending mode of the present invention at the start of the game, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a screen display example when operating the operation sequence of FIG.
The CPU 28 repeatedly performs a predetermined demonstration display (FIG. 5A) on the monitor 33 (the first screen display unit 4 or the second screen display unit 7) (step (hereinafter referred to as “S”) 001). The monitoring unit 28d monitors information on whether or not coin insertion has been detected from the coin-related device 20, that is, whether or not a coin has been inserted and credits have been set (S002). When the credit is set, it is determined whether or not the time lending mode is set (ON) (S003). When the time lending mode is not set (off), a screen for starting the game is displayed as shown in FIG. In this case, the game is started in the normal game mode.

  When the time lending mode is set, the time management processing unit 28e has the number of credits set by the player inserting coins equal to or greater than the number of credits that can be played by the game set in the time lending mode. It is determined whether or not (S004). When the number of credits sufficient for the time lending mode has not been reached, the screen shown in FIG. 5C is displayed as described above. On the other hand, when the number of credits sufficient for the time lending mode has been reached, the screen shown in FIG. 5B is displayed to allow the player to select either the normal game mode or the time lending mode ( S005). When the player selects either one, the time management processing unit 28e determines whether or not the time lending mode is selected (S006). If it is a normal game mode, the process proceeds to S008 to start the game, and the game is controlled so that the number of credits is subtracted every time a predetermined number of times is played.

In the time lending mode, the game is started in the time lending mode. Until the time lending mode setting time is reached, the player can play as many times as desired.
When the time set in the time lending mode by the time measurement counter or the like, for example, 30 minutes elapses, the management processing unit 28e displays a screen to end the game and ends the game (S007).

  Although the above embodiment has described an example of a game machine that can select either the time lending mode or the normal game mode, it can also be applied to a game machine that performs only in the time lending mode.

  It is a video game machine for business use such as competitive games.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the external appearance of the video game machine to which the coin operation setting system by this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of the circuit of the video game machine to which the coin operation setting system by this invention is applied. It is a figure for demonstrating operation in case an administrator sets coin operation. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement sequence containing the time lending mode of this invention at the time of a game start. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen display at the time of operation of the operation | movement sequence of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Video game console
2 First driver's seat
3 First operation section
4 First screen display section 5 Second driver's seat
6 Second driving operation unit 7 Second screen display unit 8 Panel unit 9 Coin slot 20 Coin-related device
21 Input / output control device 22 Backup memory 23 Bus 24 Communication RAM
25 Sound System Circuit 26 Speaker 27 Operation Unit 28 CPU
28a Management screen starting unit 28b Screen switching unit 28c Input data storage processing unit 28d Monitoring unit 28e Time management processing unit 29 Work RAM
30 ROM
31 RAM
32 3D image processing unit 33 Monitor 34 Communication interface unit 35 Operation unit for administrator 35a Management function start button 35b Selection button 35c Alphanumeric input button 35d Enter button

Claims (3)

In a game machine in which various settings related to the game can be made by the operation unit for managers,
A management screen starting means for launching a coin operation setting screen having a time lending mode in response to an operation signal from the manager operation unit;
A screen switching means for switching to a time lending mode setting screen capable of inputting an arbitrary time for an arbitrary number of credits when the time lending mode is selected on the coin operation setting screen;
Credit number / time input means for inputting the credit number and time;
Input data processing storage for storing time lending mode setting information so that the time lending mode can be played at the start of play when the number of credits and time are input by the credit number / time input means and the time lending mode is set Means,
A game machine that can be lent out in a case characterized by having a housing. Monitoring means for detecting that credits are set by inserting coins;
When the monitoring means detects a credit setting, it displays a screen on which the player can select between the normal game mode and the time lending mode game, and when the player selects the time lending mode, the game starts in the time lending mode. And time management processing means for performing a process of ending the game when the time set in the time lending mode is reached,
The game machine capable of lending the case time according to claim 1.   3. The game machine capable of lending the case time according to claim 2, wherein the normal game mode is a mode in which the player can play m times with n coins.

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