Game system

Abstract

The game system has a spherical amusement object with an off-center center of gravity, a rolling surface for the amusement object, a supply unit that supplies the amusement object to the surface, a biasing unit that applies bias pressure to the amusement object supplied by the supply unit in response to the player's operation, and a control unit that controls the amusement object to reach a specific position in response to the biasing unit's bias pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure is about games. Prior Technology

[0002] Various games utilizing spherical amusement objects have been proposed since the past. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pinball game in which a ball rolling in an amusement park is struck by the rotation of a striking board in response to the player's operation, and the game is played according to the target hit by the ball.

[0003] Patent documents (Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-237412. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, the movement of the ball rolling within the playground is monotonous. Therefore, for example, for skilled players, it is easy to get the ball to the desired position. Thus, as mentioned above, playing the game becomes a mere task, making it difficult to maintain interest. In view of the above, an embodiment of this disclosure aims to improve the fun of games using spherical playground equipment.

[0005] (Means for solving the problem) In order to solve the above problems, a game system related to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a spherical amusement object, a rotatable disc surface of the amusement object, a supply unit that supplies the amusement object to the disc surface, a biasing unit that applies a bias to the amusement object supplied by the supply unit in response to the player's operation, a control unit that controls the amusement object to reach a specific position and play the game in response to the bias applied by the biasing unit, and a movement unit that changes the movement of the amusement object in a manner independent of the player's operation from the time it is supplied by the supply unit until it reaches the specific position. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0006] Figure 1 is a floor plan of the game system in the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the structure of the example game system. Figure 3 is an illustration of how the game proceeds. Figure 4 is a floor plan of the gaming facility. Figure 5 is a plan view of the first lottery device. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the playground ball. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of line VII-VII in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the screen displayed by the display device during the initial lottery draw. Figure 9 is a flowchart of the lottery control process. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the second lottery device. Figure 11 shows an example of the display device in the first and second special draws. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the first lottery device in the second embodiment. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the amusement ball in the modified example. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the amusement ball in the modified example. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the amusement ball in the modified example. Figure 16 is a plan view of the first lottery device in the modified example. Implementation

[0007] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The following example embodiments include various limitations that are not necessary for the purposes of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments exemplified below.

[0008] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a plan view of a game system 100 according to a first embodiment of this disclosure. For example, the game system 100 may be installed in an amusement park. The game facility may be, for example, an entertainment facility such as an amusement center or casino, or a commercial facility such as a shopping mall. The game system 100 provides games to players within the amusement park.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the game system 100 of the first embodiment has a plurality of (four) game stations 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4). Each of the plurality of game stations 10 has a unit for players to use to play games. Different players' games are played side by side on the plurality of game stations 10.

[0010] Game station 10-1 and game station 10-2 are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. The structures of game station 10-1 and game station 10-2 are symmetrical from left to right. Similarly, game station 10-3 and game station 10-4 are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. The structures of game station 10-3 and game station 10-4 are symmetrical from left to right. The backs of game station 10-1 and game station 10-3 face each other, and the backs of game station 10-2 and game station 10-4 face each other. In the following description, for convenience, game station 10-1 will be used as an example, and the description of the other game stations 10 (10-2 to 10-4) will be omitted.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following explanation, it is assumed that the X-axis and Y-axis are orthogonal to each other on the horizontal plane. The X-axis is the axis along the player's left and right directions, and the Y-axis is the axis along the player's front and back directions. Additionally, a direction along the X-axis is designated "X1 direction," and the opposite direction is designated "X2 direction." The X1 direction corresponds to the player's left, and the X2 direction corresponds to the player's right. Similarly, a direction along the Y-axis is designated "Y1 direction," and the opposite direction is designated "Y2 direction." The Y1 direction corresponds to the player's rear (the direction in front of game station 10), and the Y2 direction corresponds to the player's front (the depth direction of game station 10).

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the structure of the example game system 100. In addition to a plurality of game stations 10, the game system 100 of the first embodiment also includes a control device 11 and a storage device 12. It should be noted that the game system 100 can be implemented as a single device or as a plurality of separate individual devices.

[0013] The control device 11 is composed of one or more processors that control the various elements of the game system 100. For example, the control device 11 is composed of one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a sound processing unit (SPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). It should be noted that some or all of the functions of the control device 11 can also be integrated into each game station 10.

[0014] Storage device 12 stores one or more memory units containing the program executed by storage control device 11 and various data used by control device 11. For example, storage device 12 can be constructed from known recording media such as magnetic recording media or semiconductor recording media. Storage device 12 can also be constructed from a combination of multiple types of recording media. In addition, storage device 12 can also use removable and portable recording media that is removable relative to game system 100 or recording media that can be written to or read by control device 11 via a communication network (e.g., cloud hard drive).

[0015] Figure 3 is an illustrative diagram of the game's execution in the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the regular game, the initial lottery, and multiple special lotteries (first special lottery, second special lottery, and third special lottery) are performed in the first embodiment.

[0016] The regular game is the game players normally play. When predetermined conditions are met in the regular game, an initial lottery begins. This initial lottery is a selection process from several special lotteries. Each special lottery determines the reward given to the player. The conditions and reward amounts for each special lottery are different. After the special lotteries conclude, the regular game restarts.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, each of the plurality of game stations 10 has a display device 20, an operation unit 30, a game mechanism 40, a first lottery device 50, a camera device 60, and a second lottery device 70. It should be noted that each game station 10 can be implemented as a single device or as a plurality of devices composed of separate individuals.

[0018] The display device 20 displays images based on the control of the control device 11. The display device 20 is composed of a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (electroluminescence) panel. Alternatively, the display devices 20 of two adjacent game stations 10 may also be composed of a single display panel. It should be noted that the display device 20 is an example of a "display unit".

[0019] The operation unit 30 is an interface for receiving player input. Specifically, the operation unit 30 includes an operation device 31, a receiving device 32, and a dispensing device 33. The operation device 31 is an input device that receives instructions from the player. The operation device 31 may be, for example, a player-operated controller or a touch panel that detects player touch.

[0020] The receiving device 32 is used to receive medals from the player. Specifically, the receiving device 32 receives both physical medals and electronic medals from the player. Physical medals are disc-shaped objects with tangible recreational value. Electronic medals are intangible recreational value realized through electronic data. The mechanism in the receiving device 32 for receiving physical medals includes an insertion port for inserting the physical medal and a detector for detecting the insertion of a physical medal into the port. Furthermore, the mechanism in the receiving device 32 for receiving electronic medals is, for example, a communication device that communicates with an account management system (not shown) that manages the player's electronic medal account. For example, the receiving device 32 performs the retrieval process of the electronic medal through communication with the account management system.

[0021] The receiving device 32 converts the medals received by the player into points. Specifically, the receiving device 32 adds the corresponding value of the number of medals received to the player's points (hereinafter referred to as "held points"). Held points are the entertainment value that the player needs to spend when playing the game.

[0022] The disbursement device 33 is used to pay medals to players. Specifically, the disbursement device 33 disburses the number of medals corresponding to the player's points. The physical medal output mechanism in the disbursement device 33 has a storage container for storing physical medals and an output mechanism for sequentially discharging physical medals from the storage container. Furthermore, the electronic medal output mechanism in the disbursement device 33 is a communication device that performs electronic medal storage processing through communication with the aforementioned account management system.

[0023] It should be noted that the objects for which the spending device 33 spends recreational value are not limited to medals. For example, tickets or points with exchange value equivalent to prizes can be spent from the spending device 33 based on the number of points held.

[0024] Figure 4 is a plan view of the game mechanism 40. The game mechanism 40 is used for conventional games. In the first embodiment, the conventional game is a push game. As shown in Figure 4, the game mechanism 40 has a fixed table 41, a movable table 42, an input device 43, a supply device 44, a fixed wall 45, and a detection device 46.

[0025] The fixed table 41 is a flat plate that is set horizontally. The movable table 42 is a three-dimensional structure (pushing table) that moves back and forth along the Y-axis on the fixed table 41. A plurality of amusement medals 47 and a plurality of amusement balls 48 are placed on the fixed table 41 and the movable table 42. The amusement medals 47 are round, plate-shaped elements (tokens). The amusement balls 48 are spheres that mimic the appearance of baseballs.

[0026] The input device 43 corresponds to the player's operation of the control device 31, supplying the amusement medal 47 to the movable table 42. Specifically, the input device 43 uses the player's points as an exchange to input the amusement medal 47 to the movable table 42.

[0027] The supply device 44 supplies amusement medals 47 and amusement balls 48 to the upper surface of the fixed table 41 or the movable table 42. For example, the supply device 44 will supply amusement medals 47 or amusement balls 48 when predetermined conditions related to the conduct of a regular game are met.

[0028] The fixed wall 45 is a structure opposite to the upper surface of the movable table 42. The amusement medal 47 and amusement ball 48, placed on the movable table 42, are compressed by the fixed wall 45 along the Y1 direction as the movable table 42 moves along the Y2 direction. Due to the compression from the fixed wall 45, the amusement medal 47 and amusement ball 48, moving along the Y1 direction, fall from the movable table 42 onto the fixed table 41.

[0029] Furthermore, a plurality of amusement medals 47 and a plurality of amusement balls 48 on the fixed table 41 are pressed by the movable table 42 in the Y1 direction, causing them to fall from the fixed table 41. The detection device 46 is a sensor that detects the amusement medals 47 and amusement balls 48 falling from the fixed table 41. When the amusement medal 47 falls from the fixed table 41, the control device 11 adds a predetermined value to the holding points. On the other hand, when the amusement ball 48 falls from the fixed table 41, the control device 11 starts the initial lottery.

[0030] Figure 5 is a plan view of the first lottery device 50. The first lottery device 50 is a lottery mechanism used for the initial lottery draw. The first lottery device 50 is a simple baseball game device (i.e., a baseball plate) that corresponds to the player's operation (hereinafter referred to as "hitting operation") to hit the amusement ball 80. The amusement ball 80 is a rollable spherical amusement object. Specifically, the amusement ball 80 is a sphere that simulates the appearance of a baseball.

[0031] The center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is eccentric. That is, the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is not the same as the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80. The center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is the point where the resultant force of gravity acts on all parts of the amusement ball 80. On the other hand, in the aforementioned amusement ball 48, the center of gravity is the same as the center. However, the amusement ball 48 can also be the same as the amusement ball 80, a sphere with an eccentric center of gravity. In addition, the size of the amusement ball 80 can be the same as or different from the size of the amusement ball 48.

[0032] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the amusement ball 80. As shown in Figure 6, the amusement ball 80 has a spherical shell portion 81, a protrusion portion 82, and a counterweight element 83. The spherical shell portion 81 is a spherical shell-shaped part composed of an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface. The protrusion portion 82 is a cylindrical part that protrudes radially from the inner peripheral surface of the spherical shell portion 81. The counterweight element 83 is disposed inside the protrusion portion 82. For example, the counterweight element 83 is a cylindrical element (e.g., an embedded nut) that is pressed into the protrusion portion 82. It should be noted that a threaded groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion portion 82, and a threaded groove (e.g., an internal hexagon set screw) is also formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical counterweight element 83 to engage with the threaded groove of the protrusion portion 82, which can also be disposed inside the protrusion portion 82.

[0033] The counterweight element 83 is formed of a material with a higher density than the spherical shell portion 81 and the protrusion 82. For example, the spherical shell portion 81 and the protrusion 82 are formed of various resin materials, while the counterweight element 83 is formed of a metal material. Through the above structure, the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is eccentrically positioned. It should be noted that the spherical shell portion 81 can be made by joining two hemispherical shells, for example. For example, the counterweight element 83 is fixed to the protrusion 82 provided on the inner circumferential surface of one hemispherical shell, and then the other hemispherical shell is joined to manufacture the amusement ball 80.

[0034] As described above, the eccentricity of the center of gravity causes the movement conditions of the amusement ball 80, such as its direction and speed, to change constantly during its rolling process. That is, the speed of the amusement ball 80 changes irregularly while it rolls along an irregular trajectory, such as a curve.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, the first lottery device 50 includes a game table 51, a guide groove 52, a supply unit 53, a biasing unit 54, and a moving unit 55.

[0036] The playground table 51 includes a plate-like element representing the surface of a baseball field (hereinafter referred to as "playground surface F"). As shown in Figure 1, when viewed at eye level, the playground table 51 overlaps with a portion of the game mechanism 40 (specifically, a portion of the movable table 42). The playground surface F is a flat surface (game field) on which the playground ball 80 can roll. The playground surface F is a polygon formed by the outlines of perimeter E1, perimeter E2, perimeter E3, and perimeter E4.

[0037] Perimeter E1 is the straight end of the amusement park surface F along the X-axis in the Y2 direction. Perimeter E2 is the straight end of the amusement park surface F along the X-axis in the Y1 direction. Perimeter E1 is longer than perimeter E2. Perimeter E3 is the straight end of the amusement park surface F along the Y-axis in the X1 direction. Perimeter E4 is the broken-line end of the amusement park surface F in the X2 direction. Perimeter E3 is located further in the X1 direction than perimeter E4.

[0038] Perimeter E4 comprises portions E41 and E42. Portion E41 is the section of perimeter E4 that connects to the end of perimeter E1. Portion E41 extends in directions inclined relative to the X and Y axes. Specifically, the distance between the end of portion E41 in the Y2 direction and perimeter E3 exceeds the distance between the end of portion E41 in the Y1 direction and perimeter E3. On the other hand, portion E42 is the section of perimeter E4 that connects to the end of perimeter E2 and extends along the Y-axis. The rectangular area in the playground surface F located between portion E42 and perimeter E3 of perimeter E4 corresponds to the batting area on a baseball field.

[0039] The playground table 51 is provided with sidewalls W2, W3, and W4. Sidewalls W2, W3, and W4 are wall-like structures protruding vertically upwards from the playground surface F to prevent the playground ball 80 from falling off the playground surface F. Specifically, sidewall W3 extends along the perimeter E3 in the Y-axis direction. Sidewall W4 extends along a portion E41 of the perimeter E4. Sidewall W2 is located near the perimeter E2 and connects to sidewall W4. On the other hand, no sidewall is provided on the perimeter E1. Therefore, the playground ball 80 rolling on the playground surface F can only fall from the perimeter E1.

[0040] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of line VII-VII in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 7, the playground surface F is an inclined surface that slopes downwards towards the Y1 direction. That is, the perimeter E2 is located at a lower position than the perimeter E1. Therefore, the playground ball 80 placed on the playground surface F rolls along the inclination of the playground surface F towards the Y1 direction by its own weight.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, a guide groove 52 is provided in the Y2 direction of the play surface F. The bottom surface 521 of the guide groove 52 is a recess lower than the play surface F, and the guide groove 52 extends along the perimeter E1. Specifically, the guide groove 52 passes between the two ends of the perimeter E1 and extends in the X-axis direction. The width (dimension in the Y-axis direction) of the bottom surface 521 of the guide groove 52 exceeds the diameter of the play ball 80. Therefore, the play ball 80 can be accommodated inside the guide groove 52.

[0042] The bottom surface 521 of the guide groove 52 is an inclined surface that slopes downward in the X1 direction. That is, the end of the bottom surface 521 of the guide groove 52 in the X1 direction is located at a lower position than the end in the X2 direction. As a result, the amusement ball 80 contained in the guide groove 52 rolls in the X1 direction along the inclination of the bottom surface 521 by its own weight.

[0043] Display devices 20 are spaced apart and arranged on the periphery E1 of the amusement park surface F. Specifically, the display surface 21 of the display device 20 for displaying images is arranged along the X-axis. The guide groove 52 is located between the periphery E1 of the amusement park surface F and the display surface 21 of the display device 20. The lower edge 22 of the display surface 21 is at the same height as the periphery E1 of the amusement park surface F.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the supply unit 53 and the bias unit 54 are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, the supply unit 53 is located near the corner where the perimeters E1 and E3 intersect, and the bias unit 54 is located near the perimeter E2. The supply unit 53 is equivalent to a pitcher, and the bias unit 54 is equivalent to a batter.

[0045] The supply unit 53 supplies the amusement balls 80 onto the amusement board surface F. Specifically, the supply unit 53 releases the amusement balls 80 towards the biasing unit 54 along the Y1 direction. In the first embodiment, the supply unit 53 includes a ball-throwing arm 531 and a drive device 532.

[0046] The throwing arm 531 is a rotatable element centered on a rotation axis along the X-axis. The throwing arm 531 includes a concave holding portion 533 for holding the amusement ball 80. The drive unit 532 is an electric motor that rotates the throwing arm 531. Driven by the drive unit 532, the throwing arm 531 moves from a standby state to a throwing state. In Figure 7, the throwing arm 531 in the standby state is shown as a solid line, and the throwing arm 531 in the throwing state is shown as a dashed line.

[0047] In the standby state, the holding part 533 is lowered to near the bottom surface 521 of the guide groove 52. The amusement ball 80, contained in the guide groove 52, rolls in the X1 direction along the inclination of the bottom surface 521 and remains within the holding part 533 of the throwing arm 531 in the standby state. On the other hand, in the throwing state, the holding part 533 is facing the Y1 direction (biased part 54 side).

[0048] The throwing arm 531 rotates in direction α1 as shown in Figure 7 to transition from the standby state to the throwing state. The amusement ball 80, held in the holding part 533 in the standby state, is released from the holding part 533 toward the biasing part 54 during the transition to the throwing state. When the amusement ball 80 is released, the throwing arm 531 rotates in direction α2, opposite to direction α1, to transition from the throwing state to the standby state, awaiting supply of the amusement ball 80 from the guide groove 52. As explained above, the guide groove 52 is the path used to return the amusement ball 80 to the supply part 53.

[0049] The amusement ball 80 is released from the supply unit 53 along the Y1 direction, and the amusement board surface F is an inclined surface that slopes downward in the Y1 direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG5, the amusement ball 80 released from the supply unit 53 rolls irregularly towards the biasing unit 54 due to the eccentricity of its center of gravity. The biasing unit 54 applies bias pressure to the amusement ball 80 arriving from the supply unit 53 in response to the player's striking action. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the biasing unit 54 of the first embodiment includes a striking element 541 and a driving device 542.

[0050] The striking element 541 is a rod-shaped element capable of rotating about a rotation axis perpendicular to the amusement park surface F. That is, the striking element 541 rotates in a plane parallel to the amusement park surface F. Specifically, the striking element 541 is an element that mimics the appearance of a baseball bat. The drive device 542 is an electric motor that rotates the striking element 541. Driven by the drive device 542, the striking element 541 moves from one initial state to the other. In Figure 5, the striking element 541 in the initial state is represented by a solid line, and the striking element 541 in the final state is represented by a dashed line. It should be noted that Figure 7 illustrates a state where the striking element 541 rotates about a rotation axis perpendicular to the amusement park surface F (i.e., a rotation axis inclined relative to the vertical direction), but the striking element 541 can also rotate about a rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0051] The initial state is when the tip of the striking element 541 faces the periphery E3 (or periphery E2). That is, in the initial state, the striking element 541 faces the side of the supply section 53. On the other hand, the final state is when the tip of the striking element 541 faces the periphery E1 (or periphery E4). The striking element 541 is biased in the initial state, for example, by an elastic body such as a spring.

[0052] The drive device 542 rotates the striking element 541 from the initial state to the final state based on the player's striking operation on the control device 31. That is, the timing of the rotation of the striking element 541 corresponds to the timing of the player's striking operation. During the transition from the initial state to the final state, the amusement ball 80 released by the supply unit 53 is impacted by the striking element 541. When the striking element 541 hits and reverses the direction of movement of the amusement ball 80, it will cause the amusement ball 80 to roll towards the periphery E1 of the amusement board surface F. That is, the result of the striking element 541 will cause the amusement ball 80 to move towards the display surface 21 (or guide groove 52) of the display device 20.

[0053] During the period from when the amusement ball 80 is released from the supply unit 53 until it is biased by the biasing unit 54, the moving unit 55 moves the amusement ball 80. The moving unit 55 is disposed between the supply unit 53 and the biasing unit 54. The moving unit 55 causes the amusement ball 80 to move independently of the player's action, relative to the biasing unit 54 applying bias to the amusement ball 80 in response to the player's striking action. That is, the bias applied to the amusement ball 80 by the moving unit 55 is unaffected by the player's action.

[0054] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the moving part 55 includes a rotating disk 551 and a driving device 552. The rotating disk 551 is a rotatable circular plate-shaped element centered on a rotation axis perpendicular to the amusement board surface F. The rotating disk 551 is disposed inside the circular opening 511 formed on the amusement table 51. The driving device 552 is an electric motor that rotates the rotating disk 551. During the initial lottery, the driving device 552 continuously rotates the rotating disk 551. The driving device 552 is an example of a "driving part". It should be noted that Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment in which the rotating disk 551 rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to the amusement board surface F (i.e., a rotation axis inclined relative to the vertical direction), but the rotating disk 551 can also rotate around a rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0055] When viewed vertically, the spin disk 551 is located between the pitching arm 531 and the striking element 541. That is, the spin disk 551 is located at the position where the amusement ball 80 released by the supply unit 53 would reach if it were not struck by the striking element 541. The aforementioned side wall portion W2 is provided in the Y1 direction of the spin disk 551 and extends in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the spin disk 551. That is, the spin disk 551 is located between the pitching arm 531 and the side wall portion W2.

[0056] Furthermore, when viewed from the side, the rotating disk 551 is within the movable range of the striking element 541. The movable range of the striking element 541 is the fan-shaped area traversed by the striking element 541 between its starting and ending positions. When viewed from the side, part or all of the rotating disk 551 may also be outside the movable range of the striking element 541. It should be noted that the side wall portion W2 is also within the movable range of the striking element 541. The top of the side wall portion W2 is located lower than that of the striking element 541. Therefore, the striking element 541 and the side wall portion W2 will not interfere with each other.

[0057] The rotating disk 551 includes an upper surface (hereinafter referred to as "placement surface 553") for placing the amusement balls 80. Placement surface 553 is a flat surface parallel to the surface F of the amusement disk. Therefore, placement surface 553 is an inclined surface that slopes downwards in the Y1 direction. However, placement surface 553 can also be a plane parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane).

[0058] As shown in Figure 7, the placement surface 553 of the rotating disk 551 is located lower than the playground surface F. The height difference between the placement surface 553 and the playground surface F is less than the diameter of the playground ball 80. Specifically, the height difference is less than half the diameter of the playground ball 80.

[0059] As explained above, the inner circumferential surface of the opening 511 of the playground table 51 is used as the side surface, forming a cylindrical recess 56 with the placement surface 553 as the bottom surface. For the playground ball 80 on the placement surface 553 to move outside the recess 56, it must overcome the step difference between the placement surface 553 and the playground surface F. In this way, the playground ball 80 on the placement surface 553 can remain within the recess 56.

[0060] As explained above, the amusement ball 80 will remain on the placement surface 553 due to the height difference between the placement surface 553 and the amusement board surface F. That is, the amusement ball 80 will remain within the range where the biasing part 54 can apply bias. According to the first embodiment, the amusement ball 80 can be kept on the placement surface 553 by using a simple structure in which the heights of the placement surface 553 and the amusement board surface F are different.

[0061] The rotating disk 551 of the first embodiment includes a protrusion 554 provided on the placement surface 553. The protrusion 554 is a protrusion that protrudes upward from the placement surface 553. The protrusion 554 is provided at a position on the placement surface 553 that is spaced apart from the rotation axis of the rotating disk 551. Therefore, by the rotation of the rotating disk 551, the protrusion 554 moves within the recess 56 on a circumference concentric with the rotating disk 551.

[0062] The protrusion 554 is, for example, a cylindrical portion. However, the shape of the protrusion 554 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, a hemispherical or conical protrusion 554 may also be provided on the placement surface 553. Furthermore, the protrusion 554 is integrally formed with the placement surface 553. Alternatively, a protrusion 554 that is separate from the placement surface 553 may be fixed to the placement surface 553.

[0063] The top of the protrusion 554 is located lower than the striking element 541. This prevents interference between the striking element 541 and the protrusion 554. The height of the top of the protrusion 554 relative to the amusement park surface F is arbitrary. That is, it can be assumed that the top of the protrusion 554 is higher than the amusement park surface F, or that the amusement park surface F is higher than the top of the protrusion 554, or that the top of the protrusion 554 is at the same height as the amusement park surface F.

[0064] The amusement ball 80 on the placement surface 553 moves irregularly by repeatedly colliding with the protrusion 554 within the recess 56. That is, the moving part 55 causes the amusement ball 80 released from the supply part 53 to move within the range where the biasing part 54 can apply bias. As explained above, in the first embodiment, the movement of the amusement ball 80 on the placement surface 553 changes by contacting (typically colliding with) the protrusion 554. This allows for irregular movement of the amusement ball 80 with a simple structure.

[0065] When the amusement ball 80 remains within the recess 56 and the striking element 541 rotates, the striking element 541 strikes the amusement ball 80. The strike of the striking element 541 causes the amusement ball 80 to move beyond the step between the placement surface 553 and the amusement disc surface F, moving to the outside of the recess 56, and rolling towards the periphery E1 (and further towards the display surface 21 of the display device 20) on the amusement disc surface F. It should be noted that the above description focuses on the strike of the striking element 541, but there are also cases where the amusement ball 80 moves to the outside of the recess 56 due to a collision with the protrusion 554. In other words, the amusement ball 80 does not necessarily need to be struck by the striking element 541 to fly out of the recess 56.

[0066] The amusement ball 80, reaching the periphery E1 of the amusement table 51, falls from the periphery E1 into the guide groove 52. As previously described, the amusement ball 80 contained in the guide groove 52 moves along the X1 direction due to the inclination of the bottom surface 521. The supply unit 53 holds the amusement ball 80 supplied from the guide groove 52 in the holding unit 533 and awaits the next release of the amusement ball 80. As explained above, the amusement ball 80 basically cycles in the following order: released by the supply unit 53, moved by the moving unit 55, biased by the biasing unit 54, falling from the periphery E1 into the guide groove 52, and held by the supply unit 53.

[0067] As described above, in the first embodiment, the amusement ball 80 released by the supply unit 53 moves independently of the player's operation through the action of the moving part 55. Therefore, compared to embodiments without the moving part 55, the movement of the amusement ball 80 is more varied, thereby increasing the fun of the game. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the amusement ball 80 can be moved using a simple structure that rotates the rotating disk 551 via the drive device 552.

[0068] In particular, in the first embodiment, the amusement ball 80 moves within the range where the biasing portion 54 can apply bias (specifically, the recess 56). Therefore, to strike the amusement ball 80 in the recess 56 in the appropriate direction using the striking element 541, it is necessary to fully observe or predict the behavior of the amusement ball 80 in the recess 56. As described above, this provides players with the enjoyment of observing the amusement ball 80 while simultaneously deciding on the timing of the strike.

[0069] The camera device 60 in Figure 1 is positioned above the first lottery device 50 in the vertical direction. The camera device 60 is a machine that captures images of the first lottery device 50 from above in the vertical direction. Specifically, the camera device 60 generates image data representing moving images by capturing images of the vicinity of the periphery E1 of the game table 51 (guide groove 52 and display surface 21). The camera device 60 includes, for example, an optical system such as a camera lens and a photosensitive element for receiving incident light from the optical system.

[0070] Figure 5 shows the baseline R. The baseline R is an imaginary line (straight line or curve) extending along the perimeter E1 in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the baseline R is set inside the guide groove 52 at eye level. The baseline R is also represented as an imaginary line along the guide groove 52 or the display surface 21. As mentioned earlier, the amusement ball 80, biased by the biasing part 54, falls from the perimeter E1 into the guide groove 52. The amusement ball 80 that falls into the guide groove 52 reaches the baseline R. It should be noted that the baseline R is an example of a "specific position".

[0071] The control device 11 can be used to determine the position reached after the amusement ball 80 is biased by the biasing part 54. Specifically, by analyzing the image data generated by the camera device 60, the control device 11 can determine the position of the amusement ball 80 on the reference line R (hereinafter referred to as the "reaching position"). The reaching position is the position in the X-axis direction. Specifically, the control device 11 identifies the amusement ball 80 by analyzing the image data and estimates the position of the amusement ball 80 on the reference line R as the reaching position.

[0072] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the image displayed on the display device 20 during the initial lottery using the first lottery device 50. As shown in Figure 8, the control device 11 displays a plurality of lottery elements 23 on the display device 20. During the execution of the initial lottery, the plurality of lottery elements 23 are continuously displayed. Each lottery element 23 is an element that is drawn in the initial lottery. That is, the initial lottery is a lottery process that selects any one of the plurality of lottery elements 23.

[0073] Each lottery element 23 corresponds to any one of a plurality of special draws. Specifically, the lottery element 23 corresponding to each special draw is an image representing that special draw. For example, in the example of Figure 8, the lottery element 23 displayed as "CHANCE!" corresponds to the first special draw, the lottery element 23 displayed as "BIG CHANCE!" corresponds to the second special draw, and the lottery element 23 displayed as "???" corresponds to the third special draw. The selection of lottery element 23 in the initial draw indicates the selection of the special draw corresponding to that lottery element 23.

[0074] A plurality of lottery elements 23 are displayed in a strip-shaped area on the display surface 21 of the display device 20, wherein the strip-shaped area extends along the lower edge 22 of the display surface 21 in the X-axis direction. The plurality of lottery elements 23 are arranged along the X-axis direction. As previously described, the lower edge 22 of the display surface 21 extends along the reference line R (peripheral E1 or guide groove 52). Thereby, the plurality of lottery elements 23 are arranged along the reference line R.

[0075] The control device 11 moves the plurality of lottery elements 23 displayed on the display device 20 along the X-axis. Specifically, the plurality of lottery elements 23 move along the X2 direction at a predetermined speed. As explained above, the plurality of lottery elements 23 displayed on the display device 20 move along the reference line R in a configuration arranged along the reference line R. That is, the position of each lottery element 23 on the display device 20 changes over time.

[0076] In the initial lottery draw, the control device 11 selects the lottery element 23 corresponding to the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 from a plurality of lottery elements 23. Specifically, the control device 11 selects the lottery element 23 closest to the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 at the time it reaches the baseline R from the plurality of lottery elements 23. Selecting a lottery element 23 means selecting the special lottery corresponding to that lottery element 23 from a plurality of special lottery draws. For example, in the case illustrated in Figure 8, since the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 is closest to the lottery element 23 for "BIG CHANCE!", the second special lottery corresponding to that lottery element 23 is selected. Since the plurality of lottery elements 23 are arranged close to the baseline R, the lottery element 23 that the amusement ball 80 hit by the player with the striking element 541 is identified as the selected one from the plurality of lottery elements 23.

[0077] As described above and referring to Figure 3, the special draw selected from a plurality of special draws is executed after the initial draw. From the above description, it can be understood that the control device 11 controls the game based on the position (specific position) of the amusement ball 80, which is biased by the biased part 54, on the baseline R. The control device 11 is an example of a "control unit".

[0078] As described above, the first embodiment provides players with the enjoyment of determining the striking conditions (e.g., the timing of the striking operation) of the amusement ball 80 in order to reach the desired position of one of the plurality of draw elements 23. In particular, in the first embodiment, since the positions of each draw element 23 change over time, it provides players with the enjoyment of determining the striking conditions (especially the timing of the striking operation) of the amusement ball 80 while observing or predicting the positional changes of the desired draw element 23.

[0079] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the process performed by the control device 11 for the initial lottery draw (hereinafter referred to as the "lottery control process"). As mentioned earlier, the lottery control process begins when the amusement ball 48 falls from the fixed table 41. That is, the lottery control process is repeated every time the amusement ball 48 falls.

[0080] When the lottery control process begins, the control device 11 displays a plurality of lottery elements 23 on the display device 20 and moves the arrangement of the plurality of lottery elements 23 in the X-axis direction (S1). In addition, the control device 11 drives the moving part 55 (S2). Specifically, the control device 11 controls the drive device 552 to rotate the rotating disk 551.

[0081] The control device 11 causes the supply unit 53 to release the amusement ball 80 (S3). Specifically, the control device 11 controls the drive device 532 to move the throwing arm 531 from the standby state to the throwing state. The amusement ball 80 released from the supply unit 53 moves irregularly toward the biasing part 54 on the amusement disk surface F. When the amusement ball 80 reaches the placement surface 553 of the rotating disk 551, the amusement ball 80 collides with the protrusion 554 in the recess 56, causing irregular movement.

[0082] The control device 11 determines whether it has received a striking operation from the player on the operating device 31 (S4). When a striking operation is received (S4: Yes), the control device 11 drives the bias unit 54 (S5). Specifically, the control device 11 rotates the striking element 541 by controlling the drive device 542. When the striking element 541 rotates with the amusement ball 80 within its movable range, the amusement ball 80 is struck by the striking element 541 and rolls towards the periphery E1 of the amusement board surface F. On the other hand, if no striking operation is received (S4: No), the control device 11 does not execute the drive of the bias unit 54 (S5).

[0083] The control device 11 determines whether the amusement ball 80 has reached the baseline R by analyzing the image data provided by the camera device 60 (S6). If the amusement ball 80 has not reached the baseline R (S6: No), the control device 11 will transfer the processing to step S4 and determine whether there has been a hit operation.

[0084] When the amusement ball 80 reaches the baseline R (S6: Yes), the control device 11 determines the lottery element 23 corresponding to the position reached by the amusement ball 80 from among a plurality of lottery elements 23 (S7). Specifically, the control device 11 selects the lottery element 23 closest to the position reached when the amusement ball 80 reaches the baseline R. Through the above processing, the special lottery corresponding to the lottery element 23 selected by the control device 11 is determined as the lottery result of the initial lottery.

[0085] As explained above, in the first embodiment, in a game where the amusement ball 80, released by the supply unit 53 onto the amusement board F, is biased in response to the player's striking action, the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is off-center. Therefore, the amusement ball 80, released by the supply unit 53 or biased by the biasing unit 54, rolls irregularly on the amusement board F. This structure increases the fun compared to games where the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is aligned with the center.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the amusement ball 80 rolls irregularly due to its eccentric center of gravity structure. Compared to embodiments where the motion of the amusement ball 80 changes irregularly due to external forces, this embodiment can make the amusement ball 80 move irregularly with a simple structure.

[0087] The first and second special draws utilize the second draw device 70 and display device 20 shown in Figure 1. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the second draw device 70. As shown in Figure 10, the second draw device 70 includes a draw disk 71, a supply device 72, and a detection device 73.

[0088] The lottery tray 71 is a circular plate-like structure with a lower center than the periphery (i.e., a so-called perforated tray croon). A lottery hole 74 (e.g., a through hole) is formed in the center of the lottery tray 71. The supply device 72 supplies lottery balls 75 to the lottery tray 71. The lottery ball 75, like the playground balls 48 and 80, is a sphere simulating the appearance of a baseball. As mentioned earlier, the center of gravity of the playground ball 80 is off-center, but the center of gravity of the lottery ball 75 is aligned with the center. However, the lottery ball 75 can also be the same as the playground ball 80, an off-center sphere. Furthermore, the size of the lottery ball 75 can be the same as or different from the size of the playground ball 80.

[0089] The lottery ball 75, supplied from the supply device 72 to the lottery tray 71, rolls circumferentially on the upper surface of the lottery tray 71 and gradually approaches the center, eventually entering the lottery hole 74. The detection device 73 is used to detect the lottery ball 75 passing through the lottery hole 74. As explained above, the second lottery device 70 is a physical lottery mechanism that performs the lottery draw when the lottery ball 75 passes through the lottery hole 74.

[0090] Figure 11 shows an example of the display device 20 in the first and second special draws. In the first and second special draws, the control device 11 displays a draw image 24 and an indicator image 25 on the display device 20. The draw image 24 is a circular image of a plurality of draw elements 26 arranged in a circumferential direction. Each draw element 26 is assigned to any one of the plurality of draw results. The draw results include winning, not winning, or the amount of reward when winning. The control device 11 rotates the draw image 24. It should be noted that Figure 11 shows an embodiment where the size of each draw element 26 is the same; however, the size of the draw elements 26 may vary each time, for example, depending on the amount of reward. Furthermore, the size of each draw element 26 may also change over time.

[0091] The indicator image 25 is used to indicate a specific position in the circumferential direction of the lottery image 24. That is, any one of the plurality of lottery elements 26 will be indicated by the indicator image 25. The control device 11 selects any one of the plurality of lottery elements 26 in the lottery image 24 based on the behavior of the lottery ball 75 in the second lottery device 70. Specifically, the control device 11 selects from the plurality of lottery elements 26 the lottery element indicated by the indicator image 25 at the moment the lottery ball 75 falls into the lottery hole 74 of the lottery tray 71. In other words, the lottery process of selecting any one of the plurality of lottery elements 26 is realized through the cooperation of the second lottery device 70, the display device 20, and the control device 11.

[0092] Between the first and second special draws, the number of draw elements 26 constituting the draw image 24, the size of each draw element 26, or the draw result (e.g., the amount of reward) assigned to each draw element 26 are different. Thus, although the drawing method is the same between the first and second special draws, the probability of winning or the amount of reward differs.

[0093] The third special lottery does not use a physical lottery mechanism such as the second lottery device 70, but instead uses an electronic lottery. Specifically, in the third special lottery, the control device 11 displays the same lottery image 24 and indicator image 25 as shown in FIG. 11 on the display device 20. The control device 11 rotates the lottery image 24 and stops the rotation of the lottery image 24 when a predetermined end condition is met. At the point when the rotation of the lottery image 24 stops, the control device 11 selects a lottery element 26 indicated by the indicator image 25. The end condition for stopping the rotation of the lottery image 24 is, for example, the elapsed time or an operation performed by the player on the operating device 31.

[0094] (Second Embodiment) The second embodiment will be described. It should be noted that in the embodiments exemplified below, elements that function the same as in the first embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numerals as in the description of the first embodiment, and their individual detailed descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0095] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the first lottery device 50 in the second embodiment. The moving part 55 of the first embodiment is omitted in the first lottery device 50 of the second embodiment. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, a return opening 512 is formed on the amusement table 51 of the second embodiment instead of the opening 511 of the first embodiment. The return opening 512 is a circular opening through which the amusement ball 80 can pass.

[0096] For example, the return port 512 is formed by partially overlapping the striking element 541 in the standby state. Specifically, the return port 512 is located at the position where the amusement ball 80 released by the supply unit 53 reaches before being struck by the striking element 541. Therefore, the player must operate the operating device 31 at the appropriate time before the amusement ball 80 falls into the return port 512, thereby striking the amusement ball 80 with the striking element 541.

[0097] As shown in Figure 12, a return path 57 is formed directly below the play table 51. The return path 57 is the path for returning the play ball 80 that has fallen into the return port 512 to the supply unit 53. Specifically, the return path 57 includes an inclined surface that descends in the Y2 direction. Thereby, the play ball 80 falling from the return port 512 to the return path 57 rolls along the Y2 direction towards the supply unit 53 under its own weight. The supply unit 53 holds the play ball 80 supplied from the return path 57 in the holding part 533, awaiting the next release of the play ball 80.

[0098] It should be noted that in the second embodiment, the throwing arm 531 rotates only along direction α1. During the phase where the throwing arm 531 approaches the return path 57, the amusement ball 80 is held in the holding part 533. During the phase where the throwing arm 531 reaches the amusement board surface F (throwing state), the amusement ball 80 is released onto the amusement board surface F. The structure and operation, except for the elements described above, are the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the second embodiment can achieve the same effect as the first embodiment.

[0099] (Variations) The following examples illustrate specific variations that can be added to the above embodiments. In the following examples, two or more embodiments can be arbitrarily selected and appropriately combined within a non-contradictory scope.

[0100] (1) The foregoing embodiments illustrate a playground ball 80 with a counterweight element 83 provided on a protrusion 82 protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the spherical shell portion 81. However, the structure of the playground ball 80 to which this disclosure applies is not limited to the above examples. For example, as shown in FIG13, it is also possible to assume a structure in which the position of the space 84 inside the playground ball 80 is offset relative to the center of the playground ball 80. Although FIG13 illustrates a hemispherical space 84, the shape of the space 84 can be arbitrarily changed.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in FIG14, a playground ball 80 may also be used in which a counterweight element 85, separate from the spherical shell portion 81, is housed inside the spherical shell portion 81. In the playground ball 80 of FIG14, the counterweight element 85 moves inside the spherical shell portion 81. Furthermore, the playground ball 80 of FIG15 has a spherical shell portion 81, a support portion 86, and a counterweight element 87. The support portion 86 is a cylindrical portion connecting the opposing portions of the inner circumferential surfaces of the spherical shell portion 81. The counterweight element 87 is an annular element surrounding the support portion 86. In the structure of FIG15, the counterweight element 87 can move along the support portion 86 inside the spherical shell portion 81. It should be noted that in the first embodiment and the playground ball 80 of FIG13, the position of the center of gravity is fixed, while in the structure of FIG14 or FIG15, the position of the center of gravity of the playground ball 80 is variable.

[0102] (2) In the foregoing embodiments, the moving part 55 is used to move the amusement ball 80 from the time it is released by the supply part 53 until it is biased by the biasing part 54. However, depending on the timing of the striking operation of the operating device 31, the amusement ball 80 released by the supply part 53 may be biased by the biasing part 54 before reaching the moving part 55. Moreover, the amusement ball 80 biased by the biasing part 54 will not fall into the guide groove 52, but will roll in the Y1 direction due to the tilt of the amusement disk surface F, eventually reaching the moving part 55. That is, the amusement ball 80 can move in the order of being released by the supply part 53, being biased by the biasing part 54, and being moved by the moving part 55. Considering the above, the moving part 55 can also be represented as an element that moves the amusement ball 80 from the time it is released by the supply part 53 until it reaches the reference line R.

[0103] (3) In the foregoing embodiments, the amusement ball 80 is held on the placement surface 553 by the step (recess 56) between the placement surface 553 of the rotating disk 551 and the amusement disk surface F. However, the structure for holding the amusement ball 80 is not limited to the examples above. For example, in an embodiment where the amusement ball 80 is made of a magnetic material, the amusement ball 80 can be held within the movable range of the striking element 541 by being attracted by a magnet provided on the rotating disk 551.

[0104] (4) The degree to which the amusement ball 80 remains on the placement surface 553 (i.e., the ease with which the amusement ball 80 remains) can be adjusted according to the rotation speed of the rotating disk 551. For example, when the rotating disk 551 rotates at a slower speed, the placement surface 553 and the inner surface of the opening 511 of the amusement table 51 rotate while maintaining contact, making it easier for the amusement ball 80 to remain in the recess 56. On the other hand, when the rotating disk 551 rotates at a faster speed, the movement speed of the amusement ball 80 within the recess 56 increases, making it easier for the amusement ball 80 to cross the step difference between the placement surface 553 and the amusement table surface F and fly out of the recess 56. When the amusement ball 80 remains stably on the placement surface 553, the player can more easily grasp the timing of the striking operation.

[0105] Specifically, the control device 11 controls the rotation speed of the rotating disk 551 based on various game-related information, such as the game's progress or various parameters. It should be noted that the rotation speed of the rotating disk 551 can be set according to the instructions of the administrator of the game system 100.

[0106] (5) The first embodiment illustrates an example in which the amusement ball 80 released from the supply unit 53 reaches the bias unit 54 or the moving unit 55, but the destination of the amusement ball 80 released from the supply unit 53 is not limited to the above example. For example, the bias unit 54 and the moving unit 55 in the first embodiment can be replaced by the lottery unit 515 shown in FIG16.

[0107] The lottery section 515 in Figure 16, like the lottery disc 71 of the second lottery device 70, has a recess (i.e., a so-called Croon) that is recessed relative to the amusement board surface F. Specifically, the lottery section 515 is formed in a generally circular shape with the center lower than the periphery. A lottery hole 516 (e.g., a through hole) is formed in the center of the lottery section 515. The supply section 53 and the lottery section 515 are surrounded by a side wall portion 517 provided on the amusement board surface F. In addition, a guide portion 518 protruding from the amusement board surface F is provided on the amusement board surface F. The guide portion 518 is a guide member used to guide the amusement ball 80 released by the supply section 53 to the lottery section 515.

[0108] The lottery section 515 is located separately from the supply section 53 along the Y1 direction. Here, the amusement ball 80 released by the supply section 53 rolls irregularly towards the lottery section 515 due to its eccentric center of gravity. Upon reaching the lottery section 515, the amusement ball 80 rolls circumferentially on the upper surface of the lottery section 515, gradually approaching the center and finally entering the lottery hole 516. A detection device (not shown) detects the lottery ball 75 passing through the lottery hole 516. As explained above, the lottery section 515 of FIG. 16 is a physical lottery mechanism that performs a lottery when the amusement ball 80 passes through the lottery hole 516. It should be noted that in the structure of FIG. 16, the amusement ball 80 passing through the lottery hole 516 returns to the supply section 53 via, for example, the same return path 57 as in FIG. 12.

[0109] (6) The speed at which the supply unit 53 releases the amusement ball 80 (i.e., the initial velocity of the amusement ball 80) can be changed. For example, the control device 11 changes the initial velocity of the amusement ball 80 by controlling the rotation speed of the throwing arm 531 through the drive device 532. For example, the initial velocity of the amusement ball 80 is changed each time it is thrown. Specifically, the control device 11 randomly changes the initial velocity of the amusement ball 80.

[0110] By changing the initial velocity of the amusement ball 80, the time it takes for the amusement ball 80 to travel from the supply unit 53 to the bias unit 54 is altered. Furthermore, due to the eccentric center of gravity of the amusement ball 80, the trajectory of the amusement ball 80 after being released by the supply unit 53 also changes because of the change in its initial velocity. This increases the difficulty for the player to predict the behavior of the amusement ball 80, thereby enhancing the game's enjoyment.

[0111] (7) Although Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment where multiple lottery elements 23 displayed on the display device 20 are of the same size during the initial lottery draw, the sizes of the individual lottery elements 23 may also differ. As in the aforementioned embodiments, in the embodiment where the lottery element 23 closest to the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 is selected from the multiple lottery elements 23, the larger the size of the lottery element 23, the higher the probability that the lottery element 23 will be selected. The size of the lottery element 23 may be adjusted, for example, according to factors such as pay-out ratio.

[0112] Furthermore, the size of each lottery element 23 can change over time. For example, assuming a baseball game is being played in response to the results of each special lottery, an embodiment could be proposed that controls the size of each lottery element 23 based on parameters of hypothetical players (e.g., physical condition, growth level, etc.). Alternatively, an embodiment could be proposed that controls the size of each lottery element 23 in response to the progress of the baseball game. For example, compared to the initial stage, a specific lottery element 23 could be enlarged in the final stage of the baseball game.

[0113] It should be noted that, although the above description focuses on the lottery element 23 of the initial lottery, the first special lottery or the second special lottery can also adopt an embodiment in which the sizes of the lottery elements 26 are different, or an embodiment in which the size of the lottery element 26 changes over time.

[0114] (8) In the foregoing embodiments, the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 is identified by analyzing the image (image data) captured by the camera device 60 on the first lottery device 50. However, the method for identifying the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 is not limited to the examples described above. For example, the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 can be detected using a detection device (not shown) provided on the amusement table 51 or the guide slot 52. For example, any optical or mechanical sensor can be used to detect the arrival position.

[0115] The foregoing embodiments illustrate examples of displaying multiple lottery elements 23 corresponding to any one of multiple special lottery draws on the display device 20. However, the structure and method for selecting any one of the multiple special lottery draws based on the arrival position of the amusement ball 80 are not limited to the above examples. For instance, multiple spaces separated by partitions can be provided at positions that the amusement ball 80, for which bias is applied by the bias unit 54, can reach. Each space corresponds to any one of the multiple special lottery draws. The control device 11 selects the special lottery draw corresponding to the space reached by the amusement ball 80 from the multiple spaces.

[0116] As can be understood from the above examples, the control device 11 generally represents the element of playing the game by the specific position reached by the amusement ball 80, which is biased in accordance with the biasing unit 54. The control device 11 also represents the element of playing the game by the position reached by the amusement ball 80.

[0117] (9) Although the foregoing embodiments illustrate an example of the striking element 541 striking the amusement ball 80, the structure in which the biasing part 54 applies bias to the amusement ball 80 is not limited to the above examples. For example, the amusement ball 80 can be biased by applying external force such as magnetic force or wind force in a non-contact manner. As can be understood from the above examples, this disclosure does not consider whether the biasing part 54 is in contact with the amusement ball 80.

[0118] (10) In the foregoing embodiments, a baseball-themed game is envisioned; however, the game format disclosed herein can be arbitrarily changed. For example, in a soccer-themed game, a playground ball 80 simulating a soccer ball is used, and a hitting element 541 simulating the appearance of a player's leg is used to hit the playground ball 80.

[0119] (11) (Structure A) A structure in which the center of gravity of the amusement ball 80 is eccentric. (Structure B) A structure in which the amusement ball 80 is moved by the moving part 55. In the first embodiment, a game system 100 having both structures is illustrated. Structure A and Structure B can be established independently. For example, as shown in the second embodiment, Structure B is not necessary for Structure A. Similarly, Structure A is not necessary for Structure B. For example, in Structure B, an amusement ball 80 with its center of gravity aligned with the center can also be used.

[0120] (12) The foregoing embodiments illustrate embodiments that include a game mechanism 40 and a second lottery device 70 in addition to the first lottery device 50, but the first lottery device 50 can be implemented, for example, without the game mechanism 40 or the second lottery device 70. That is, the first lottery device 50 can be implemented separately as a physical lottery mechanism that draws a plurality of lottery elements 23.

[0121] Furthermore, although the first lottery device 50 is used in the foregoing embodiments to select any one of a plurality of special draws in the initial lottery, the application of the first lottery device 50 is not limited to the initial lottery. For example, the first lottery device 50 can also be used for lottery to determine whether a player wins or fails, or the amount of reward when winning.

[0122] (13) The foregoing embodiments illustrate setting the game system 100 in real space, but the game system 100 can also be implemented as a virtual object set in virtual space and implemented through computational processing. Therefore, for example, the same services as the game system 100 in the foregoing embodiments can be provided to players via information devices such as smartphones or tablets. For example, an application game provided through a program executed by an information device, or a cloud game provided by a server capable of communicating with the information device, can implement the same game as the game system 100.

[0123] (14) The function of the game system 100 related to the foregoing embodiments is realized through the cooperation of one or more processors constituting the control device 11 and the program stored in the storage device 12. The program related to the above embodiments can be provided and installed on a computer in the form of a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, such as an optical recording medium (CD-ROM), which is a good example, but also includes any known form of recording medium such as semiconductor recording media or magnetic recording media. It should be noted that non-transitory recording media includes any recording medium other than transient propagating signals, and does not exclude volatile recording media. In addition, in the structure of the playback device playing the program via a communication network, the recording medium in the playback device storing the program is equivalent to the aforementioned non-transitory recording medium.

[0124] (Note) From the foregoing description, for example, suitable embodiments of this disclosure can be understood as follows. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding of the various embodiments, the symbols in the drawings are written in parentheses for convenience, but this does not mean that the content of this disclosure is limited to the illustrated embodiments.

[0125] (Note 1) In order to solve the above problems, a game system (100) related to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a spherical amusement body (80), a rotatable disk (F) of the amusement body (80), a supply unit (53) that supplies the amusement body (80) to the disk (F), a biasing unit (54) that applies a bias to the amusement body (80) supplied by the supply unit (53) in response to the player's operation, a control unit (11) that controls the amusement body (80) that reaches a specific position (R) in response to the bias applied by the biasing unit (54) and performs the game, and a moving unit that moves the amusement body (80) in a manner independent of the player's operation from the time it is supplied by the supply unit (53) until it reaches the specific position (R).

[0126] In the above structure, during the period from when the supply unit (53) supplies the amusement object (80) until it reaches a specific position (R), the amusement object (80) moves in a manner independent of the player's operation due to the action of the moving unit (55). In this way, the movement of the amusement object (80) becomes more diverse, thereby further enhancing the fun of the game.

[0127] "Playable Object (80)" is an element used in the game in this disclosure book. For Playable Object (80), "spherical" means that its shape can be regarded as a real sphere. Therefore, a perfect sphere is of course included in the concept of "spherical", and other objects, such as those with slightly uneven surfaces due to manufacturing reasons or painting, decoration, etc., are also included in the concept of "spherical" as long as their overall shape can be evaluated as a real sphere.

[0128] "Disk surface (F)" is the surface of the play structure (80) that can roll. "Disk surface (F)" can be a plane, a curved surface, a combination of a plane and a curved surface, a combination of multiple planes at different angles, or a combination of multiple curved surfaces.

[0129] "Bias" refers to the change in motion (e.g., direction or velocity) of the amusement object (80) caused by applying an external force to the amusement object (80). A typical example of a "bias section (54)" is a component that comes into contact with the amusement object (80) (e.g., a component that strikes the amusement object (80)), but elements that change the motion of the amusement object (80) in a non-contact manner by external forces such as magnetism or wind are also included in the "bias section (54)".

[0130] "Applying bias pressure in response to player's operation" means that the biasing unit (54) applies bias pressure to the amusement object (80) based on the player's operation. For example, a structure in which the biasing unit (54) applies bias pressure to the amusement object (80) based on the player's operation, or a structure that is linked to the player's operation and applies bias pressure to the amusement object (80) by moving the biasing unit (54), all belong to "applying bias pressure in response to player's operation".

[0131] "Specific position (R)" refers to the position reached by the amusement body (80) which is biased by the biasing unit (54), and is not limited to a location on the disc (F). Furthermore, "specific position (R)" is not limited to a fixed single location, but can be any position within a specific range or on a specific straight line.

[0132] "Playing the game in response to the amusement object (80) reaching a specific position (R)" refers to changing the game's state based on the amusement object (80) reaching a specific position (R). For example, starting a specific event (e.g., a lottery) when the amusement object (80) reaches a specific position (R), changing the game's state (e.g., the action mode) when the amusement object (80) reaches a specific position (R), or changing game-related parameters when the amusement object (80) reaches a specific position (R) all fall under "playing the game in response to the amusement object (80) reaching a specific position (R)". It should be noted that in embodiments where "specific position (R)" is any position within a specific range or on a specific straight line, controlling the game's progress based on the position reached by the amusement object (80) also falls under "playing the game in response to the amusement object (80) reaching a specific position (R)".

[0133] "Movement" of the amusement object (80) by the moving part (55) refers to changing the movement (e.g., the direction or speed of the amusement object (80) that is supplied by the supply part (53) and rolls on the disk (F). In other words, the movement of the amusement object (80) simply rolling on the disk (F) after being supplied by the supply part (53) does not constitute "movement by the moving part (55)". It should be noted that "supply" of the amusement object (80) by the supply part (53) means, for example, releasing (or placing) the amusement object (80) onto the disk (F).

[0134] "Unrelated to player operation" means that the player cannot directly participate in the action of the moving part (55) to move the amusement object (80). For example, the state in which the player cannot change the conditions (direction or speed of movement) of the moving part (55) to move the amusement object (80) is interpreted as a state "unrelated to player operation".

[0135] "The period from when the amusement object (80) is supplied by the supply unit (53) until it reaches the specific position (R)" refers, for example, the period from when the amusement object (80) is supplied by the supply unit (53) until it is biased by the biased unit (54), or the period from when the amusement object (80) is supplied by the supply unit (53) until it reaches the specific position (R) after being biased by the biased unit (54). That is, the amusement object (80) can reach the specific position (R) by being supplied by the supply unit (53), moved by the moving unit (55), and biased by the biased unit (54), or it can reach the specific position (R) by being supplied by the supply unit (53), biased by the biased unit (54), moved by the moving unit (55), and biased by the biased unit (54) again.

[0136] (Appendix 2) In a specific example of Appendix 1 (Appendix 2), while remaining within the range where the biasing section (54) can apply bias, the moving section (55) moves the amusement object (80) supplied by the supply section (53). In the above structure, the amusement object (80) moves within the range where the biasing section (54) can apply bias. This provides players with the enjoyment of observing or predicting the behavior of the amusement object (80) within the range where the biasing section (54) can apply bias to the amusement object (80), while simultaneously determining the operating conditions (e.g., the timing of the operation) under which the biasing section (54) applies bias to the amusement object (80).

[0137] "The range in which the biasing part (54) can apply bias" refers to the range in which the external force from the biasing part (54) acts on the amusement object (80). It should be noted that the range in which the amusement object (80) remains can be included within the range in which the biasing part (54) can apply bias. However, the biasing part (54) does not necessarily need to apply bias to the amusement object (80) within the entire range in which the amusement object (80) remains. That is, the range in which the amusement object (80) remains can include both the range in which the biasing part (54) can apply bias to the amusement object (80) and the range in which the biasing part (54) cannot apply bias to the amusement object (80).

[0138] "The state in which the amusement body (80) is stationary" refers to the state in which the amusement body (80) remains within a specific range. It is not limited to a structure in which the amusement body (80) is completely maintained within the range until the biasing part (54) applies bias. For example, there may be a situation in which the amusement body (80) moves from the specific range to the outside through the movement of the moving part (55).

[0139] (Appendix 3) In a specific example of Appendix 2 (Appendix 3), the moving part (55) includes a rotating disk (551) and a drive part (552) for rotating the rotating disk (551), wherein the rotating disk (551) includes a placement surface (553) for placing the amusement object (80). In the above structure, the amusement object (80) can be moved by the simple structure of rotating the rotating disk (551) by the drive part (552).

[0140] (Appendix 4) In a specific example of Appendix 3 (Appendix 4), the rotating disk (551) includes a protrusion (554) located on the placement surface (553) and protruding from the placement surface (553) at a position separated from the rotation axis of the rotating disk (551). In the above structure, the movement of the amusement object (80) changes by contacting (typically colliding with) the protrusion (554) on the placement surface (553). This allows the amusement object (80) to move irregularly with a simple structure.

[0141] (Note 5) In the specific example (Note 5) of Note 3 or Note 4, the placement surface (553) is located lower than the disc surface (F), and the amusement object (80) remains on the placement surface (553) due to the difference in height between the placement surface (553) and the disc surface (F). With the above structure, the amusement object (80) can remain on the placement surface (553) with a simple structure in which the heights of the placement surface (553) and the disc surface (F) are different.

[0142] (Note 6) In any specific example of Notes 1 to 5 (Note 6), the center of gravity of the amusement object (80) is off-center. In the above structure, in a game where the spherical amusement object 80 supplied by the supply unit (53) to the board (F) is biased in response to the player's operation, the center of gravity of the amusement object (80) is off-center. As a result, the amusement object (80) supplied by the supply unit (53) or biased by the biasing unit (54) rolls irregularly on the board (F). With the above structure, the fun can be increased compared to a game where the center of gravity of the amusement object (80) is aligned with the center.

[0143] "Center of gravity" is the point of application of the resultant force of gravity acting on all parts of the amusement structure (80). The state of "center of gravity being eccentric" means that the center of gravity of the amusement structure (80) is not the same as the center of gravity of the amusement structure (80). The "center" of the amusement structure (80) is a point inside the amusement structure (80) that is equidistant from any point on the surface of the amusement structure (80). It should be noted that, in addition to the structure where the center of gravity of the amusement structure (80) is fixed, it can also be assumed that the center of gravity of the amusement structure (80) is variable.

[0144] It should be noted that the degree of eccentricity of the center of gravity in the amusement object (80) (i.e., the distance between the center of gravity and the center) is arbitrary. However, a preferred structure with an eccentric center of gravity is one in which the degree of change of the movement conditions (e.g., direction of movement or speed of movement) of the amusement object (80) over time can be visually observed when the amusement object (80) rolls on a horizontal surface. For example, the trajectory of the amusement object (80) is unpredictable from the time it is supplied by the supply unit (53) until the bias is applied by the offset unit (54), and it is different each time the supply unit (53) supplies it. In addition, for example, when the amusement object (80) rolls in a straight line along a guide such as a groove, the speed of movement of the amusement object (80) will also change irregularly due to the eccentricity of the center of gravity.

[0145] (Note 7) In any specific example of Notes 1 to 6 (Note 7), there is also a display unit (20) that displays a plurality of lottery elements (23), and the control unit (11) selects from the plurality of lottery elements (23) the lottery element (23) corresponding to the specific position (R) reached by the amusement body (80) to which the bias unit (54) applies bias. The above embodiments provide players with the fun of determining the operating conditions (e.g., the timing of operation) for the bias unit (54) to apply bias to the amusement body (80) in order for the amusement body (80) to reach the desired position of the lottery element (23) displayed by the plurality of lottery elements (23) on the display unit (20).

[0146] "Lottery element (23)" is an image displayed on the display unit (20). The display unit (20) displays a plurality of lottery elements (23) playing the game in different states. "Lottery element (23) corresponding to a specific position (R) reached by the amusement vehicle (80)" is, for example, the lottery element (23) among the plurality of lottery elements (23) that is closest to the position (specific position (R)) reached by the amusement vehicle (80).

[0147] (Note 8) In the specific example of Note 7 (Note 8), the positions of each of the plurality of lottery elements (23) in the display unit (20) change over time. The above embodiment can provide players with the fun of observing or predicting the position changes of the lottery elements (23) they expect in the display unit (20) while determining the operating conditions (e.g., the timing of the operation) under which the bias unit (54) applies bias to the amusement body (80).

[0148] (Appendix 9) In a specific example of Appendix 7 or Appendix 8 (Appendix 9), the plurality of lottery elements (23) includes two or more lottery elements (23) corresponding to two or more lottery processes with different lottery conditions, and the control unit (11) executes the lottery process corresponding to the selected lottery element (23) from the two or more lottery processes. Through the above embodiment, corresponding to the position reached by the amusement body (80) biased by the bias unit (54), any one of the plurality of lottery processes with different lottery conditions is selectively executed. Therefore, compared to the embodiment that executes only one lottery process, the gameplay can be more diversified.

[0149] In any specific example of Appendix 1 to Appendix 9 (Appendix 10), the biasing part (54) includes a striking element (541) that, in response to the player's operation, can strike the amusement object (80) by rotating along the disc surface (F). The above embodiments enable games similar to sports such as baseball.

[0150] (100): Game System (10)(10-1)(10-2)(10-3)(10-4): Game Station (11): Control device (12): Storage device (20): Display device (21): Display surface (22): Below (23): Lottery elements (24): Lottery Image (25): Indicator Image (26): Lottery elements (30): Operation unit (31): Operating device (32): Receiving device (33): Expenditure device (40): Game institutions (41): Fixed table (42): Movable table (43): Input device (44): Supply device (45): Fixed wall (46): Detection device (47): Amusement Park Medals (48): Playball (50): First lottery device (51): Amusement Platform (511): Opening (512): Returning the mouth (515): Lottery Department (516): Lottery draw hole (517): Side wall portion (518): Guiding Section (52): Guide groove (521): Bottom surface (53): Supply Department (531): Throwing arm (532): Drive unit (533): Maintaining section (54): Bias section (541): Impact element (542): Drive unit (55): Mobility Unit (551): Rotary disk (552): Drive unit (553): Placement surface (554): Protrusion (56): concave part (57): Return Path (60): Camera device (70): Second lottery device (71): Lottery Plate (72): Supply device (73): Detection device (74): Lottery draw hole (75): Lottery Ball (80): Playball (81): Spherical shell (82): Protrusion (83)(85)(87): Counterweight components (84): Space (86): Support section

Claims

1. A game system, comprising: A spherical playground structure; A platform on which the amusement object can roll; a supply unit that supplies the amusement object onto the platform; a biasing unit that applies bias to the amusement object supplied by the supply unit in response to a player's operation; a control unit that controls the amusement object biased by the biasing unit to reach a specific position for gameplay; and a moving unit that causes the amusement object to change in a manner independent of the player's operation from the time it is supplied by the supply unit until it reaches the specific position, before or after being biased by the biasing unit.

2. The game system as described in claim 1, wherein the moving part moves the amusement body supplied by the supply unit while the amusement body supplied by the supply unit remains within the range to which the bias unit can apply bias.

3. The game system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moving part includes a rotating disk and a drive unit for rotating the rotating disk, wherein the rotating disk includes a placement surface for placing the amusement object.

4. The game system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotating disk includes a protrusion located on the placement surface and protruding from the placement surface at a position separated from the rotation axis of the rotating disk.

5. The game system as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the placement surface is located at a lower position than the disk surface, and the amusement object remains on the placement surface by means of the step difference between the placement surface and the disk surface.

6. The game system as described in claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the amusement object is eccentric.

7. The game system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display unit displaying a plurality of lottery elements, wherein the control unit selects from the plurality of lottery elements the lottery element corresponding to the specific position reached by the amusement body to which the bias is applied by the bias unit.

8. The game system as described in claim 7, wherein the positions of each of the plurality of lottery elements in the display unit change over time.

9. The game system as described in claim 7, wherein the plurality of lottery elements includes two or more lottery elements that correspond to two or more lottery processes with different lottery conditions, and the control unit executes a lottery process corresponding to the selected lottery element from the two or more lottery processes.

10. The game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biasing unit includes a striking element that, in response to a player's operation, can strike the amusement object by rotating along the disc surface.

Images