Gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a gaming machine that can enhance the enjoyment of the game through a novel image display method unlike anything before. [Solution] A first specific character can be displayed, the first specific character can form a first specific region enclosed by the lines that make up the character, an image can be seen in the first specific region, one of several types of game performance can be set, the several types of game performance include a first game performance and a second game performance that is more advantageous than the first game performance, the specific image can be displayed when the second game performance is set, and is not displayed when the first game performance is set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines.

Background Art

[0002] Some gaming machines represented by pachinko machines and slot machines display images that attract the interest of players, such as an image (so-called setting suggestion image) that can identify one of a plurality of setting values with different degrees of advantage. For example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Displaying such images that attract the interest of players leads to an improvement in the interest of the game, but there is room for improvement in the display method.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a gaming machine capable of improving the interest of the game through a novel image display method that has never existed before.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of displaying a first specific character, the first specific character can form a first specific region enclosed by lines constituting the character, a specific image can be viewed in the first specific region, one of a plurality of types of game performances can be set, the plurality of types of game performances include a first game performance and a second game performance that is more advantageous than the first game performance, and the specific image can be displayed when the second game performance is set, and is not displayed when the first game performance is set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the enjoyment of games can be enhanced through a novel image display method unlike anything seen before. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of the gaming machine. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the pattern display device installed in area II shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a bird's-eye view showing the group of control buttons and their surroundings located in area III shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a game board installed inside a gaming machine. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a rear view of the gaming machine. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a gaming machine. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a gaming machine. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) schematically shows the lottery table for determining whether a special symbol is correct or incorrect, Figure 8(b) schematically shows the lottery table for determining the stop symbol of special symbol 1, and Figure 8(c) schematically shows the lottery table for determining the stop symbol of special symbol 2. [Figure 9]Figure 9(a) schematically shows the lottery table for deriving the special feature variation pattern when the special feature variation pattern derivation state PA is in effect, and Figure 9(b) schematically shows the lottery table for deriving the special feature variation pattern used when the special feature variation pattern HNP is determined. [Figure 10] Figure 10(a) is a state transition diagram showing the transitions between the states for which the special pattern variation is derived, and Figure 10(b) is a diagram showing the relationship between the average variation time for each state for which the special pattern variation is derived. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows the flow of the configuration change process. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows the flow of the configuration confirmation process. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the display modes of the main control board monitor for each state. [Figure 14] Figures 14(a) to 14(d) show patterns of combinations between the configuration of the setting key switch and the configuration of the RAM clear switch. [Figure 15] Figures 15(a) and 15(b) are tables summarizing the state of the gaming machines upon power restoration, assuming there are no abnormalities and the machine was in a playable state during the preceding power outage. [Figure 16] Figures 16(a) to 16(c) show the display areas where images related to the first setting suggestion effect and the second setting suggestion effect are displayed. [Figure 17] Figure 17 shows the flow of the first setting suggestion effect control process. [Figure 18] Figure 18 shows the flow of the second setting suggestion effect control process. [Figure 19] Figure 19(a) schematically shows the lottery table used for the execution lottery of the first setting suggestion effect, and Figure 19(b) schematically shows the lottery table used for the execution lottery of the second setting suggestion effect. [Figure 20] Figure 20 shows the flow of area change in the first display area. [Figure 21] Figure 21 shows the flow of area change in the second display area. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a diagram showing the flow of the first display area control process. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the flow of the second display area control process. [Figure 24] FIG. 24(a) schematically shows a lottery table used for lottery selection of changes in the first display area, and FIG. 24(b) schematically shows a lottery table used for lottery selection of changes in the second display area. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In the following description, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" refer to the state of viewing the gaming machine 10 from the front side (the player side) as shown in FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified. Note that "advantageous (degree of advantage)" in the following description means advantageous to the player, and further, unless otherwise specified, it means advantageous in terms of the amount of prize balls obtained (payment of game balls, payment of medals) excluding the production aspect such as so-called premium images.

[0010] <Features of the Present Invention> Before explaining the details of the gaming machine 10 in the present embodiment, the features of the invention (the present invention) described in the present embodiment will be explained. In explaining the features, the configurations in parentheses are examples of the configurations of the present embodiment corresponding to the immediately preceding configurations, and the configurations may be described in parentheses for the same purpose in the description of the gaming machine 10 after the explanation.

[0011] The present invention is capable of displaying a first specific character (a character "o"), the first specific character can form a first specific area (first display area ha1) surrounded by lines constituting the character, a specific image (an image related to the first set suggestion effect of red color) is visible in the first specific area, and one of a plurality of types of game performances can be set. The above-mentioned multiple types of game performance include the first game performance (setting value 1, setting value 2, setting value 3), and the second game performance (setting value 4, setting value 5, setting value 6) which is more advantageous than the first game performance. The above specific image may be displayed when the above-mentioned second game performance is set, but will not be displayed when the above-mentioned first game performance is set. This is a gaming machine characterized by the following features.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize novel and unprecedented setting suggestion effects.

[0013] The first specified character mentioned above is not limited to the content of this embodiment described later, but can be any character displayed on a liquid crystal display device. The same applies to the second specified character and the predetermined character described later. Furthermore, while the first specific region described above is preferably a region enclosed by lines that constitute a character, a portion of the lines surrounding the region may be open. Furthermore, the phrase "the specific image is visible in the first specific region described above" is preferable, but not limited to, the specific image being visible only in the first specific region, and also includes the case where a part of the specific image is visible in the display area outside the first specific region. These also apply to the second specific domain, which will be discussed later.

[0014] Furthermore, while the gaming machine according to this embodiment, which will be described later, is a pachinko machine that dispenses actual game balls as prize balls, the gaming machine according to the present invention may also be a pachinko machine that assigns prize balls as electronic data (a so-called smart pachinko machine). Furthermore, the gaming machine according to the present invention may be a conventional slot machine that performs symbol changes by rotating multiple reels using a predetermined number of tokens and pays out tokens based on the result of the symbol changes (the way the multiple reels stop), or it may be a slot machine that pays out all tokens as electronic data (a so-called smart slot).

[0015] The gaming machine 10 having the above-described features will be specifically explained based on the following embodiment.

[0016] <About the structure of gaming machine 10> First, the structure of the gaming machine 10 will be explained using Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a front view of the gaming machine 10, Figure 2 shows the pattern display device 90 located in area II shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a bird's-eye view showing the group of operation buttons and their surroundings located in area III shown in Figure 1, Figure 4 shows the game board 50 installed inside the gaming machine 10, and Figure 5 is a rear view of the gaming machine 10. The configurations shown in Figures 1 to 5 are merely those necessary for explaining the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, and additional configurations and functions not shown herein may be added to the gaming machine 10. Furthermore, the gaming machine 10 does not necessarily have to include all of the configurations shown herein, and some configurations or functions may be omitted as long as they do not hinder the effects of the present invention.

[0017] The gaming machine 10 of this embodiment is a so-called pachinko machine, and it plays a game in which a game ball is launched into the front area (hereinafter referred to as the "game area 50a") of a game board 50 on which a large number of game pins (not shown) are erected, and when the game ball enters a prize pocket (for example, a large prize pocket 55, etc.), the player receives prize balls. In the following description, when a game ball enters a prize pocket, it may be simply referred to as "entering (a prize pocket) to win a prize."

[0018] The gaming machine 10 comprises a rectangular outer frame 15 that opens at the front and rear, an inner frame 17 that detachably holds the game board 50 on the front side of the opening of the outer frame 15, and a front frame 20 configured to cover the front side of the game board 50.

[0019] The middle frame 17 is supported by a hinge mechanism (not shown) located on the same side as the hinge mechanism 21, allowing it to rotate freely around its left end and open and close to the front of the outer frame 15. The middle frame 17 can be locked and unlocked by a cylinder lock 23 (by inserting a door key into the cylinder lock 23 and turning the door key in the opposite direction to the unlocking direction of the front frame 20 (to the right in this embodiment)).

[0020] The front frame 20 is supported by a hinge mechanism 21 so as to be able to rotate around its left end and open and close relative to the middle frame 17. The front frame 20 can be locked and unlocked by a cylinder lock 23 (by inserting a door key into the cylinder lock 23 and turning the door key in the opposite direction to the unlocking direction of the middle frame 17 (to the left in this embodiment)). Furthermore, the front frame 20 is equipped with a transparent member 25 positioned to cover the game area 50a, and the transparent member 25 provides transparent protection for the game area 50a and the game board 50. Furthermore, the front frame 20 is equipped with an upper ball receiving tray 27 and a lower ball receiving tray 29 for storing game balls, and the upper ball receiving tray 27 and the lower ball receiving tray 29 are spaced apart vertically and are integrally provided with the front frame 20. Furthermore, the front frame 20 is equipped with an operating handle 31 on the right side of the lower ball receiving tray 29, and by rotating the operating handle 31, the game balls stored in the upper ball receiving tray 27 are launched toward the game area 50a.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, a group of operation buttons operated by the player are arranged on the upper surface of the upper ball tray 27. This group of operation buttons includes a main operation unit 39 electrically connected to the main control board 100 (described later), which includes a ball dispensing button 39a and a return button 39b for accepting prepaid card return operations. It also includes an effect button 37 electrically connected to the first sub-control board 200 (described later), which can accept player operations to switch between effects that occur during gameplay or to obtain various information related to the gaming machine 10, and cursor buttons 38 (38a, 38b, 38c, 38d) for instructing operations up, down, left, and right, respectively. Each operation unit is equipped with a sensor to detect operations, and the connected control board detects the operation of each operation unit by changes in the detection state of the sensor. Furthermore, a movable decorative body 22, which is operated by an actuator such as a motor (not shown), is provided on the side of the upper ball receiving tray 27.

[0022] The lower part of the lower ball receiving tray 29 is provided with a ball removal mechanism 36 that discharges the game balls stored in the lower ball receiving tray 29 downwards. By operating this ball removal mechanism 36, a bottom opening (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the lower ball receiving tray 29 opens, and the game balls fall naturally out through this bottom opening and are discharged. Although not shown in the diagram, the upper ball tray 27 is equipped with a mechanism, similar to the ball removal mechanism 36, that, when operated, moves the stored balls to the lower ball tray 29. By operating both this mechanism and the ball removal mechanism 36, the stored balls can be discharged.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, a pair of speakers 33 (33a, 33b) are provided on the left and right sides of the upper frame portion 32 of the front frame 20, respectively. The upper frame portion 32 and the left and right side frame portions 34a, 34b of the front frame 20 are formed by light-transmitting covers, and each of these covers contains an effect lamp 35 (35a, 35b, 35c). The speakers 33 and effect lamps 35 can output sound or light up or turn off in conjunction with effects and error effects that occur during gameplay.

[0024] The display device 80 consists of a main display unit 81 located approximately in the center of the game board 50, and sub-display units 82 located around the main display unit 81. The sub-display units 82 further include an upper sub-display unit 82a located above the main display unit 81, a left sub-display unit 82b located to the left of the main display unit 81, and a right sub-display unit 82c located to the right of the main display unit 81. Here, the main display unit 81 is a fixed liquid crystal display device, while the upper sub-display unit 82a, left sub-display unit 82b, and right sub-display unit 82c are movable liquid crystal display devices operated by actuators such as motors (not shown).

[0025] The main display unit 81 can display the changing display of the symbol sequence, which is performed in conjunction with the changing display in the first special symbol display device 91 or the second special symbol display device 92, which will be described later, and can also display various other effects. In the display of the changing patterns (decorative patterns) shown on the main display unit 81, the displayed decorative patterns consist of three patterns (hereinafter, these may be referred to as the "left pattern pattern," the "middle pattern pattern," and the "right pattern pattern," in order from left to right when facing the main display unit 81). The direction of the changing display of each pattern pattern is not particularly limited and may be, for example, vertical, horizontal, depth, or a combination thereof (diagonal). Here, the depth direction refers to the virtual direction perceived by the player in a display configuration that uses a method (for example, perspective) that makes it appear as if the pattern sequence is moving from the back to the front or vice versa, even though it is actually a two-dimensional, fluctuating display on the display screen of the main display unit 81. Furthermore, the decorative patterns in this embodiment include "Pattern 1" which resembles the number "1", "Pattern 2" which resembles the number "2", "Pattern 3" which resembles the number "3", "Pattern 4" which resembles the number "4", "Pattern 5" which resembles the number "5", "Pattern 6" which resembles the number "6", "Pattern 7" which resembles the number "7", "Pattern 8" which resembles the number "8", and "Pattern 9" which resembles the number "9", and these patterns are provided in each pattern row.In the following description, "Pattern 1", "Pattern 3", "Pattern 5", "Pattern 7", and "Pattern 9" may be collectively referred to as "odd-number patterns", and "Pattern 2", "Pattern 4", "Pattern 6", and "Pattern 8" may be collectively referred to as "even-number patterns".

[0026] Each of the sub-display units 82 is not only provided for displaying performance images related to the performance, but is also configured to be movable. The initial positions of the sub-display units are as follows: the upper sub-display unit 82a is above the main display unit 81; the left sub-display unit 82b is to the left of the main display unit 81; and the right sub-display unit 82c is to the right of the main display unit 81. Each of the sub-display units 82 is configured to be movable from these initial positions to a position that overlaps with the display area of ​​the decorative pattern on the main display unit 81.

[0027] In this embodiment, the performance display device 80 (main display unit 81, upper sub-display unit 82a, left sub-display unit 82b, right sub-display unit 82c) all employ liquid crystal display devices, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, various types of display devices, such as drum type or dot matrix type, can be used as the performance display device 80.

[0028] Multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged on the lower right side of the main display unit 81. These LEDs constitute the display area of ​​the pattern display device 90, which displays special patterns and regular patterns. Furthermore, the symbol display device 90 is positioned in a location that is less visible to the player than the main display unit 81, and the display area of ​​the symbol display device 90 is smaller than the display area of ​​the main display unit 81. In this embodiment, the arrangement and number of LEDs in the pattern display device 90 are as shown in Figure 2, but this is just one example, and the arrangement and number of LEDs in the pattern display device 90 are not limited to this example.

[0029] Special symbols are symbols that are displayed when stopped as a result of a symbol change that determines whether or not to activate a special electric mechanism (for example, a special electric mechanism 65). In this embodiment, special symbols include a first special symbol displayed on the first special symbol display device 91 and a second special symbol displayed on the second special symbol display device 92. Special symbols are sometimes abbreviated as "Special Symbol," the first special symbol as "Special Symbol 1," and the second special symbol as "Special Symbol 2."

[0030] A normal symbol is a symbol that is displayed when stopped as a result of a symbol variation that determines whether or not to activate a normal electric mechanism (for example, a normal electric mechanism 61). In this embodiment, the normal symbols are displayed on the normal symbol display device 93. In addition, regular symbols are sometimes abbreviated as "regular symbols," and regular electric mechanisms are sometimes referred to as "electric chute."

[0031] In addition to the display device described above, the symbol display device 90 is also equipped with a first special symbol hold lamp 94, a second special symbol hold lamp 95, and a regular symbol hold lamp 96. The first special symbol hold lamp 94 can identify the number of symbol changes for the held special symbol 1, the second special symbol hold lamp 95 can identify the number of symbol changes for the held special symbol 2, and the normal symbol hold lamp 96 can identify the number of symbol changes for the held normal symbol. In each case, the number of corresponding symbol changes can be identified by the lighting patterns of the two LEDs (in this embodiment, right LED always lit = 1, left and right LEDs always lit = 2, right LED flashing + left LED always lit = 3, left and right LEDs flashing = 4).

[0032] In the following explanation, a symbol variation in which a special symbol is displayed in a variable state on the first special symbol display device 91 or the second special symbol display device 92 and then stopped will be referred to as a "special symbol variation," and in the following explanation, a symbol variation in which a normal symbol is displayed in a variable state on the normal symbol display device 93 and then stopped will be referred to as a "normal symbol variation." Furthermore, in the following explanation, the display of the changing patterns (decorative patterns) shown in the main display unit 81 mentioned above may be referred to as "decorative pattern changes" to distinguish them from "special pattern changes" and "regular pattern changes." In the following explanation, when the term "symbol variation" is used, it refers to the variation of the special symbols unless otherwise specified.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, numerous obstacles such as game pins (not shown), windmills 52, and decorative members are arranged on the front of the game board 50, thereby defining the game area 50a so that the launched game balls roll along it. Furthermore, curved outer rails 51 and inner rails 53 are positioned on the left and upper sides of the game area 50a to guide the game balls, launched by the rotation of the operating handle 31, to the upper part of the game area 50a. The outer rail 51 is located outside the inner rail 53 with respect to the center of the game area 50a. Here, the windmill 52 is a mechanism for changing the direction of the game ball's fall, and is nail-shaped.

[0034] The gaming machine 10 allows the player to adjust the strength of the ball launch by changing the amount of rotation (for example, the rotation angle) of the operating handle 31. Various obstacles are arranged in the gaming area 50a so that the balls roll along either a first channel X (so-called left-handed play) where the balls are launched weaker, or a second channel Y (so-called right-handed play) where the balls are launched stronger.

[0035] Figure 4 illustrates the main prize-winning openings, including the Grand Prize Opening 55, the First Starting Opening 57, the Second Starting Opening 59, Gate 63, and the General Prize-Winning Opening 67. However, the prize-winning openings shown are just an example, and their number and arrangement may be changed as appropriate.

[0036] The large prize slot 55 is located in the lower right of the game area 50a. The large prize slot 55 is equipped with a large prize slot sensor 72, and a prize is determined by the detection result of the large prize slot sensor 72, and a number of prize balls (15 in this embodiment) associated with the large prize slot 55 are awarded. In this embodiment, the obstacles are arranged such that more game balls roll towards the large prize opening 55 when rolling from the second channel Y compared to when rolling from the first channel X.

[0037] A special electric mechanism 65 is installed above the large prize opening 55. The special electric mechanism 65 is a component that can switch between an open state, which makes it easy for balls to enter the large prize opening 55, and a closed state, which makes it difficult for balls to enter. The special electric mechanism solenoid 66 switches between the open state and the closed state. More specifically, the special electric mechanism 65 opens in at least some of the jackpot games that result from a jackpot being determined by the special symbol win / loss judgment described later, and as a result, balls are allowed to enter the large prize pocket 55. Thus, when the special electric mechanism 65 is open, it becomes easier for balls to enter the large prize pocket 55, and jackpot games in which the opportunity to win prize balls is greatly increased can be said to be advantageous game states. During a jackpot game, the special electric mechanism 65 alternates between open and closed states. Each open state (sometimes referred to as a "round," and the total number of rounds that occur in one jackpot may be referred to as the "number of rounds") ends when a predetermined number of game balls (10 in this embodiment) enter the large prize winning slot 55, at which point the special electric mechanism 65 closes. Furthermore, the opening state ends when a sufficient amount of time (30 seconds in this embodiment) has elapsed for a predetermined number of game balls to enter the large prize slot 55. In this case, when the special electric mechanism 65 is set from an open state to a closed state based on the fact that 10 game balls have entered the winning slot in one round, it cannot immediately close. Therefore, in one round, it may occur that more than 10 game balls enter the large winning slot 55, and such entries may be referred to as over-winning.

[0038] The first start opening 57 is located in the lower center of the game area 50a. The first start opening 57 is equipped with a first start opening sensor 70, and a prize is awarded to the first start opening 57 based on the detection result of the first start opening sensor 70, with a number of prize balls (4 in this embodiment) associated with the first start opening 57 being awarded. In at least some cases when a prize is determined to have been awarded to the first start opening 57, the symbols in Special Figure 1 will change. In this embodiment, the game area 50a is configured such that, compared to when the game balls roll from the second channel Y, more game balls roll towards the first starting opening 57 when they roll from the first channel X. Obstacles such as game pins are arranged accordingly.

[0039] The second starting port 59 is located in the lower right of the game area 50a. The second starting port 59 is equipped with a second starting port sensor 71, and based on the detection result of the second starting port sensor 71, it is determined that a ball has entered the second starting port 59, and a number of prize balls (1 in this embodiment) associated with the second starting port 59 are awarded. In at least some cases where a prize is awarded for the second starting gate 59, the symbols in Special Feature 2 will change. In this embodiment, the game area 50a is configured such that, compared to when the game balls roll from the first channel X, more game balls roll towards the second starting opening 59 when they roll from the second channel Y, with obstacles such as game pins arranged accordingly.

[0040] A standard electric mechanism 61 is installed in the flow path connected to the second starting port 59. The standard electric mechanism 61 is a component that can switch between an open state, which facilitates the entry of game balls into the second starting port 59, and a closed state, which makes it difficult for game balls to enter. The standard electric mechanism solenoid 62 switches between the open state and the closed state. More specifically, the regular electric mechanism 61 is open in at least part of the regular winning game, which is performed when a win is achieved through a change in the regular symbols, and as a result, entry into the second start opening 59 is permitted. In this way, when the regular electric mechanism 61 is open, entry into the second start opening 59 becomes easier, which can significantly increase the opportunities for the special symbol 2 to change while suppressing the decrease in game balls through prize balls.

[0041] Gate 63 is located in the right-center of the game area 50a. Gate 63 is equipped with a gate sensor 74, and a win is determined by the detection result of the gate sensor 74. In at least some cases when a win related to gate 63 is determined, the symbols on the regular display will change. In this embodiment, the obstacles are arranged such that more game balls roll towards the gate 63 when rolling from the second channel Y compared to when rolling from the first channel X.

[0042] The general prize slot 67 is located in the lower left of the game area 50a. The general prize slot 67 is equipped with a general prize slot sensor 73, and a prize is awarded to the general prize slot 67 based on the detection result of the general prize slot sensor 73, according to the number of prize balls associated with the general prize slot 67 (4 in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the obstacles are arranged so that more game balls roll towards the general prize opening 67 when rolling from the first channel X compared to when rolling from the second channel Y. However, the obstacles may also be arranged so that more game balls roll towards the general prize opening 67 when rolling from the second channel Y. Furthermore, multiple general prize openings 67 may be provided.

[0043] The outlet 69 is located at the bottom of the game area 50a. Any game balls that are hit into the game area 50a and do not enter any of the aforementioned prize winning slots fall into the outlet 69. Furthermore, this embodiment includes an out ball sensor 75 (not shown) for detecting out balls, which are game balls that have entered the prize entry and out exit 69. In the following explanation, the total number of game balls detected by the out ball sensor 75 will be referred to as "out balls," and the total number of prize balls awarded when game balls enter the prize pockets will be referred to as "safe balls." These ball counts will be used to derive the difference in ball count, which will be described later. In particular, for safe balls, it is not necessary for the balls to have been actually dispensed; the count is updated as soon as a game ball enters a prize pocket.

[0044] In this embodiment, the out-of-bounds ball and the safe-of-bounds ball are used to derive the base value. Here, the base value is the value derived by dividing the number of safe balls by the number of out balls in the most unfavorable state (low probability of special symbols and low probability of normal symbols, as described later) by 100, and this value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97, which will be described later. More specifically, from the initial power-on (including when the area related to the base value of RAM103 is cleared), the base value is derived in intervals of 60,000 balls, and the derived base value is displayed in the next interval (for example, the base value derived in the interval of 60,001 to 120,000 balls is displayed in the interval of 120,001 to 180,000 balls). The displayed value is the integer part of the derived base value (rounded to the first decimal place).

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the back of the game board 50 is fitted with a main control board case 109 housing the main control board 100, a first sub-control board case 209 housing the first sub-control board 200, a second sub-control board case 309 housing the second sub-control board 300, a power supply control board case 509 housing the power supply control board 500, a payout control board case 409 housing the payout control board 400, and a setting board 41. In addition to the backs of the first sub-control board case 209 and the second sub-control board case 309, an opening / closing cover 45 is detachably attached to cover a portion of the back of the main control board case 109. Furthermore, the circuit board cases and covers that enclose each circuit board are made of transparent material, allowing the corresponding circuit board to be seen through each case and cover.

[0046] The main control board 100 is equipped with a main control board monitor 97 that displays the set value, base value, and type of game stop state (details described later), and this monitor is visible from the back of the game board 50. The display on this monitor is controlled by the main control board 100.

[0047] Here, the setting value is a value that affects the degree of advantage in the special symbol win / failure determination (the probability of a big win) described later. In this embodiment, there are a total of six setting values: setting value 1, setting value 2, setting value 3, setting value 4, setting value 5, and setting value 6. The system is configured so that the degree of advantage in the special symbol win / failure determination increases as the value of the set setting value (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "current setting value") increases. Details of the special symbol win / failure determination according to the setting value will be described later. In the following explanation, setting values ​​1, 2, and 3 may be collectively referred to as low setting values, and setting values ​​4, 5, and 6 may be collectively referred to as high setting values. Also, if there are multiple setting value stages, they are not limited to six stages. Furthermore, in cases where there are a different number of stages than in this embodiment, high setting values ​​refer to the upper half of the setting values ​​(if the number of stages is odd, the upper setting values ​​including the middle setting value). Furthermore, the setting value can be changed by the setting change process using the setting change means 177 described later, and the current setting value can be confirmed by the setting confirmation process using the setting confirmation means 178 described later. Details of the setting change process and the setting confirmation process will be described later.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the set value, base value, and type of game stop state are displayed on the same display device (main control board monitor 97), but some or all of these may be displayed on a separate display device.

[0049] The power control board 500 consists of a normal power supply circuit 501 that generates a normal power supply to the control board and other electronic and electrical components based on the primary power supply from the power supply equipment of the gaming island, a backup power supply circuit 502 that generates a backup power supply, and a power interruption detection circuit 503 that detects a power interruption (when the voltage supplied by the normal power supply drops to a predetermined voltage). Furthermore, a power switch 40 is connected to the power control board 500. Assuming that primary power is supplied from the power supply equipment of the gaming island, when the power switch 40 is turned ON, normal power is generated by the normal power circuit 501 of the power control board 500, and power is supplied to the electronic and electrical components, including the control boards mentioned above (main control board 100, first sub-control board 200, second sub-control board 300, and payout control board 400). Furthermore, when a power outage is detected by the power outage detection circuit 503, the power control board 500 transmits a power outage signal (NMI signal) to the main control board 100, the first sub-control board 200, and the payout control board 400, respectively. Furthermore, the backup power supply circuit 502 is designed to be charged when power is supplied to the gaming machine 10 from the power supply equipment of the gaming island. The backup power supply circuit 502 may be provided on the dispensing control board 400, and the power outage detection circuit 503 may not be provided on the power supply control board 500, but rather on the main control board 100, the first sub-control board 200, and the dispensing control board 400.

[0050] The setting board 41 is provided with a setting key switch 42 and a RAM clear switch 43 as operating parts for determining the recovery state when power is restored (when power is turned on), as described later. Furthermore, the setting board 41 is provided with a transparent setting board cover 44 that covers the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43, which can be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown) located on the same side as the hinge mechanism 21. Furthermore, the setting board cover 44 is configured not to close when a setting key used to operate the setting key switch 42 is inserted. Furthermore, although the setting board cover 44 is configured to be openable and closable by a hinge mechanism, it may also be a sliding cover that slides up and down. Thus, when installed on a gaming island, it becomes difficult to operate the various control units (power switch 40, setting key switch 42, RAM clear switch 43) located on the back side of the gaming board 50 unless the middle frame 17 is left open.

[0051] Furthermore, on the back of the game board 50, above the opening / closing cover 45, is a game ball tank 46 where game balls supplied from the game island's ball supply equipment are stored. The game ball tank 46 is further connected to a payout passage 49 that leads to an upper ball tray 27 via a tank rail 47 and a payout unit 48. Balls dispensed by the payout unit 48 are dispensed to the upper ball tray 27 through the payout passage 49.

[0052] Up to this point, the structure of the gaming machine 10 in this embodiment has been described, but these are just examples, and the present invention can also be implemented with other configurations.

[0053] <Regarding the control configuration of the gaming machine 10> Next, the control configuration of the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the gaming machine 10. Note that the control configuration shown in Figure 6 is necessary for explaining the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, and the gaming machine 10 may also have control configurations not shown in Figure 6.

[0054] The main control board 100 includes a CPU 101 that performs various calculations related to the game, a ROM 102 that stores data such as control programs and various lottery tables, a RAM 103 that functions as a work area for temporary storage and buffer memory, an I / O port 104 that inputs and outputs signals to and from peripheral boards and various devices, and a random number circuit 105 that generates random numbers (hardware random numbers) operating on a separate system from the program processing by the CPU 101, and these are all interconnected via an internal bus.

[0055] The CPU 101 reads various control programs stored in the ROM 102 and performs calculations to execute various processes related to the main control of the game. RAM103 is backed up by a backup power supply generated by the backup power supply circuit 502, which will be described later. Specifically, among the information stored in RAM103, various information is backed up so that when power is restored after a power outage, the gaming machine 10 can be restored to the state it was in immediately before the power outage using that data. For example, in addition to data such as the stack pointer and each register that was held when the power outage occurred, information related to the game, such as the state of the gaming machine 10 at that time (game stopped state, setting change state, setting confirmation state, or playable state), the setting value being set, the current special symbol lottery state, and the current general symbol lottery state, is included in the backup.

[0056] In this embodiment, at least the area where information related to such games is stored (sometimes referred to as the game-related area of ​​RAM 103), the area where the base value is stored (the base value-related area of ​​RAM 103), the area where the checksum complement and backup flag for the game-related area of ​​RAM 103 are stored (sometimes referred to as the backup information area related to games of RAM 103), and the area where the checksum complement and backup flag for the base value-related area of ​​RAM 103 are stored (sometimes referred to as the backup information area related to the base value of RAM 103) are backed up. When power is restored, the gaming machine 10 recovers using the various information stored in the backed-up game-related area of ​​RAM 103, the base value-related area of ​​RAM 103, the backup information area related to games of RAM 103, and the backup information area related to the base value of RAM 103. Furthermore, there are no limitations on the specific backup method in this embodiment. For example, the area of ​​RAM 103 to be backed up may be implemented in a configuration that can retain data non-volatilely even when the power is off. As another example, different hardware may be provided for the first memory, which is configured to retain data non-volatilely even when the power is off, and the second memory, which is referenced when the gaming machine 10 is operating. In that case, the gaming machine 10 can save the information to be backed up from the second memory to the first memory when the power is off, and recover the saved information from the first memory to the second memory when the power is restored.

[0057] Furthermore, the main control board 100 is electrically connected to the first start gate sensor 70, the second start gate sensor 71, the big prize gate sensor 72, the general prize gate sensor 73, the gate sensor 74, the out ball sensor 75, the middle frame door open sensor 76, etc., and is configured to allow detection signals from these sensors to be input to the CPU 101 via the I / O port 104.

[0058] Furthermore, the main control board 100 is electrically connected to the first special symbol display device 91, the second special symbol display device 92, the normal symbol display device 93, the first special symbol hold lamp 94, the second special symbol hold lamp 95, the normal symbol hold lamp 96, the main control board monitor 97, the normal electric mechanism solenoid 62, and the special electric mechanism solenoid 66, and is configured to be controllable via the I / O port 104. Similarly, the main control board 100 is electrically connected to the main operation unit 39 and is configured to detect operations of the main operation unit 39. Furthermore, the main control board 100 is electrically connected to the setting board 41 and is configured to detect operations of the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43.

[0059] The main control board 100 and the first sub-control board 200 are connected by eight parallel signal lines and one strobe line, and are connected in a single direction only, from the main control board 100 to the first sub-control board 200, allowing various performance control commands to be transmitted from the main control board 100 to the first sub-control board 200. Furthermore, the first sub-control board 200 cannot transmit data to the main control board 100, and the first sub-control board 200 is configured not to be able to request data transmission from the main control board 100. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a parallel transmission method is used for data transmission from the main control board 100 to the first sub-control board 200, but a serial transmission method may also be used.

[0060] The first sub-control board 200 includes a CPU 201 that performs various calculations related to game effects based on effect control commands from the main control board 100, a ROM 202 that stores data such as effect control programs and various lottery tables, a RAM 203 that functions as a work area and buffer memory for temporary storage, and I / O ports 204 that input and output signals to and from peripheral boards and various devices. These are interconnected via an internal bus, and the CPU 201 is configured to execute major controls related to game effects according to the control program stored in the ROM 202. The first sub-control board 200 is electrically connected to the performance button 37 and the cursor button 38, and is configured to detect the operation of the said control unit.

[0061] Furthermore, the first sub-control board 200 generates image control commands to instruct the second sub-control board 300 on images and sounds, lamp control data to control the lighting of various lamps such as the performance lamp 35, and movement control data to control the movement of movable parts such as the movable decorative body 22 and the sub-display unit 82, based on performance control commands from the main control board 100. Here, the first sub-control board 200 is connected to the second sub-control board 300 in a way that enables bidirectional communication. Image control commands related to images and sound are transmitted from the first sub-control board 200 to the second sub-control board 300, while in response, an acknowledgment command (ACK command) indicating that the control command has been successfully received is transmitted from the second sub-control board 300 to the first sub-control board 200.

[0062] Furthermore, the first sub-control board 200 is electrically connected to the effect lamps 35 and other components, and transmits lamp control data via the I / O port 204. The effect lamps 35 are configured to be controlled to light up according to the lamp control data transmitted from the first sub-control board 200.

[0063] Furthermore, the first sub-control board 200 is electrically connected to the movable decorative body 22 and the sub-display unit 82, and transmits movable control data via the I / O port 204. Furthermore, the movable decorative body 22 and the sub-display unit 82 are configured so that their movement is controlled by movement control data transmitted from the first sub-control board 200.

[0064] The second sub-control board 300 includes a CPU 301 that performs various calculations related to image rendering based on image control commands from the first sub-control board 200, a ROM 302 that stores image control programs and various data, a RAM 303 that functions as a work area for temporary storage and buffer memory, and an I / O port 304 that inputs and outputs signals to and from peripheral boards and various devices. The CPU 301 is configured to execute major controls related to image rendering according to the control program stored in the ROM 302. In addition, the second sub-control board 300, although not shown in the diagram, is equipped with a VDP that generates image data in accordance with the content of the performance determined by the performance content determination means 225 (described later) based on control signals received from the CPU 301, and a sound source IC that generates sound data in accordance with the content of the performance based on control signals received from the CPU 301. The VDP is a so-called image processor that reads image data stored in the image ROM in response to instructions from the CPU 301, processes the image data, and transmits the generated image data to the performance display device 80. A high-speed VRAM used for expanding and processing the image data read from the image ROM is connected to this VDP. The sound source IC reads sound data stored in the sound ROM in response to instructions from the CPU 301, synthesizes the read sound data, and outputs the final sound data generated to the speaker 33 via an amplifier.

[0065] The dispensing control board 400 is mainly composed of a CPU 401, a ROM 402, and a RAM 403 (none of which are shown in the figure). Furthermore, the payout control board 400 is connected to the main control board 100 in a bidirectional manner, and controls the payout unit 48 to dispense game balls based on payout control commands from the main control board 100, and also controls the launch of game balls by synchronously driving the ball feeding mechanism and the launching mechanism based on the amount of operation of the operating handle 31.

[0066] <Regarding the functional configuration of the gaming machine 10> Next, the functional configuration of the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the gaming machine 10. Note that the functional configuration shown in Figure 7 is necessary for explaining the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, and the gaming machine 10 may also have functional configurations not shown in Figure 7. Furthermore, when explaining the functional configuration, Figures 8 to 13 will be referred to as needed.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, the main control board 100 includes a ball entry determination means 110, a main random number generation means 115, a main hold control means 120, a pre-determination means 125, a special symbol lottery means 130, a regular symbol lottery means 135, a jackpot game control means 140, a symbol display control means 145, an electric mechanism control means 150, a game state control means 155, a main information storage means 160, a main error control means 165, a main command management means 170, a power restoration processing execution means 175, a power interruption processing execution means 180, and a complete function control means 190. These means functionally represent what is realized by each control configuration on the main control board 100 as described with reference to Figure 6.

[0068] The main information storage means 160 is a means for temporarily storing data read by means of the main control board 100, and data derived by calculations performed by said means, in corresponding storage areas. In particular, data (performance control commands) stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160 is transmitted by the command transmission means to the subcommand management means 270 of the first sub-control board 200, which will be described later.

[0069] The ball entry determination means 110 determines whether a ball has entered each prize slot based on the detection results of sensors installed at each prize slot.

[0070] The main random number generation means 115 is capable of generating multiple types of random numbers with different update ranges using the random number circuit 105, and when it is determined that a prize has been won in a prize slot, it retrieves (latches) one or more random numbers corresponding to that prize slot from the random number circuit 105. More specifically, if the main random number generation means 115 determines that a prize has been won in the first starting gate 57 or the second starting gate 59, it acquires random numbers for determining whether a special symbol is successful, random numbers for drawing special symbol stop symbols, and random numbers for drawing special symbol variation patterns, as described later. If a prize has been won in the gate 63, it stores the random numbers for determining whether a regular symbol is successful, random numbers for drawing regular symbol patterns, and random numbers for drawing regular symbol variation patterns, as described later, in the corresponding storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0071] The main hold control means 120 controls the hold of symbol changes for special symbols and symbol changes for regular symbols. For special symbol 1, random numbers for determining whether the special symbol is successful, random numbers for drawing special symbol stop symbols, and random numbers for drawing special symbol change patterns, which are acquired when a ball enters the first start opening 57, are held (stored) as operation hold information for special symbol 1. More specifically, the main hold control means 120 includes a hold counter (hereinafter referred to as the "Figure 1 hold counter") which is incremented by 1 each time the operation hold information of Figure 1 is held, and decremented by 1 each time the operation hold information of Figure 1 is used (used in the lottery of the Figure 1 lottery means 130). The main information storage means 160 stores the operation hold information in the storage area corresponding to the current Figure 1 hold counter until the value of the Figure 1 hold counter reaches its upper limit (4 in this embodiment). Each time the operation hold information is used, the main information storage means 160 clears the used operation hold information and controls the remaining operation hold information to be moved (shifted) from the current storage area to the storage area corresponding to a Figure 1 hold counter that is 1 less than the current Figure 1 hold counter, in order from the smallest Figure 1 hold counter. Furthermore, the main hold control means 120 performs the same control as described above for both Figure 2 and the general figure, separately from Figure 1, and the hold counter in Figure 2 is referred to as the Figure 2 hold counter. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "holding of operation hold information" may be expressed as "holding of symbol change". Furthermore, when the main hold control means 120 updates (adds or subtracts) the operation hold information (hold counter) of Figure 1 or Figure 2, it generates a performance control command (hold command) that includes the Figure 1 hold counter and the Figure 2 hold counter, and stores the command in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160. In this embodiment, if both the operation hold information corresponding to Figure 1 and the operation hold information corresponding to Figure 2 are held, a priority change is performed in which the operation hold information corresponding to Figure 2 is used preferentially.

[0072] The pre-determination means 125 performs a pre-determination for a pre-reading effect targeting the reserved operation information of the special feature when the reserved operation information of the special feature is reserved at a predetermined pre-determination timing, at least in some cases. More specifically, the pre-determination means 125 reads out each random number of the currently held operation hold information and performs pre-determinations for the special symbol win / failure determination, special symbol stop symbol lottery, and special symbol variation pattern lottery, which will be described later. In each pre-determination, the same or equivalent lottery table (not shown) as the lottery table used for the lottery corresponding to each pre-determination is used. Therefore, the results of these pre-determinations will be the same as the results of the lottery executed later. Furthermore, the pre-determination means 125 generates a performance control command (pre-determination command) that includes the derived pre-determination result, and stores the command in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160. As mentioned above, the pre-determination command is transmitted (generated and stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160) at least in some cases when the operation hold information of the special feature is held at a predetermined pre-determination timing, and therefore it is transmitted following the hold command mentioned above. Here, the predetermined pre-determination timing refers to a time when a jackpot game is not in progress, and furthermore, in this embodiment, if the operation hold information of the special feature 1 is held during the normal feature high probability mode described later, the pre-determination is restricted, and therefore the transmission of the pre-determination command corresponding to that pre-determination is also restricted.

[0073] The special symbol lottery means 130 comprises a special symbol win / failure determination means 131, a special symbol stop symbol lottery means 132, and a special symbol variation pattern derivation means 133, and executes processing by each means in the order of special symbol win / failure determination means 131, special symbol stop symbol lottery means 132, and special symbol variation pattern derivation means 133. When the conditions for starting the variation of the special symbol are met, the special symbol lottery means 130 reads the earliest operation hold information from the operation hold information held in the main information storage means 160. Furthermore, "the conditions for the start of the special symbol variation are met" means, as an example, that all of the following conditions are met: it is not during a jackpot, neither Special Symbol 1 nor Special Symbol 2 is currently exhibiting symbol variation, and there is operation hold information in at least one of Special Symbol 1 or Special Symbol 2.

[0074] Here, Figures 8(a) to 8(c), 9(a), and 9(b) schematically show the lottery table used in the main control board 100, and will be referred to as necessary in the following explanation. In addition to these lottery tables, in lotteries using lottery tables, the lottery values ​​stored in the lottery table are sequentially added to the read random number in a predetermined order (if there is only one lottery value, the addition is performed once), and the result corresponding to the lottery value that resulted in a carry (overflow) is derived as the result of the lottery. Similarly, in the explanation of lottery tables, names are given to the lottery tables for the sake of explanation, but it is sufficient that the data such as lottery values ​​contained in the lottery table corresponding to the name is stored in an identifiable manner in each ROM, and these names do not specify the area in which the data is stored. In the illustrated lottery tables, there may be items listed for the sake of explanation, or "-" may be listed as a lottery value, but these do not necessarily represent the data stored in each ROM. Furthermore, results with "-" as a lottery value will not result in a win. Moreover, if the same lottery value as the random number range used for the lottery (the number of random numbers that can be obtained within that range) is listed in the lottery table, that result will be derived 100% of the time, so it is not necessarily required to perform a lottery. Furthermore, if the sum of the random values ​​used in a single draw matches the range of random numbers used in the draw, a carry will always occur in the final addition of the random values, so that addition does not need to be performed, and in that case, the random values ​​used in that addition themselves become unnecessary.

[0075] The special symbol win / loss determination means 131 reads out a random number for special symbol win / loss determination for each symbol change, and performs special symbol win / loss determination by drawing lots using the read random number and a special symbol win / loss determination lottery table corresponding to the current setting value to determine whether it will be a big win or a loss. Figure 8(a) schematically shows the lottery table used to determine whether a special symbol wins or loses, and this lottery table is used in common for both Special Symbol 1 and Special Symbol 2. The range of random numbers used in this determination is 0 to 65535. Therefore, when the special symbol lottery state is at a low probability (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "low special symbol probability"), a jackpot is achieved with the following probabilities: 205 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 319.6) if the current setting is setting 1, 210 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 312.0) if the current setting is setting 2, 215 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 304.8) if the current setting is setting 3, 220 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 297.8) if the current setting is setting 4, 225 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 291.2) if the current setting is setting 5, and 230 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 284.9) if the current setting is setting 6. Similarly, when the special symbol lottery state is at high probability (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "high probability special symbol"), if the current setting is setting 1, the probability of winning a jackpot is 445 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 147.2), if the current setting is setting 2, it is 455 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 144.0), if the current setting is setting 3, it is 466 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 140.6), if the current setting is setting 4, it is 477 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 137.3), if the current setting is setting 5, it is 488 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 134.2), and if the current setting is setting 6, it is 499 / 65536 (approximately 1 / 131.3). Thus, in this embodiment, the probability of a jackpot being achieved differs for each setting value in both the low and high probability states of special symbols. In all setting values, the denominator of the probability of a jackpot being achieved in the low probability state is greater than the denominator of the probability of a jackpot being achieved in the high probability state. Therefore, the high probability state of special symbols has a higher probability of a jackpot being achieved than the low probability state, and can be said to be a more advantageous state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lottery value is set such that the ratio of the denominator (when the numerator is set to 1) of the probability of a jackpot being obtained in the low probability state to the denominator (when the numerator is set to 1) of the probability of a jackpot being obtained in the high probability state is constant regardless of the setting value (in this embodiment, approximately 1:2.2). This constant ratio means that the ratio of the integer part (with the decimal part rounded down, rounded up, or rounded to the nearest integer) of the jackpot probability denominator (when the numerator is set to 1) is constant. In other words, the lottery value should be set such that the ratio of the denominator of the former probability to the denominator of the latter probability is approximately constant regardless of the setting value.

[0076] The special symbol stop symbol lottery means 132 reads out a random number for the special symbol stop symbol lottery when the result of the special symbol win / loss determination is a jackpot, and uses the read random number and the special symbol stop symbol lottery table to determine the special symbol stop symbol by lottery. Figure 8(b) schematically shows the lottery table for determining the stopping symbols in Special Feature 1, and the range of random numbers used in this lottery is 0 to 99. Therefore, if a jackpot is achieved in Special Feature 1, symbol A is determined with a probability of 50 / 100 (1 / 2), symbol B with a probability of 40 / 100 (1 / 2.5), and symbol C with a probability of 10 / 100 (1 / 10), and these probabilities do not depend on the setting value. Here, symbol A is a symbol with 8 rounds, and after the jackpot game ends, it becomes a symbol with a low probability of special symbols and a high probability of normal symbols (hereinafter, it may be referred to as a "normal symbol," and a jackpot related to this symbol may be referred to as a "normal jackpot"). On the other hand, symbol B is a symbol with 9 rounds, and after the jackpot game ends, it becomes a symbol with a high probability of special symbols and a high probability of normal symbols (hereinafter, it may be referred to as a "probability variation symbol," and a jackpot related to this symbol may be referred to as a "probability variation jackpot"). Furthermore, symbol C is a probability variation symbol with 16 rounds, and after the jackpot game ends, it becomes a symbol with a high probability of special symbols and a high probability of normal symbols. Therefore, symbol C is a more advantageous symbol than symbol B in terms of the number of rounds, and both symbol B and symbol C are more advantageous than symbol A in terms of both the number of rounds and the subsequent special symbol lottery state. Figure 8(c) schematically shows the lottery table for the lottery of the stopping symbols in Special Feature 2. The range of random numbers used in this lottery is 0 to 99, the same as in the lottery for the stopping symbols in Special Feature 1. Therefore, if a jackpot is achieved in Special Feature 2, symbol a is determined as the stopping symbol with a probability of 65 / 100 (approximately 1 / 1.53), and symbol b is determined with a probability of 35 / 100 (approximately 1 / 2.85). These probabilities also do not depend on the set value. Here, symbol a is a probability variation symbol with 16 rounds and a high probability of special symbols and normal symbols after the jackpot game ends, while symbol b is a normal symbol with 4 rounds and a low probability of special symbols and a high probability of normal symbols after the jackpot game ends. Therefore, it can be said that symbol a is more advantageous than symbol b in terms of both the number of rounds and the subsequent special symbol lottery state. Thus, in this embodiment, the probability of each stop symbol being derived in both Special Figure 1 and Special Figure 2 is constant regardless of the set value, and the advantage of the Special Figure stop symbol lottery does not change depending on the set value. Furthermore, this probability does not change whether or not the set value is changed. Furthermore, if the result of the special symbol stop symbol lottery is not a jackpot, the special symbol stop symbol lottery means 132 uniformly determines symbol D as the stop symbol if special symbol 1 is a miss, and symbol c as the stop symbol if special symbol 2 is a miss. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the probability of entering a high probability state for special symbols after a jackpot game using special symbol 1 (50 / 100) is different from the probability of entering a high probability state for special symbols after a jackpot game using special symbol 2 (65 / 100) (the symbol variation of special symbol 2 is more advantageous than the symbol variation of special symbol 1). Although the details are omitted, this difference is achieved by providing a function that enters a high probability state for special symbols after a jackpot game ends when a game ball passes through the V-entry area provided in the large prize-winning opening 55 during a jackpot game (when a sensor provided in the V-entry area detects the game ball), and by changing whether or not to provide a round (in this embodiment, the 9th round) in which passing through the V-entry area is easier, depending on the stopped symbol of the special symbol.

[0077] The special symbol variation pattern derivation means 133 includes multiple types of special symbol variation pattern lottery tables that are referenced when determining the special symbol variation pattern. Based on the current special symbol variation pattern derivation state and the result of the special symbol win / failure determination, it selects one special symbol variation pattern lottery table to determine the current special symbol variation pattern. Using the selected special symbol variation pattern lottery table and random numbers for special symbol variation pattern lottery, it determines one special symbol variation pattern, and determines the variation time based on the determined special symbol variation pattern. Details of the transition conditions will be described later, but in this embodiment, there are three special figure variation pattern derivation states: special figure variation pattern derivation state PA, special figure variation pattern derivation state PB, and special figure variation pattern derivation state PC. The method for determining the special figure variation pattern described above is used for the pattern variation of special figure 1 in special figure variation pattern derivation state PA, and for the pattern variation of special figure 2 in special figure variation pattern derivation states PB and special figure variation pattern derivation state PC. In each special figure variation pattern derivation state, the pattern variation of the other special figure is determined by a predetermined special figure variation pattern according to the result of the special figure win / fail judgment.

[0078] Figure 9(a) schematically shows the lottery table for deriving the special symbol variation pattern when the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA is activated, and the range of random numbers used in this lottery is 0 to 999. Therefore, when the special symbol hit / miss judgment result is a miss when the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA is activated, there is a probability of 900 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.11) that the special symbol variation pattern HNP will be activated, a probability of 50 / 1000 (1 / 20) that the special symbol variation pattern HRP will be activated, a probability of 10 / 1000 (1 / 100) that the special symbol variation pattern HSP1-A will be activated, a probability of 8 / 1000 (1 / 125) that the special symbol variation pattern HSP1-B will be activated, a probability of 6 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 167) that the special symbol variation pattern HSP1-C will be activated, and a probability of 7 HSP2-A is determined with a probability of 1 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 143), HSP2-B with a probability of 5 / 1000 (1 / 200), HSP2-C with a probability of 4 / 1000 (1 / 250), HSP3-A with a probability of 5 / 1000 (1 / 200), HSP3-B with a probability of 3 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 333), and HSP3-C with a probability of 2 / 1000 (1 / 500). These probabilities do not depend on the current settings or whether the settings have been changed. In this case, special symbol variation patterns ASP1-A to ASP3-C will not be determined. Furthermore, as will be explained later using Figure 9(b), if special symbol variation pattern HNP is determined, the special symbol variation pattern is further specified using the value of the special symbol 1 reserve counter at the start of the symbol variation. When the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA is reached, if the result of the special symbol hit / fail judgment is a jackpot, there is a 50 / 1000 (1 / 20) probability of special symbol variation pattern ASP1-A, a 70 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 14.3) probability of special symbol variation pattern ASP1-B, an 80 / 1000 (1 / 12.5) probability of special symbol variation pattern ASP1-C, a 70 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 14.3) probability of special symbol variation pattern ASP2-A, and a 100 / 1000 (1 / 10) probability. The special pattern variation pattern ASP2-B is determined with a probability of 130 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 7.69), the special pattern variation pattern ASP2-C with a probability of 130 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 7.69), the special pattern variation pattern ASP3-A with a probability of 130 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 7.69), the special pattern variation pattern ASP3-B with a probability of 170 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 5.88), and the special pattern variation pattern ASP3-C with a probability of 200 / 1000 (1 / 5). These probabilities do not depend on the current settings or whether the settings have been changed. In this case, the special pattern variation patterns HNP to HSP3-C will not be determined. Furthermore, in the description of the special feature variation patterns of this embodiment, when two special feature variation patterns are described separated by a "~", the description of the special feature variation pattern that lies between the special feature variation pattern described earlier and the special feature variation pattern described later will be omitted, in accordance with the order shown in Figure 9(a). Although not shown in the diagram, in the special feature variation pattern derivation state PB and special feature variation pattern derivation state PC, the special feature variation pattern is drawn according to the result of the special feature hit / miss determination, just as in the special feature variation pattern derivation state PA.

[0079] Figure 9(b) schematically shows the lottery table used to derive the special feature variation pattern when the special feature variation pattern HNP is determined. As described above, in this lottery, the special feature variation pattern is further determined using the value of the special feature 1 reserve counter. First, as shown in Figure 9(b), the special pattern variation patterns HNP include HNP-A with a variation time of 3200 ms (milliseconds), HNP-B with a variation time of 5600 ms, HNP-C with a variation time of 8000 ms, HNP-D with a variation time of 11200 ms, and HNP-E with a variation time of 20000 ms, with the variation time increasing in this order. The random numbers used in this lottery (which are different from the random numbers used in the lottery related to the lottery table shown in Figure 9(a)) range from 0 to 999. Therefore, when the special feature 1 reserve counter = 3 (reserve 3), special feature variation pattern HNP-A is determined with a probability of 1000 / 1000 (1 / 1), while special feature variation patterns HNP-B to HNP-E are not determined, and this probability does not depend on the current settings or whether the settings have been changed. Similarly, when the Special Feature 1 Reserve Counter = 2 (Reserve 2), there is a 150 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 6.67) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-A will be determined, an 800 / 1000 (1 / 1.25) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-B will be determined, and a 50 / 1000 (1 / 20) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-E will be determined, while Special Feature Variation Patterns HNP-C and HNP-D will not be determined. When the Special Feature 1 Reserve Counter = 1 (Reserve 1), there is a 50 / 1000 (1 / 20) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-A will be determined, a 150 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 6.67) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-B will be determined, and a 700 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.43) probability that Special Feature Variation Pattern HNP-E will be determined. If the dynamic pattern HNP-C determines the special symbol variation pattern HNP-E with a probability of 100 / 1000 (1 / 10), while the special symbol variation pattern HNP-D is not determined. If the special symbol 1 hold counter = 0 (hold 0), then the special symbol variation pattern HNP-B is determined with a probability of 50 / 1000 (1 / 20), the special symbol variation pattern HNP-C with a probability of 100 / 1000 (1 / 10), the special symbol variation pattern HNP-D with a probability of 700 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.43), and the special symbol variation pattern HNP-E with a probability of 150 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 6.67), while the special symbol variation pattern HNP-A is not determined. These probabilities do not depend on the current settings or whether the settings have been changed. Thus, once the special symbol variation pattern HNP is determined, the special symbol variation pattern (variation time) that is likely to be determined differs depending on the value of the special symbol 1 reserve counter. More specifically, the smaller the value of the special symbol 1 reserve counter, the more likely it is that a longer symbol variation will be determined (the larger the value of the special symbol 1 reserve counter, the more likely it is that a shorter variation time will be determined). In particular, when the special symbol 1 reserve counter = 3, the special symbol variation pattern HNP-E is not determined, while when the special symbol 1 reserve counter is not 3, the special symbol variation pattern HNP-E is determined, and when the special symbol 1 reserve counter = 2 to the special symbol reserve counter = 0, the smaller the value of the counter, the more likely it is that the special symbol variation pattern HNP-E will be determined. Furthermore, such special feature variation patterns (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "basic special feature variation patterns") also exist in the special feature variation pattern derivation state PB and the special feature variation pattern derivation state PC. Although the types and lengths of the basic special feature variation patterns corresponding to these special feature variation pattern derivation states differ, their tendencies (the relationship between the value of the hold counter (the value of the special feature 2 hold counter in the special feature variation pattern derivation state PB and the special feature variation pattern derivation state PC) and the special feature variation patterns (variation time) that are easily determined) are the same as in the special feature variation pattern derivation state PA.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, similar to the special symbol stop symbol lottery described above, if the special symbol variation pattern derivation state and the result of the special symbol win / loss determination are the same, the probability of each special symbol variation pattern being derived does not depend on the set value. Furthermore, the special symbol variation pattern derivation means 133 generates a performance control command (variation start command) that includes the determined stopping symbol of the special symbol and the determined special symbol variation pattern, based on the result of the special symbol win / loss determination, at the start of the symbol variation, and stores the command in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0081] The regular symbol lottery means 135, similar to the special symbol lottery means 130, reads the earliest operation hold information from the operation hold information held in the main information storage means 160 when the regular symbol is not changing, and uses the read random number to perform a regular symbol win / loss determination to determine whether the regular symbol is a win or a loss. If the regular symbol win / loss determination results in a regular symbol win where the regular electric mechanism 61 is controlled to an open state, the regular symbol stop symbol lottery is performed to determine the regular symbol stop pattern by lottery, and the regular symbol variation pattern lottery is performed to determine the regular symbol variation pattern (variation time) by lottery. More specifically, in the determination of whether a regular drawing wins or losses, there are two states: one where the regular drawing lottery state is high probability (sometimes abbreviated as "high regular drawing probability") and one where the regular drawing lottery state is low probability (sometimes abbreviated as "low regular drawing probability"). Although the lottery table is not shown in this embodiment, in the high regular drawing probability state, there is a 65535 / 65536 probability of winning the regular drawing and a 1 / 65536 probability of losing. On the other hand, in the low regular drawing probability state, there is a 1 / 65536 probability of winning the regular drawing and a 65535 / 65536 probability of losing. It is also possible to make it so that there is no regular drawing win in the low regular drawing probability state (a 65536 / 65536 chance of losing).

[0082] In the regular symbol stop symbol lottery, similar to the special symbol stop symbol lottery, one stop symbol is determined from multiple types of stop symbols with different opening patterns for the regular electric mechanism 61 by a lottery using a lottery table for the regular symbol stop symbol lottery (not shown) (common to all settings). If the regular symbol win / loss judgment is a loss, the stop symbol is determined uniformly, similar to special symbol 1 and special symbol 2. Furthermore, in the general pattern variation lottery, similar to the special pattern variation lottery, one general pattern variation pattern is determined from multiple types of general pattern variation patterns by a lottery using a lottery table for general pattern variation lottery (not shown in the diagram) (common to all settings). Thus, a high probability of a normal win is considered to be a more advantageous state than a low probability of a normal win, as the probability of a normal win is higher. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the probability of obtaining each lottery result in any of the lotteries related to the regular symbols (regular symbol win / failure determination, regular symbol stop pattern lottery, and regular symbol variation pattern lottery) is constant regardless of the set value, and the advantage of the lottery related to the regular symbols does not change depending on the set value.

[0083] As described above, in this embodiment, the probability of winning a jackpot in the special symbol win / failure judgment is determined based on the set value, and the probability of winning a jackpot in the special symbol win / failure judgment increases as the set value increases, thus making it more advantageous as the set value increases. However, it is also possible to set a difference in the probability of obtaining a favorable result in at least one of the following: special symbol stop symbol lottery, normal symbol win / failure judgment, and normal symbol stop symbol lottery. Alternatively, it is also possible to set a difference in the probability of obtaining a favorable result in at least one of the following: special symbol stop symbol lottery, normal symbol win / failure judgment, and normal symbol stop symbol lottery, without including the special symbol win / failure judgment, so that it becomes more advantageous as the set value increases (the degree of advantage differs depending on the set value). In other words, it is sufficient that the degree of advantage regarding the awarding of prize balls differs depending on the set value.

[0084] The jackpot game control means 140, when the result of the special symbol win / loss lottery is a jackpot, determines the demo time for the jackpot start demo and the demo time for the jackpot end demo according to the determined jackpot symbol. Furthermore, the jackpot game control means 140 generates a performance control command (jackpot start command) including a demo time related to the jackpot start demo when a jackpot is started and stores it in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160. When a new round starts during a jackpot game, it generates a performance control command (round start command) and stores it in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160. When a jackpot ends, it generates a performance control command (jackpot end command) including a demo time related to the jackpot end demo and stores it in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0085] The symbol display control means 145 causes special symbol 1 to be displayed on the first special symbol display device 91 in accordance with the variation time based on the special symbol variation pattern of special symbol 1, and after the variation time has elapsed, special symbol 1 is stopped and displayed with the stop symbol determined by the special symbol stop symbol lottery. Similarly, special symbol 2 is displayed on the second special symbol display device 92 in accordance with the variation time based on the special symbol variation pattern of the second special symbol, and after the variation time has elapsed, special symbol 2 is stopped and displayed with the stop symbol determined by the special symbol stop symbol lottery. The symbol display control means 145 has a special symbol game timer for managing the time (variation time, stop display time) related to the display of special symbol 1 and special symbol 2. When the special symbol is stopped (at the timing when the value of the special symbol game timer becomes "0"), it generates a performance control command (variation stop command) to request the confirmed stop (confirmation display) of the decorative symbol, and stores the command in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0086] Furthermore, the symbol display control means 145 causes the normal symbol to be displayed on the normal symbol display device 93 in accordance with the normal symbol variation pattern (variation time) of the normal symbol, and after the variation time has elapsed, the normal symbol is stopped and displayed with the stop symbol determined by the normal symbol stop symbol lottery. Furthermore, the symbol display control means 145 has a symbol game timer for managing the time (variation time, stop display time) related to the display of the symbol.

[0087] The electric mechanism control means 150, when the result of the special symbol win / loss lottery is a jackpot, outputs a control signal to the special electric mechanism solenoid 66 after the special symbol stops, causing the special electric mechanism 65 to open according to the opening pattern corresponding to the stopped symbol of the special symbol. In a jackpot game, one opening and closing operation of the special electric mechanism 65 is considered one round of gameplay, and this round of gameplay is executed continuously for a predetermined number of rounds (in this example, 16R, 9R, and 8R).

[0088] Furthermore, if the electric mechanism control means 150 wins the regular drawing lottery, it outputs a control signal to the regular electric mechanism solenoid 62, causing the regular electric mechanism 61 to open according to the opening pattern corresponding to the stopping symbol on the regular drawing.

[0089] The game state control means 155 controls the special symbol lottery state. Specifically, as described above, the game state control means 155 sets the special symbol to a low probability state at the start of a jackpot game, regardless of the symbols involved in the jackpot, maintains the low probability state for special symbols at the end of a jackpot game related to a normal jackpot, and sets the special symbol to a high probability state at the end of a jackpot game related to a probability variation jackpot.

[0090] Furthermore, the game state control means 155 controls the normal symbol lottery state. Specifically, at the start of a jackpot, the game state control means 155 sets the normal symbol to low probability regardless of the symbols involved in the jackpot; at the end of a jackpot game related to a normal jackpot, it sets the normal symbol to high probability until 100 symbol changes have occurred (after 100 symbol changes, it sets the normal symbol to low probability); and at the end of a jackpot related to a probability variation jackpot, it sets the normal symbol to high probability until the start of the next jackpot game (including cases where a finite number sufficient to derive a jackpot (e.g., 5000 times) is set).

[0091] Furthermore, the game state control means 155 controls the special symbol variation pattern derivation state described above. The transitions in these special symbol variation pattern derivation states will be explained with reference to Figures 10(a) and 10(b). Figure 10(a) is a state transition diagram showing the transitions in the special symbol variation pattern derivation state, and Figure 10(b) is a diagram showing the relationship between the average variation time for each special symbol variation pattern derivation state. As shown in Figure 10(a), the special symbol variation pattern derivation states consist of special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA, which corresponds to a low probability of a special symbol win and a low probability of a normal symbol win; special symbol variation pattern derivation state PB, which corresponds to a high probability of a special symbol win and a high probability of a normal symbol win; and special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC, which corresponds to a low probability of a special symbol win and a high probability of a normal symbol win. Except during a jackpot game, the special symbol variation pattern derivation state is set according to the special symbol lottery state and the normal symbol lottery state. The transition conditions between special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA and special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC are transition conditions (i) to transition conditions (iii). Transition condition (i) is the end of a jackpot game related to a probability-increasing jackpot, transition condition (ii) is the end of a jackpot game related to a normal jackpot, and transition condition (iii) is the end of the 100th symbol variation. Furthermore, if a jackpot game related to a normal jackpot is started while the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC is active, the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC will be reset after the jackpot game ends (the symbol variation count in transition condition (iii) will start from 0).

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(b), the average variation time for each of the special symbol variation pattern derivation states PA, PB, and PC (the sum of variation times derived by multiplying the variation time of the special symbol variation pattern that can be selected in the said special symbol variation pattern derivation state by the occurrence rate (the probability that can occur in any symbol variation, derived by multiplying the probability of the special symbol variation pattern winning by the probability of the special symbol win / fail judgment result being derived) is shorter in the order of special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA, special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC, and special symbol variation pattern derivation state PB. This is mainly due to the difference in the length of variation time of the basic special symbol variation pattern mentioned above, which is most frequently selected in each special symbol variation pattern derivation state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the difference between the average variation time of the special figure variation pattern derivation state PA and the average time of the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC is greater than the difference between the average variation time of the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC and the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB.

[0093] Furthermore, when an update occurs in the special symbol lottery state, the regular symbol lottery state, or the special symbol variation pattern derivation state, the game state control means 155 generates a performance control command (game state specification command) that includes each of the updated states, and stores the command in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0094] As described above, the main information storage means 160 is a means for temporarily storing data read by each means, data derived by calculations etc. performed by each means, etc., in the corresponding storage areas.

[0095] The main error control means 165 monitors the input information of the I / O port 104 and determines whether the gaming machine 10 is in an error state. If it is determined that the machine is in an error state, it stores a performance control command (error command) containing information that can identify the error state in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0096] The main command management means 170 transmits a performance control command to the first sub-control board 200 when a performance control command is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160. In principle, each performance control command is transmitted in the order in which it is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160.

[0097] The power restoration processing execution means 175 includes a recovery state setting means 176, a setting change means 177, a setting confirmation means 178, and a game-ready state transition means 179.

[0098] The recovery state setting means 176 performs a recovery state setting process to set the recovery state upon power restoration based on whether or not there is an abnormality in the RAM 103, the state at the time of the power outage immediately preceding the power restoration, the combination of the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43 at the time of power restoration, and the state of the middle frame door open sensor 76 at the time of power restoration. The recovery states set by this process include a game stop state, a setting change state, a setting confirmation state, and a playable state (which may or may not involve a RAM clear process). The flow of this process is omitted here, but the details of the state of the game machine 10 at the time of power restoration, including the recovery state corresponding to the above recovery conditions, will be described later. If a RAM clear process is performed, the special symbol low probability and normal symbol low probability will be set. Here, the "game stop state" is a recovery state in which gameplay cannot proceed because the processing corresponding to the detection results of the sensors installed at each prize entry point is not executed (the detection results of the sensors themselves are not even checked). The "game-ready state" is a recovery state in which gameplay can proceed because the processing corresponding to the detection results of the sensors installed at each prize entry point is executed. Details of the setting change state and setting confirmation state will be described later.

[0099] Furthermore, whether or not there is an abnormality in RAM103 is determined by executing a RAM abnormality check at the beginning of the recovery state setting process (specifically, determining whether or not a backup flag is stored in the backup information area related to the target area (whether or not the backup flag is ON), and if the backup flag is stored (if the backup flag is ON), deriving a checksum of the complement stored in the target area and the backup information area related to that area, and if the result of this calculation is 0, determining that the target area is normal, and otherwise determining that the target area is abnormal) on the area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay. In this embodiment, the RAM abnormality check also determines whether there is an abnormality in the area related to the base value. However, in this description, unless otherwise specified, an abnormality in RAM 103 refers to an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM 103 related to gameplay. Furthermore, in the recovery state setting process, if there is an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay and also in the area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value, the area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value is cleared. However, if there is an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value (regardless of whether or not there is an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay), the area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value may be cleared.

[0100] The setting change means 177 executes a setting change process that enables the setting value to be changed when the setting change state is set. Details of this process will be described later.

[0101] The setting confirmation means 178 executes a setting confirmation process that enables confirmation of the setting value when the setting confirmation state is set. Details of this process will be described later.

[0102] The playable state transition means 179 executes a playable state transition process to transition to the playable state when the playable state is set. To explain in more detail, during the transition to a playable state, if the security signal output is ON, the following processes are executed: turning the security signal output OFF, displaying the base value on the main control board monitor 97 (the display method of the base value will be described later), and initial device setup. Here, a security signal is a type of signal output from an external terminal board (not shown) provided on the gaming machine 10 to devices outside the gaming machine (such as a data display or hall computer). In the following explanation, turning the security signal ON means starting the output of the security signal, and turning the security signal OFF means ending the output of the security signal. In this embodiment, the process of turning the security signal OFF does not take into account the elapsed time since the security signal was turned ON, but it is also possible to take this elapsed time into consideration, that is, to avoid turning the security signal OFF before a certain amount of time has elapsed since the security signal was turned ON. Furthermore, during the initial setup of the device, processes such as sending a launch permission command to the payout control board 400 to allow the launch of game balls, setting the state in which balls can enter each prize pocket, and setting data to activate the random number circuit 105 are performed.

[0103] The power cut-off processing execution means 180 performs power cut-off processing based on the receipt of a power cut-off signal from the power control board 500. Specifically, for the area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay (a different area from the area related to the base value), the following processes are executed: deriving the checksum of the area, storing the complement of the checksum in the backup information area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay, and turning on a backup flag indicating that a power-off process has been performed on the area (storing the backup flag in the backup information area of ​​RAM103 related to gameplay). Similarly, for the area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value, the following processes are executed: deriving the checksum of the area related to the base value of RAM103, storing the complement of the checksum in the backup information area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value, and turning on a backup flag indicating that a power-off process has been performed on the area related to the base value of RAM103 (storing the backup flag in the backup information area of ​​RAM103 related to the base value).

[0104] The complete function control means 190 derives the difference in ball count using the out balls and safe balls described above, and sets a game stop state based on whether the derived difference in ball count is equal to or greater than a specific threshold (95,000 balls in this embodiment).

[0105] As shown in Figure 7, the first sub-control board 200 includes a sub-random number generation means 210, a normal performance control means 220, a sub-error control means 230, a lamp control means 240, a movable prop control means 250, a sub-information storage means 260, and a sub-command management means 270. These means functionally represent what is realized by each control configuration on the first sub-control board 200 as described with reference to Figure 6. The sub-information storage means 260 is a means for temporarily storing data read by means of the first sub-control board 200, and data derived by calculations performed by said means, in corresponding storage areas. In addition, performance control commands transmitted from the main command management means 170 are stored in the received command storage area of ​​the sub-information storage means 260 by the sub-command management means 270. In the following description, the process by which performance control commands transmitted from the main command management means 170 are stored in the received command storage area of ​​the sub-information storage means 260 by the sub-command management means 270 may simply be referred to as "reception of performance control commands."

[0106] The sub-random number generation means 210 is capable of generating random numbers (software random numbers) that are updated by program processing by the CPU 201, and acquires random numbers at the timing when each lottery (details described later) is executed by the normal performance control means 220.

[0107] The normal performance control means 220 includes a performance mode control means 221, a performance route determination means 222, a sub-hold control means 223, a pre-read performance control means 224, a performance content determination means 225, a decorative pattern control means 226, and a jackpot performance control means 227.

[0108] The performance mode control means 221 controls the transition of the performance mode in a manner consistent with the special symbol variation pattern derivation state managed on the main control board 100 when a game state specification command is transmitted. In this embodiment, the performance modes are broadly classified into normal mode, low probability time-saving mode, and probability variation mode. The special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA corresponds to normal mode, the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PB corresponds to probability variation mode, and the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC corresponds to low probability time-saving mode.

[0109] When a pre-determination command is transmitted, the performance route determination means 222 determines (sets) the performance route corresponding to the currently suspended symbol variation based on the result of the pre-determination included in the command (in this embodiment, the special symbol variation pattern). However, if the special symbol variation pattern corresponding to the symbol variation is the special symbol variation pattern HNP described above, the performance route determination means 222 does not determine the performance route when the pre-determination command is transmitted, but instead determines the performance route at the start of the symbol variation based on the special symbol variation pattern (special symbol variation pattern HNP-A to special symbol variation pattern HNP-E) included in the variation start command. Here, the performance route refers to the performance from the start to the end of the symbol variation, which defines the process of performance that notifies the result of the special symbol win / loss determination in that symbol variation. The content of the performance performed in that symbol variation is determined by the performance content determination means 225, which will be described later, according to the performance route corresponding to that symbol variation.

[0110] When a hold command is received, the sub-hold control means 223 sets performance data in the hold display area (not shown) of the main display unit 81 (not shown) to display a number of hold images corresponding to the special figure 1 hold counter and a number of hold images corresponding to the special figure 2 hold counter, based on the information of the special figure 1 hold counter and special figure 2 hold counter included in the command. The hold images are images that are the subject of a hold pre-read performance that changes in various ways to suggest the degree of advantage, such as the expected probability of a big win.

[0111] The pre-read performance control means 224 determines the content of the pre-read performance based on the result of the pre-determination included in the pre-determination command when a pre-determination command is transmitted. A pre-announcement effect is a type of effect that, over one or more reel spins before the reel spin of the target symbol begins, hints at the expected outcome of the special symbol win / loss judgment during the reel spin of the target symbol, as well as the content of the effect that will be performed during the reel spin of the target symbol.

[0112] When a variation start command is transmitted, the performance content determination means 225 determines the content of the performance to be executed in the current symbol variation according to the performance route already determined by the performance route determination means 222. More specifically, the performance content determination means 225 determines the content of the performance (performance pattern) for each performance execution timing in the symbol variation by drawing lots using a performance pattern lottery table corresponding to the performance route determined by the performance route determination means 222. In this way, the content of the performance related to (and executed according to) the determined performance route can be changed, and connections can be made to the performances in a single symbol variation. Furthermore, even if the same performance route is determined, it is possible to make the performances that are executed diverse.

[0113] In this embodiment, the content of the performance determined by the performance content determination means 225 includes a first setting suggestion performance and a second setting suggestion performance. As will be described in detail later, these performances are displayed in the display area related to the main display unit 81 and function as setting suggestion performances that indicate the current setting value.

[0114] When a variation start command is transmitted, the decorative pattern control means 226 determines the final combination of stopping patterns for the decorative patterns (left pattern, middle pattern, right pattern) based on the determined stopping pattern of the special pattern. Specifically, odd-numbered symbols are associated with symbols B, C, and a; even-numbered symbols are associated with symbols A and b; and scattered symbols are associated with symbols D and c. Furthermore, when matching the combination of decorative symbols to be stopped with the stopping symbols of the special feature, it is not always necessary to follow the aforementioned correspondence. For example, if the combination of decorative symbols to be stopped does not increase the expected probability of the matching combination with respect to the aforementioned correspondence, such as associating symbol a with an even number combination, then in some cases (a lower proportion than the proportion of cases where the aforementioned correspondence occurs), a combination of decorative symbols different from the aforementioned correspondence may be adopted. Even in such cases, the combination of decorative symbols to be stopped can still be said to correspond with the stopping symbols of the special feature.

[0115] The jackpot performance control means 227 determines the content of the jackpot performance to notify that a jackpot game is in progress, based on the information contained in the jackpot start command when the command is transmitted. The jackpot performance includes a start demo performance to notify the start of the jackpot game, a round performance to notify that a round game is in progress, and an end demo performance to notify the end of the jackpot game.

[0116] The normal performance control means 220 reads performance data for each device corresponding to each performance at the execution timing of each performance, according to the content of the performance determined by the means described above provided in the first sub-control board 200. If the read performance data includes performance data related to images and sounds, it generates image control commands related to images and sounds based on the performance data and stores the commands in the transmission command storage area of ​​the sub-information storage means 260.

[0117] In particular, the normal performance control means 220 reads performance data using the performance display device 80 to notify that a setting change is in progress when the recovery state after power is restored is the setting change state (when the setting change start command described later is sent), and the notification started by said performance data ends when the setting change state ends and the game becomes playable (when the setting change end command described later is sent). Similarly, the normal performance control means 220 reads performance data using the performance display device 80 to notify that a setting check is in progress when the recovery state after power is restored is the setting confirmation state (when the setting confirmation start command described later is sent), and the notification started by said performance data ends when the setting confirmation state ends and the game becomes playable (when the setting confirmation end command is sent). Details of these notifications are omitted, but the notifications are not made in a way that makes it impossible to identify the current setting value, and the performance device that executes the notification does not matter. In this way, the work efficiency and security for changing and checking setting values ​​can be improved. Furthermore, the normal performance control means 220 reads performance data to notify that the game has become playable after a RAM clear process when the recovery state after power is restored (in the case of a RAM clear process), and reads performance data to notify that the game has become playable without a RAM clear process when the recovery state after power is restored (in the case of a RAM clear process). These notifications are also executed when the game becomes playable via a setting change state or via a setting confirmation state, and the difference between these notifications can also be used to determine whether the game was played via a setting change state or a setting confirmation state. Furthermore, if the normal performance control means 220 returns to a game-stopped state upon power restoration, it reads performance data to notify that the game has stopped and that the setting change process described later needs to be executed. Although the details of these notifications are omitted here, it is preferable that they continue to run for a certain period of time (for example, 30 seconds) after execution begins, and the performance device used to execute the notifications is not limited.

[0118] When the sub-error control means 230 receives an error command, it reads out performance data for executing an error notification performance that notifies the error specified by the error command.

[0119] The lamp control means 240 holds lamp control data for controlling the lighting of the performance lamp 35. Normally, if there is performance data corresponding to the performance lamp 35 in the performance data read by the performance control means 220, the lamp control means reads the lamp control data based on that performance data and transmits the read lamp control data to the performance lamp 35.

[0120] The movable mechanism control means 250 holds movable control data for controlling the movement of the movable decorative body 22 and the sub-display unit 82. If there is performance data corresponding to a movable mechanism in the performance data read by the normal performance control means 220, it reads the movable control data based on that performance data and transmits the read movable control data to the movable decorative body 22 and the sub-display unit 82.

[0121] As described above, the sub-information storage means 260 is a means for temporarily storing data read by means provided in the first sub-control board 200, data derived by calculations performed by said means, etc., in corresponding storage areas.

[0122] The subcommand management means 270 receives performance control commands transmitted from the main control board 100, stores the received performance commands in the received command storage area of ​​the subinformation storage means 260, and if an image control command is stored in the transmitted command storage area of ​​the subinformation storage means 260, transmits the image control command to the second sub-control board 300. In principle, each image control command is transmitted in the order in which they are stored in the transmitted command storage area of ​​the subinformation storage means 260.

[0123] <Regarding the configuration change process> Next, using Figure 11, we will explain in detail the setting change process executed by the setting change means 177 when the recovery state after power restoration becomes the setting change state. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the flow of the setting change process.

[0124] In the first step S101, it is determined whether the set value is within the normal range (set value 1 to set value 6). If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S105; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0125] In step S103, the setting value is set to 1. In this embodiment, even if there is an abnormality in RAM 103, the process will not be executed if the set value is within the normal range. However, the process may be configured to be executed only if there is an abnormality in RAM 103.

[0126] In step S105, turn on the security signal.

[0127] In step S107, a setting change start command is sent to the first sub-control board 200 (this command is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160 for transmission to the first sub-control board 200). This command is used to notify the user that a setting change is in progress, using the main display unit 81 and the speaker 33.

[0128] In step S109, the current setting value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97.

[0129] In step S111, it is determined whether the RAM clear switch 43 has changed from OFF to ON. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S113; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S115. Furthermore, in this determination, it is also possible to add a check to see whether the setting key switch 42 is ON or not, and proceed to step S113 if both conditions are met.

[0130] In step S113, the setting value is updated. Specifically, 1 is added to the current setting value, and if the setting value exceeds 6, the setting value is set to 1. Furthermore, if the setting value is updated (added), the setting value displayed on the main control board monitor 97 will also be updated.

[0131] In step S115, it is determined whether the setting key switch 42 has changed from ON to OFF. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S117; otherwise, the process returns to step S111.

[0132] In step S117, the displayed setting value is hidden, and the current setting value is confirmed as the setting value.

[0133] In step S119, a portion of the RAM103's game-related area (excluding the area related to the setting value) is cleared.

[0134] In step S121, a setting change completion command is sent to the first sub-control board 200 and the dispensing control board 400 (this command is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160 for transmission to the first sub-control board 200). This command is used to inform the first sub-control board 200 of the end of the setting change state and the confirmed setting value.

[0135] In step S123, the game-playable state is set, and then the setting change process is terminated. If the game-playable state is set, the game will transition to the game-playable state after the game-playable state transition process described above is executed.

[0136] <About the settings confirmation process> Next, using Figure 12, we will explain in detail the setting confirmation process executed by the setting confirmation means 178 when the recovery state after power restoration becomes the setting confirmation state. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the flow of the setting confirmation process.

[0137] In the first step, S201, turn on the security signal.

[0138] In step S203, a command to start setting confirmation is sent to the first sub-control board 200 (this command is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160 for transmission to the first sub-control board 200). This command is used to notify the first sub-control board 200 that the settings are being checked using the main display unit 81 and the speaker 33.

[0139] In step S205, the current settings are displayed on the main control board monitor 97.

[0140] In step S207, it is determined whether the setting key switch 42 has changed from ON to OFF. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S209. If the condition is not met, the determination in step S207 is repeated.

[0141] In step S209, the setting value is hidden.

[0142] In step S211, a setting confirmation completion command is sent to the first sub-control board 200 (this command is stored in the transmission command storage area of ​​the main information storage means 160 for transmission to the first sub-control board 200). This command is used to inform the first sub-control board 200 that the configuration confirmation process has been completed.

[0143] In step S213, the playable state is set, and then the setting confirmation process is terminated. If the playable state is set, the game will transition to the playable state after the playable state transition process described above is executed.

[0144] <Regarding the display mode of the main control board monitor 97> Next, the display modes of the main control board monitor 97 will be explained using Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the display modes of the main control board monitor 97 for different states. As shown in Figure 13, the main control board monitor 97 consists of four 7-segment displays (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "7-segments") arranged continuously in the horizontal direction, and a dot-shaped LED is provided in the lower right corner of each 7-segment display. When displaying information, the information is displayed right-aligned.

[0145] More specifically, the current setting is displayed using the rightmost 7-segment display, and the type of game stop status is displayed using the rightmost 7-segment display and the second-to-right 7-segment display. For the display of the base value, "bL." is shown using the leftmost 7-segment display, the second-to-left 7-segment display, and the dot-shaped LED to the lower right of the second-to-left 7-segment display. The derived base value is then displayed using the rightmost 7-segment display and the second-to-right 7-segment display. If the base value exceeds 100, "bL.99." is displayed. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "display of base value" in this embodiment refers to the display of both a display indicating that it is a display of base value (the display of "bL.") and the display of the base value itself.

[0146] Here, the display that allows identification of the current setting value and the display that allows identification of the type of game stop state may be in various forms, not limited to the form in this embodiment, as long as they are in different forms from each other. Furthermore, as described above, in the setting change state and the setting confirmation state, the setting value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97, and in the game stop state, the type of game stop state ("E1" or "E2") is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. The period during which each display is shown coincides with the period during which the corresponding recovery state is set, but it may be shown for a portion of the period during which the corresponding recovery state is set. In particular, in this embodiment, when a game stop state related to the complete function is set, the type of game stop state ("E2") is displayed on the main control board monitor 97.

[0147] Furthermore, although not explained in the above-mentioned explanation regarding the base value, from the initial power-on (including when the area related to the base value of RAM 103 is cleared) until the number of outs reaches 300 (in the range of 0 to 299 outs), "bL.--" is displayed on the main control board monitor 97 (the base value itself is not displayed). In the range of 300 to 60000 outs, the real-time base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97, and "bL." blinks in both ranges. On the other hand, in the range of 60001 outs and beyond, as described above, the base value derived in the preceding section is displayed, and "bL." is kept lit (not blinking) in this range. Therefore, whether the base value display is lit (blinking) or not, or whether the base value is displayed or not, can be used to recognize whether the area related to the base value of RAM 103 has been cleared. When "bL." is flashing, the 7-segment display showing the integer part of the base value may also be flashed, but it is preferable to keep the 7-segment display constantly lit. Furthermore, while this embodiment allows identification by the presence or absence of flashing, any method that allows identification by differences in lighting patterns, including the presence or absence of flashing, such as changing the color of the light, may be adopted.

[0148] Furthermore, the threshold for the number of outs that defines the period during which "bL.--" is displayed from the initial power-on is not limited to 300. Any value less than 10% of the number of outs that defines the interval for deriving the base value (60000 in this embodiment) may be adopted. Regarding the number of outs that define the interval for deriving the base value, it is not limited to 60,000; any value close to 60,000 (the number of balls launched per business day at a launch speed of about 100 per minute (100 × 60 (minutes) × 10 (hours))) may be used.

[0149] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base value is displayed immediately after the setting value that was displayed in the setting change state and the setting confirmation state is hidden (with a delay that is not noticeable to the player). However, it is also possible to start displaying the base value after a delay that is noticeable to the player following the hiding of the setting value. Once the base value is displayed, it will continue to be displayed until a power outage occurs.

[0150] <Regarding the configuration of the setting key switch 42 and the configuration of the RAM clear switch 43> Next, before explaining the details of the state of the gaming machine 10 when power is restored, including the recovery state when power is restored, we will explain the combinations of the configuration of the setting key switch 42 and the configuration of the RAM clear switch 43 using Figures 14(a) to 14(d). Figures 14(a) to 14(d) are diagrams showing the patterns of combinations of the configuration of the setting key switch 42 and the configuration of the RAM clear switch 43.

[0151] First, each of the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43 is equipped with a displacement part (not shown) that moves from one position to the other, and a sensor (not shown) that detects the displacement part at either position. The CPU 101 of the main control board 100 can understand the state of each switch based on the detection result of the sensor.

[0152] When operating the setting key switch 42, it is necessary to insert the setting key 600 into the setting key switch 42, as shown in Figures 14(a) to 14(d). More specifically, when the setting key 600 shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b) is inserted into the setting key switch 42 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "setting key switch 42 is OFF," and this state is unrelated to whether or not the setting key 600 is inserted), the setting key switch 42 is operated (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "setting key switch 42 is ON") by rotating it 90 degrees clockwise toward the insertion surface, as shown in Figures 14(c) and 14(d). Furthermore, the setting key switch 42 can maintain its displaced portion without requiring external force in both the OFF position and the ON position. Furthermore, the setting key 600 cannot be removed while the setting key switch 42 is in the ON position.

[0153] Furthermore, the RAM clear switch 43 can be operated by pressing the top surface of the switch. More specifically, in the state shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(c) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "RAM clear switch 43 is OFF"), pressing the top surface of the switch as shown in Figures 14(b) and 14(d) will activate the RAM clear switch 43 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "RAM clear switch 43 is ON"). The RAM clear switch 43 biases and holds the displacement part in the OFF position. Therefore, the RAM clear switch 43 can hold the displacement part without requiring external force in the OFF position, but cannot hold the displacement part without requiring external force in the ON position.

[0154] Thus, there are four possible combinations of the state of the setting key switch 42 and the state of the RAM clear switch 43 when power is restored: the combination shown in Figure 14(a), in which the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF; the combination shown in Figure 14(b), in which the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON; the combination shown in Figure 14(c), in which the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF; and the combination shown in Figure 14(d), in which the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON.

[0155] <Regarding the state of the gaming machine 10 upon power restoration, including the recovery state> Next, using the table shown in Figure 15, we will explain in detail the state of the gaming machine 10 upon power restoration, including the recovery state when the state at the time of the previous power outage was in a playable state. As described above, the state of the gaming machine 10 upon power restoration, including the recovery state in this embodiment, is determined by whether or not there is a problem with the RAM 103, the state at the time of the previous power outage, the combination of the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43 at the time of power restoration, and the state of the middle frame door open sensor 76 at the time of power restoration. Here, Figures 15(a) and 15(b) are tables summarizing the state of the gaming machine upon power restoration when there are no abnormalities (abnormalities in the gaming area of ​​RAM 103, incorrect settings, or the state at the time of the previous power outage being a game-stopped state) and the state at the time of the previous power outage was a playable state. Figure 15(a) is a table summarizing the state of the gaming machine upon power restoration when the middle frame 17 is open, and Figure 15(b) is a table summarizing the state of the gaming machine upon power restoration when the middle frame 17 is closed. Note that in the processing flow (not shown) that determines the state of the gaming machine 10 upon power restoration, including the recovery state, the order in which the RAM clear switch 43, the state of the middle frame door open sensor 76, and the setting key switch 42 are referenced does not matter, and any order may be adopted as long as the relationships shown in the table described later are satisfied. In this embodiment, an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM 103 related to gameplay is considered to be an abnormality upon power restoration. However, an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM 103 related to the base value may also be treated as an abnormality in the area of ​​RAM 103 related to gameplay, i.e., an abnormality upon power restoration.

[0156] Figure 15(a) shows the state of the gaming machine 10 when power is restored, assuming there is no abnormality when power is restored, the state at the time of the immediate power outage was in a playable state, and the middle frame door open sensor 76 is ON (middle frame 17 is in an open state) (hereinafter referred to as "Case 1"). In case 1, if the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF (the upper left pattern in Figure 15(a)), the RAM clear process is not executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 1, if the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON (the upper right pattern in Figure 15(a)), the RAM clear process is executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 1, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF (the lower left pattern in Figure 15(a)), the RAM clear process is not executed, the setting confirmation state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the current setting value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 1, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON (the lower right pattern in Figure 15(a)), the RAM clear process is executed, the setting change state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the current setting value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. In this case, if there is an abnormality in the area related to the base value of RAM 103, that area is also cleared. By doing so, it becomes possible to select the recovery state upon power restoration according to the mode of operation during power restoration, and this selection can be made smoothly.

[0157] Furthermore, in Case 1, the recovery state corresponding to the combination of the setting key switch 42 and the RAM clear switch 43 during power restoration is not limited to the correspondence in this embodiment. However, as in this embodiment, by associating a recovery state accompanied by RAM clear processing with a combination that at least includes the RAM clear switch 43 being ON, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of incorrect RAM clear processing.

[0158] Figure 15(b) shows the state of the gaming machine 10 when power is restored, in the case where there is no abnormality when power is restored, the state at the time of the power outage immediately prior to the power outage was in a playable state, and the middle frame door opening sensor 76 is OFF (middle frame 17 is in the closed state) when power is restored (hereinafter referred to as "Case 2"). In case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF (the upper left pattern in Figure 15(b)), the RAM clear process is not executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON (the upper right pattern in Figure 15(b)), the RAM clear process is executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is OFF (the lower left pattern in Figure 15(b)), the RAM clear process is not executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Furthermore, in case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON (the lower right pattern in Figure 15(b)), the RAM clear process is executed, the playable state is set as the recovery state upon power restoration, and the base value is displayed on the main control board monitor 97.

[0159] Thus, in this embodiment, if there is no abnormality when power is restored and the state at the time of the power outage immediately prior to the outage was a playable state, the recovery state set will differ depending on the state of the middle frame door open sensor 76 (open / closed state of the middle frame 17). Furthermore, in case 1, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON, the setting change state is set, while in case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON, the RAM clear process is executed and the playable state is set. Furthermore, in both case 1 and case 2, if the setting key switch 42 is OFF and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON, the RAM clear process is executed and the playable state is set. In this way, by prohibiting the setting of inappropriate setting changes while allowing the RAM clear process, it is possible to prevent unauthorized setting changes when the middle frame door open sensor 76 is OFF (middle frame 17 is in the closed state) while improving the operability of the RAM clear process. In particular, when the setting key switch 42 is ON and the RAM clear switch 43 is ON, if the middle frame door open sensor 76 is OFF (middle frame 17 is in the closed state), the RAM clear process is executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the maintenance of an advantageous state in the event that an unauthorized setting change has been attempted.

[0160] Furthermore, although omitted in the above explanation, if there is an abnormality when power is restored, if the previous power outage was in the game stop state, or if the previous power outage was in the setting change state, the game can be restored to the playable state via the setting change state only if the setting key switch 42 is ON, the RAM clear switch 43 is ON, and the middle frame door open sensor 76 is ON (the middle frame 17 is open). In all other cases, the game will be in the game stop state, and the type of game stop state ("E1" or "E2") will be displayed on the main control board monitor 97. Note that if there is no abnormality when power is restored and the state at the time of the previous power outage was in the setting confirmation state, the behavior will be the same as when there is no abnormality when power is restored and the state at the time of the previous power outage was in the playable state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the setting change state and the setting confirmation state can only be set when power is restored, and neither can be set at any other time. Therefore, the stability of game control can be improved.

[0161] As described above, the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment has a function that allows arbitrary setting of different advantageous values, and is configured to execute a setting suggestion effect that indicates the current setting value. In particular, the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment employs a novel method for executing setting suggestion effects. The details of this function will be explained below.

[0162] <Details on the setting hint effects> As described above, the setting suggestion effects in this embodiment include a first setting suggestion effect and a second setting suggestion effect, and the details of these setting suggestion effects will be explained using Figures 16 to 19. Figures 16(a) to 16(c) show the display areas where images related to the first setting suggestion effect and the second setting suggestion effect are displayed. Figure 17 shows the flow of the first setting suggestion effect control process, and Figure 18 shows the flow of the second setting suggestion effect control process. These processes are executed when a jackpot game ends. Figure 19(a) schematically shows the lottery table used for the execution lottery of the first setting suggestion effect, and Figure 19(b) schematically shows the lottery table used for the execution lottery of the second setting suggestion effect. The range of random numbers used in these lotteries is 0 to 999.

[0163] As shown in Figure 16(a), the display area related to the main display unit 81 includes display area 811 and display area 812. As shown in Figure 16(b), the display area 811 displays an image that can identify the current number of balls acquired. This image has a numerical portion that can identify the current number of balls acquired (indicated by "●●●●") and a portion indicated by the word "over". Here, the current number of balls acquired is the total number of game balls (prize balls) acquired in jackpot games that occurred in the special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA (normal symbol low probability) without any interruptions in the normal symbol low probability state (excluding during jackpot games). The character 'o' in "over" forms a first display area ha1 surrounded by the lines that make up the character, and the character 'e' in "over" forms a third display area ha3 surrounded by the lines that make up the character. Then, an image related to the first setting suggestion effect may be displayed in the first display area ha1. On the other hand, a white image is displayed in the third display area ha3, and the display of this image does not function as the above-described setting suggestion effect. In the description according to this embodiment, when an image is displayed in the first display area ha1, it means that the image is displayed over the entire area of the display area. This is the same when an image is displayed in the third display area ha3 and when an image is displayed in the second display area ha2 described later. Also, although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the area of the first display area ha1 can change, and the same applies to the second display area ha2 described later.

[0164] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16(c), an image capable of specifying the current number of consecutive jackpots is displayed in the display area 812. The image has a numerical part (indicated by "●●") capable of specifying the current number of consecutive jackpots and a part indicated by the character "times". Here, the number of consecutive jackpots is the number of jackpot games that have occurred without being interrupted by a normal pattern low probability (excluding during jackpot games) since a jackpot game occurred in the special pattern variation pattern derivation state PA (general drawing low probability). The jackpot games included in this number also include the jackpot games that occurred in the special pattern variation pattern derivation state PA. The character 'times' forms a second display area ha2 surrounded by the lines forming the inside of the character. Then, an image related to the second setting suggestion effect is displayed in the second display area ha2. On the other hand, in the display area surrounded by the lines forming the outside and the inside of the character 'times', a white image is displayed in the same manner as the third display area ha3, and the display of this image does not function as the above-described setting suggestion effect.

[0165] In addition, in the present embodiment, the image capable of specifying the number of acquired medals and the image capable of specifying the number of consecutive wins are displayed in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC, but not in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB. Therefore, it can be said that both the first setting suggestion effect and the second setting suggestion effect are executed in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC, but not in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB. However, when transitioning from the special figure variation pattern derivation state PA to the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC via the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB, the number of game balls acquired in the jackpot game when transitioning from the special figure variation pattern derivation state PA to the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB is included in the number of acquired medals displayed in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC. Similarly, in this case, the jackpot game when transitioning from the special figure variation pattern derivation state PA to the special figure variation pattern derivation state PB is included in the number of consecutive wins displayed in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC.

[0166] In addition, the image capable of specifying the number of acquired medals (including the image related to the first setting suggestion effect and the image displayed in the third display area ha3), and the image capable of specifying the number of consecutive wins (including the image related to the second setting suggestion effect) are both displayed in front of the background image (not shown), and are configured to be visible during the execution of the symbol variation in the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC. However, in a part of the state where the special figure variation pattern derivation state PC is set (such as a state where the symbol variation is not executed or during the execution of the development effect), these images may not be displayed.

[0167] Next, the details of the first setting suggestion effect control process for controlling the execution of the first setting suggestion effect will be described. As shown in FIG. 17, in step S301, which is the first step of the first setting suggestion effect control process, it is determined whether the number of acquired medals has reached a specified value. If this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S303. If this condition is not satisfied, the first setting suggestion effect control process ends. Here, the specified value in the first setting suggestion effect control process is a value divided by 5000 within the range of 5000 or more and 95000 or less.

[0168] In step S303, a lottery is held to determine whether to execute the first setting suggestion animation. Specifically, as shown in Figure 19(a), in the lottery for executing the first setting suggestion effect, the current setting value is referenced. If the current setting value is 1, there is a 900 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.11) probability of not winning the lottery, and a 100 / 1000 (1 / 10) probability of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is setting value 2, there is an 850 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.18) chance of not winning the draw, and a 150 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 6.67) chance of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is 3, there is an 800 / 1000 (1 / 1.25) chance of not winning the draw, and a 200 / 1000 (1 / 5) chance of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is 4, there is a 740 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.35) chance of not winning the draw, a 250 / 1000 (1 / 4) chance of winning blue, and a 10 / 1000 (1 / 100) chance of winning red. In the latter case, the rainbow color will not be won. If the current setting is 5, there is a 680 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.47) chance of not winning the draw, a 300 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 3.33) chance of winning blue, and a 20 / 1000 (1 / 50) chance of winning red. In the latter case, rainbow will not be won. If the current setting is 6, there is a 610 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.64) chance of not winning the draw, a 350 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 2.86) chance of winning blue, a 30 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 33.3) chance of winning red, and a 10 / 1000 (1 / 100) chance of winning rainbow. Thus, the first setting suggestion animation of this embodiment suggests, both through its execution and through the display manner (color) of the image related to the first setting suggestion animation, that a relatively advantageous setting value (setting value 4, setting value 5, setting value 6) is currently set as the setting value. In particular, if the first setting indication animation is executed in a lottery and the color is determined to be red, it is confirmed that the current setting value is one of setting value 4, setting value 5, or setting value 6. Furthermore, if the first setting indication animation is executed in a lottery and the color is determined to be rainbow, it is confirmed that the current setting value is setting value 6.

[0169] In step S305, it is determined whether or not the lottery for executing the first setting suggestion performance has been won. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S307. If the condition is not met, the first setting suggestion performance control process ends.

[0170] In step S307, the performance data related to the first setting suggestion performance is set, and then the first setting suggestion performance control process is terminated. As a result, the image related to the first setting suggestion performance of the color determined by the execution lottery for the first setting suggestion performance is displayed in the first display area ha1. Furthermore, if step S307 is not executed and the first setting suggestion effect control process is completed, that is, if the image related to the first setting suggestion effect is not displayed, a gray image will be displayed in the first display area ha1. This is also the case before the first setting suggestion effect control process itself is executed.

[0171] Next, we will explain the details of the second setting suggestion effect control process, which controls the execution of the second setting suggestion effect. As shown in Figure 18, in step S401, which is the first step of the second setting suggestion performance control process, it is determined whether the number of consecutive wins has reached a predetermined value. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S403; otherwise, the second setting suggestion performance control process ends. Here, the default value in the second setting suggestion effect control process is a value in increments of 5 within the range of 5 to 30.

[0172] In step S403, a lottery is held to determine whether to execute the second setting suggestion animation. Specifically, as shown in Figure 19(b), in the second setting suggestion animation execution lottery, the current setting value is referenced. If the current setting value is 1, there is a 900 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.11) probability of not winning the execution lottery, and a 100 / 1000 (1 / 10) probability of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is setting value 2, there is an 850 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.18) chance of not winning the draw, and a 150 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 6.67) chance of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is 3, there is an 800 / 1000 (1 / 1.25) chance of not winning the draw, and a 200 / 1000 (1 / 5) chance of winning blue. In this case, red and rainbow colors will not be won. If the current setting is 4, there is a 730 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.37) chance of not winning the draw, a 250 / 1000 (1 / 4) chance of winning blue, and a 20 / 1000 (1 / 50) chance of winning red. In the latter case, the rainbow color will not be won. If the current setting is 5, there is a 660 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.52) chance of not winning the draw, a 300 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 3.33) chance of winning blue, and a 40 / 1000 (1 / 25) chance of winning red. In the latter case, the rainbow color will not be won. If the current setting is 6, there is a 590 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.69) chance of not winning the draw, a 350 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 2.86) chance of winning blue, and a 60 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 16.7) chance of winning red. In the latter case, rainbow will not be won. Thus, the second setting suggestion animation of this embodiment, like the first setting suggestion animation, suggests, both through its execution and through the display manner (color) of the image related to the second setting suggestion animation, that a relatively advantageous setting value (setting value 4, setting value 5, setting value 6) is currently set as the setting value. In particular, if the second setting suggestion animation is selected by lottery, the current setting value is confirmed to be one of the following: setting value 4, setting value 5, or setting value 6. Furthermore, the number of colors that can be determined by the execution lottery for the second setting suggestion effect, that is, the number of display modes that the image related to the second setting suggestion effect can take, is less than the number of display modes that the image related to the first setting suggestion effect can take, as described above.

[0173] In step S405, it is determined whether or not the lottery for executing the second setting suggestion performance has been won. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S407. If the condition is not met, the second setting suggestion performance control process ends.

[0174] In step S407, the performance data related to the second setting suggestion performance is set, and then the second setting suggestion performance control process is terminated. As a result, the image related to the second setting suggestion performance of the color determined by the execution lottery for the second setting suggestion performance is displayed in the second display area ha2. Furthermore, if step S407 is not executed and the second setting suggestion effect control process is completed, that is, if the image related to the second setting suggestion effect is not displayed, a gray image will be displayed in the second display area ha2. This is also the case before the second setting suggestion effect control process itself is executed.

[0175] As explained above, in the gaming machine 10 according to this embodiment, the image related to the first setting suggestion effect can be made visible in the first display area ha1 enclosed by lines that make up the character "o" in the image in which the number of acquired balls can be identified. This allows for the creation of innovative and unprecedented setting hints and presentations. Furthermore, this contributes to enhancing the enjoyment of the game.

[0176] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, the first specific character (the character "o") can form a first specific area (first display area ha1) enclosed by the lines that make up the character, a specific image (a red image related to the first setting suggestion effect) can be seen in the first specific area, one of several types of game performance can be set, the several types of game performance include the first game performance (setting value 1, setting value 2, setting value 3) and the second game performance (setting value 4, setting value 5, setting value 6) which is more advantageous than the first game performance, and the specific image can be displayed when the second game performance is set, and is not displayed when the first game performance is set. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned game performance is configured such that, through operation, one game performance can be set from multiple types of game performance (probabilities used for determining whether a special symbol wins or loses (probabilities that lead to a favorable state for the player (a big win))) (the game performance set by said operation can be changed), but this is not limited to this. For example, the game performance may be changed when the number of times the symbol changes reach a predetermined number of times, or the game performance may be changed when a specific big win game (for example, the big win game after a predetermined number of times) ends, or the game performance may be changed as the game progresses.

[0177] In particular, in this embodiment, the "e" included in the image that can identify the number of balls acquired may be displayed in parallel with the character "o" included in the image, and a white image different from the image related to the first setting suggestion effect can be seen in the third display area ha3 enclosed by the lines that make up the character "e". According to this, it is possible to increase attention to the image related to the first setting suggestion effect displayed in the first display area ha1.

[0178] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it is possible to display a predetermined character (the character "e") that is different from the first specific character (the character "o"), the first specific character and the predetermined character may be displayed in parallel, the predetermined character may form a predetermined area (third display area ha3) enclosed by the lines that make up the character, and the image visible in the predetermined area may be different from the specific image (the image related to the red first setting suggestion effect). In addition, in the present embodiment, although the first specific character and the predetermined character are included in a common character string, it is not limited to this. That is, these characters may be included in different character strings, respectively.

[0179] Furthermore, as will be described later, in the present embodiment, when power failure and restoration without executing the RAM clear process occur, or when a winning of a game ball occurs, the area of the first display area ha1 can change, while the area of the third display area ha3 does not change. According to this, when these events occur, the degree of attention to the first display area ha1 can be increased. This leads to increasing the degree of attention to the image related to the first setting suggestion effect that can be visually recognized in the display area.

[0180] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it can be paraphrased that due to the occurrence of a specific event (power failure and restoration without executing the RAM clear process, winning of a game ball), the area of the first specific area (the first display area ha1) can change, and due to the occurrence of the specific event, the area of the predetermined area (the third display area ha3) does not change.

[0181] Also, in the gaming machine 10 according to the present embodiment, in the second display area ha2 surrounded by a line forming the character "times" included in an image capable of specifying the number of consecutive wins, an image related to the second setting suggestion effect may be visually recognized. According to this, similar to the case where an image related to the first setting suggestion effect is displayed in the first display area ha1, a novel setting suggestion effect that has never been seen before can be realized.

[0182] <Regarding the area change of the first display area and the second display area> Next, using FIGS. 20 to 24, details of the area change of the first display area ha1 where an image related to the first setting suggestion effect is displayed and the second display area ha2 where an image related to the second setting suggestion effect is displayed will be described in detail. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the flow of the area change of the first display area ha1, and FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the flow of the area change of the second display area ha2. Figure 22 shows the flow of the first display area control process, and Figure 23 shows the flow of the second display area control process. Figure 24(a) schematically shows the lottery table used for the change lottery of the first display area ha1, and Figure 24(b) schematically shows the lottery table used for the change lottery of the second display area ha2. The range of random numbers used in these lotteries is 0 to 999.

[0183] As shown in Figure 20, the first display area ha1 in the image that can identify the current number of balls won can be the size shown in the upper section (hereinafter referred to as "small size"), the size shown in the middle section (hereinafter referred to as "medium size"), and the size shown in the lower section (hereinafter referred to as "large size"). In particular, when the area of ​​the first display area ha1 changes in the normal flow (when the area changes due to step S513 described later), the area of ​​the first display area ha1 changes in the order shown in Figure 20, and when the area of ​​the first display area ha1 changes while the first display area ha1 is large, the area of ​​the first display area ha1 becomes small. Furthermore, in the image that allows for the identification of the current number of acquired balls, the portion excluding the first display area ha1 and the characters formed by the lines that make up the first display area ha1 (including the third display area ha3) will maintain its area even if the area of ​​the first display area ha1 changes.

[0184] As shown in Figure 21, the second display area ha2 in the image where the current number of consecutive wins can be identified can be the size shown in the upper section (hereinafter referred to as "small size"), the size shown in the middle section (hereinafter referred to as "medium size"), and the size shown in the lower section (hereinafter referred to as "large size"). In particular, when the area of ​​the second display area ha2 changes (when the area changes due to step S611 described later), the area of ​​the second display area ha2 changes in the order shown in Figure 21, and when the area of ​​the second display area ha2 changes while it is large, the area of ​​the second display area ha2 becomes small. However, of the image in which the current number of consecutive wins can be identified, the area of ​​the second display area ha2 and the characters formed by the lines that make up the second display area ha2 are kept the same even if the area of ​​the second display area ha2 changes.

[0185] Next, we will explain the details of the first display area control process that controls the area change of the first display area ha1. As shown in Figure 22, in step S501, which is the first step of the first display area control process, it is determined whether or not the first setting suggestion effect is being executed. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S503; otherwise, the first display area control process ends. In step S503, it is determined whether or not a power outage and subsequent restoration occurred without the execution of a RAM clear process. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S505; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S507.

[0186] In step S505, the animation data is set to make the first display area ha1 a medium size, and then the first display area control process is terminated. As a result, if the first display area ha1 is a size other than the medium size, the first display area ha1 that returns after a power outage and restoration without the execution of a RAM clear process will be of the medium size. On the other hand, if the first display area ha1 is already of the medium size, the area of ​​the first display area ha1 will be maintained. Furthermore, in the case of an image that identifies the current number of balls won, the numerical portion will be reset to zero if a power outage occurs without a RAM clear process. The same applies to the numerical portion of an image that identifies the current number of consecutive wins.

[0187] In step S507, it is determined whether or not a game ball has entered the winning area. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S509. If the condition is not met, the first display area control process is terminated. Here, "game ball entering the winning area" refers to a game ball entering the gate 63 or the second starting opening 59, and this is the same in the second display area control process described later.

[0188] In step S509, a lottery is held to determine the change in the first display area ha1. Specifically, as shown in Figure 24(a), in the change lottery for the first display area ha1, if a game ball enters gate 63, there is a 10 / 1000 (1 / 100) probability of winning the change lottery and a 990 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.01) probability of not winning the change lottery. On the other hand, if a game ball enters the second starting opening 59, there is a 20 / 1000 (1 / 50) chance of winning the change lottery and a 980 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.02) chance of not winning the change lottery. Thus, in this embodiment, the probability of winning the lottery for the change of the first display area ha1 when a game ball enters the winning area is higher when the game ball enters the second starting opening 59 than when the game ball enters the gate 63. This is because the number of prize balls awarded when a game ball enters the second starting opening 59 (1 in this embodiment) is greater than the number of prize balls awarded when a game ball enters the gate 63 (0 in this embodiment), making it easier for the player to pay attention to the game ball entering the second starting opening 59.

[0189] In step S511, it is determined whether or not the lottery for the change of the first display area ha1 has been won. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S513. If the condition is not met, the first display area control process is terminated. In step S513, performance data is set to change the area of ​​the first display area ha1, and then the first display area control process is terminated. As a result, the area of ​​the first display area ha1 changes. In this embodiment, the area of ​​the changed first display area ha1 may continue even after the next jackpot game occurs, but the image displayed in the display area (the image related to the first setting suggestion effect) will cease to be displayed when the next jackpot game occurs. The same applies to the second display area ha2.

[0190] Next, we will explain the details of the second display area control process that controls the area change of the second display area ha2. As shown in Figure 23, in step S601, which is the first step of the second display area control process, it is determined whether or not the second setting suggestion effect is being executed. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S603; otherwise, the second display area control process is terminated. In step S603, it is determined whether or not a power interruption and subsequent restoration occurred without the execution of a RAM clear process. If this condition is met, the process proceeds to step S611; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S605. In step S605, it is determined whether or not a game ball has entered the game. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S607. If the condition is not met, the second display area control process ends.

[0191] In step S607, a lottery is held to determine the change in the second display area ha2. Specifically, as shown in Figure 24(b), in the change lottery for the second display area ha2, if a game ball enters gate 63, there is a 5 / 1000 (1 / 200) probability of winning the change lottery and a 995 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.005) probability of not winning the change lottery. On the other hand, if a game ball enters the second starting opening 59, there is a 10 / 1000 (1 / 100) chance of winning the change lottery and a 990 / 1000 (approximately 1 / 1.01) chance of not winning the change lottery. Thus, in this embodiment, similar to the lottery for changes in the first display area ha1, the probability of winning the lottery for changes in the second display area ha2 when a game ball enters the area is higher when the game ball enters the second starting opening 59 than when the game ball enters the gate 63.

[0192] In step S609, it is determined whether or not the lottery for change of the second display area ha2 has been won. If the condition is met, the process proceeds to step S611. If the condition is not met, the second display area control process is terminated. In step S611, the animation data for changing the second display area ha2 is set, and then the second display area control process is terminated. As a result, the area of ​​the second display area ha2 changes.

[0193] As explained above, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the first display region ha1, which is enclosed by lines forming the character "o" in the image that can identify the number of balls acquired, may change when a power interruption and subsequent restoration occur without the execution of a RAM clear process, or when a game ball enters the winning area. According to this, the change in the area of ​​the first display area ha1, that is, the change in the area of ​​the visible image in the first display area ha1, makes it easier to recognize that these events have occurred. In order to achieve this effect, the images visible in the first display area ha1 are not limited to images related to setting suggestion effects as in this embodiment, but can be various other images. The same applies to the images visible in the second display area ha2, which will be described later.

[0194] Therefore, it can be said that a first specific character (the character "o") can be displayed, the first specific character can form a first specific region (first display region ha1) enclosed by the lines that make up the character, an image can be seen in the first specific region, and the area of ​​the first specific region can change due to the occurrence of a specific event (power outage and restoration without execution of RAM clearing process, winning a game ball). Furthermore, the area change of the first specific region described above may include both expansion and contraction of the target region, as in this embodiment, or it may include only one of these. In addition, the area change may be achieved by a change in the area of ​​one region, by an increase or decrease in the number of regions, or by a combination of these, as in this embodiment. The same applies to the area change of the second specific region, which will be described later.

[0195] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the character "e" included in an image that can identify the number of acquired balls may be displayed in parallel with the character "o" included in the image, and the area of ​​the third display region ha3 enclosed by the lines that constitute the character "e" does not change when a power outage and subsequent restoration occurs without the execution of a RAM clear process, or when a game ball enters the winning area. According to this, it becomes easier to recognize changes in the area of ​​the visible image in the first display area ha1.

[0196] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it is possible to display a predetermined character (the character "e") that is different from the first specific character (the character "o"), the first specific character and the predetermined character can be displayed in parallel, the predetermined character can form a predetermined area (third display area ha3) enclosed by the lines that make up the character, the image can be seen in the predetermined area, and the area of ​​the predetermined area does not change due to the occurrence of a specific event (power outage and restoration without execution of RAM clearing process, winning a game ball).

[0197] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third display area ha3 displays an image (a white image) that is different from the image (the image related to the first setting suggestion effect) that is visible in the first display area ha1. According to this, the change in area of ​​the first display region ha1 can be highlighted. In order to achieve this effect, it is sufficient that a different image from the one visible in the first display area ha1 is displayed in a part of the third display area ha3, and it is permissible that the same image as the one visible in the first display area ha1 is visible in a part of the third display area ha3.

[0198] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it is possible to display a predetermined character (character “e”) different from the first specific character (character “o”), and the predetermined character can form a predetermined area (third display area ha3) surrounded by lines forming the character, an image can be visually recognized in the predetermined area, and due to the occurrence of a specific event (power failure recovery without executing RAM clear processing, winning of a game ball), the area of the predetermined area does not change, and the image visually recognizable in the predetermined area includes at least an image different from the image visually recognizable in the first specific area (first display area ha1).

[0199] Particularly, in the present embodiment, the character “e” included in the image capable of specifying the number of acquired balls is displayed in parallel with the character “o” included in the image. According to this, it is possible to easily recognize the change in the area of the image visually recognizable in the first display area ha1.

[0200] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, it is possible to display a predetermined character (character “e”) different from the first specific character (character “o”), the first specific character and the predetermined character can be displayed in parallel, the predetermined character can form a predetermined area (third display area ha3) surrounded by lines forming the character, an image can be visually recognized in the predetermined area, and due to the occurrence of a specific event (power failure recovery without executing RAM clear processing, winning of a game ball), the area of the predetermined area does not change, and the image visually recognizable in the predetermined area includes at least an image different from the image visually recognizable in the first specific area (first display area ha1).

[0201] Also, in the present embodiment, the second display area ha2 surrounded by the lines forming the character “times” included in the image capable of specifying the number of consecutive dealer wins can change its area when a power failure recovery without executing RAM clear processing occurs or when a winning of a game ball occurs. According to this, the change in the area of ​​the second display region ha2, that is, the change in the area of ​​the visible image in the second display region ha2, makes it easier to recognize that these events have occurred.

[0202] In the case of a power outage and subsequent restoration without a RAM clear operation, the area of ​​the first display area ha1 becomes uniform (medium size). On the other hand, the area of ​​the second display area ha2 does not become uniform but changes when a power outage and subsequent restoration occurs without a RAM clear operation. In other words, in this embodiment, since the characters "o" and "e" are displayed in parallel, if a power outage and subsequent restoration without a RAM clear process occurs during the period when both the first display area ha1 and the second display area ha2 exist, the area of ​​both of these display areas may change. If a power outage and subsequent restoration without a RAM clear process occurs again after such a change has occurred, there is a possibility that the area of ​​the second display area ha2 will change while the area of ​​the first display area ha1 will not change. This makes it easier to recognize power interruptions and restorations that do not involve RAM clearing, such as momentary power outages, while also making it less likely to cause discomfort if power interruptions and restorations without RAM clearing occur consecutively.

[0203] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, the above-mentioned specific event is a power interruption and restoration without RAM clearing, and it is possible to display a second specific character (the character "e") that is different from the first specific character (the character "o"), the second specific character can form a second specific region (second display region ha2) surrounded by the lines that make up the character, an image can be seen in the second specific region, the area of ​​the second specific region can change when the specific event occurs, when the specific event occurs during a period in which the first specific character and the second specific character are displayed in parallel, both the area of ​​the first specific region (first display region ha1) and the area of ​​the second specific region can change, and when a new specific event occurs after both the area of ​​the first specific region and the area of ​​the second specific region have changed due to the occurrence of the specific event, there are cases in which the area of ​​the second specific region changes and the area of ​​the first specific region does not change.

[0204] In particular, in this embodiment, the first display area ha1 formed by lines forming the character "o" may exist in a special feature variation pattern derivation state PC that is more advantageous than the special feature variation pattern derivation state PA, and the area of ​​the first display area ha1 after it has changed due to a power interruption and restoration without the execution of RAM clear processing (medium size) is different from the area of ​​the first display area ha1 that was displayed when the special feature variation pattern derivation state PC was started (small size). According to this, it becomes easier to recognize that a power interruption and subsequent restoration has occurred in the special pattern derivation state PC without the execution of RAM clearing processing such as momentary power outages.

[0205] Therefore, in the gaming machine 10, there is a first gaming state (special symbol variation pattern derivation state PA) and a second gaming state (special symbol variation pattern derivation state PC) which is more advantageous than the first gaming state, the first specific character (the character "o") may be displayed in the second gaming state, and the area of ​​the first specific region (first display region ha1) after it has changed due to a power outage and restoration may be different from the area of ​​the first specific region relating to the first specific character that was displayed when the second gaming state was started.

[0206] <Regarding other variations> The following are variations not described above. First, in the special symbol win / loss determination according to this embodiment, the machine is configured to allow big wins and not allow small wins. However, it is also possible to configure the machine to allow small wins in place of some of the big wins (a so-called Type 1 and Type 2 mixed machine), or in place of all of the big wins (a so-called Type 2 machine). In such configurations, it is preferable to add a small win game to the big win game in each of the inventions described above.

[0207] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its modified versions, the probabilities, ratios, and frequencies can be such that a lower probability does not result in a win, or a higher probability always results in a win, as long as the respective relationships are ensured. In either case, the lottery itself may not be held. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each lottery value in the illustrated lottery table is merely an example, and any value within that range may be adopted for each lottery value, as long as the relative order of the lottery tables is maintained.

[0208] Furthermore, while the above explanation determines the recovery state upon power restoration by referring to the behavior of the RAM clear switch 43 upon power restoration, it is also possible to refer to whether the continuous operation time of the RAM clear switch 43 from the time of power restoration exceeds a specified time (for example, 3 seconds). Doing so can further suppress the occurrence of incorrect RAM clear processing.

[0209] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the state of the middle frame door open sensor 76 (the open / closed state of the middle frame 17) was referred to when determining the recovery state upon power restoration. However, the recovery state may be set without referring to this state. In this case, the recovery state upon power restoration should be set uniformly according to the case where the middle frame door open sensor 76 is ON (the middle frame 17 is in the open state).

[0210] The present invention as described above is not limited to the above description, but also includes various modifications, improvements, and other forms as long as the objectives of the present invention are achieved.

[0211] <Note> This embodiment encompasses the following technical concepts. (1) The first specific character can be displayed, The aforementioned first specific character may form a first specific region enclosed by the lines that constitute the character, In the aforementioned first specific region, a specific image can be visually observed. It is possible to set one of several types of game performance, The aforementioned multiple types of game performance include a first game performance and a second game performance that is more advantageous than the first game performance. The aforementioned specific image is an image that may be displayed when the second game performance is set, and that may not be displayed when the first game performance is set. A gaming machine characterized by the following features. (a) It is possible to display a predetermined character different from the first specific character, and the first specific character and the predetermined character can be displayed in parallel, the predetermined character can form a predetermined area surrounded by lines constituting the character, and an image visible in the predetermined area is different from the specific image, A gaming machine characterized by the above. (b) Due to the occurrence of a specific event, the area of the first specific area can change, and due to the occurrence of the specific event, the area of the predetermined area does not change, A gaming machine characterized by the above.

Explanation of Signs

[0212] 10 Gaming machine 15 Outer frame 17 Middle frame 20 Front frame 21 Hinge mechanism 22 Movable decorative body 23 Cylinder lock 25 Transparent member 27 Upper ball receiver 29 Lower ball receiver 31 Operation handle 32 Upper frame part 33(33a, 33b) Speaker 34a, 34b Left and right side frame parts 35(35a, 35b, 35c) Effect lamp 36 Ball ejection mechanism 37 Effect button 38(38a, 38b, 38c, 38d) Cursor button 39 Main operation part 39a Ball lending button 39b Return button 40 Power switch 41 Setting board 42 Setting key switch 43 RAM clear switch 44 Setting board cover 45 Opening / closing cover 46 Game ball tank 47 Tank Rail 48 Dispensing Unit 49. Dispensing passage 50 game boards 50a Gaming area 51 Outer rail 52 Windmill 53 Inner rail 55 Grand Prize Winners 57 First Starter Port 59 Second Starter Port 61 Standard Electric Mechanism 62 Standard Electric Solenoid Gate 63 65 Special Electric Mechanism 66 Special Electric Solenoid 67 General Prize Winners 69 Outlet 70. First start port sensor 71 Second start port sensor 72 Large Prize Entrance Sensor 73 General Prize Entrance Sensor 74 Gate Sensors 75 Out ball sensor 76. Inner frame door opening sensor 80 Performance display device 81 Main display unit 82 Sub-display section 82a Upper sub-display section 82b Left sub-display section 82c Right sub-display 90 Pattern Display Device 91. First Special Pattern Display Device 92 Second Special Pattern Display Device 93 Standard Pattern Display Device 94. First Special Symbol Hold Lamp 95. Second Special Symbol Hold Lamp 96 Normal Symbol Hold Lamp 97 Main control board monitor 100 Main control board 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 I / O ports 105 Random number circuit 109 Main control board case 110 Incoming ball determination means 115 Main random number generation means 120 Main hold control means 125 Preliminary determination means 130 Special drawing lottery means 131 Special drawing validity determination means 132 Special drawing stop symbol lottery means 133 Special drawing variation pattern derivation means 135 General drawing lottery means 140 Big win game control means 145 Symbol display control means 150 Electric accessory control means 155 Game state control means 160 Main information storage means 165 Main error control means 170 Main command management means 175 Power restoration process execution means 176 Return state setting means​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 230 Sub-error control means 240 Lamp control means 250 Movable Parts Control Means 260 Sub-information storage means 270 Subcommand management means 300 Second Sub-Control Board 301 CPU 302 ROM 303 RAM 304 I / O ports 309 Second Sub-Control Board Case 400 Dispensing Control Board 401 CPU 402 ROM 403 RAM 409 Dispensing control board case 500 Power Control Board 501 Normal power circuit 502 Backup power supply circuit 503 Power outage detection circuit 509 Power Control Board Case 600 setting key 811 Display area 812 Display area ha1 1st display area ha2 2nd display area ha3 3rd display area X First channel Y Second channel

Claims

[Claim 1] The first specific character can be displayed, The aforementioned first specific character may form a first specific region enclosed by the lines that constitute the character, In the aforementioned first specific region, a specific image can be visually observed. It is possible to set one of several types of game performance, The aforementioned multiple types of game performance include a first game performance and a second game performance that is more advantageous than the first game performance. The aforementioned specific image is an image that may be displayed when the second game performance is set, and that may not be displayed when the first game performance is set. A gaming machine characterized by the following features.

Images