Amusement Park Systems

Abstract

To facilitate the confirmation of whether or not arrangement is made in which the migration that a player changes game machines to be played is considered.SOLUTION: A management device specifies migratory rates among game machines, and displays identification information indicating the migratory destination by means of arrows corresponding to the information on the migratory rate on the layout modeled on a game island 26. As a result, it is possible to easily grasp the degree of importance corresponding to the migration rate by identifying the identification information and the movement distance for the player to migrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for an amusement park. [Background technology]

[0002] In an amusement center, a large number of gaming machines are installed, and players tend to play on multiple gaming machines by changing the gaming machine they are playing on, a process known as machine movement (hereinafter referred to as "roaming"). For example, there is a tendency to manage the number of times a player has roamed by dividing the machine into the destination and origin, as shown in Figure 13 of Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-125074 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, machines with a high number of rotations should be placed nearby, but it is difficult to determine numerically whether they are nearby or not; for example, it is necessary to check the distance between the destination and origin machines on a layout display showing the placement of the machines.

[0005] However, it is difficult to grasp the number of rotations as described above using the layout display, and in the end, it was necessary to compare two reports, the layout display and the number of rotations, to check whether the placement of the gaming machines was appropriate, which was very time-consuming.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an amusement arcade system that makes it easy to check whether the layout of the gaming machines takes into account the movement of players to change the gaming machines they are playing on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, migration information indicating the frequency of a player's movement between gaming machines is identified, and identification information whose identification mode can be changed depending on the results of a distinction process for distinguishing the gaming machines with which the player is roaming is displayed on a layout modeled after a gaming island, making it easy to check whether the layout takes into consideration the player's movement to change the gaming machine to be played on. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of an amusement park system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] A diagram showing the layout of machines on the game island. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing a migration rate indicating a migration origin and a migration destination in association with each other. [Figure 4] A layout diagram showing the priority order when placing models with high turnover rates close to each other [Diagram 5] Layout diagram showing counters and their proximity to other types [Figure 6] Layout diagram to explain special arrangement [Figure 7] A diagram showing the distribution of age groups of players by machine type [Figure 8] Layout diagram showing the placement results [Figure 9] A layout diagram showing the play rates of game information of the same rank overlapped with each other [Figure 10] Flowchart showing the operation of the management device (part 1) [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the operation of the management device (part 2) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a gaming center system. In gaming center A, multiple types of gaming machines 1 are installed, and gaming devices 2 are installed corresponding to each gaming machine 1. These gaming machines 1 and gaming devices 2 are connected to a relay device 3, two by two, and the relay device 3 is connected to a management device 5 (management means, setting means, distinction means, display means, change means, neighborhood setting means, arrangement means, priority setting means) via a LAN 4. In addition, a POS and a balance adjustment machine (not shown) are also installed in gaming center A, and these POS and balance adjustment machines are also connected to the management device 5 via the LAN 4. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in reality, a large number of gaming machines 1 (for example, several hundred) are managed by the management device 5.

[0010] The management device 5 is installed in, for example, an office in the gaming facility A, and is connected to a keyboard 6, a monitor 7, a printer (not shown), etc., which are operated by the manager of the gaming facility. The management device 5 receives game signals output from the gaming machines (gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, etc.) to manage game information for each gaming machine 1, personal information for each registered member, and the operating status of the gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, etc.

[0011] In the game center system, the same configuration as game center A, in which the above-mentioned gaming machines 1, gaming devices 2, relay devices 3, LAN 4, management device 5, etc. are installed, is also adopted in other game centers (game center B and game center C in the example of FIG. 1). Each management device 5 installed in each game center A to C is connected to a management server 9 for system management installed separately from each game center A to C via a public line 8 such as the Internet or a VPN connection, and is configured to be able to communicate various signals and various information with the management server 9 via the public line 8, etc.

[0012] The gaming machine 1 is a CR (card reader) pachinko machine, and has an operating handle 11, an upper tray 12, and a lower tray 13 which constitute a launching device that launches balls onto a board 10, and also has an LCD display unit 14, a regular prize opening 15, a first start opening 16, a second start opening 17, a big prize opening 18, etc. on the board 10.

[0013] The gaming machine 1 operates as follows. (1) The first start hole 16 is a winning hole with a constant winning rate (a so-called center winning hole), and the second start hole 17 is a winning hole with a variable winning rate (a so-called electric chute). A lottery is held for a jackpot depending on the winning (start winning) at each start hole 16, 17, and the lottery result is notified by the change in the pattern on the liquid crystal display 14, and the jackpot is awarded depending on the result of the change.

[0014] (2) If a start win occurs during a pattern change, the pattern changes are cumulatively reserved up to a predetermined reserved upper limit (for example, 4 each), and the reserved pattern changes will start after the pattern changes have ended. Note that if a start win occurs when the number of reserved pattern changes (reserved number) is at the upper limit, the pattern changes will not be reserved.

[0015] (3) The probability of winning the jackpot lottery (jackpot probability) is 1 / 200, and the probability rate, which is the percentage of jackpots that subsequently enter a probability state (probability rate), is 50% for center hole wins and 70% for electric chute wins. When a jackpot occurs, the jackpot opening is opened for the allocated number of rounds (R). Here, for center hole wins, all Rs are allocated to 4R, while for electric chute, 50% are allocated to 10R and 50% are allocated to 4R. The upper limit for the number of wins in one round is 10, and the upper limit opening time is 30 seconds, and one round ends when either the upper limit for the number of wins or the upper limit opening time is met.

[0016] (4) During the probability of a jackpot increase to 1 / 50 and the winning rate for the second starting hole 17 increases, resulting in a time-saving state (time-saving) that continues until a jackpot occurs. On the other hand, if a normal jackpot occurs that does not result in a probability of a jackpot, the time-saving state (single time-saving) continues until 100 pattern changes, and if no jackpot occurs, the state returns to the normal state.

[0017] (5) The second starting port 17 is in an open state with a high winning rate when the normal pattern (normal pattern) that changes depending on the winning of the normal pattern winning port 15 becomes a winning pattern. In this case, the time for one normal pattern to change is 30 seconds in the normal state and 3 seconds in the time-saving state. Also, the opening time is 0.3 seconds in the normal state and 5 seconds in the time-saving state. In other words, in the time-saving state, the normal pattern change time is shorter than in the normal state, while the opening time is longer, so the winning rate of the second starting port 17 is higher.

[0018] In addition to such gaming machines, gaming machines other than the exemplified gaming machines, such as so-called ST machines that use a so-called limited-time probability change, gaming machines that can generate so-called ceiling time reduction, gaming machines that have multiple jackpot probabilities and can be changed by settings, or slot machines, may also be managed.

[0019] The gaming machine 1 and the peripheral devices attached to the gaming machine 1 output the following game signals as the game progresses, such as when the player shoots balls into the starting holes 16, 17 and when starting winnings occur. (1) Out signal = a signal (operation signal) capable of identifying the consumption value (out) output from the out box that collects consumed balls. Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls consumed (used, inserted, collected), the "number of out signals x 10" is identified as out. Note that it may also be a signal output from the gaming machine.

[0020] (2) Safe signal = a signal output from the gaming machine that can identify the winning value (safe). Since one pulse is output for every 10 balls paid out in response to a win, "number of safe signals x 10" is identified as a safe. The resupply signal output from a resupply device may also be used as a safe signal. There are actual safe signals that are output when balls are actually paid out, and winning safe signals that are output when a payout is reserved in response to a win. It is preferable to use the latter in order to minimize the time lag between winning and output.

[0021] (3) Start signal = a signal that can specify the start processing (symbol change, gimmick operation, unit game) and start (number of start processing) in the liquid crystal display unit 14 (gimmick) that changes (operates) due to the start winning (S winning) output from the gaming machine. Since it is output when the symbol change is confirmed, the start processing is specified according to the signal input. Note that it may be substituted with the S winning signal output at the time of the start winning. (4) Jackpot signal=a signal that can identify the jackpot period output from the gaming machine. Since it is a status signal that is output at a certain level during a jackpot, the input of the jackpot signal is identified as the jackpot period.

[0022] (5) Special state signal = a signal capable of identifying a special state (sweet state) output from the gaming machine. Since it is a state signal whose level is output during a special state (during time reduction (including combined time reduction)) in which the winning rate of the second starting hole 17 increases, the input of the special state signal is identified as being in a special state. It may also be a state signal whose level is output during a probability variation in which the probability of a jackpot increases (probability variation signal). In addition, the period in which neither a jackpot signal nor a special state signal is input is identified as being in a normal state.

[0023] The gaming device 2 is a rental machine with a so-called counting function for each machine, and has a status indicator light 19 that shows the status of the gaming device 2 and the gaming machine 1, etc., a coin insertion slot 20 into which coins (monetary value, valuable value) are inserted, a touch panel type LCD display unit 21 that accepts input operations from the player and displays game information such as the number of pattern changes (number of starts) and the probability of a jackpot as the game progresses, a payout button 22 for paying out held balls (including saved balls if the player is a member, acquired value, valuable value), a payout nozzle 23 through which the paid out balls pass, a card insertion slot 24 into which a general card or a membership card is inserted, and a removable counting tray 25 located below the lower tray 13 of the gaming machine 1.

[0024] The gaming device 2 has the following functions. (1) When currency is accepted (currency acceptance process), the amount of the deposit is displayed on both the gaming machine 1 and the gaming device 2, and one unit of loaned balls (value of the loaned balls) (for example, 500 yen) is dispensed from the gaming machine 1 (value grant process), and the amount of the deposit is displayed as the balance excluding the value of the loaned balls according to the value grant process. Currency can be accepted in an amount corresponding to multiple value grant processes (for example, up to 10,000 yen).

[0025] (2) When a loan button (not shown) on the gaming machine 1 is pressed (loan operation, grant operation) while there is a balance, one unit of loan balls is dispensed from the gaming machine 1 and the payment is deducted from the balance. In addition, each machine is also equipped with a so-called counting function, which counts the balls acquired by the player and makes it possible to pay back balls again using the counted acquired balls as payment, and it is also possible to specify the number of balls excluding the payment as the held balls.

[0026] (3) When the return button (not shown) of the gaming machine 1 is pressed (issuance operation) while there is remaining balance or balls in hand, a general card that can identify the remaining balls or balls in hand is issued. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, partial issuance of a part of the balance or balls in hand is not possible, but may be possible.

[0027] (4) Serial communication with the relay device 3 (receiving sales signals) makes it possible to identify the currency acceptance process, the value granting process, the balance, the number of balls lent, the amount deposited, the number of balls lent, the sales amount that is the value of the lent balls, the counted balls, the balls in hand, the payout balls, and the acceptance and issuance process of general cards. However, these can also be identified by pulse signals (for example, 1 pulse for every 1,000 yen deposited, 1 pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.).

[0028] The management device 5 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and has a storage unit consisting of a ROM, a RAM, a HDD, etc., an I / O, etc., and operates according to a control program stored in the non-volatile storage unit. The management device 5 compiles the game information of each gaming machine 1 as a management means for managing the game information specified by the game signal output from the gaming machine side.

[0029] Here, the management device 5 has a function of automatically rearranging the models on a layout simulating a game island, and this function will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the gaming machines arranged on a gaming island 26 in an amusement arcade so that the models can be identified. "PA", "PB", etc. indicate the model names, with "P~" corresponding to pachinko gaming machines and "S~" corresponding to slot machines. The prize counter (hereinafter, "counter") 27 is a place where prize exchange-related devices such as POS are installed for prize exchange, and it is expected that players will stop by the prize counter (hereinafter, "counter") 27 to exchange for prizes after finishing their games before leaving the store.

[0030] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the ratio of the number of players who have performed so-called machine transfers in a matrix format. In this embodiment, a machine transfer in which a player changes the gaming machine to be played is called "roaming," and a machine transfer performed by the gaming facility is called "rearrangement."

[0031] In Figure 3, the number of people who moved from the origin (origin) gaming machine to the destination (destination) gaming machine is counted by model, other types such as slot machines are grouped together into "other types," and players who left the store without visiting any gaming machines are classified as "exited" (specific movement information indicating the frequency of movement to specific locations is associated with the gaming machine and managed), and the total number of people in each category is counted, and the ratio of the number of people corresponding to each category to the total number of people (hereinafter referred to as the migration rate (migration information indicating the frequency of player movement)) and completion rate are shown. In the example shown in Figure 3, for example, for the model PA, 7.7% of players migrated to PB, 10.8% migrated to other types, and 15.6% left the store without visiting.

[0032] The player may be identified by a known management method, such as a recording medium such as a membership card or a so-called general card associated with the acquired value issued by the gaming device 2, or by providing an imaging means such as a camera in the gaming device 2 or POS to follow the player by image authentication and manage the origin and destination of the player. Also, although a ratio is shown in Fig. 3, other game information such as managing the number of players may be used. The end of the game may be determined by a known determination method, such as when the player can be identified at the POS or edge of the game after playing on the target machine but cannot be identified on other machines, or when an imaging means is provided at the entrance 28 of the game facility (see Fig. 2) to capture an image of the player leaving the game.

[0033] In addition, the out indicates the gaming value used by the player of the corresponding machine at the time of origin of the play, and the operating rate indicates the ratio of the out of the corresponding machine to the out that can be used during the opening hours of the gaming center (for example, opening hours x 5000), but it is also possible to use gaming information that can identify other operating conditions, such as operating time or start.

[0034] In Figure 3, "final order" indicates the ranking of the end rate of the relevant model among all the target models, and similarly, "other order" indicates the ranking of the migration rate of other types of the relevant model. Regarding the migration rate, red (horizontal line pattern in the figure) is color-coded according to the ranking of the migration rate of the destination at the migration source, with 1st place being red (horizontal line pattern in the figure), 2nd place being orange (vertical line pattern in the figure), 3rd place being yellow (right diagonal line pattern in the figure), 4th place being green (left diagonal line pattern in the figure), and 5th place being blue (dot pattern in the figure). Similarly, out, final order, and other order are color-coded according to the ranking of the relevant model among all the models. Note that although the top 5 are color-coded, the ranking of the identification target is not limited to color-coding everything.

[0035] Incidentally, since the movement paths of players when moving from the target machine to other machines, to other types of machines, or when leaving the store tend to be as shown in Figure 3, it is desirable to consider rearranging the machines so as to shorten the movement paths as much as possible.

[0036] In other words, if a machine with a high turnover rate is placed away from the target machine, resulting in a long traffic line, it is expected that players who want to move to that machine will lose their motivation to play it because it will be difficult to check the game status of that machine and the distance they will have to travel will be long. For these reasons, in this embodiment, the machine models are rearranged to minimize the movement paths of players, thereby preventing a decline in the players' motivation to play.

[0037] Specifically, by identifying the migration rate of the destination model relative to the origin model as shown in Fig. 3, a model (second gaming machine) with a high migration rate (whose migration information satisfies a predetermined condition) is placed in the vicinity of the placement location of the origin target model (first gaming machine) as shown in Fig. 4. In this case, a priority order (placement order) is set for the vicinity, and the back of the target model is set as the first priority. This is because the back of the target model is not only the easiest for players to migrate to, but also because the player can easily check the playing status of the destination model by turning around during play, so the priority is higher than that of the adjacent model with the shortest traffic line.

[0038] The two machines on either side of the target machine will be given the second highest priority. Of course, if the target machine is installed at the edge of the island and can only be placed on one side, only one side will be eligible. Also, the machines behind the two machines on either side will be given the third highest priority, and the machine behind the game island 26 of the target machine will be given the fourth highest priority. Furthermore, if another model is placed next to the model in second place, it will be ranked fourth, and if it is placed behind that, it will be ranked fifth, in which case the model behind will be demoted from fourth to sixth place. If another model is placed next to the model in fourth place, the above ranking determination is repeated.

[0039] Also, for example, in Fig. 4, specific movement information indicating the frequency of movement to rest areas (specific places) where a player stops playing or goes after playing, such as a toilet or smoking area, may be associated with the gaming machine and managed, and a neighborhood range for these places may be set. In this case, it is assumed that a machine is placed on the upper side of the gaming island 26 in Fig. 4 but not on the lower side, and in such a case, the priority of the upper machine may be set higher in consideration of the traffic line to the rest area, including the case where the machines are shown to have the same priority in Fig. 4. In the above example, the priority of the rear of the target model is set to be high, but other priorities may be adopted, such as giving higher priority to the adjacent models on the sides. Also, if there is no island set behind the target model, the priority of the adjacent models on both sides should be set to 1st.

[0040] In Figure 4, the priority order is set to the vicinity based on the model that is the source of the migration, but it is also possible to place models with high migration rates in the vicinity based on the target model that is the destination of the migration. In this case, the priority order is set to the vicinity based on the target model that is the destination of the migration.

[0041] Fig. 5 is an example of setting a neighborhood range for pachinko based on the counter 27 (specific location) and the installation locations of other types of machines (specific locations). The other types of machines are slot machines. In Fig. 3, "End" corresponds to a player whose destination is the counter 27. That is, a player who has finished playing moves to the counter 27 to exchange the acquired value for prizes.

[0042] The relevant locations, including those in Figure 4, can be set in advance, but in Figure 5, the green line (thick dotted line in the figure) indicates counter 27, and the red line (thick solid line in the figure) indicates the locations that correspond to other types of nearby locations. In Fig. 5, "1st" to "4th" are shown for other types, which indicates the priority of the origin of the movement that has a high rate of movement toward the other types in the vicinity of the other types. In other words, if there is a model to be placed near the other types, the model that is the origin of the movement is placed according to this priority. Although not shown in Fig. 5, the priority is similarly set for the area near the counter 27.

[0043] In Fig. 5, overlapping areas that correspond to the vicinity of both the counter 27 and other types of machines are shown (for example, one area for the second and third place, and two areas for the fourth place). In these areas, machines that are the source of the migration that correspond to the vicinity of both the counter 27 and other types of machines are placed. In addition, the proportion of people who go to the toilet and the proportion of people who play immediately after coming to the store may be managed, and the vicinity of the toilet and the entrance / exit 28 may be set as the neighboring target in the same manner as above.

[0044] In the above, an example was given of giving higher priority to machines closer to the counter 27 or other types of machines, but it is not necessary to adopt the priority order as shown in the example, since, for example, there may be cases where you want players leaving the store to look at other machines, or players playing other machines may wander around even if the counter 27 is nearby.

[0045] On the other hand, a location that is not related to the neighborhood but is close to the entrance / exit 28 of the game center, such as the location shown in the blue frame (dash line in FIG. 5), is designated as a priority location. Since this priority location is close to the entrance / exit 28, it is the location that is most likely to catch the eye of players who enter the game center, and it can also be said to be an advertisement for the game center, so there is a need to place attractive machines with high operating rates in that location. In other words, even if a destination model with a high migration rate is placed near a target model as described above, or a source model with a high migration rate is placed near a target model, it is necessary to consider models that should be given priority for special placement (hereinafter referred to as special placement) when placing the models.

[0046] There are four types of special arrangements: Special Arrangement 1, which places designated models in designated locations as in the past (mainly for models that require special consideration such as new machines (models with a short introduction period)); Special Arrangement 2, which sets a high payout rate, for example, and pre-sets so-called development models that prioritize operation, and places them near attractive models that meet attractive conditions such as a high number of outs and a low rate of players ending play (ending rate); Special Arrangement 3, which groups and arranges models that are suitable for players of a similar age range; and Special Arrangement 4, which excludes certain models from the rearrangement targets.

[0047] Special arrangement 1 is the same as in the past, so a description thereof will be omitted. First, special arrangement 2 will be described. The attraction conditions are established by satisfying at least one item related to the likelihood of migration to other machines according to the comparison result with the standard information, such as the out reaching a standard value (e.g., 30,000, standard information), the completion rate not reaching a standard value (e.g., 10%, standard information), or the migration rate of a specific machine or other type reaching a standard value (e.g., 5% for a machine, 10% for other types, standard information). It may also include the migration rate to a training machine reaching a standard value or directly specifying an attraction machine.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a special arrangement in which a model is arranged with priority. When a development model is set, an attraction model is specified from among the models to be arranged based on the attraction conditions, and the development model is arranged in a nearby location where it can be arranged based on the characteristics of the attraction model. For example, if the migration rate of other models is high according to the comparison result with the reference value, the attraction model 1 and development model 1 are arranged as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the attraction model 1 is arranged in a nearby location of the other models shown in FIG. 5, and the development model 1 is arranged so that it is sandwiched between the other models that have a high priority and a high migration rate as shown in FIG. 4 relative to the attraction model 1.

[0049] Also, for example, when the OUT reaches a reference value as an attraction condition, the attraction machine 2 is specified and arranged as the attraction machine 2 and the development machine 2 in Fig. 6. That is, the attraction machine 2 is arranged near the counter 27 based on Fig. 5, and the development machine 2 is arranged near the attraction machine 2 and between the counter 27 as described above. In such a case, the attraction condition may be merely that the OUT is high, but it may also be possible to add a condition that the completion rate reaches a reference value.

[0050] Next, special arrangement 3 will be described. First, the ratio of players of a certain age group is specified for each model, and models that meet a reference value are grouped. The number of gaming machines belonging to the grouped models is specified, and a location where the models in the group can be arranged is identified. In this case, the arrangement location may be specified in advance, or the machine may be arranged outside the vicinity range shown in FIG. 5, taking into account the arrangement of other models.

[0051] 7 shows a distribution table specifying the age group of players by machine type. The age of the player may be specified from attribute information of a member player who uses a membership card on the target machine, the age may be estimated from an image of the player taken by an imaging means such as a camera installed on the gaming device 2, or the age may be input by the player at the start of the game.

[0052] As shown in the rightmost column of Fig. 7, the ratio of models targeted at a specific age group (over 50 years old in Fig. 7) that is separately specified is identified for each model, and models that reach a reference value (for example, the average value of 38.5% in Fig. 7) are extracted. In the case of Fig. 7, PB, PD, PE, and PF are extracted, and these models are grouped and targeted for special allocation 3.

[0053] Then, in the position where the special arrangement 3 is specified as described above, the arrangement of the machines belonging to the group is specified based on the play rate and completion rate in the same way as other machines as in the flow chart described later. Note that the arrangement within the group may adopt a different arrangement method from other machines, for example, arranging the machines in order of closeness to the entrance / exit 28 of the game facility in order of outs. This special arrangement 3 is determined in consideration of the fact that there are players who do not want to get too close to machines played by players of different age groups.

[0054] Next, special arrangement 4 will be described. Special arrangement 4 is a process for setting excluded models to be excluded from rearrangement targets in order to save the labor involved in rearrangement by simply rearranging models that are not very effective, and for preventing the arrangement of the excluded models from being changed before and after the rearrangement of other models. For the excluded models, exclusion conditions can be set, such as, for example, the out does not reach the reference value even if specified and the model does not fall into the neighborhood shown in FIG. 5, and the models that satisfy the exclusion conditions can be specified as excluded models.

[0055] Figure 8 shows the result of arranging the machines according to the procedure explained in Figure 7 and the flow chart described later. For convenience of explanation, Figure 8 only covers pachinko machines such as "P~" and excludes the rearrangement of slot machines such as "S~".

[0056] In FIG. 8, three red (white in the figure) arrows (PJ→PM, PJ→PB, PJ→PQ) starting from the machine type "PJ" and two blue (black in the figure) arrows (PJ→PG, PJ→PD) are shown, and these arrows (identification information) indicate the migration route from "PJ" that is the origin of the migration to the machine type (the migration partner gaming machine) that is the migration origin when "PJ" that is the origin of the arrow is selected. The migration destination machine is, for example, a machine type with a high migration rate (for example, the top 5 machines), and among them, the machine type with the highest influence (for example, the top 3 machines) is indicated by a red arrow, and the machine type with the lowest influence (the bottom 2 machines) is indicated by a blue arrow. In other words, a distinction process is performed to distinguish the migration partner gaming machine according to the result of comparing the ranking with the reference information such as the top 3 or top 5, and the identification mode is changed to a red arrow or a blue arrow.

[0057] The thickness of the arrow (distinguishing aspect) indicates the degree of influence; for example, PJ → PM, which has the highest migration rate, is shown with the thickest arrow, and PJ → PD, which has the fifth highest migration rate, is shown with the thinnest arrow. The length of the arrow allows the player to grasp the sense of distance when migrating, and in the case of migration across game islands 26, such as PG, for example, the arrow is shown to detour around the intermediate game islands 26. In other words, the ranking itself (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) is used as reference information, and a distinction process is performed according to the ranking to change the distinguishing aspect, such as the thickness of the arrow.

[0058] The model selected with the mouse can be rearranged by dragging or dropping it. For example, if a PJ is rearranged to a PP, if the number of PP and PJ is the same, they will be swapped as is, but if the number of PJs differs, you can choose to reduce the number of the model with more units, adjust the number by selecting a model adjacent to the model with fewer units, or slide the model into place.

[0059] For example, if the number of PPs is large and the number of PPs is reduced, which gaming machine is to be left and replaced with PJ is selected, whereas if the PPs are not to be reduced, which of the models on either side of the PP is to be rearranged is selected. Of course, the selection is not limited to such an operation input, and conditions such as giving priority to the machine with the smaller machine number to be left or rearranged may be set in advance, and the models and gaming machines to be rearranged may be specified according to the conditions. In addition, when sliding the models, for example, whether to slide clockwise or counterclockwise is selected, and when sliding counterclockwise, for example, the PB next to the PJ is slid to the PJ side, and the PQ is slid to the PB side (crossing the island) to secure the remaining number of machines. In this way, it is possible to rearrange the models on the layout display as shown in FIG. 8, and in this case, even after the replacement, the arrow display is performed in conjunction with the PJ in the same manner as above.

[0060] Furthermore, models such as PPs that have been rearranged due to rearrangement of PJs will also be subject to changes in the arrow display in the same way as PJs, but it is desirable to display them differently from the arrow display for PJs, such as by dimming the arrow display color or by switching the display. Of course, if other models such as PPs or PMs are selected in the same way as PJs, they will be subject to the same arrow display as above.

[0061] In addition, in the above, the ranking of the migration rate is illustrated by the color and thickness of the arrow (multiple distinguishing modes), but while the ranking is displayed only by color, such as the color according to the ranking of the migration rate shown in Figure 3, the color and thickness may be used differently based on different information (different information related to the migration information), such as adjusting the thickness of the arrow according to the migration rate. Of course, other display methods such as the shading of the display color other than the color and thickness may also be adopted. Furthermore, although the ranking is illustrated as the reference information, the distinction process may be performed by setting reference information other than the ranking, such as a reference value for the migration rate of 3.0%.

[0062] In order to show the sense of the travel distance of the player by the length of the arrow, an arrow display that bypasses the game island 26 when crossing the game island 26 is shown as an example, but a simple straight line display may also be used. Furthermore, even if an arrow display is not used, the origin and destination of the travel may be displayed in association with each other, and any display method may be used as long as it shows the sense of the travel distance.

[0063] While the above example shows the use of Figure 8 for the purpose of fine-tuning the arrangement after the automatic arrangement described above is completed, Figure 8 may also be employed, for example, when performing special arrangement 1, or when simulating conventional rearrangement regardless of automatic arrangement, or may be displayed when displaying a layout regardless of rearrangement.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 1, the management device 5 installed in the gaming center is connected to a management server 9 via a public line 8, and the data shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 7 collected by the management device 5 is also managed by the management server 9. The management server 9 is also connected to management devices 5 installed in other gaming centers, such as gaming center B and gaming center C, and such gaming information may be managed on a national level, but it may also be information on limited other stores, such as stores in a chain, or it may include information on the store itself if information on other stores is included.

[0065] The management server 9 compiles gaming information for each gaming facility, and ranks the gaming facilities (e.g., high, medium, low) based on gaming information such as outs and gross profits contained therein, and manages the gaming information by classifying it according to that rank, making it possible to distribute the gaming information to the management device 5 of each gaming facility. In FIG. 8, arrows are used to display the rate of customer movement in the store, but arrows may be used to display information distributed from the management server 9.

[0066] In this case, it is desirable to alternate between the display of the migration rate at the facility itself (first migration information) and the migration rate delivered from the management server 9 (second migration information), but they may also be displayed simultaneously by, for example, displaying two arrows (first identification information, second identification information) (first distinction process, second distinction process). Also, it is desirable to display the migration rate at a rank higher than the rank corresponding to the gaming facility among the ranked gaming information, but it is also possible to display the migration rate at a specified rank. Of course, it is also possible to simultaneously display, for example, the migration rates between high, medium, and low ranks and the facility itself by displaying multiple arrows.

[0067] Fig. 9 shows an example in which an arrow display (second identification information) corresponding to the same rank as the store's own, which is managed by the management server 9, is superimposed on the arrow display (first identification information) in Fig. 8. In Fig. 9, the arrow display corresponding to the migration rate in the management server 9 is shown in green (diagonal lines in the figure), the thickness of the arrow is changed depending on the level of the migration rate, and the thickness of each arrow corresponding to the store's own and the management server 9 is compared and the thinner one is displayed preferentially, but it is of course also possible to display them side by side, and any display method such as switching display or overlapping display may be adopted as long as comparison is possible.

[0068] In Figure 9, as in Figure 8, the thickness of the arrow is adjusted for the store itself according to its ranking, but the thickness may also be adjusted according to the rate of visitation, as with the rate of visitation in the management server 9, and any of the display methods exemplified may be adopted, and the same display method may be used for the store itself and the management server 9, or different display methods may be used. Although it has been shown that the gaming information is classified by ranking, it is also possible to classify the gaming information by, for example, whether it is in front of a station or in the suburbs, or by the population of the city or town to which the address belongs, and display the information in the same manner as the above ranking.

[0069] Next, the operation of the management device 5 for carrying out the above-mentioned rearrangement process on the layout will be described with reference to FIGS. When the management device 5 starts the layout process, it first performs a special arrangement in which a specific model is arranged with priority as shown in Fig. 6 (S1). Next, it specifies the priority order of the remaining unarranged models in descending order of outages and operation rates as shown in Fig. 3, and specifies the top model as the model to be arranged next (S2).

[0070] Next, it is determined whether either the final order or other order of the placed model is higher (within the reference order (e.g., 5th place)) (S3, S4, S7), and if neither is higher (S3: NO, S7: NO), in other words, if the model is unlikely to be left at the store or to be replaced by another model, it is determined whether it can be placed nearby (within 4th place as shown in FIG. 4) a model that is already placed and has a high migration rate to the placed model (reference order (e.g., 3rd place)) (S11), and if possible (S11: YES), it is placed in the highest possible location nearby (S12).

[0071] On the other hand, if the model with the highest circulation rate is not placed or cannot be placed nearby (other models have already been placed) (S11: NO), then if it is possible to place it in the priority designated location described in Figure 5 (S13: YES), it will be placed in the priority designated location (S15); if it is not possible to place it (S13: NO), it will be placed in the nearest location (S14).

[0072] In addition, if the final order is not high (S3: NO) but the other orders are high (S7: YES), in other words, the possibility of leaving the store is low but the possibility of migration to other types is high, since it is possible to predict the movement of customers to other types, if it is possible to place it near the other types (S8: YES), it will be placed near the highest priority of the other types (S9); if it is not possible to place it there (S8: NO), it will be placed nearest to that (S10).

[0073] Similarly, if the final order is high (S3: YES) but the other orders are not high (S4: NO), in other words, if the possibility of leaving the store is high but the possibility of wandering to other types of items is low, it is possible to imagine a movement pattern in which the customer will stop by counter 27 before leaving the store, so if it is possible to place the customer near counter 27 (S5: YES), then the customer is placed near counter 27 (S18); if not possible (S5: NO), the customer is placed as close to that as possible (S6).

[0074] If both the final order and the other orders are higher (S3: YES, S4: YES), in other words, if there is a high possibility of the customer leaving the store or moving to other types of items, both a movement route of stopping by counter 27 and then leaving the store and a movement route of moving to other types of items can be expected, so if it is possible to place the counter near counter 27 and the other types of items (S16: YES, S17: YES), it is placed near counter 27 and the other types of items (S21); if not possible (S17: NO), it is placed near counter 27 (S18). If it is not possible to place it near the counter 27 (S16: NO), and if it is possible to place it near the other type (S19: YES), it is placed near the other type (S9); if it is not possible to place it (S19: NO), it is placed closest to the other type and the counter 27 (S20).

[0075] When the arrangement of the placed models is completed in this manner (when placing gaming machines near a specific location), it is determined whether there is a remaining model that can be placed near the placed model (S22) and has a high rotation rate among the placed models (a gaming machine whose rotation information satisfies a predetermined condition) (S24). If either condition is not met (S22: NO or S24: NO), the process returns to step S2 (S23: YES) and the upper operation is repeated until there are no remaining models (S23: NO).

[0076] If both conditions are met (S22: YES, S24: YES), the model with the highest migration rate is selected as the remaining model (S25), and the final order and other orders of the remaining model are determined in the same manner as in steps S3, S4, and S7 above (S26, S27, S29). If both are high, meaning there is a high possibility of customers leaving the store or migrating to other types of machines (S26: YES, S27: YES), it is placed on the counter 27 side near the placed model and other types of machines (S28); if the final order is high but the other orders are not high (S26: YES, S27: NO), it is placed on the counter 27 side near the placed model (S32). In addition, if the final order of the remaining model is not high but the other models are high (S26: NO, S29: YES), it is placed on the other model side in the vicinity of the placed model (S30); if neither is high (S26: NO, S29: NO), it is placed in the vicinity of the placed model regardless (S31).

[0077] In other words, the remaining model is placed near the placed model, but if possible, the final order and other orders of the remaining model are also taken into consideration, and priority is given to placing the remaining model near the placed model with a higher priority than considering the final order and other orders of the remaining model. In this way, the above is repeated starting from the model with the highest migration rate until there are no more models that satisfy the conditions of the remaining model (S22: YES, S24: YES), and if the conditions of the remaining model are no longer satisfied (S22: NO or S24: NO), the process returns to step S2 (S23: NO) and proceeds as described above until there are no more remaining models (S23: YES).

[0078] In the above, after the special arrangement is implemented, the model with a high turnover rate among the models arranged in the special arrangement is not arranged as in step S22 onwards, but arranged in the final order or other order of the arranged models, but the model arranged in the special arrangement may be arranged as the arranged model as in step S22 onwards. Also, since there are special arrangements such as special arrangement 2, which is highly influenced by the turnover rate, and special arrangement 3 and special arrangement 4, which do not require much consideration of the turnover rate, the processing in step S22 onwards may be selectively carried out.

[0079] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. The management device 5 identifies the migration rate between gaming machines and displays an arrow indicating the migration destination according to the information relating to the migration rate on a layout simulating the gaming island 26, so that the importance according to the migration rate and the migration distance for the player can be easily grasped by the identification and length of the arrow.

[0080] The arrangement of the gaming machines on the layout can be changed, and the displayed contents of the arrows are updated in conjunction with the change, making it easy to grasp how the change in arrangement affects the movement of players.

[0081] When the rearrangement is changed as described above, the rearranged gaming machine is also displayed with an arrow indicating the destination according to the player's rotation rate, so that the rearrangement of the rearranged gaming machine can be performed while taking into consideration the player's rotation.

[0082] When an arrow indicates a destination across the game island 26, the destination is indicated by bypassing the game island 26, so that it is possible to rearrange the game machines after grasping the distance traveled by the player when he or she actually travels around.

[0083] The arrows can be identified by at least two of the following: color, thickness, and darkness, and each is identified based on different information related to the rate of player movement. This makes it possible to grasp the distance played by a player and then rearrange the gaming machines based on various information related to the rate of player movement.

[0084] The system manages the traffic rate including other stores, and arrows can be displayed corresponding to information regarding both the traffic rate including other stores and the traffic rate of the user's own store, and the two are displayed for comparison. Therefore, when the data for only the user's own store is not reliable, the layout can be referenced by referring to the traffic rate for other stores. In this case, if the traffic rates of other stores ranked higher than the user's own store are displayed, the layout can be referenced by referring to the traffic rate of the stronger arcade.

[0085] The rotation rate between gaming machines is identified, and the gaming machines are arranged on a layout simulating a gaming island 26 so that machines with high rotation rates are adjacent to each other. For example, when a game is finished, machines that are likely to be played next are arranged nearby, reducing the risk of customers simply leaving the store and making it possible to suppress a decline in operation.

[0086] When placing a machine near a model with a high turnover rate, a priority is set for the rear and adjacent machines of the gaming machine, and the machine with the highest priority is placed first. For example, by placing a gaming machine with a high turnover rate at the rear, where it is easy to check the progress of a game while playing, it becomes possible to operate the machine in a way that encourages players to turn around from during play to after the game ends.

[0087] Priorities (arrangement order) are set based on outs (operation information, reference information showing the operating status of gaming machines) and introduction periods, such as whether or not a machine is new (introduction information, reference information showing the time of introduction of gaming machines), and the like, and gaming machines are arranged according to the priorities. This increases the priority of models that are important to the gaming facility, and allows the more important models to be arranged with higher priority, making it possible to arrange machines in accordance with the practical benefits of the gaming facility.

[0088] Based on information indicating a tendency to move to a specific location during or after a game, gaming machines are arranged near the specific location, making it possible to arrange the machines according to the movement of players and improving convenience for players. When gaming machines are arranged as described above, models of gaming machines with higher turnover rates are arranged nearby, making it possible to arrange the machines in a manner that further enhances convenience for players.

[0089] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified or expanded as follows, or each modified example may be combined with the above-described embodiment, or each modified example may be combined. Each set value may be set by an administrator through operation input, may be set in advance by the manufacturer of the management device 5, or may be set by downloading setting information from an external server (such as the headquarters of a chain store). In this case, the set value is also input through operation input at the server. Of course, past game information may be set as a reference value.

[0090] All of the game information exemplified above may be specified directly by the input signal or indirectly by using an arithmetic expression. In addition, although a pulse signal is exemplified as the game signal, a signal input by serial communication or the like may also be used. Although the above embodiment exemplifies the management of the placement and turnover rate of gaming machines on a machine-by-machine basis, the placement and turnover rate may be managed on a machine-by-machine basis.

[0091] In the example shown above, when placing machines with high migration rates nearby, the migration rate from the origin to the destination (for example, the migration rate when viewed horizontally in FIG. 3) is used, but the migration rate from the destination to the origin (the migration rate when viewed vertically in FIG. 3) or a migration rate determined by the existence of migration regardless of the origin or destination (a mixture of the above) may also be used. In other words, either the destination or origin may be used as the migration partner gaming machine. The priority order set for the target machine in the vicinity thereof has been exemplified by prioritizing placement of out-of-service or high operating rates or new machines such as special placement 1, but placement may also be in the order of introduction period.

[0092] The numerical values, digits, items, etc. are merely examples, and any numerical values ​​may be used. In addition, the identification output may be in any output form, such as adding symbols other than those shown in the examples, and at least printing and display output are assumed as the output. Either "above" or "exceeds" can be used, with expressions such as "reached" corresponding to either "above" or "exceeded." The same is true for "below" and "below," with expressions such as "did not reach" corresponding to both.

[0093] As the target gaming machine, a pachinko gaming machine other than the exemplified pachinko gaming machine, such as a so-called sealed type that manages the gaming medium only by data, and a slot machine, etc. can be adopted. Note that, in consideration of a gaming machine that does not pay out the gaming medium, such as a so-called sealed type, the gaming medium is expressed as a gaming value as necessary. Part of the processing performed by the management device 5 may be performed by a relay device, a game device 2, or the like, and any other configuration may be used. Furthermore, the configurations shown as examples may be combined in any manner, including modified examples, and configurations that are not adopted as appropriate may be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] In the drawing, 1 is a gaming machine, and 5 is a management device (management means, setting means, distinction means, display means, change means).

Claims

1. A management means for associating migration information indicating a frequency of movement of a player between gaming machines with the gaming machines and managing the information by a migration partner gaming machine which is at least one of a destination gaming machine and a source gaming machine; A setting means for setting reference information for distinguishing the counterpart gaming machine from the migration information; A distinguishing means for performing a distinguishing process for distinguishing the counterpart gaming machines by comparing the migration information classified by the counterpart gaming machines with the reference information; a display means for displaying a route between a target gaming machine and a counterpart gaming machine on a layout simulating a gaming island, and displaying identification information whose identification mode can be changed according to a result of the discrimination process; and a change means for changing the arrangement of the gaming machines on the layout in response to an operation by an administrator, the change means is capable of selecting any one of the gaming machines displayed on the layout on which the identification information is displayed by the display means, and changes the arrangement of the gaming machines in response to an operation on the selected gaming machine; The display means is a system for an amusement park that updates the identification information in accordance with the rearrangement of a gaming machine when the arrangement of the gaming machines is changed in response to an operation on the gaming machine displayed on the layout on which the identification information is displayed by the change means.

2. The system for an amusement park as described in Claim 1, wherein the display means displays the identification information for the gaming machine that is to be rearranged when the arrangement of the gaming machine is changed by the change means.

3. 3. The gaming parlor system according to claim 1, wherein the display means, when a route between a target gaming machine and a companion gaming machine crosses a gaming island, displays the identification information by bypassing the gaming island.

4. The identification information is identifiable by at least a plurality of identification modes, 4. The amusement park system according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the identification information based on a plurality of pieces of information relating to the wandering information, each of which has a different content.

5. The management means manages first shopping information targeted at the store and second shopping information targeted at at least other stores, The distinguishing means enables a first distinguishing process for distinguishing a counterpart gaming machine based on the first play information and a second distinguishing process for distinguishing a counterpart gaming machine based on the second play information; 5. The amusement arcade system according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the first identification information corresponding to the first distinction process and the second identification information corresponding to the second distinction process in a comparative manner.

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