Game server, game machine, game control server, and game control method

Abstract

The cumulative credit consumptions of game machines are controlled per player. When the cumulative credit consumption of a player reaches an upper limit, a return is executed to the player based on a predetermined return rate. In addition, the return rate can be changed to produce high game characteristics. Therefore, the player can perform a game without anxiety, while enjoying amusement of the game. At the result, the problem of missing customers can be eliminated.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A game server for collectively controlling a game machine group comprising a plurality of game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on coin throwing or a given credit number and are given payout according to a result of said game, said game server including: 
 return means that judges, based on information of credit consumption on a game machine where a player performs a game, cumulative credit consumption of said player and, when a judgment result is that said cumulative credit consumption reaches a predetermined upper limit, executes a return based on a predetermined return rate or based on a result of lottery for determining whether the return is to be executed; and    a first sending means for sending said game machine a signal that changes the return rate value of said game machine of said game machine group depending on return rate values of other game machines.    
     
     
         2 . The game server according to  claim 1  further including: 
 receiving means for receiving game information about game situations in each game machine of said game machine group; and  
 a second sending means for sending, based on contents of said game information, a signal for displaying the value of said predetermined return rate on a display part of said each game machine.  
 
     
     
         3 . The game server according to  claim 1  further including: 
 a third sending means for sending said game machine a control signal for keeping constant an average return rate value of said game machine group, under predetermined conditions.  
 
     
     
         4 . The game server according to  claim 3  wherein 
 said predetermined conditions are based on either predetermined period of time or predetermined number of processes, each of the processes comprising processing that after a first game machine of said game machine group reaches said predetermined upper limit, a cumulative credit consumption on any one game machine of said game machine group that includes said first game machine reaches said predetermined upper limit.  
 
     
     
         5 . A game machine that is one of a plurality of game machines forming a game machine group under a collective control of a game server, which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on coin throwing or a given credit number and are given payout according to a result of said game, said game machine including: 
 return means that executes a return, when cumulative credit consumption reaches a predetermined upper limit, based on a predetermined return rate or based on a result of lottery for determining whether the return is to be executed; and    change means that receives a signal sent from said game server and changes the return rate value of said game machine of said game machine group, depending on return rates of other game machines of said game machine group.    
     
     
         6 . The game machine according to  claim 5  further including: 
 sending means for sending game information about game situations; and  
 display means that receives a signal sent from said game server and displays the value of said predetermined return rate on a display part, based on contents of said game information.  
 
     
     
         7 . The game machine according to  claim 5  wherein 
 said change means changes the return rate value while keeping an average value of the return rates, under predetermined conditions.  
 
     
     
         8 . The game machine according to  claim 7  wherein 
 said predetermined conditions are based on either predetermined period of time or predetermined number of processes, each of the processes comprising processing that after a first game machine of said game machine group reaches said predetermined upper limit, a cumulative credit consumption on any one game machine of said game machine group that includes said first game machine reaches said predetermined upper limit.  
 
     
     
         9 . A game control method of collectively controlling a game machine group comprising a plurality of game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on coin throwing or a given credit number and which are given payout according to a result of said game, said game control method including: 
 a check step for checking cumulative credit consumptions on said plurality of game machines;    a return step of executing a return with a game machine, when it is determined that cumulative credit consumption of said game machine reaches a predetermined upper limit in the check step, based on a predetermined return rate or based on a result of lottery for determining whether the return is to be executed; and    a first sending step for sending said game machine a signal that changes the return rate value of said game machine of said game machine group depending on return rate values of other game machines.    
     
     
         10 . The game control method according to  claim 9  further including: 
 a receiving step for receiving game information about game situations of each game machine of said game machine group; and  
 a second sending step for sending a signal for displaying the value of said predetermined return rate on a display part of said each game machine.  
 
     
     
         11 . The game control method according to  claim 9  further including: 
 a third sending step for sending said game machine a control signal for keeping constant an average return rate value of said game machine group, under predetermined conditions.  
 
     
     
         12 . The game control method according to  claim 11  wherein 
 said predetermined conditions are based on either predetermined period of time or predetermined number of processes, each of the processes comprising processing that after a first game machine of said game machine group reaches said predetermined upper limit, a cumulative credit consumption on any one game machine of said game machine group that includes said first game machine reaches said predetermined upper limit.  
 
     
     
         13 . A game control server for collectively controlling a collection of a plurality of game machine groups, each group comprising a plurality of game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on coin throwing or a given credit number and are given payout according to a result of said game, said game control server including: 
 return means that judges, based on information of credit consumption on a game machine where a player performs a game, cumulative credit consumption of said player and, when a judgment result is that said cumulative credit consumption reaches a predetermined upper limit, executes a return based on a predetermined return rate or based on a result of lottery for determining whether the return is to be executed; and    a first sending means for sending a signal that changes an average return rate value of one game machine group in said collection of game machine groups depending on average return rate values of other game machine groups.    
     
     
         14 . The game control server according to  claim 13  further including: 
 receiving means for receiving game information about game situations of each game machine of any one of said game machine groups; and  
 a second sending means for sending a signal for displaying the value of said predetermined return rate on a display part of said each game machine.  
 
     
     
         15 . The game control server according to  claim 13  further including: 
 a third sending means for sending any one game machine of said one game machine group a control signal for keeping constant an average of the average return rate values of said game machine groups, under predetermined conditions.  
 
     
     
         16 . The game control server according to  claim 15  wherein 
 said predetermined conditions are based on either predetermined period of time or predetermined number of processes, each of the processes comprising processing that after a first game machine of said game machine groups reaches said predetermined upper limit, a cumulative credit consumption on any one game machine of said game machine groups that include said first game machine reaches said predetermined upper limit.  
 
     
     
         17 . A game control method of collectively controlling a collection of a plurality of game machine groups, each machine group comprising a plurality of game machines which are brought into a status enabling to start a game based on coin throwing or a given credit number and which are given payout according to a result of said game, said game control method including: 
 a check step for checking cumulative credit consumptions on said plurality of game machines;    a return step for executing a return, when a result of said check step is that a game machine reaches a predetermined upper limit, based on a predetermined return rate or based on a result of lottery for determining whether the return is to be executed; and    a first sending step for sending one game machine group a signal that changes an average return rate value of said one game machine group in said collection of game machine groups depending on average return rate values of other game machine groups.    
     
     
         18 . The game control method according to  claim 17  further including: 
 a receiving step for receiving game information about game situations of each game machine of said one game machine group; and  
 a second sending step for sending a signal for displaying a value of said predetermined return rate on a display part of said each game machine.  
 
     
     
         19 . The game control method according to  claim 17  further including: 
 a third sending step for sending said one game machine group a control signal for keeping constant an average of the average return rate values of said game machine groups, under predetermined conditions.  
 
     
     
         20 . The game control method according to  claim 19  wherein 
 said predetermined conditions are based on either predetermined period of time or predetermined number of processes, each of the processes comprising processing that after a first game machine in said collection of game machine groups reaches said predetermined upper limit, a cumulative credit consumption on any one game machine in said collection of game machine groups that include said first game machine reaches said predetermined upper limit.