Game machine, slot machine, and game program

Abstract

The present invention provides a game machine, slot machine, and game program in which, if a game state is for a normal game, an evaluation is made to determine if at least one bonus symbol will be statically displayed or is statically displayed in a display module so that a condition needed for starting a bonus game is met. If the condition is met, a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as payout in the bonus game is displayed before the bonus game is started. The game machine of the present invention increases a player's curiosity by displaying a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as a payout for a bonus game before starting the bonus game.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A game machine comprising: 
 a display module that, at a start of a game comprising a normal game and a bonus game having a high probability of being advantageous to a player, provides a changing display of symbols initially in a static state in a plurality of display regions, said symbols being capable of changing continuously to other symbols in said changing display;    said display module providing a static display stopping said symbols in said changing display and statically displaying said symbols in said display regions, said symbols that are displayed statically optionally comprising at least one bonus symbol when said game is in said normal game;    an evaluation module that determines, when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one statically displayed bonus symbol meets a condition for starting said bonus game;    wherein when said condition is met, said display module displays a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as payout for said bonus game before said bonus game starts.    
     
     
         2 . The game machine, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a value range.  
     
     
         3 . The game machine, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a plurality of independent values.  
     
     
         4 . The game machine, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is defined as a value expressed using one of an addition and a multiplication operator.  
     
     
         5 . The game machine, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said display module displays said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player in said display region that is displaying said statically displayed bonus symbol.  
     
     
         6 . The game machine, as described in  claim 5 , wherein said possible payout value displayed along with said statically displayed bonus symbol is changed corresponding to a number of bets made by the player.  
     
     
         7 . A slot machine for performing a game comprising a normal game and a bonus game having a high probability of being advantageous to a player, said slot machine comprising: 
 a display module that, at a start of said game, provides a changing display of symbols initially in a static state in a plurality of display regions, said symbols being capable of changing continuously to other symbols in said changing display;    said display module providing a static display stopping said symbols in said changing display and statically displaying said symbols in said display regions, said symbols that are displayed statically optionally comprising at least one bonus symbol when said game is in said normal game;    an evaluation module that determines, when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one said statically displayed bonus symbol meets a condition for starting said bonus game;    wherein when said condition is met, said display module displays a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as payout for said bonus game before said bonus game starts;    said display module displays said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player and also displays said bonus symbol in said display region that displayed said statically displayed bonus symbol; and    said possible payout value displayed along with said statically displayed bonus symbol corresponds to a number of win lines selected ahead of time by the player.    
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for providing a game, said method comprising the steps of: 
 displaying a symbol in a static state in each of a plurality of display regions in a display module;    providing, at a start of said game comprising a normal game and a bonus game having a high probability of being advantageous to a player, a changing display of said symbols that were in said static state in said display regions, said symbols changing continuously to various symbols in said changing display;    providing a static display stopping said symbols in said changing display state and statically displaying said symbols in said display regions, said statically displayed symbols optionally comprising at least one statically displayed bonus symbol when said game is in said normal game;    evaluating, when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one statically displayed bonus symbol meets a condition for starting said bonus game;    calculating a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as payout for said bonus game before said bonus game starts when said condition is met as a result of said evaluation; and    displaying results of said calculation on said display module before said bonus game begins.    
     
     
         9 . The game machine, as described in  claim 1 , wherein said evaluation module determines, while said symbols are in said changing display and when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one statically displayed bonus symbol meets said condition.  
     
     
         10 . The game machine, as described in  claim 9 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a value range.  
     
     
         11 . The game machine, as described in  claim 9 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a plurality of independent values.  
     
     
         12 . The game machine, as described in  claim 9 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is defined as a value expressed using one of an addition and a multiplication operator.  
     
     
         13 . The game machine, as described in  claim 9 , wherein said display module displays said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player in said display region that is displaying said statically displayed bonus symbol.  
     
     
         14 . The game machine, as described in  claim 13 , wherein said possible payout value displayed along with said statically displayed bonus symbol is changed corresponding to a number of bets made by the player.  
     
     
         15 . The slot machine, as described in  claim 7 , wherein said evaluation module of said game machine determines, while said symbols are in said changing display and when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one statically displayed bonus symbol meets said condition.  
     
     
         16 . The method, as described in  claim 8 , wherein said evaluation step occurs while said symbols are in said changing display.  
     
     
         17 . A method for providing a game, said method comprising the steps of: 
 displaying symbols in a static state in a plurality of display regions;    continuously changing said symbols that were in a static state to various symbols at a start of said game comprising a normal game and a bonus game having a high probability of being advantageous to a player;    displaying a changing display of said changing symbols in said display regions;    stopping said symbols in said changing display;    displaying a static display statically displaying said symbols in said display regions, said statically displayed symbols optionally comprising at least one statically displayed bonus symbol when said game is in said normal game;    determining, when said game is in said normal game, whether said at least one statically displayed bonus symbol meets a condition for starting said bonus game; and    displaying, when said condition is met, a possible payout value that can be awarded to the player as payout for said bonus game before said bonus game starts.    
     
     
         18 . The method, as described in  claim 17 , wherein said determining step occurs while said symbols are in said changing display.  
     
     
         19 . The method, as described in  claim 17 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a value range.  
     
     
         20 . The method, as described in  claim 18 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a Value range.  
     
     
         21 . The method, as described in  claim 17 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a plurality of independent values.  
     
     
         22 . The method, as described in  claim 18 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is identified as a plurality of independent values.  
     
     
         23 . The method, as described in  claim 17 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is defined as a value expressed using one of an addition and a multiplication operator.  
     
     
         24 . The method, as described in  claim 18 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is defined as a value expressed using one of an addition and a multiplication operator.  
     
     
         25 . The method, as described in  claim 17 , wherein said possible payout value to be awarded to the player is displayed in said display region that is displaying said statically displayed bonus symbol.  
     
     
         26 . The method, as described in  claim 18 , wherein said possible payout value that can be awarded to the player is displayed in said display region that is displaying said statically displayed bonus symbol.  
     
     
         27 . The method, as described in  claim 25 , further comprising the step of changing said possible payout value displayed along with said statically displayed bonus symbol corresponding to a number of bets made by the player.  
     
     
         28 . The method, as described in  claim 26 , further comprising the step of changing said possible payout value displayed along with said statically displayed bonus symbol corresponding to a number of bets made by the player.