Gaming machine, game control method and game system

Abstract

A gaming machine of the present invention includes: output means capable of outputting an image or a sound; winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination by a lottery; means for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination; means for, when the number of games accumulatively counted each time a game is played reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with the number of games and that is selected from plural candidate values determined stepwise in advance, generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to the set value is determined; and means for providing, when the number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than the set value, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by the predetermined value, by outputting an image or a sound with the output means.

1 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 output means capable of outputting an image or a sound;    winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination by a lottery;    means for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination;    means for, when the number of games accumulatively counted each time a game is played reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games, and that is selected from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance, generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to the set value is determined; and    means for providing, when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, by outputting an image or a sound with said output means.    
   
   
       2 . A gaming machine connected through a communication line to a control device which counts the number of games accumulatively for every gaming machine of plural gaming machines, comprising: 
 output means capable of outputting an image or a sound;    winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination by a lottery;    means for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination;    means for transmitting an identification information of a gaming machine to said control device through said communication line each time a game is played;    means for receiving a command signal transmitted from said control device when said number of games counted accumulatively by said control device based on said identification information of the gaming machine reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games, and that is selected from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance;    means for generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player, and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to said set value is determined, based on said command signal;    means for receiving a preliminary announcement command signal transmitted from said control device when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value; and    means for providing, based on said preliminary announcement command signal, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, by outputting an image or a sound with said output means.    
   
   
       3 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 output means capable of outputting an image or a sound;    winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination by a lottery;    means for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination;    means for counting accumulatively the number of games each time a game is played;    means for selecting a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance;    means for determining whether or not said number of games has reached said set value;    means for generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to said set value is determined, when said number of games is determined to have reached said set value; and    means for providing, when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, by outputting an image or a sound with said output means.    
   
   
       4 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein    said means for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated provides, when said number of games has reached a candidate set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than anyone of said plural candidate values, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value.    
   
   
       5 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining means for determining whether or not to provide a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated irrespective of whether or not the second special game state will be generated, wherein    when said determining means determines to provide a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated, said means for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated provides a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated.    
   
   
       6 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the means for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated provides a preliminary announcement without including information concerning the stage of the set value related to the preliminary announcement in the content of the preliminary announcement.    
   
   
       7 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein    the larger a set value said number of games reaches, said means for generating said second special game state generates a second special game state in which a larger degree of advantage is determined.    
   
   
       8 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein    reception means that can accept for one game an insertion of game media up to a predetermined upper limit value is provided, and said means for generating said second special game state generates a second special game state in a case where the number of inserted game media for the game played by the player is equal to said upper limit when said number of games reaches said set value.    
   
   
       9 . A gaming machine equipped with a processing device, a storage device and an image or sound output device, 
 wherein    said processing device executes:    a processing determining one winning combination selected from plural winning combinations determined in advance by executing a lottery program stored in said storage device;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination, and executing said program;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to the set value is determined when the number of games counted accumulatively each time a game is played reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games, and that is selected from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance, and executing said program; and    a processing reading from said storage device, when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value, preliminary announcement data for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data.    
   
   
       10 . A gaming machine equipped with a processing device, a storage device and an image or sound output device, and connected through a communication line to a control device which counts the number of games accumulatively for every gaming machine of plural gaming machines, 
 wherein    said processing device executes:    a processing determining one winning combination selected from plural winning combinations determined in advance by executing a lottery program stored in said storage device;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination, and executing said program;    a processing transmitting an identification information on a gaming machine stored in the storage device to said control device through said communication line each time a game is played;    a processing receiving a command signal transmitted from said control device when said number of games counted accumulatively by said control device based on said identification information on the gaming machine reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games and that is selected from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to said set value is determined based on said command signal, and executing said program;    a processing receiving a preliminary announcement command signal transmitted from said control device when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value; and    a processing reading from said storage device preliminary announcement data for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, based on said preliminary announcement command signal, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data.    
   
   
       11 . A gaming machine equipped with a processing device, a storage device and an image or sound output device, 
 wherein    said processing device executes:    a processing determining one winning combination selected from plural winning combinations determined in advance by executing a lottery program stored in said storage device;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination, and executing said program;    a processing counting the number of games accumulatively each time a game is played;    a processing selecting a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games from plural candidate values stepwise determined in advance;    a processing determining whether or not said number of games has reached said set value;    a processing reading from said storage device a program for generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and in which a degree of advantage corresponding to said set value is determined when said number of games is determined to have reached said set value, and executing said program; and    a processing reading from said storage device, when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than said set value, preliminary announcement data for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data.    
   
   
       12 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein    said processing device executes a processing reading from said storage device preliminary announcement data for providing, when said number of games has reached a candidate set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by a predetermined value than any one of said plural candidate values, a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by said predetermined value, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data.    
   
   
       13 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein    said processing device executes:    a processing reading from said storage device a program for determining whether or not to provide a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated irrespective of whether or not the second special game state will be generated, and executing said program; and    a processing reading from said storage device preliminary announcement data for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated when it is determined to provide a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data.    
   
   
       14 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein    said processing device executed a processing reading from said storage device preliminary announcement data for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated with said preliminary announcement data not having information concerning the stage of the set value related to the preliminary announcement, and outputting an image or a sound with said output device based on said preliminary announcement data    
   
   
       15 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein    the larger a set value said number of games reaches, said processing device executes a program for generating said second special game state in which a larger degree of advantage is determined.    
   
   
       16 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein    said processing device executes a program for generating said second special game state when said number of games reaches said set value in a case where the number of inserted game media for a game played by the player is the upper limit value of the number of game media to be inserted for one game.    
   
   
       17 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 means for giving a stepwise different profit to a player according to the number of games played by the player; and    means for providing a preliminary announcement to the player by an image or a sound different according to said number of games that said stepwise different profit is given according to said number of games played by the player until the stepwise different profit according to the number of games is given.    
   
   
       18 . A game control method comprising: 
 a step of giving a stepwise different profit to a player according to the number of games played by the player; and    a step of providing a preliminary announcement to the player by an image or a sound different according to said number of games that said stepwise different profit is given according to said number of games played by the player until the stepwise different profit according to the number of games is given.    
   
   
       19 . A game system equipped with a gaming machine and a control device, 
 wherein    said control device includes:    means for transmitting a signal to said gaming machine according to the number of games played in said gaming machine by a player, and    said gaming machine includes:    means for giving a stepwise different profit according to said number of games based on said signal received from said control device; and    means for providing a preliminary announcement to the player by an image or a sound different according to said number of games that said stepwise different profits is given according to said number of games until said stepwise different profit according to the number of games is given.    
   
   
       20 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 output means capable of outputting an image or a sound;    winning combination determination means for determining a winning combination by a lottery;    means for generating a first special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player when the determined winning combination is a special winning combination;    means for, when the number of games accumulatively counted each time a game is played reaches a set value that is an object of comparison with said number of games, generating a second special game state that is a game state advantageous to a player and that is the same type as or different type from the first special game state; and    means for providing a preliminary announcement that the second special game state will be generated after the player plays more games of the number indicated by a predetermined value by outputting an image or a sound with said output means when said number of games has reached a set value for preliminary announcement which is smaller by the predetermined value than said set value.