Game system, and jackpot drawing apparatus and participation processing apparatus constituting the game system

Abstract

In order that a game apparatus is made to participate in a jackpot drawing that responds to a request made by a manager or the like, who manage the game apparatus, the present game system includes a participation processing apparatus for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus can be regarded as the drawing target, from among two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation application condition, and at the same time, for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus is not regarded as the drawing target, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation decline condition. When accepting the participation application request transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses store, as a jackpot drawing process target, identification information of a game apparatus relating to the participation application request, in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus; when accepting a participation decline request transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, excludes the identification information of the game apparatus relating to the participation decline request from the jackpot drawing process target; and regards a game apparatus played by a player as a drawing target, out of the game apparatuses corresponding to the identification information stored, as the jackpot drawing process target, in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus. In this way, a jackpot drawing process in which whether the game apparatus that is the drawing target wins the jackpot award or does not win the jackpot award is determined is carried out.

1 . A game system comprising:
 two or more game apparatuses, each of which is provided with a game-progress control unit for performing game progress control; and   a jackpot drawing apparatus for executing a jackpot drawing in which at least one of the two or more game apparatuses is a drawing target,   wherein   the game system includes two or more of the jackpot drawing apparatuses,   the game system includes a participation processing apparatus having:
 a participation-application processing unit for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus can be regarded as the drawing target, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation application condition, and for transmitting a participation application request to the selected jackpot drawing apparatus; and 
 a participation decline processing unit for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus is not regarded as the drawing target, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation decline condition, and transmitting a participation decline request to the selected jackpot drawing apparatus, and 
   each of the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses includes:
 a drawing target storage unit for storing identification information of the game apparatus that can be regarded as a drawing target for the jackpot drawing of each jackpot drawing apparatus; 
 an application-accept processing unit for performing, when accepting the participation application request transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, an application-accepting process for storing the identification information of the game apparatus relating to the participation application request, as a jackpot drawing process target, in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus; 
 a decline-accept processing unit for performing, when accepting a participation decline request transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, a decline accepting process for excluding the identification information of the game apparatus relating to the participation decline request from the jackpot drawing process target; 
 a drawing unit for carrying out a jackpot drawing process in which out of the game apparatuses corresponding to the identification information stored as the jackpot drawing process target in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus, each game apparatus played by a player is regarded as a drawing target, and whether the game apparatus that is the drawing target wins a jackpot award or does not win the jackpot award is determined; 
 a payout amount storage unit for storing payout amount data indicating an amount including a payout target amount to be paid out to the player who plays by using a winning game apparatus when the drawing unit determines the winning of the jackpot award; 
 a payout processing unit for performing a payout process for paying out to the player who plays by using the winning game apparatus, a payout target of at least a part of an amount that is indicated by the payout amount data obtained by reading out the payout amount data from the payout amount storage unit, when the drawing unit determines winning of the jackpot award; and 
 a payout amount increasing unit for cumulatively increasing, when satisfying a predetermined payout amount increasing condition, the amount indicated by the payout amount data stored in the payout amount storage unit. 
   
     
     
         2 . The game system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the participation processing apparatus includes an operation accepting unit for accepting a participation application operation and a participation decline operation about each game apparatus,   the participation application processing unit of the participation processing apparatus regards the operation accepting unit accepting the participation application operation as the predetermined participation application condition, and each time the participation application operation is accepted, selects one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, for executing a jackpot drawing that can regard a game apparatus relating to the participation application operation as the drawing target, and   the participation decline processing unit of the participation processing apparatus regards the operation accepting unit receiving the participation decline operation as the predetermined participation decline condition, and each time the participation decline operation is accepted, selects one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, for executing a jackpot drawing that does not regard a game apparatus relating to the participation decline operation as the drawing target.   
     
     
         3 . The game system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses include at least: one or more participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing that regards, as the drawing target, a game apparatus belonging to a specific group configured by one or at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that satisfy a specific condition; and a total jackpot drawing apparatus for executing a jackpot drawing that can regard all of the two or more game apparatuses as the drawing target, and   the application-accept processing unit of the participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus performs, when receiving a participation application request about the game apparatus belonging to the specific group, the request being transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, the application-accepting process so that the identification information of the game apparatus is stored in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The game system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses include at least: one or more participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing that regards, as the drawing target, a game apparatus belonging to a specific group configured by one or at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that satisfy a specific condition; and a total jackpot drawing apparatus for executing a jackpot drawing that can regard all of the two or more game apparatuses as the drawing target, and   the application-accept processing unit of the participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus performs, when receiving a participation application request about the game apparatus belonging to the specific group, the request being transmitted from the participation processing apparatus, the application-accepting process so that the identification information of the game apparatus is stored in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The game system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are placed in two or more game facilities, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an intra-facility group configured by one or at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in a single game facility, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard the game apparatuses belonging to the intra-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         6 . The game system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are placed in two or more game facilities, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an intra-facility group configured by one or at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in a single game facility, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard the game apparatuses belonging to the intra-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         7 . The game system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are token-operated game machines, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an inter-facility group configured by at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in predetermined two or more game facilities in which the difference in token unit price is within a predetermined range, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard a game apparatus belonging to the inter-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         8 . The game system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are token-operated game machines, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an inter-facility group configured by at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in predetermined two or more game facilities in which the difference in token unit price is within a predetermined range, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard a game apparatus belonging to the inter-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         9 . The game system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are token-operated game machines, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an inter-facility group configured by at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in predetermined two or more game facilities in which the difference in token unit price is within a predetermined range, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard a game apparatus belonging to the inter-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         10 . The game system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are token-operated game machines, and   the at least one participation-limiting jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the specific group, an inter-facility group configured by at least two game apparatuses that are a part of the two or more game apparatuses and that are placed in predetermined two or more game facilities in which the difference in token unit price is within a predetermined range, and executes a jackpot drawing that can regard a game apparatus belonging to the inter-facility group as the drawing target.   
     
     
         11 . The game system according to any one of  claims 1  to  10 , wherein
 each jackpot drawing apparatus is connected to and capable of communicating with the two or more game apparatuses,   each of the two or more game apparatuses includes a payout amount increase information output unit for outputting payout amount increase information for increasing an amount indicated by the payout amount data when a predetermined information output condition is satisfied, and   the payout amount increasing unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus regards, as the predetermined payout amount increasing condition, reception of the payout amount increase information output from the game apparatus corresponding to the identification information stored in the drawing target storage unit of each jackpot drawing apparatus, and cumulatively increases an amount indicated by the payout amount data stored in the payout amount storage unit.   
     
     
         12 . The game system according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the two or more game apparatuses are token-operated game machines, and   a payout amount increase information output unit of the game apparatus is for outputting, as the payout amount increase information, token IN information relating to the number of tokens bet by a player.   
     
     
         13 . A jackpot drawing apparatus for executing a jackpot drawing that regards, as a drawing target, at least one game apparatus provided with a game-progress control unit for performing game progress control, the jackpot drawing apparatus, comprising:
 a drawing target storage unit for storing identification information of the game apparatus that can be regarded as a drawing target for the jackpot drawing;   an application-accept processing unit for performing, when accepting a participation application request, an application-accepting process for storing, as the jackpot drawing process target, the identification information of a game apparatus relating to the participation application request, in the drawing target storage unit;   a decline-accept processing unit for performing, when accepting a participation decline request, a decline accepting process for excluding the identification information of a game apparatus relating to the participation decline request from the jackpot drawing process target;   a drawing unit for carrying out a jackpot drawing process in which out of the game apparatuses corresponding to the identification information stored, as the jackpot drawing process target, in the drawing target storage unit, a game apparatus played by a player is regarded as a drawing target, and whether the game apparatus that is the drawing target wins the jackpot award or does not win the jackpot award is determined;   a payout amount storage unit for storing payout amount data indicating an amount including a payout target amount to be paid out to the player who plays by using a winning game apparatus when the drawing unit determines the winning of the jackpot award;   a payout processing unit for performing a payout process for paying out to the player who plays by using the game apparatus that has won a payout target of at least a part of an amount that is indicated by payout amount data obtained by reading out the payout amount data from the payout amount storage unit, when the drawing unit determines wining of the jackpot award; and   a payout amount increasing unit for cumulatively increasing, when a predetermined payout amount increasing condition is satisfied, the amount indicated by the payout amount data stored in the payout amount storage unit.   
     
     
         14 . A participation processing apparatus for selecting from among two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses each executing a jackpot drawing that regards, as a drawing target, at least one of two or more game apparatuses each including a game-progress control unit for performing game progress control, a jackpot drawing apparatus for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus participates, the participation processing apparatus, comprising:
 a participation-application processing unit for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus can be regarded as the drawing target, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation application condition, and for transmitting a participation application request to the selected jackpot drawing apparatus; and   a participation decline processing unit for selecting, for each game apparatus, one or at least two jackpot drawing apparatuses for executing a jackpot drawing in which each game apparatus is not regarded as the drawing target, from among the two or more jackpot drawing apparatuses, according to a predetermined participation decline condition, and transmitting a participation decline request to the selected jackpot drawing apparatus.