Network system of game apparatuses for business use and benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus constituting the same

Abstract

To give a player who plays a certain game apparatus less frequently an increased opportunity that the player plays selectively with the game apparatus. Provided is a benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus which, when a player corresponding to identification information received by an identification information receiving unit is decided to satisfy a predetermined benefit-imparting condition, outputs clear information in a state of being associated with the identification information on the player and also notifies the player of game apparatus designating information for designating a benefit-imparting game apparatus, and where the identification information is received after receipt of the clear information, a benefit-imparting process is performed for imparting the player a benefit according to the clear information associated with the same identification information as the received identification information. The benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus changes one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified based on a predetermined change condition.

1 . A network system of game apparatuses for business use comprising:
 a benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus including,   an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information on a player,   a decision unit for deciding whether the player corresponding to the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit satisfies a predetermined benefit-imparting condition,   a clear information output unit for outputting clear information indicating that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied, in a state of being associated with the identification information on the player who has satisfied the benefit-imparting condition, when the decision unit decides that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied, and   a notifying unit which notifies the player of game apparatus designating information for designating a benefit-imparting game apparatus when the decision unit decides that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied; and   a plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses respectively including,   an identification information receiving unit for receiving the identification information on the player,   a game progress control unit for controlling game progress,   a clear information receiving unit for receiving the clear information output by the clear information output unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus, and   a benefit-imparting processing unit for performing a benefit-imparting process, when the identification information receiving unit receives the identification information, in order to impart the player a benefit according to the clear information which is received by the clear information receiving unit and which is associated with the same identification information as the received identification information;   wherein the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus further comprises a notified content change unit for changing one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit based on a predetermined change condition.   
     
     
         2 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus is a game apparatus including a game progress control unit for progressing and controlling a game which is different in content from a game that is progressed and controlled by the game progress control unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus, and   the decision unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus decides whether the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied, based on a game progress result progressed and controlled by the game progress control unit.   
     
     
         3 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one of the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses further comprises a bet object receiving unit for receiving bet objects and a payout processing unit which performs a payout process for paying out to the player an amount of payout objects according to an amount of bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit based on a game result progressed and controlled by the game progress control unit thereof, and   where the identification information receiving unit receives identification information, the payout processing unit of at least one of the benefit-imparting game apparatuses functions as the benefit-imparting processing unit and pays out as the benefit to the player an amount of payout objects according to the clear information which is received by the clear information receiving unit and which is associated with the same identification information as the received identification information.   
     
     
         4 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus is a game apparatus including a bet object receiving unit for receiving bet objects and a payout processing unit which performs a payout process for paying out to the player an amount of payout objects according to an amount of bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit, based on the game result progressed and controlled by the game progress control unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the benefit-imparting processing unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus performs the benefit-imparting process for imparting the player the benefit according to the clear information received by the clear information receiving unit in association with the same identification information as the received identification information on a condition where a result of a game progressed and controlled upon receipt of the identification information by the identification information receiving unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus satisfies a second benefit-imparting condition.   
     
     
         6 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the clear information output unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus is to output benefit-imparting deadline information in association with the clear information,   the clear information receiving unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus is to receive the benefit-imparting deadline information output by the clear information output unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus, and   where the identification information receiving unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus receives the identification information, the benefit-imparting processing unit of the benefit-imparting game apparatus decides whether a benefit-imparting deadline indicated by the benefit-imparting deadline information received by the clear information receiving unit in association with the clear information associated with the same identification information as the received identification information is exceeded or not, and does not perform the benefit-imparting process concerning the clear information when deciding that the benefit-imparting deadline is exceeded.   
     
     
         7 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 ,
 wherein each benefit-imparting game apparatus further comprises a history information output unit for outputting play history information in a state of being associated with the identification information where the identification information receiving unit thereof receives the identification information and thereby the game progress control unit thereof controls game progress,   the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus further comprises a history information receiving unit for receiving the play history information output by the history information output unit of each benefit-imparting game apparatus, and   the notified content change unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus specifies, based on the play history information received by the history information receiving unit in association with the same identification information as identification information received by the identification information receiving unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus, a game apparatus which is played at a relatively low frequency by a player related to the identification information, among the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses, and where one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified to the player related to the identification information by the notifying unit are different from game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus, the notified content change unit changes the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified to the player related to the identification information by the notifying unit to the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , further comprising
 a non-use status checking unit for checking a non-use status of each benefit-imparting game apparatus,   wherein the notified content change unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus specifies benefit-imparting game apparatuses which are not played among the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses, based on a result checked by the non-use status checking unit, and where the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit are different from game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus, the notified content change unit changes the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit to the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , further comprising
 a utilization status checking unit for checking an utilization status of each benefit-imparting game apparatus,   wherein the notified content change unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus specifies a benefit-imparting game apparatus played by a player for a period, which is relatively short, among the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses, based on a result checked by the utilization status checking unit, and where the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit are different from game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus, the notified content change unit changes the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit to the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus.   
     
     
         10 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , further comprising
 a utilization status checking unit for checking an utilization status of each benefit-imparting game apparatus,   wherein the notified content change unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus specifies a benefit-imparting game apparatus in which the number of times of games is fewer within a predetermined period among the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses, based on a result checked by the utilization status checking unit, and where the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit are different from the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus, the notified content change unit changes the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit to the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , further comprising
 a utilization status checking unit for checking an utilization status of each benefit-imparting game apparatus,   wherein the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses further comprise a bet object receiving unit for receiving bet objects and a payout processing unit which performs a payout process for paying out to the player an amount of payout objects according to an amount of the bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit, based on a game result progressed and controlled by the game progress control unit thereof, and   the notified content change unit of the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus specifies, based on a result checked by the utilization status checking unit, a benefit-imparting game apparatus in which the amount of bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit within a predetermined period or the amount of payout objects paid out to the player by the payout process performed by the payout processing unit within a predetermined period is small, among the plurality of benefit-imparting game apparatuses, and where the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit are different from game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus, the notified content change unit changes the one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit to the game apparatus designating information on the specified game apparatus.   
     
     
         12 . The network system of game apparatuses for business use according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification information receiving unit is composed of an identification information reading unit for reading out identification information from a storage medium which stores the identification information on the player.   
     
     
         13 . A benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus comprising:
 an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information on a player;   a decision unit for deciding whether the player corresponding to the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit satisfies a predetermined benefit-imparting condition;   a clear information output unit which outputs clear information indicating that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied in a state of being associated with the identification information on the player who has satisfied the benefit-imparting condition when the decision unit decides that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied;   a notifying unit which notifies the player of game apparatus designating information for designating a benefit-imparting game apparatus different from the benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus when the decision unit decides that the benefit-imparting condition is satisfied; and   a notified content change unit for changing one or two or more pieces of game apparatus designating information to be notified by the notifying unit, based on a predetermined change condition.