Video display systems

VIDEO DISPLAY SYSTEMS

This invention relates to video display systems, particularly for

displaying video simulation of player-operable entertainment machines.

Multiple player-operable entertainment machines may be provided in

arcades or other entertainment premises.

The machines may include coin-operated amusement-with-prizes

(AWP) machines, such as 'fruit' or 'poker' machines of the kind having a

main display device for displaying a selected combination of symbol at a win

zone. As used herein the term coin is intended also to cover tokens, charge

or credit cards or any other means of supplying credit or monetary value.

In the same arcade it is usual for there to be several different kinds of

machines so that a player can select a preferred kind of machine and also so

that players can try different machines in the hope that this may improve

their chances of winning. This adds to player enjoyment.

It is also usual for new or prototype machines to be placed in an

arcade prior to widespread distribution to assess their popularity and

commercial viability.

It is known to provide a video simulation of a player-operable

entertainment machine on the Internet. However this can lack the

entertainment value of playing an actual machine, particularly compared

with the playing of machines in arcades.

One object of the present invention is to provide enhanced player entertainment in the context of a video simulation of a player-operable

machine.

According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided

video display apparatus operable to produce a video simulation of a player-

operable entertainment machine, control means for operation by a player to

cause a game to be played with the video-simulated machine, characterised

in that the said video simulation is selectable from a plurality of video

simulations respectively of different player-operable entertainment machines,

and selector means is provided, for operation by the player, for effecting

selection.

With this arrangement, the player can switch from machine to

machine generally in like manner to an arcade of actual machines thereby

providing enhanced enjoyment.

It is visualised that the invention will find particular application in the

context of the Internet whereby the video display apparatus comprises a

web server providing data in HTML or other code capable of producing the

visual simulation on a connected pc or terminal monitor with a web

browser. However, the invention is not restricted to this arrangement and

the apparatus may comprise a local network or even a dedicated pc or the

like.

With regard to the simulated entertainment machines at least some of

these may be coin-operated 'fruit' machines as mentioned above. Thus, the video simulation may comprise at least one front panel of a

coin operated entertainment machine, and preferably there are upper and

lower front panels.

These fruit machines may be of the 'reel' kind i.e. in which the main

display device comprises multiple symbol bearing side-by-side reels which

are rotatable, preferably about a common horizontal axis within a housing,

behind a window at a win zone. The reels may be actual or video

simulated. Each reel may have symbols at equally spaced positions around

its-periphery whereby the reels can be brought to rest with one or more

symbols on each reel display through the window on a win line or win lines.

If the displayed combination of symbols constitutes a predetermined

winning combination an award may be made available to the player.

Moreover, the fruit machines may be of the kind having a

supplementary display or 'feature game', particularly a trail-based feature

game, which can be used to enhance the entertainment value of the

machine and provide additional or alternative opportunities for winning.

Such feature game may be provided by a panel having sections which can

be selectively illuminated to represent movement from location to location

e.g. along a trail, particularly along a wraparound trail, which may simulate

the playing of a board game.

Play may be transferred from the main reels to the supplementary

feature game on a random or predetermined basis and illumination of the panel sections may then be effected by, or in correspondence with, a

rotatable subsidiary feature reel, or otherwise, representing the spin of a reel

or roll of a dice or other selection. Awards or award possibilities may be

made available to the player in dependence on the location on the trail to

which play has progressed.

In addition these fruit machines may have other known features, such

as 'nudge', 'hold', 'gamble' etc.

Additionally or alternatively the simulated entertainment machines

may include kinds of entertainment machines other than fruit machines.

The video simulation of the entertainment machine may be such as to

present to the player a closely detailed representation of an actual machine

including lettering and artwork as appropriate with component parts of the

machine shown in their correct relative position and movable or changeable

parts moving or changing visually in like manner to the real machine.

The player may have the opportunity of playing the video simulations

of the entertainment machine in like manner to the actual machine.

In particular there may be credit means operable to provide credit

whereby said game is playable after provision of predetermined game-

playing credit value, and award means operable to make available a payout

following a winning outcome of a game.

Thus there may be provision of or insertion of credit which may be

simulated monetary value which may be entered by the player or which may be automatically entered at the start of a playing session, or which may be

real monetary value entered by the player e.g. by means of credit card (by

player entry of credit card data) or by charge to an existing player account

or otherwise.

Also, there may be provision for the player to operate machine

controls such as start, hold, nudge, gamble, payout buttons etc.

Wins within a game may be rewarded with extra features, e.g. nudge

steps, or with a points score, and a winning outcome to a game may result

in a notional monetary payout or as a real payout credited to the player.

The machine simulation may include the usual meters showing game-play

credit, wins etc.

Entry of data and operation of controls may be achieved by use of a

computer keyboard or a mouse which can be clicked on displayed buttons

or otherwise.

The arrangement may be such that only one machine is displayed at a

time, or alternatively multiple machines may be displayed. Selection of

machines may be achieved in any suitable manner preferably such that the

selector means is operable for selection from a displayed menu of the video

simulations e.g. by mouse click on a menu of game names or otherwise.

On switching from one selected machine to another, credit may be

transferred to the new machine automatically or as selected by the player,

partially or completely. The payout of an actual fruit machine may be on a wholly random

basis. That is, the stopping position of the reels may be determined by

software generated random numbers. If this is related to the number of

symbols on each reel (typically 24) the likelihood of obtaining any particular

combination (e.g. a one-off jackpot combination) would be the product of

the numbers of symbols (e.g. 24 x 24 x 24 for a three reel machine) . In

order to have a reduced likelihood, and hence a possibly larger jackpot pay¬

out, it is known to increase the 'virtual' number of symbols for each reel i.e.

So that the random selection for each reel is from a series of symbols

greater in number than the stopping position of the reel. Thus, for example,

a 24 stopping position reel may use a series of say 30 symbols whereby the

likelihood of the reel stopping on a single jackpot symbol is 1 :30 not 1 :24.

This technique may be used in the context of the present invention.

Thus, in one embodiment each reel has a predetermined plurality of

symbols which are displayed in sequence during rotation of the reel and the

reel then comes to rest to display one or more selected symbols on a win

line or win lines in the win zone, wherein the symbol is selected from a

plurality of symbols which is greater than said predetermined plurality.

It is also known to use a pseudo-random arrangement with a

compensator which operates to maintain pay-outs as close as possible to a

desired percentage (e.g. say 80% of game-play credit is returned as prizes).

With this arrangement, after each play a win counter is incremented or decremented depending on the game outcome. When the counter is

deemed to be outside an acceptable range (due to too many or too few

wins) the outcome of games is now influenced to return the counter to the

acceptable range. This may involve rejection and reselection of generated

random numbers, deliberate selection of specific outcomes such as

jackpots, nudge features, feature game transfers etc., or otherwise.

This technique may also be used in the context of the present

invention.

Thus, in one embodiment, there is provided a compensator which

monitors the percentage of game-play credit which is paid out as winnings,

the compensator being operable to influence the outcome of games to

maintain the percentage within a predetermined range.

By use of win pay-out percentage compensation and/or virtual

increase in reel stopping positions as described above play of the simulated

entertainment machines can represent closely play of actual machines

thereby enhancing player enjoyment.

Thus, and in accordance with a second aspect of the present

invention, there is provided video display apparatus operable to produce via

a network, such as the Internet, a video simulation of an entertainment

machine of the symbol-bearing rotatable reel coin-operated kind,

characterised in that win likelihood is influenced by virtual increase in reel

stopping positions such that each reel has a predetermined plurality of symbols which are displayed in sequence during rotation of the reel and the

reel then comes to rest to display one or more selected symbols on a win

line or win lines in the win zone, wherein the symbol is selected from a

plurality of symbols which is greater than said predetermined plurality.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided

video display apparatus operable to produce via a network, such as the

Internet, a video simulation of an entertainment machine of the symbol- bearing rotatable reel coin-operated kind, characterised in that win likelihood

is influenced by win pay-out percentage compensation whereby there is

provided a compensator which monitors the percentage of game-play credit

which is paid out as winnings, the compensator being operable to influence

the outcome of games to maintain the percentage within a predetermined

range.

The second and third aspects of the invention may apply in the

context of the first aspect of the invention.

The arrangements of the first, second and third aspects of the

invention may be used for assessment and evaluation of machines whereby

a monitoring device may be linked to a particular machine to monitor

parameters such as frequency and duration of use, number of plays in a

session, credit token and paid out etc.

Thus, there may be provided a monitoring device operable to monitor

at least one parameter of player operation of at least one said video- simulated machine.

This information may relate solely to the monitored machine or may

be collected for a number of machines so that a relative assessment and

evaluation can be effected. The resulting information may be made

available only to an authorised person and not to players, this being

achieved by relaying information to a separate control location not

accessible to the player and/or by providing on-line access to data via a

password protected interface.

Thus, and in accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention there is

provided a video display apparatus operable to produce via a network, such

as the Internet, a video simulation of an entertainment machine, such as a

machine of the symbol bearing rotatable reel coin-operated kind,

characterised by the provision of a monitoring device for assessment and

evaluation of usage of the machine. The fourth aspect of the invention may

apply in the context of the first and/or second aspects.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only

and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one form of video display

apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 & 3 show example screen displays of a terminal of the

apparatus of Fig. 1 .

As shown in the drawings, an Internet-based 'virtual arcade' has a server 1 accessible from PCs 2 in the usual way i.e. using web browsers in

the PCs 2 and HTML or other web browser coding at the addressed location

of the server 1 .

On accessing the appropriate web site, a user is presented with an

initial menu, as shown in Fig. 2, which relates to a number of machines 3

available in the virtual arcade. The menu also includes 'credit facility' 4 and

'quit' options 5.

On selecting the 'credit facility' option e.g. by a 'mouse over' and

'mouse click', the player is presented with a secure form-based section for

adding monetary credit to the player's account e.g. by entry of credit card

details.

The player can then return to the menu and select one of the

machines 3.

There is then produced on the player's PC 2 a detailed representation

of the top and bottom panels 6, 7 of a reel-type fruit machine (Fig. 3)

including artwork, lettering, movable and changeable components (such as

reels, back illuminated ladders and trails, LED meters and counters etc),

and, beneath the panels 6, 7, player controls 8 (such as push buttons) .

The player can now play the machine in the usual way by pressing

buttons 8 (start, nudge, hold, pay-out etc.) by mouse click on the displayed

buttons.

The machine then operates in the usual way by spinning the reels 9, moving the back-illumination etc. Symbol combinations are seiecteα ana in

the case that wins are awarded the player can attain a pay-out by mouse-

click of the pay-out button 8. Awards paid out may be credited to the

player's account.

The course of play is determined in exactly the same way as an

actual machine and this may use random number generation modified by

virtual increase in reel stopping position and/or percentage pay-out

monitoring and compensation.

The screen has a mouse clickable option 10 to return to the main

menu whereby the player can add more credit to his account, arrange for

refund of credit, quit, or switch to a different machine. On switching to a

different machine credit may be transferred.

The screen option to return to the main menu may only be available

at the end of a game and provision may be made for evaluing and

remembering current credit in the event that access to the web site or to a

machine is terminated prematurely.

Each machine is associated with monitoring software at the server 1

which assesses and evaluates play. Thus, parameters such as operational

characteristics i.e. whether the machine functions as intended, and

popularity characteristics, i.e. frequency and duration of play, and in

particular commercial characteristics i.e. monetary value taken over a period

of time, are monitored. The resulting data can be accessed on the server e.g. from a control PC using password protected access.

This data can be used to determine whether the machine should be

distributed as an actual machine.

With the virtual arcade described above, player enjoyment is much

enhanced and valuable information relating to commercial viability of new

machine ideas can be obtained.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to

be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by

way of example only.