Abstract: A video gaming apparatus includes a player module for reading media storage elements. A printer module is connected to the player module such that the printer module defines a closure for the player module. The printer and player modules are displace able relative to each other between an open condition to facilitate replacement of media storage elements and a closed position for operation.

Abstract: An interactive game having a pre-determined outcome (e.g., a game of finite poker) that displays an initial hand of cards, receives a player-specified designation as to which cards are to held and which are to be discarded, and then displays an intermediate hand generated in accordance with the player-specified designation. Then a final hand is shown, and in those cases where the player-specified designation (Hold/Discard) is inconsistent with a transition from the intermediate hand to the final hand, an entertaining display is shown, such as a sequence of alternative playing cards. In some cases, the initial hand is a winning hand according to a predetermined payout schedule, and the final hand is a winning hand with a higher payout than the initial hand according to the same payout schedule. The disclosed methods can be used with other games, including reel-type games.

Abstract: The gaming system operates a lottery system for a single state, or includes multiple state systems, each having many different instant-winner ticket games and distributed ticket dispensers. A supervisory computer system is provided. A jackpot is provided which increases with the sale of each ticket in the system. The dispensers have code readers which are used to detect the sale of each ticket. The game is won when the code number detected by one of the code readers matches the code for a jackpot winner.

Abstract: A boxing game system (10) includes a game machine (12) and a globe-type inputting apparatus (34). A game player holds a main body (40) of the inputting apparatus, and swings the inputting apparatus in such a manner as to actually play boxing. A piezoelectric buzzer is provided within the main body, and the piezoelectric buzzer detects an acceleration at a time of swinging the inputting apparatus. Acceleration information is transmitted by an infrared light, and the infrared light is received and demodulated by an infrared light light-receiving demodulating portion (32). Upon receipt of the demodulated acceleration information, a game processor calculates an intensity of a punch at a time of swinging the inputting apparatus. A damage value is determined by the intensity of the punch, and according to the damage value, a stamina value of a boxer displayed on a monitor (20) is calculated. When the stamina value runs out, the boxer is knocked down.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of determining a result of an electronic game in order to allow fixed odds betting on the result. The method comprises providing a mechanical ball draw machine (3) configured to draw one ball at a time from a set of balls also provided to said mechanical ball machine (3). The set of balls consists of a plurality of subsets of one or more balls, at least some of the subsets having different numbers of balls and each ball being identifiable as belonging to a subset, whereby the relative numbers of balls in the subsets determine the likelihood of a ball from a subset being drawn thus allowing fixed odds betting to be carried out on a result is determined on the basis of subset identity.

Abstract: A method for team play of slot machines, including determining a first result corresponding to a first player on a team, determining a second result corresponding to a second player, determining whether the second player is on the team, and determining a result based on the first result and the second result if the second player is on the team. Various embodiments further include awarding comp points to the team based on the play of the first player and the second player. Various embodiments further include joint participation in a bonus round by members of a team.

Abstract: A computer-based customer tracking system passively identifies customers. Acquired biometric identification information is sent to a computer processor, which searches files in a library for matching biometric data. If no match is found, the processor opens a new file in the library. If a match is found, said processor stores in the file that a repeat identification has occurred. If said processor is only able to reduce the number of possible matches to two or more files, personnel determines if a match certain has occurred. If prior activity information stored in the file exceeds a predetermined level, the prior activity information is retrieved from the file and sent to a terminal, preferably at the location of the transaction. New information from the transaction is stored for future access. The processor scans the files periodically, and deletes files which include activity level below a predetermined level over a preselected time period.

Abstract: An off-line remote lottery system which enables players to purchase instant-type lottery game outcomes from a randomized prize data stream in a central computer, and view the outcomes on remotely disposed gaming computers which do not require an on-line connection during play.

Abstract: An interactive device includes a base unit and at least one interchangeable cartridge. The base unit comprises a transparent pressure-sensitive touchscreen overlying the cartridge and a microphone. The cartridge comprises a scroll having a plurality of image frames which are sequentially viewable through the transparent touchscreen and a digital memory. The cartridge is configured to key into a cartridge receptacle in the base unit and couple the memory with a processor in the base unit. The cartridge includes release levers which prevent rotation of the scroll when the cartridge is removed from the base unit.

Abstract: A gaming apparatus control part is provided with an external output control circuit, configured in such a manner that gaming information can be output and gaming data sent from each gaming machine is collected in a management server in order to solve the issue that internal winning attraction is limited to each gaming apparatus and a player concentrates only on the gaming apparatus to which he is playing. The management server comprises a link attraction lottery table to determine attraction mode based on sent gaming information and link attraction transmission unit lottery table to determine a destination gaming apparatus of link attraction, determines a link attraction and attraction transmission destination, and sends an attraction data with a predetermined timing on the condition that internal winning data is sent from a gaming apparatus.

Abstract: An estimated trajectory 281a, an estimated ball landing point 282a, and an estimated run range 283a are displayed in a game image 20a. The estimated ball landing point 282a is displayed as, for example, a star mark, in a game space of the game image 20a which corresponds to a terminal coordinate point on the estimated trajectory 281a. The estimated trajectory 281a is obtained for a shot at a power indicated by a power target value set by the player, and is displayed so as to extend between a current ball 22 and the estimated ball landing point 282a based on estimated trajectory data. The estimated run range 283a is displayed in the game space of the game image 20a based on estimated run range data, so as to have a shape of a rectangular area, which is divided into a plurality of equal-sized mesh parts, in accordance with geographic undulations.

Abstract: Player characters can participate, quickly as alternated, in a battle while simplifying the alternating procedure. At the instant of a transfer to an acceptance of decisions on the player characters and actions, a standby state continues until a button is pushed, until an X-button is pushed, or until the actions for the player characters to execute are selected. When the button is pushed, a list of standby player characters is displayed to display the character names and characteristics of the characters. When the selections of the relief characters are received and selected by the player, the characters are alternated. When the X-button is pushed, the character alternations are restored. When the actions for the player characters to execute are selected, moreover, the operations for executing the decided actions are executed to end a series of player characters and the acceptance of the action decisions.

Abstract: A secure and modular architecture for monitoring and controlling clusters of pay entertainment and gaming devices. The architecture allows flexible and secure use of state-of-the-art multimedia and Internet technologies to attract the younger player generation used to flashy and networked games. Cash or cash-less entertainment and gaming devices are supported.

Abstract: Dynamic tournament gaming method and system, including the provision of a plurality of gaming terminals selectively interlinkable together with a host terminal so that current players of the terminals desiring to participate in group tournament play can be notified of the opportunity and provided with the choice to play or not. If a current player chooses to play, he so signifies, enters his entry fee into the terminal, and awaits start of the event. Upon start of the tournament by the host terminal, the player will play the tournament game over and over as fast as possible to accumulate as many points as possible during a particular pre-announced tournament period. The host terminal will continuously monitor the terminals of all play participants, dynamically record play status, and control termination of the game period. It will also conduct an accounting of the results, issue win results notification, and perhaps provide remote pay-out of game winnings.

Abstract: A method of adaptive computer game play based on profiling. A set of important characteistics are defined for a game. The data relating to the important characteristics is accumulated during game play based on a defined granularity to which each important characteristic should be kept. A player profile reflecting the important characteristics kept to the defined granularity is derived. The player profile may be used to affect subsequent game play as, for example, a proxy for the creating player.

Abstract: A game machine provided with moving means running on a specified race track includes drive controlling means for controlling the moving means to run on the specified race track which is selected from among a plurality of race tracks. The game machine can keep game players amused for a longer period of time and change a layout of race track in a shorter period and with a lower cost.

Abstract: Videogame systems and methods are provided to enhance the capability of the videogame system controller and data storage to provide graphic character element storage and processing. A display list technology utilizes an intentionally generated, location-specific vertical interrupt to implement a routine to modify or to alter existing graphical character elements. A second technique involves the definition of a small portion of the graphics map which is displayed differently than the balance of the graphics map because the stored priority bit is expressed in the defined area, but suppressed and replaced in all other areas. The third technique employs a virtual character element library to map the character elements appearing on the display, and recognizes available space within the video random access memory character element storage to provide a dynamic memory space.