Gaming machine which determines whether common game start condition is met for each gaming terminal, and gaming method thereof

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals each having an input device capable of receiving an external input, and a terminal controller programmed to carry out steps (a 1 ) to (a 3 ) below in order to individually run a base game and to run a common game executed at the plurality of gaming terminals; and

a center controller which is connected in communication with the gaming terminals, and is programmed to carryout steps (b 1 ) to (b 5 ) below in order to execute the common game communally run at the gaming terminals, wherein the terminal controllers each carry out the steps of:

(a 1 ) accepting a bet amount made by a bet input through the input device;

(a 2 ) running a base game after a bet input has been completed through the input device, and outputting bet amount information based on the bet amount to the center controller for each unit base game; and

(a 3 ) running a common game in response to a game start command from the center controller, and

wherein the center controller carries out the steps of:

(b 1 ) setting separate and distinct set values for at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals, wherein the separate and distinct set values are randomly determined for each gaming terminal, the set values set at one of a predetermined timing or within a predetermined range, the set values determining whether to start the common game by comparing the set values with accumulated values accumulated for each of the respective gaming terminals;

(b 2 ) accumulatively storing the bet amount information transmitted for each unit base game, in association with each of the gaming terminals as an accumulated value;

(b 3 ) determining, as a common game start condition, whether at least one of the accumulated values of the gaming terminals reaches its respective set value in (b 1 );

(b 4 ) when the common game start condition is met, outputting the game start command to the gaming terminals whose accumulated value has reached a minimum value for participation in the common game; and,

(b 5 ) resetting the accumulated values of the gaming terminals to which the game start command has been output and maintaining the accumulated values at the gaming terminals to which the game start command has not been output.

2. The gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal controller further carries out the step of:

(a 4 ) when it is determined that the gaming terminal to which the terminal controller belongs is designated to be a shooter based on a shooter command from the center controller, enabling a roll operation command output to the center controller, and

wherein the center controller further carries out the steps of:

(b 6 ) outputting a shooter command signal to a specific gaming terminal having satisfied its respective set value; and

(b 7 ) determining a game result of the common game based on the roll operation command from the specific gaming terminal.

3. The gaming machine according to claim 1 , wherein the common game is a crap game.

4. A gaming method of a gaming machine having:

a plurality of gaming terminals each including an input device capable of receiving an external input, and

a terminal controller for running a base game individually and running a common game executed at the plurality of gaming terminals; and

a center controller which is connected in communication with the gaming terminals and which executes the common game run communally at the gaming terminals, the method comprising:

the terminal controllers' each carrying out:

a first step of accepting a bet amount made by a bet input through the input device;

a second step of running the base game after the bet input through the input device has been completed, and outputting bet amount information based on the bet amount to the center controller for each unit base game; and

a third step of running a common game in response to a game start command from the center controller, and

the center controller's carrying out:

a fourth step of setting separate and distinct set values for at least two of the plurality of gaming terminals, wherein the separate and distinct set values are randomly determined for each gaming terminal, the set values set at one of a predetermined timing or within a predetermined range, the set values determining whether to start the common game by comparing the set values with accumulated values accumulated for each of the respective gaming terminals;

a fifth step of storing the bet amount information transmitted for each unit base game, in association with each of the gaming terminals as an accumulated value;

a sixth step of determining, as a common game start condition, whether at least one of the accumulated values of each of the gaming terminals reaches its respective set value in the fourth step;

a seventh step of outputting, when the common game start condition is met, a game start command to the gaming terminals whose accumulated value has reached a minimum value for participation in the common game; and,

an eighth step of resetting the accumulated values of the gaming terminals to which the game start command has been output and maintaining the accumulated values at the gaming terminals to which the game start command has not been output.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined timing is a predetermined time after a gaming machine event.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined range corresponds to a time range.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined range corresponds to a bet amount.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein, when the common game is executed at the plurality of gaming terminals, a difficulty level of play of the common game is separately selectable at each of the gaming terminals.

9. The gaming machine of claim 2 , wherein, when a payout award for the common game is made, the gaming terminal designated as the shooter is provided with an increased payout award relative to the other gaming terminals participating in the common game.