Unauthorized conduct prevention method and machine

Abstract

In the present invention, a start count Ns of a game and an end count of a game finished properly Ne are compared. When the two do not agree a predetermined number of times, an error signal is generated. Based on this error signal, the game machine outputs an error display and an alarm sound to alert that an unauthorized conduct has been committed. Also, it is possible to give a penalty in a game played in the future based on the generated error signal.

1 . An unauthorized conduct prevention method performed by a game machine that executes a competitive game, the method comprising: 
 accepting an input of a player identifier that identifies a player who operates the game machine;    detecting, for each player identifier, an abnormal count that indicates the total number of times that the competitive game was not terminated properly at the game machine; and    generating an error signal based on the abnormal count.    
   
   
       2 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the generating of the error signal determines whether or not the abnormal count has exceeded a predetermined maximum value and, if it has, generates the error signal.    
   
   
       3 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 outputting an error notification based on the error signal generated in the error signal generation step.    
   
   
       4 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 3 , further comprising 
 processing an error based on the error signal by forbidding an execution of the competitive game.    
   
   
       5 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the game machine is connected to a host,    the detecting the abnormal count acquires a start count and an end count from the host that correspond to the accepted player identifier, the detecting the abnormal count calculates the abnormal count by computing a difference between the acquired start count and end count,    the start count indicates the total number of times that a player identified by the player identifier started the competitive game, and    the end count indicates the total number of times that the player identified by the player identifier terminated the competitive game properly.    
   
   
       6 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 5 , further comprising 
 requesting the host to increment the start count corresponding to the player identifier upon starting an execution of the competitive game; and    requesting the host to increment the end count corresponding to the player identifier after the competitive game is terminated properly.    
   
   
       7 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the generation of the error signal transmits a reset request to the host to reset the start count and the end count after the error signal is generated.    
   
   
       8 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the game machine is connected to a host, and    the detecting the abnormal count acquires from the host the abnormal count corresponding to the accepted player identifier.    
   
   
       9 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 8 , further comprising 
 detecting a player identifier of a player who did not terminate the competitive game properly in a previous operation of the game machine; and    requesting the host to update the abnormal count corresponding to the detected player identifier.    
   
   
       10 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 9 , further comprising 
 writing game information regarding the competitive game and the player identifier into a nonvolatile memory area of the game machine,    deleting the game information and the player identifier that are written in the nonvolatile memory area when the competitive game is terminated properly, and    searching the player identifier corresponding to the game information in the nonvolatile memory area when the game machine is started.    
   
   
       11 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 the requesting the host to update the abnormal count determines whether or not to request the host to update the abnormal count corresponding to the player identifier based on the searched game information.    
   
   
       12 . The unauthorized conduct prevention method according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the generating of the error signal requests the host to reset the abnormal count corresponding to the player identifier accepted in the identification step after the error signal is generated.    
   
   
       13 . A game machine for executing a competitive game comprising: 
 an identification unit configured to accept an input of a player identifier that identifies a player;    an abnormal count detection unit configured to detect, for each player identifier, an abnormal count that indicates the total number of times that the online competitive game was not terminated properly; and    an error signal generation unit configured to generate an error signal based on the abnormal count.    
   
   
       14 . A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for preventing unauthorized conduct in a competitive game, the program instructing a game machine to perform the steps comprising: 
 accepting an input of a player identifier that identifies a player who operates the game machine;    detecting, for each player identifier, an abnormal count that indicates the total number of times that the competitive game was not terminated properly at the game machine; and    generating an error signal based on the abnormal count.