A light guide plate is transparent to visible light and is formed into a plate shape. The light guide plate includes a plurality of prisms 21 provided in a first region 22 on one surface 2b of the light guide plate, each of the plurality of prisms 21 including a reflection surface 21a that reflects the visible light, which is emitted from the light source 3 and enters the light guide plate 2 through an incoming surface 2a, toward the other surface 2c of the light guide plate 2. Then, for each of a plurality of first partial regions (22-1 to 22-n) in the first region 22, at least one of a direction of the reflection surface 21a of each prism 21 arranged in the first partial region and a ratio of a total of areas of the reflection surfaces 21a of each prism 21 to the first partial region is set according to an amount of light traveling from the first partial region toward a predetermined viewpoint such that brightness of the first region 22 changes spatially irregularly as seen from the predetermined viewpoint.

A game machine includes a first game processing portion performing game processing in a first mode; a second game processing portion performing game processing in a second mode; and a return processing portion performing return processing of a virtual game ball remaining on a virtual board face in a case of satisfying a predetermined condition. The first game processing portion displays at least a virtual board face and a first virtual winning port, and after the virtual game ball launched onto the virtual board face enters the first virtual winning port, the first virtual winning port is deleted from the virtual board face, and the second game processing portion displays a second virtual winning port capable of acquiring a winning ball on the virtual board face. In case the virtual game ball enters the first virtual winning port or second virtual winning port, the return processing portion operates.

A front cabinet panel piece, a back panel cabinet piece, a first side cabinet panel piece, and second side cabinet panel piece, each having a plurality of pre-formed openings, are arranged relative to one another to form an amusement game cabinet. The plurality of pre-formed openings are used to accept a corresponding plurality of knock-down hardware pieces each including a fastener locking component and a fastener. The fastener locking components are held within respective first ones of the pre-formed openings and the fastener is inserted into second ones of the pre-formed openings that are aligned with the first ones of the plurality of pre-formed openings. Each fastener is mated to its corresponding fastener locking component to complete assembly of the amusement game cabinet. The assembled amusement game cabinet is used to support a playfield and the playfield, in turn, is used to provide additional structural support to the amusement game cabinet.

A display signal associated with a pinball machine display is received. The display signal is interpreted. A network message is transmitted via a network interface based at least in part on the interpretation of the display signal.

A network message is received via a network interface. A maintenance signal associated with the network message is submitted via a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to a pinball machine coin door panel driver board.

Pinball machines are described. A method includes detecting an event during a game played at least in part over a surface of a playfield in a pinball machine. The playfield has first and second playfield portions. In response to the event, a playfield reducer located between the first and second portions is electronically activated in a manner sufficient to prevent a pinball from traveling between the first and second playfield portions. A pinball machine includes a playfield reducer that is operable to be in and transition between first and second positions during normal gameplay. When the playfield reducer is in the first position, the pinball is capable of rolling into and out of a portion of the playfield surface, and when the playfield reducer is in the second position, the playfield reducer prevents the pinball from accessing or from leaving the portion of the playfield surface.

A display device includes: a light guide plate (2) configured to display at least one pattern, the light guide plate including at least one incident surface; a plurality of light sources (3-1 to 3-3) configured to emit light beams having different colors, the plurality of light sources being disposed to be opposed to any one of the at least one incident surface; and a controller (6) configured to control turn-on and turn-off of each light source according to turn-on control information designating one light source to be turned on. A plurality of prisms (11) that are arrayed along a pattern (21) on one surface of the light guide plate (2) and reflect the light beam emitted from each light source and incident on the light guide plate from the incident surface such that the light beams exit from the other surface of the light guide plate are formed, and arrangement density of the prisms that reflect the light beam from the light source among the plurality of prisms (11) is set for each of the plurality of light sources (3-1 to 3-3) according to color of the pattern (21) when each light source is turned on.

A method of determining duration of a play session is described herein using a ball saver. An elapsed game time is tracked and a current round of play identified. Using the current round of play and the elapsed game time, a save time is determined. Finally, an autosave for a duration equal to the save time is activated using mechanical stop, flippers, or programmatic solutions.

A light guide plate, produced from material transparent to visible light, includes a plurality of prisms provided on one surface (a diffusion surface) thereof in a predetermined pattern. The plurality of prisms include a reflection surface that reflects visible light emitted from a light source and entering the light guide plate from an input surface toward another surface (an output surface). Each prism in the plurality of prisms is distributed so that the reflection surfaces of two prisms separated by a predetermined pitch are oriented in the same direction, and the reflections surfaces of two prisms that are closer than the predetermined pitch are oriented in mutually different directions.

A display signal associated with a pinball machine display is received. The display signal is interpreted. A network message is transmitted via a network interface based at least in part on the interpretation of the display signal. A network message is received via a network interface. A maintenance signal associated with the network message is submitted via a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to a pinball machine coin door panel driver board.

A light guide plate is transparent to visible light and is formed into a plate shape. The light guide plate includes a plurality of prisms 21 provided in a first region 22 on one surface 2b of the light guide plate, each of the plurality of prisms 21 including a reflection surface 21a that reflects the visible light, which is emitted from the light source 3 and enters the light guide plate 2 through an incoming surface 2a, toward the other surface 2c of the light guide plate 2. Then, for each of a plurality of first partial regions (22-1 to 22-n) in the first region 22, at least one of a direction of the reflection surface 21a of each prism 21 arranged in the first partial region and a ratio of a total of areas of the reflection surfaces 21a of each prism 21 to the first partial region is set according to an amount of light traveling from the first partial region toward a predetermined viewpoint such that brightness of the first region 22 changes spatially irregularly as seen from the predetermined viewpoint.