Patent ID: 7654904

Claim:
A game machine that is provided with an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory having two or more game data backup areas, said game machine configured to preserve at least some previously saved game data when performing a game data backup writing process, comprising: backup memory area selection programmed logic circuitry configured to first select, as a write-objective backup area for storing latest game data, a backup area containing previously stored game data of oldest writing age among said two or more game data backup areas and, if a write attempt to said first selected backup area is unsuccessful after a predetermined number of attempts, to select another write-objective backup area of next oldest writing age among said game data backup areas; memory controller for writing the latest game data to a backup area selected as a write-objective backup area by said backup memory area selection programmed logic circuitry; memory write determination programmed logic circuitry configured to determine whether or not a writing of the latest game data to said backup area selected by said backup memory area selection programmed logic circuitry was successful; memory write attempt repeater programmed logic circuitry configured to repeatedly attempt writing to the write-objective backup area for a predetermined number of attempts if it is determined by said memory write determination programmed logic circuitry that a writing of the latest game data was not successfully performed; and writing prohibitor programmed logic circuitry configured to preclude writing the latest game data to said another write-objective backup area and terminate a game data backup writing process without storing the latest game data if an attempt to write the latest game data to a first selected write-objective backup area is unsuccessful after said predetermined number of attempts and said another write-objective backup area contains the only remaining instance of saved older game data, wherein a failure of a selected write-objective backup area memory element occurring in said electrically rewritable non-volatile memory does not result in an attempt to store game data in a last remaining backup area containing older game data.