Tilt sensing in an amusement game device

An amusement game device, comprising:

• a game cabinet;
• game output devices supported by the game cabinet;
• game input devices supporting by the game cabinet;
• a processing device supported by the game cabinet for controlling operations of the game output devices during play of the amusement game at least in part based upon signals received from the game input devices;
• and
• an accelerometer in communication with the processing device, the accelerometer being used to establish a reference idle position for the amusement game, for determining if a force applied to the amusement game device during play of the amusement game device exceeds a threshold that is set relative to the reference idle position for the amusement game device, and for issuing a signal to the processing device when a force applied to the amusement game device as sensed during play of the amusement game device exceeds the threshold that is set relative to the reference idle position for the amusement game device for the purpose of causing the processing device to inhibit play of the amusement game device in whole or in part.

An amusement game device, comprising:

• a game cabinet;
• game output devices supported by the game cabinet;
• game input devices supporting by the game cabinet;
• a processing device supported by the game cabinet for controlling operations of the game output devices during play of the amusement game at least in part based upon signals received from the game input devices;
• and
• an accelerometer in communication with the processing device, the accelerometer being used to establish a reference idle position for the amusement game and being used as a virtual plumb bob during play of the amusement game device whereby forces in a plane perpendicular to straight down causes energy to be added to or subtracted from the virtual plumb bob and whereby a sensed movement of the virtual plumb bob, with energy added thereto or subtracted therefrom as a result of forces in the place perpendicular to straight down in a direction of an incident force, exceeding a threshold radius causes a tilt event interruption signal to be issued to the processing device for the purpose of causing the processing device to inhibit play of the amusement game device in whole or in part.