JP7264202B2 - Game system and service provision method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game device and a game program.

Conventionally, there has been a service of opening a virtual game hall on a network and providing it to players. Players who use the service can make necessary payments (in addition to cash payment, payment with medals, coins, tokens (coin substitute), electronic money, electronic payment such as points issued by stores, etc.). (including all forms of payment established by the exchange of items that embody economic value, such as credit settlement), exchanged for items with game value (for example, virtual medals), and exchanged for the game value items A game can be played on the device (see Patent Document 1, for example). Some games, such as slot machines, provide game value items to the player based on game results. In such games, the player uses the game value items obtained in the game. Furthermore, a game can be played.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-300098

However, in the conventional services as described above, since there is no distinction between the game value items exchanged by the player for economic valued objects and the game value items acquired based on the game results, the player As a result, it was possible to continue playing games using only the game value items acquired as a result. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game device and a game program that improve the structure in which it is difficult to generate profits, such as when it is possible to continue playing games using game value items obtained as a result of a game. .

In order to solve this problem, the present inventor conducted various studies. Under the form of the conventional game providing service as described above, even if a player (service user) wants to try new game software (application) or wants to play a game, he/she pays money to the billing object for each different software. If it is premised on the purchase of game value items, this is a factor that makes people hesitate to play games, and the actual situation is that the incentive to actually play games is reduced. In this respect, it can be considered that there is something like a fence between different game software (applications). Under such circumstances, even if a new game is developed, it will take time for it to penetrate among service users, and in some cases, it will be buried before it becomes popular in the game market. From the point of view of the service provider who operates virtual amusement arcades, this situation makes it difficult to generate profits even if new games are developed. This is thought to be one of the reasons why even recovery of investment is difficult. The inventors of the present invention have paid attention to such a situation and made repeated studies, and have obtained new findings that will lead to the solution of the above problems.

The present invention is based on such knowledge, and is a game device in which a player plays a game,
storage means for storing the quantity of each of the first game value item exchanged for the economically valuable object and the second game value item given to the player based on the result of the game;
control means for executing a game by consuming at least one of the first game value item and the second game value item;
means for exchanging information with an external server storing quantity information of the second game value item;
with
The control means exchanges only the quantity information of the second game value items in the storage means with the server.

In the game device according to the present invention, a plurality of types of game value items such as first game value items and second game value items are set. Among these, the first game value item is an item that can be exchanged for an economically valuable object, and is granted to the player by, for example, paying money, while the second game value item is a game value item. These items are given to the player based on the results of the above, and are set to be given to the player in quantities corresponding to the winning results during the game, for example. Regarding the execution of the game, it is possible to execute the game by consuming any of the first and second game value items. 1. The second game value item is treated differently. That is, in the present invention, the control means exchanges quantity information of the second game value item with the server, but does not exchange information of the first game value item. In this way, the control means exchanges the quantity information regarding the second game value item with the server, and by synchronizing the quantity information, the second game value item can be exchanged with the server. (e.g. deposits and withdrawals). Furthermore, if a similar configuration is applied to another game software (application) so that the quantity information of the second game value items can be shared, a predetermined condition can be established between these different game software (applications). , the second game value item can be shared.

Further, as in the present invention, the first game value item exchanged for the economically valuable object and the second game value item acquired by the player based on the game result are differentiated and managed as different items. This makes it possible to clarify the difference between paid items (charged items) and free items in a game using the game device. According to this, the player (user) can freely select any one of the game value items according to factors such as the frequency of use of the game value item, the degree of convenience, and the range of use. A balance can also be achieved between multiple types of game value items.

Furthermore, if the second game value item is shared between different game software (applications), the second game value item is a free item (an item that has not been charged and is free according to the game result). available in the market), there is a possibility that it will result in an increase in profits. That is, instead of forcing users to charge for obtaining necessary items each time the software is different, a free common item (second game value item) can be used to play the different game software (application). If so, there will be no hesitation about billing, the barriers between different game software (applications) will be removed, and players (users of the service) will have the opportunity to experience new game software. increase. If this happens, the player who has experienced the game will be induced to obtain another item (first game value item) even if it is charged, and from the service provider's point of view, the player will actually purchase the item. Opportunities can be expected to increase.

In the game machine as described above, when executing a game, the control means determines whether or not there is a first game value that can be used. Preferably, it consumes items. When a player is playing a game while possessing both a first game value item and a second game value item, the first game value item is preferentially consumed (utilized) to improve communication with the server. The item (first game value item) for which quantity information cannot be exchanged between players is consumed first, and only the second game value item is held at an early stage. be able to.

Further, in the game device as described above, when the game software is started, the control means communicates with the server to obtain quantity information of the second game value item before consuming the first game value item. Synchronization is preferred.

Further, in the game device as described above, after the control means communicates with the server and synchronizes the quantity information of the second game value items, the server has the quantity information of the second game value items available. In some cases, it is more preferable to notify the player.

Also, after recognizing the player's ID, the control means preferably exchanges quantity information of the second game value items corresponding to the ID with the server.

Further, it is preferable that the first game value item and the second game value item are displayed so as to be recognizably different from each other in the display screen of the game device.

It is also preferable that the display area for the first game value item and the display area for the second game value item are distinguished in the display screen of the game device.

Furthermore, in the game device, it is also preferable that an upper limit is set for the transferable amount of quantity information of the second game value items transferred between the control means and the server.

In addition, the program according to the present invention is stored in the computer of the game device on which the player plays,
a step of storing the quantity of each of the first game value item exchanged for the economically valuable object and the second game value item given to the player based on the result of the game;
a step of consuming at least one of the first game value item and the second game value item to execute a game;
a step of exchanging information with an external server storing quantity information of the second game value item;
a step of exchanging only the quantity information of the second game value items in the storage means with the server;
is to be executed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve a structure that makes it difficult to generate profits, such as when a game can be continued using game value items acquired as a result of a game.

It is a figure which shows an example of the external shape of the game device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a game device; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure from game software startup to game start in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the game device when withdrawing free medals (second game value item) from the management server; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when a game ends; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the game device when depositing free medals (second game value item) to the management server; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the game device when withdrawing deposited free medals (second game value items) from the management server when playing with game software different from the previous one.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings (see FIGS. 1 to 7).

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the external shape of a game device 10 according to this embodiment. A typical example of the game device 10 is a mobile phone, but there are also network devices such as a game dedicated terminal or general-purpose terminal, a mobile terminal that can be wirelessly connected to a network, or an electronic device equipped with a touch panel such as a tablet terminal. A general-purpose device capable of playing a game while communicating using a mobile phone can also correspond to the game device of the present invention.

A game device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a rectangular thin housing 11, and a touch panel 12 occupies most of one surface of the housing 11 (see FIG. 1). A receiver 13, a microphone 14, and a hardware button 15 are provided on the surface (front) on which the touch panel 12 is mounted. External interfaces such as a hard key 16, a speaker 18 (see FIG. 2), and an audio output terminal 17 (see FIG. 2) are provided on the side and bottom of the game device 10. FIG. Furthermore, a camera 30 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the back of the game device 10 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the game device 10 according to this embodiment. The game device 10 has at least a mobile communication antenna 21, a mobile communication section 22, a wireless LAN communication antenna 23, a wireless LAN communication section 24, a storage section 25, and a main control section 26 in addition to the above components. Furthermore, it has a speaker 18, a camera 30, an external interface 32 including an audio output terminal 17, and the like.

The touch panel 12 has the functions of both a display device and an input device, and is composed of a display (display screen) 27 having a display function and a touch sensor 28 having an input function. The display 27 is composed of a general display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The touch sensor 28 comprises an element for detecting a touch operation arranged on the upper surface of the display 27 and a transparent operation surface laminated thereon. As the contact detection method of the touch sensor 28, any of known methods such as a capacitance method, a resistive film method (pressure-sensitive method), and an electromagnetic induction method can be adopted.

The touch panel 12 as a display device displays game images generated by execution of a computer game program by the main control unit 26 . The touch panel 12 as an input device detects the action of a contact object (including a player's finger, a touch pen, etc.; hereinafter, the case of a "finger" will be described as a representative example) that contacts the operation surface. , receives the operation input, and gives the information of the contact position to the main control unit 26 . The motion of the finger is detected as coordinate information indicating the position or area of the contact point, and the coordinate information is represented, for example, as coordinate values on two axes in the short side direction and the long side direction of the touch panel 12 .

The game device 10 is connected to a network (Internet) 40 via a mobile communication antenna 21 and a wireless LAN communication antenna 23, and can perform data communication with a management server 50 (see FIG. 2). The management server 50 is a server serving as a hub of the game system, such as collecting play data (data related to games) of games and the like executed on the game device 10 via the network 40, accumulating and managing the play data, and so on. function as The management server 50 of the present embodiment stores each player's ID (code for identifying system users), nickname, icon (icon selected by each player), access history, number of deposits of game value items, Accumulates and manages various types of information such as play history of various games, game status during play, various settings (settings common to games), and unique indicators (levels and experience points that indicate proficiency in the game, etc.) It is

In this embodiment, when the game device 10 is connected to the network 40 and the management server 50, an online game system is constructed that can provide various games online to the game device 10. FIG. In the online game system, by managing and providing play data corresponding to a plurality of types of game software (applications), the players can enjoy themselves as if they were playing various games in an arcade. It is possible to provide The game software (application) may be installed in the game device 10, or may be provided with game functions online from a server (management server 50). As an example, an online medal game using virtual medals will be shown below, and the contents of the game, the contents of processing during progress, etc. will be described (see FIGS. 3 to 7, etc.).

In an online game system including this game device 10, in addition to medals that are paid game value items (hereinafter referred to as billing medals and denoted by the symbol Mc), game results (for example, winning a slot) ), which is a game value item given to the player (hereinafter referred to as a free medal, denoted by the symbol Mf) is set. In this embodiment, of these two types of medals, a specific medal (free medal Mf in this embodiment) can be deposited in and withdrawn from the management server 50 . Therefore, as for the free medals Mf, the manner in which the medals can be deposited and withdrawn from the management server 50 is just like a real medal deposit machine (medal bank).

It is preferable that the charged medals Mc and the free medals Mf are displayed on the screen so as to be identifiable from each other. By doing so, it is possible to make it easier for the player to recognize the number of owned medals of each type. Display means for making the medals identifiable from each other may be, for example, changing the color scheme of the two medals, or changing the pattern or pattern (see FIGS. 4 and 6). It is also preferable to divide the display area of the charged medals Mc and the display area of the free medals Mf and display the respective medals in each display area (see FIGS. 4 and 6).

At the beginning of the game, first, when the player activates the online medal game software (for example, application A for a game with a slot machine motif) on the game device 10 (step SP1), the login screen is displayed. Allow the player to perform the necessary login procedures (step SP2). After logging in, information unique to the player, such as the number of owned medals, is displayed on the screen (touch panel 12) as necessary.

If the player does not have any free medals after login (if the number of medals deposited in the management server 50 is 0) (No in step SP3), a screen for purchasing billing medals is displayed. , so that a player who wishes to purchase can complete the purchase procedure (step SP5). It should be noted that the online medal game of the present embodiment imitates actual machines (amusement machines) installed in game arcades, etc. It is a setting that cannot be played. When the player purchases the charged medals Mc (step SP6), the player can play the medal game (step SP7). During the game, if the slot combination is completed or the bet is successful (winning), the number of free medals Mf corresponding to the betting rate and winning details can be refunded (see FIGS. 4 and 6).

There are no particular restrictions on the means of purchasing medals, and in addition to credit card payments, there are other economical methods such as payments with medals, coins, tokens (coins used as substitutes), electronic money, and electronic payments such as points issued by stores, etc. Purchasing medals can be made possible in any form of payment established by exchanging items in which value is embodied.

If the player has free medals Mf (Yes at step SP3), the screen shifts to the medal withdrawal screen (see FIG. 4), and the desired number of free medals deposited in the management server 50 is displayed. A procedure for drawing out Mf is enabled (step SP4). Here, the procedure before the start of the game has been explained, but it is preferable that the procedure for withdrawing the free medals Mf can be performed at any time during or after the game if the player so desires. As an example, in the game device 10 of the present embodiment, a "withdrawal" button is set in the screen (see FIG. 4) so that the player can withdraw the free medals Mf at any time by operating the button. I have to.

The player who withdraws the deposited free medals Mf as described above can use the medals to play a game (step SP7). Although not shown in the figure, when the owned medals run out (or even before running out), the player can withdraw the free medals Mf deposited in the management server 50, or follow a predetermined procedure. It is also possible to purchase chargeable medals Mc through .

In the game device 10 and the game system as described above, when a player is playing a game while holding both charge medals Mc and free medals Mf, the charge medals Mc are preferentially consumed. (Use) may be allowed (see FIG. 6). By doing this, the medals (charging medals Mc) that cannot be deposited in the management server 50 are consumed first, and only the depositable free medals Mf are held at an early stage. be able to. Moreover, from the standpoint of the service provider who operates the virtual game arcade, there is an advantage that it is easy to increase profits by having the billing medals Mc, which directly lead to profits, be consumed first.

Incidentally, as a means for preferentially consuming the charged medals Mc, in a situation where the player during the game possesses both the charged medals Mc and the free medals Mf, consumption (utilization) of the free medals Mf is performed. and the like. In the present embodiment, when a game is executed, it is determined whether or not there are billable medals Mc that the player can use at that time, and if the player has the billable medals Mc, the free medals Mf are consumed (used). ) to consume the charge medals Mc prior to the free medals Mf. Also, at this time, the main control unit 26 transmits/receives only the quantity information of the free medals Mf stored in the storage unit 25 to/from the management server 50, and synchronizes the quantity information so that the free medals Mf can be exchanged with the management server 50. transfer (e.g. deposits and withdrawals) of Furthermore, after communicating with the management server 50 and synchronizing the quantity information of the free medals Mf, the main control unit 26 informs the player if the management server 50 has the quantity information of the free medals Mf that can be used. . The main means for notifying the player is mainly to display characters and images on the display 27, but other means, or means in combination with these, such as sound and vibration, may be employed. good.

It should be noted that when a consumption limit as described here is imposed, it is preferable to make it easier for the player to understand the limit by, for example, displaying that fact on the screen. For example, in the case of the game system of the present embodiment, the management server 50 communicating with the game device 10 via the main control unit 26 generates charge medals Mc and free medals Mf on the game software (application) of the game device 10. are distinguished from each other, and the respective number of sheets is appropriately managed (see FIG. 6).

Next, an example of processing at the end of the game will be shown below (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

When the player ends the game (Yes at step SP8) and does not have free medals Mf (No at step SP9), the game software (application) can be ended (step SP12). On the other hand, if the player owns the free medals Mf (Yes at step SP9), the player himself/herself can deposit the free medals Mf into the management server 50 (Yes at step SP10). does not wish to deposit the free medals Mf (No at step SP10), the game software (application) can be terminated (step SP12). To put it simply, for the player, the management server 50 in the game system of this embodiment is like a bank, and each game software (application) is like a wallet. The medals Mf are held in each game software (application), but if they are to be transferred to another game software (application), they must go through the management server 50 (a bank, so to speak).

In order to deposit the free medals Mf to the management server 50, the player instructs to deposit the free medals Mf by clicking or tapping an icon on the medal deposit screen (see FIG. 6) (step SP11). As a result, information on the number of free medals Mf owned by the player is transmitted to the management server 50 and managed as data. For example, in the game system of the present embodiment, when a deposit is instructed, the "number of medals in the application" (the number of free medals Mf held by the player in the game software (application) that is running at that time) is changed. 0, and the corresponding number is added to the "number of deposited medals" (see FIG. 6). After completing the procedure for depositing the free medals Mf, the game software (application) is terminated and a series of processing ends (step SP12).

Here, the procedure for depositing medals at the end of the game has been described as an example, but it is preferable that the procedure for depositing free medals Mf can be performed at any time during the game if the player so desires. As an example, in the game device 10 of the present embodiment, a "deposit" button is set on the screen (see FIG. 6) so that the player can deposit the free medals Mf at any time by operating the button. I have to.

In addition, in the game system of the present embodiment, when playing with game software for an online medal game (for example, application B with a horse racing motif) different from the game software (application A) up to the previous time, It is possible to withdraw the deposited free medals Mf and play a game (see FIG. 7). That is, as described with reference to FIG. 3, after starting the game software (step SP1) and logging in (step SP2), a predetermined procedure for withdrawing free medals (step SP4) is performed to obtain charge medals Mc. It is possible to play the online game using the free medals Mf that are held without purchasing (see FIG. 7, etc.).

As described above, according to the game device 10 and the game system of the present embodiment, a predetermined game value item (free medal Mf in the case of the present embodiment) is made common or shared among a plurality of online medal game software. It will be possible. For this reason, even though it is an online virtual game, players can take out (carry around) medals in a real game arcade and enjoy another medal game. ) Mf can be used to enjoy other online games (see FIG. 6, etc.). Therefore, from the player's point of view, there is an advantage that it is possible to enjoy a plurality of online medal game software without purchasing charge medals Mc. In addition, medals can be reused like in a real game arcade, such as collecting free medals Mf in a certain game and using the free medals Mf in another game to aim for a quick fortune.

Moreover, such an online token game can be easily played anytime and anywhere, even if it is not an actual machine (amusement machine) in a game arcade. Therefore, if the free medals Mf can be made common or shared among a plurality of types of online medal games, the players will enjoy playing these online medal games more, and the free medals Mf that they have earned and held with much effort will be used. You can get the opportunity, expectation, and security that you can use it for another kind of online medal game without wasting it. In other words, from the player's point of view, the commonization of the free medals Mf means that one wallet (or medal holding box) is sufficient for playing a plurality of types of online medal games. is such that Furthermore, when a new online medal game is added to the line-up, the above also leads to an incentive to try the new game using the free medals Mf owned.

It is recognized that there are advantages from the standpoint of the service provider as well. In other words, the items purchased by the player with money (charging medals Mc) and the items obtained based on the game results (free medals Mf) are separately managed, and the paid and free games are balanced. , commonality or sharing of free medals Mf among a plurality of online medal game software will encourage players to play the game (particularly, a new game or a game that has not yet gained popularity). If the number of players increases as a result, the chances of purchasing charge medals Mc will also increase, and as a result, there is a possibility that this will lead to an increase in profits. In addition, if the number of players increases and leads to the acquisition of more users through word of mouth, writing, etc., it can be expected to lead to synergistic effects. Moreover, the commonization or sharing of the free medals Mf between the online game systems as described above is an infrastructure that shares or shares a part of the specifications (specifically, the management server 50 serving as a platform). This also has the advantage that the types (contents) of game software can be increased relatively easily to meet the needs of players. In addition, even if an item (for example, charge medal Mc) is purchased through an online game system, it is not possible to use the charge medal Mc with other game software due to system restrictions or the like. By setting a plurality of types of game value items as in this embodiment and making one of the items common or shared between game software, it is possible to transfer the item between game software (so to speak, other game software can be taken out to

Although the above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, it is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, although not mentioned in the above embodiment, the number of free medals Mf that can be withdrawn per day from the management server 50 can be limited to a certain number (for example, 10,000). For example, if there is a lineup of a plurality of online games that can commonly use free medals Mf, and among them there is a game in which medal acquisition is relatively easy (so-called inflation apps, etc.), the relatively easy To suppress an act (inflation act) of acquiring a large amount of free medals Mf as a resource in a simple game and playing another online game to the fullest using the resource (inflation act) within a certain range.

Further, when there is a lineup of a plurality of online games in which free medals Mf can be used in common, the medal rate may be changed between different games. For example, if there are the difficulty of the game, the amount of medal acquisition/consumption rate during the game, the amount of required medals set for a predetermined event during the game, etc., the medal rate, which is usually 1:1, is set to these It is as if it is changed according to the elements of As an example of application, when the existence of the above-mentioned "inflation app" is recognized, the medal rate in the inflation app may be varied. In fact, game software (applications) with a high rate tend to be treated as so-called "rich content" with large medals coming in and out, while game software with a low rate tends to be something that players are likely to play for a long time. Is recognized. In this regard, making it possible to select a game according to the high or low rate will lead to the expansion and diversification of ways of enjoyment for players (users), as well as the expansion of operational advantages for service providers. You can expect to connect with

Also, although not shown, the management server 50 can aggregate the number of deposits of free medals Mf for each player and display the top players as a ranking. In this case, the ranking may be displayed together with the medal withdrawal screen (see FIGS. 4 and 7) and the medal deposit screen (see FIG. 6). may be displayed in time. Displaying the number of deposited medals in a ranking in this way can motivate people to obtain more free medals Mf. It can be a material for increasing

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an online medal game using medals as game value items has been exemplified and explained. can be commonized or shared between online games.

Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the game value item is the charged medal Mc or the free medal Mf is illustrated, but this is only a suitable example. The game value items may be items other than medals (for example, items such as "common lottery" or "common item exchange ticket"). A game value item and a second game value item given to the player based on the result of the game may be used, and specific examples thereof are not particularly limited.

Also, what has been explained so far is an online medal game using virtual medals. In some cases, interlocking with these actual machines can also be achieved. For example, when a game event is held at a game center where the actual machine is located, information on the event is notified through the online game, location information including access information to the game center is sent, People who are interested in the game, such as distributing nationwide ranking information on the actual machine, announcing information on the replacement of the actual machine with a new machine or minor changes, or distributing coupons with discount benefits. This applies to forms of use as an information transmission medium or communication tool for players, etc. (However, this excludes forms in which real medals used in real machines and virtual medals online are actually linked). . Furthermore, regardless of whether or not they are interlocked with the actual machine, when a common game event is held among a plurality of types of online game software sharing the management server 50, the event information can be announced through the online game. is also possible.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is preferably applied to games played using game value items.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Game apparatus 11... Case 12... Touch panel 13... Receiver 14... Microphone 15... Hard button 16... Hard key 17... Audio output terminal 18... Speaker 21... Antenna for mobile communication 22... Mobile communication part 23... Wireless LAN Communication antenna 24...Wireless LAN communication unit 25...Storage unit (storage means)
26 ... main control section (control means)
27 Display 28 Touch sensor 30 Camera 32 External interface 40 Network (Internet)
50 Management server (server)
Mc... Billing medal (first game value item)
Mf: Free medal (second game value item)

Claims (3)

a portable terminal in which a first game application for playing a first game and a second game application for playing a second game are installed, and in which a user performs a game operation when playing the first game and the second game ; , a game system including a server communicably connected to the mobile terminal via a network,
means for managing data on a server so that a specific item obtained by the user in the first game by the user performing a first game operation on the screen of the first game can be received in the second game; ,
means for causing the second game to receive the specific item whose data is managed by the user performing a second game operation on the screen of the second game;
means for allowing the user to obtain, in the second game, another item exchanged with the specific item received in the second game;
there is a limit to the number of the specific items that the user can receive in the second game;
game system. 2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said specific item is not a pay item obtainable by charging, but a free item obtainable by playing said first game. a portable terminal in which a first game application for playing a first game and a second game application for playing a second game are installed, and in which a user performs a game operation when playing the first game and the second game ; A service providing method in a game system including a server communicatively connected,
a step of managing data on a server so that a specific item obtained by the user in the first game by the user performing a first game operation on the screen of the first game can be received in the second game; ,
a step of causing the second game to receive the specific item whose data is managed by the user performing a second game operation on the screen of the second game;
causing the user to obtain, in the second game, another item exchanged for the specific item received in the second game;
there is a limit to the number of the specific items that the user can receive in the second game;
How we provide our services.

Images