JP7523239B2 - Server system and game system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a server system that can communicate with a player terminal having a positioning function.

A known location game (also called a location information game) that uses the player's location information measured by the player terminal is a game that uses each player's movement history, which associates each player's position with time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that reduces the variation in the chances of matching players by using each player's movement history.

JP 2012-151735 A

In location-based games, game events may be held for players who are at specific locations in real space, and the location where the game event occurs is extremely important. Since the location where the game event occurs is expected to be visited by many players for the game event, it is desirable that the location be one that is easy for players to visit, and also one that allows a certain number of people to stay. Real space is vast, and if the location where a game event occurs is determined randomly, for example, there is a risk that the location selected will be an inappropriate location for the game event, such as a place where entry by the general public is prohibited.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to make it possible to appropriately determine the occurrence point in real space of a game event that occurs in a location-based game by using the movement history of each player.

The first invention for solving the above problem is:
A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means (e.g., the server storage unit 300 in FIG. 9 ) for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
An analysis means (e.g., the analysis unit 220 in FIG. 9 ) for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visit of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination unit (e.g., the game event location determination unit 230 in FIG. 9 ) for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on the analysis result of the analysis unit;
The server system includes:

According to the first invention, by using the movement history of each player, it is possible to appropriately determine the occurrence location in real space of a game event occurring in a position-based game. In other words, from the movement history of each player, a suitable visit location that satisfies a given suitable condition regarding the visit of an unspecified number of players is analyzed, and the occurrence location of a game event occurring in a position-based game is determined based on the analysis result. This makes it possible to determine, as the occurrence location of a game event, a location that is easy for players to visit and where a certain number of people can stay, such as determining, for example, a location that has been visited by multiple players in the past as the occurrence location of a game event. The occurrence location of a game event determined in this way is easy for an unspecified number of players to visit, and is therefore effective in attracting customers to the game event.

The second invention is the first invention,
The analysis means includes an intersection analysis means (e.g., the intersection analysis unit 222 in FIG. 9 ) that analyzes an intersection point that satisfies a given intersection condition, which is a condition for the movement paths of the player to intersect, based on the movement history, and analyzes the suitable visiting points using the intersection point.
It is a server system.

According to the second invention, it is possible to analyze intersections where the movement paths of players intersect, and to analyze suitable visiting points using the intersections. This makes it possible to determine a point that multiple players have passed through in the past as a point that is likely to be visited by an unspecified number of players, and to determine it as the origin point of the game system.

A third invention is the first or second invention,
The analysis means includes a stay analysis means (e.g., the stay analysis unit 224 in FIG. 9 ) that analyzes a stay point that satisfies a given stay condition, which is a condition for the player position to stay, based on the movement history, and analyzes the suitable visit point using the stay point.
It is a server system.

According to the third invention, the staying point where the player position stays can be analyzed, and the staying point can be used to analyze the suitable visiting point. This makes it possible to determine a point where the player has stayed in the past as the origin point of the game system by regarding the point as a point where the staying of an unspecified number of players is permitted.

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to the second aspect of the present invention,
The analysis means includes a stay analysis means (e.g., the stay analysis unit 224 of FIG. 9) that analyzes a stay point that satisfies a given stay condition, which is a condition for a player position to stay, based on the movement history, and satisfies a given crowded stay condition where the stay points of different players are present in a crowded state,
It is a server system.

According to the fourth invention, it is possible to analyze a crowded staying point where the staying points of different players are present in a crowded state. This makes it possible to determine a point where multiple players have stayed in the past as a point where the staying of unspecified players is permitted, and to determine it as the occurrence point of the game system.

A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
The analysis means includes an unsuitable visit point determination means (e.g., the unsuitable visit point setting unit 228 in FIG. 9 ) that determines an unsuitable visit point that is prohibited from being a location where the game event occurs based on the crowded staying point.
It is a server system.

According to the fifth invention, it is possible to determine, based on the crowded staying points, points that are unsuitable for visit and that are prohibited from being used as points where game events occur. The crowded staying points may include, for example, points such as homes, schools, and companies where only certain related parties visit and stay, and where visits by non-related parties are not desired. It is possible to determine such points as unsuitable for visit and to prevent them from being determined as points where game events occur.

A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to the fifth aspect of the present invention,
The unsuitable place to visit determination means determines the unsuitable place to visit based on the crowded staying place, the presence or absence of a facility corresponding to the crowded staying place, and facility information of the facility.
It is a server system.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to determine points that are unsuitable for visiting based on the presence or absence of facilities that correspond to crowded staying points and the facility information of the facilities. As a result, for example, by predetermining as facility information that a specific type of facility is not to be determined as a point where a game event occurs, it is possible to uniformly determine crowded staying points that correspond to the specific type of facility as unsuitable for visiting and not to determine them as a point where a game event occurs.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the sixth aspect of the present invention,
The analysis means has a grouping means (e.g., the grouping unit 226 in FIG. 9 ) for grouping a group of players related to the same dense staying point by the dense staying point,
the analysis means analyzes the suitable visit points using intersection points where movement routes of different players included in the player groups related to the different dense staying points satisfy the intersection condition;
It is a server system.

According to the seventh invention, player groups related to the same dense stay point are grouped for each dense stay point, and suitable visit points can be analyzed using intersection points where the movement paths of different players included in player groups related to different dense stay points intersect. The grouped player groups are, for example, collections of players whose living areas overlap, such as schools or companies. Therefore, a point where the movement paths of different players from the grouped player groups intersect can be considered a point that can be visited by an unspecified number of players, and the point can be determined as a suitable visit point.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention,
a first event content determination means (e.g., the event content determination unit 232 in FIG. 9 ) for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on location-related information including facility information corresponding to the generation point and/or area information of the generation point;
The server system further comprises:

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the content of the game event to be generated at the determined generation point can be determined based on location-related information including facility information and area information corresponding to the determined generation point. This makes it possible to generate a game event with content that corresponds to the facility and area corresponding to the generation point, making it possible to make the game event more interesting for players and more effective at attracting customers.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the eighth aspect of the present invention,
the location-related information includes facility information corresponding to the occurrence location and an estimated action of the player associated in advance with the facility;
It is a server system.

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the location-related information includes an estimated player behavior associated with the facility corresponding to the occurrence location. The estimated player behavior associated with the facility is, for example, purchasing behavior in a commercial facility, viewing/watching in a viewing/watching facility, exercising in a sports facility, strolling in a park, etc. This makes it possible to generate a game event with content according to the estimated player behavior corresponding to the facility corresponding to the occurrence location, making it possible to make the game event more interesting for the player and more effective in attracting customers.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is the method for producing a liquid crystal display device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the present invention,
a second event content determination means (e.g., the event content determination unit 232 in FIG. 9 ) for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation location based on the generation date and time;
The server system further comprises:

According to the tenth invention, the content of the game event to be generated at the generation location can be determined based on the generation date and time. This makes it possible to generate a game event with content that corresponds to the generation date and time, such as the date, time of day, or season, making it possible to make the game event more interesting for players and more effective at attracting customers.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention,
A real space is associated with a game space of the position game,
a third event content determination means for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on a position in the game space corresponding to the generation point;
The server system further comprises:

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the content of the game event to be generated at the generation point can be determined based on the position in the game space corresponding to the generation point. In other words, since the content of the game event is determined according to the position in the game space corresponding to the generation point, it is possible to create a more interesting game event that reflects the game world of a location-based game.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention,
a fourth event content determination means (e.g., the event content determination unit 232 in FIG. 9 ) for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on the movement history of a player who has passed through the generation point in the movement history;
The server system further comprises:

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point can be determined based on the movement history of players who have passed through the occurrence point. For example, a mini-game with a difficulty level according to the time continuously located at the occurrence point can be generated as a game event. This makes it possible to generate a game event with content according to whether the occurrence point is a place where an unspecified number of players stay for a certain amount of time or is simply a passing point, making it possible to make the game event easy for players to stop by and effective in attracting customers.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to twelfth aspects of the present invention,
a fifth event content determination means (e.g., the event content determination unit 232 in FIG. 9 ) for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on player information of a player who has a history of passing through the generation point in the movement history;
The server system further comprises:

According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the content of the game event to be generated at the generation point can be determined based on the player information of players who have passed through the generation point. As the player information, in addition to information on attributes such as gender and age (generation), information on the game such as the game progress and level (skill level), the player character (including avatar) used in the game, and favorite characters can be adopted. This makes it possible to make the game event more interesting for players and effective in attracting customers, for example by making a mini-game featuring a favorite character of many players who have passed through the determined generation point the game event.

A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the present invention,
an occurrence date and time determination means for determining an occurrence date and time of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on player information of a player who has a history of passing through the occurrence point in the movement history;
The server system further comprises:

According to the fourteenth invention, the occurrence date and time of a game event can be determined based on the player information of players who have passed through the occurrence point. This makes it possible to make a game event that is easy for players to stop by and is effective in attracting customers, for example by setting the occurrence date and time to be a holiday daytime or evening, avoiding nighttime, if most of the players who have passed through the occurrence point are in their teens.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects of the present invention,
a notice control means (e.g., notice control unit 234 in FIG. 9 ) for notifying each player terminal of notice information that notices the occurrence of a game event at the occurrence point;
The server system further comprises:

According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, advance notice information predicting the occurrence of a game event at the determined occurrence point is notified to the player terminal.

The sixteenth invention is
a player terminal having a positioning function;
A server system according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects of the present invention;
It is a game system equipped with the above.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the invention, it is possible to realize a game system that exhibits the effects of any one of the first to fifteenth aspects of the invention.

An example of a game system configuration. An explanatory diagram of the intersection point. An explanatory diagram of a dwell point. An explanatory diagram of crowded congestion points. FIG. An explanatory diagram of the intersection point. An explanatory diagram of areas that are unsuitable for visiting. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of determining the content of a game event. 1 shows an example of the functional configuration of a server system. 13 is an example of player management data. An example of analysis data. An example of location-related information. 13 is an example of game event determination data. An example of the functional configuration of a player terminal; 13 is a flowchart of a game event determination process.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and the forms to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals.

[Game System]
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a game system according to the present embodiment. According to Fig. 1, the game system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a server system 1000 connectable to a communication network N, and a plurality of player terminals 1500 that can access the server system 1000 via the communication network N and communicate with the server system 1000.

The communication network N refers to a communication path that allows data communication. In other words, the communication network N includes a dedicated line (dedicated cable) for direct connection, a LAN (Local Area Network) using Ethernet (registered trademark), etc., as well as a communication network such as a telephone communication network, a cable network, or the Internet, and the communication method can be either wired or wireless.

The server system 1000 is a computer system having a main unit 1010, a keyboard 1002, a display 1004, and storage 1030, and a control board 1020 mounted on the main unit 1010.

The control board 1020 is equipped with various processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1021, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), various IC memories 1022 such as a VRAM, a RAM, and a ROM, and a communication device 1023. Note that a part or the whole of the control board 1020 may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a SoC (System on a Chip). These arithmetic circuits can also be called processors. The server system 1000 realizes various services for operating the game of this embodiment by the control board 1020 performing arithmetic processing based on a predetermined program and data. For example, it realizes a player management function related to player registration and a game management function for managing the execution control of the game on the player terminal 1500. In other words, the game in this embodiment is realized as a kind of client-server type online game.

The server system 1000 is not limited to the standalone configuration shown in FIG. 1, but may be configured with multiple blade servers each assigned to a different function, connected to each other via an internal bus for data communication. Alternatively, multiple independent servers installed in separate locations may be configured to communicate data via a communication line, functioning as the server system 1000 as a whole.

The player terminal 1500 is a computer system that is used individually by the player 3 to play the game, and is an electronic device that can access the server system 1000 via the communication network N. The player terminal 1500 in this embodiment will be described as a device known as a smartphone in terms of hardware, but it may also be a portable game device, a game controller, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a wearable computer, or the like. In addition, it is not limited to the single device shown in FIG. 1, and may be a configuration in which multiple devices work together to function as an integrated unit.

The player terminal 1500 includes a positioning module that realizes a positioning function that acquires the position information of the player terminal 1500 in real space using a known positioning system. The positioning module receives a signal transmitted from the positioning system, performs a predetermined calculation process, and outputs the positioning information at a predetermined cycle (for example, every second). The positioning information includes date and time, position coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude), etc. As the positioning system, for example, a satellite navigation system such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or Galileo can be used. Note that the positioning function may be realized by a method other than the positioning module. For example, the position information of a wireless base station (which may be a mobile phone base station or a wireless LAN base station) with which the wireless communication module wirelessly communicates can be acquired as the position information of the player terminal 1500.

[Game Description]
1. Overview The game played in the game system 1 is a position game that utilizes the positioning function of the player terminal 1500, and the progress of the game in the player terminal 1500 is controlled based on the position measured by the player terminal 1500 (hereinafter referred to as the "player position"). The player 3 enjoys the game by moving around in real space carrying his/her own player terminal 1500.

In a position game, a game event is generated for a player 3 whose player position corresponds to a specified occurrence point during a specified time period. One of the features of this embodiment is that the occurrence point of the game event is determined based on the movement history of each player 3. The "movement history of player 3" is data that associates the player position acquired from the player terminal 1500 with time and stores the movement route of player 3. Furthermore, a "point" does not mean a strict point, but rather indicates a certain spatial range that is understood by those skilled in the art of position games. For example, an area obtained by dividing the real space by a specified distance of about tens to hundreds of meters is one "point". Therefore, a "point corresponding to the player's position" means that "the player's position is included in the point."

2. Determining the location where a game event occurs The general procedure for determining the location where a game event occurs is as follows: first, (1) analyze suitable visit locations that satisfy given suitable conditions for the visit of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history of each player, and then (2) determine the location where a game event to be generated in a location-based game will occur based on the analysis result of the suitable visit locations.

2-1. Analysis of suitable visiting points Specifically, three types of points, namely, intersection points, stay points, and dense stay points, are analyzed as suitable visiting points that satisfy the suitable conditions.

Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the analysis of the intersection point. As shown in Figure 2, a point that satisfies a given intersection condition, which is a condition for the movement paths 5 of the players 3 to intersect based on the movement history of each player 3, is set as an intersection point. The "movement path 5 of the player 3" can be obtained from the movement history of the player 3, and may be the player position (a sequence of discrete positions) of the player 3 at each time, or may be a curve connecting the player positions of the player 3 at each time. The "intersection condition" is that "the movement paths 5 of a predetermined number of players 3 pass through a certain point." It can also be said that "the position of a predetermined number of players or more is included." The intersection condition can also be said to be one of the sub-conditions (OR condition) included in the favorable condition. Since the intersection point corresponds to a point that multiple players have passed through, it can be considered as a favorable visit point that an unspecified number of players can visit.

Figure 2 shows an example of an intersection point through which the movement paths 5 (5a to 5e) of five players 3 (3a to 3e) pass, but the number of players 3 may be less than five or more than five. The number of movement paths that intersect at the intersection point (i.e., the number of players that have passed through) may be used as the degree of intersection to determine the occurrence point of a game event, which will be described later.

Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the analysis of a staying point. As shown in Figure 3, a staying point is a point that satisfies a given staying condition, which is a condition for a player's position to stay, based on the movement history of each player 3. The "staying condition" means that "one player's position is continuously located at a certain point for a predetermined period of time or more." Since a staying point corresponds to a point where a player has been staying continuously for a predetermined period of time or more, it can be considered a suitable visiting point where a player can visit. The staying condition can also be said to be one of the sub-conditions (OR condition) included in the suitable condition. Note that the time (duration) that one player's position is continuously located at a staying point may be used as a staying degree to determine the occurrence point of a game event, which will be described later.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the analysis of crowded staying points. As shown in Figure 4, a crowded staying point is a position that satisfies a given staying condition, which is a condition for a player position to stay, and where the staying points of different players are densely present. The "dense staying condition" means that a certain point "is a staying point of a predetermined number of players or more." A crowded staying point corresponds to a point where multiple players each stay continuously for a predetermined period of time or more, so it can be considered a suitable visiting point where an unspecified number of players can visit. The crowded staying condition can also be said to be one of the sub-conditions (OR condition) included in the suitable condition.

Figure 4 shows an example of a crowded staying point where four players 3 (3g to 3j) are staying, but the number of players may be less than four or more than four. The number of players who are staying at the crowded staying point may be used as the degree of crowded staying to determine the occurrence point of a game event, which will be described later.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, player groups related to the same crowded retention point may be grouped by the crowded retention point, and a point where the movement paths of different players included in player groups related to different crowded retention points satisfy the intersection condition may be set as an intersection point. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, a player group whose retention point is crowded retention point A is grouped as group A, and a player group whose retention point is crowded retention point B is grouped as group B. Then, as shown in Fig. 6, a point where a movement path 5k of a player 3k included in group A and a movement path 5l of a player 3l included in group B intersect is set as an intersection point. Note that, in Fig. 6, the movement paths 5k and 5l of the players 3k and 3l are shown as paths after the players 3k and 3l have reached the crowded retention points A and B, respectively, but they may be paths before the players reach the crowded retention points A and B. A group of players is a collection of players who share a common living area at a densely populated point, and an intersection point corresponds to a point through which multiple players with different living areas have passed, so it can be considered a suitable place for an unspecified number of players to visit.

In addition, the inappropriate points to be visited, which are prohibited from being used as game event occurrence points, are determined based on the crowded staying points, the presence or absence of facilities corresponding to the crowded staying points, and the facility information of the facilities. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the determination of the inappropriate points to be visited. As shown in FIG. 7, among the crowded staying points, points for which the facility information 332 specifies that the facility is "not allowed" to be visited are determined as inappropriate points to be visited and are excluded from the suitable points to be visited. The facility information 332 is information about facilities in the real space, and stores at least the name, type, location, and whether or not the facility is allowed to be visited, which are used in the real space, in association with a unique facility ID assigned to each facility. Facilities include structures such as bridges, roads, stations, and bus stops, buildings such as commercial facilities, houses, hospitals, and parks, as well as natural objects such as rivers, lakes, and trees. Whether or not the facility is allowed to be visited indicates whether or not the facility is allowed to be visited by an unspecified number of people. For example, a facility such as a house where the unspecified number of people are not desired to be visited is specified as "not allowed" to be visited. In the example of FIG. 7, of the three points A to C, point C, whose corresponding facility is a "residence," is determined to be an inappropriate point for visiting. Similarly, for stay points, points whose corresponding facility is set as "not allowed" in the facility information 332 may be determined to be inappropriate points for visiting.

2-2. Determination of game event occurrence points One or more game event occurrence points are determined from (a) intersection points, (b) stay points, and (c) crowded stay points excluding unsuitable visit points, which are the analysis results of the suitable visit points. For example, a predetermined number of points may be selected randomly, or may be selected with a selection probability according to the degree of intersection at the intersection points, the degree of stay at the stay points, and the degree of crowding at the crowded stay points.

3. Determination of the Content of a Game Event After the occurrence point of a game event is determined, the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point is then determined. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the determination of the content of a game event. As shown in Fig. 8, the content of a game event is determined based on (1) information about the occurrence point, (2) the occurrence date and time, and (3) information about the player.

The information on the occurrence point is location-related information including facility information corresponding to the occurrence point, estimated player actions previously associated with the facility, and area information of the occurrence point. The facility information includes the type of facility. The player who is the subject of the information on the player is a player who has a history of passing the occurrence point in his/her movement history, that is, a player whose movement route based on his/her movement history includes the occurrence point. The information on the player is information on attributes such as the gender and age (generation) of each target player, information on the position game such as the progress of the game, the player character (including the avatar character) used in the game, and favorite characters. It may further include information on the level (skill level) and other game titles for which the player has an account. The information on each player is analyzed by calculating the majority value or average value of each item, and a tendency value of the players who have passed the occurrence point is calculated, such as, for example, that the gender is mostly male and the average time spent is about 15 minutes.

Then, from among a plurality of content setting data 340 that predetermines the content of a game event, content corresponding to a combination of (1) information on the determined occurrence point of the game event, (2) the date and time of the occurrence of the game event, and (3) information on a player who has a history of passing through the occurrence point is selected. The content setting data 340 is generated for each predetermined content of the game event, and includes a unique event ID assigned to the content, the content, and the occurrence conditions. The content of the game event is determined in two stages: the genre, which is a rough content, and the detailed content of each genre. Examples of genres include the granting of items, the appearance of characters, and the playing of mini-games, and the detailed content of each genre includes the items granted, the characters that appear (enemy characters and ally characters), the type and difficulty of the mini-game played, etc. The occurrence conditions are the conditions under which a game event of that content occurs, and specifically define each of the following items: (1) information about the occurrence location, such as the type of facility, the player's estimated behavior, and the area corresponding to the occurrence location; (2) the occurrence date and time; and (3) information about the player, such as the presence time, gender, age, game progress, player character, and favorite character.

The content of the game event may be determined by selecting content that satisfies the occurrence conditions from all of the content setting data 340 provided, or the general content (genre) of the game event may be determined first, and then detailed content may be determined by selecting content that satisfies the occurrence conditions from the content setting data 340 that corresponds to the determined genre.

[Functional configuration]
1. Server system 1000
Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server system 1000. According to Fig. 9, the server system 1000 includes an operation input unit 102, an image display unit 104, an audio output unit 106, a communication unit 108, a server processing unit 200, and a server storage unit 300.

The operation input unit 102 outputs operation input signals to the server processing unit 200 in response to various operation inputs for managing the server system 1000. This corresponds to the keyboard 1002 in FIG. 1.

The server processing unit 200 is realized by, for example, a processor such as a CPU or GPU, or electronic components such as an ASIC or IC memory, and controls the input and output of data between each functional unit including the operation input unit 102 and the server storage unit 300. It then executes various arithmetic processes based on predetermined programs and data, operation input signals from the operation input unit 102, data received from the player terminal 1500, etc., to comprehensively control the operation of the server system 1000. This corresponds to the control board 1020 in Figure 1. The server processing unit 200 also has a player management unit 202, a game management unit 210, a timer unit 240, an image generation unit 244, a sound generation unit 246, and a communication control unit 248. Of course, other functions than these can also be included as appropriate.

The player management unit 202 performs various processes related to player registration management. In this embodiment, it has the functions of assigning unique player accounts to registered players, managing registration information to register and manage personal information for each player account, and managing game data. Of course, it can also include management functions for data linked to other accounts as appropriate. The player management unit 202 manages data related to each player 3 by assigning a unique account (player ID) to a player 3 who has completed the player registration procedure and generating player management data 310.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of player management data 310. According to FIG. 10, player management data 310 is generated for each registered player and includes a player account assigned to the player, the terminal ID of the player terminal 1500 of the player, attribute information, play movement history data, and play history data of the position game by the player. The player account includes a unique player ID assigned to the player, as well as a player name and password arbitrarily set by the player. The attribute information is information about the attributes of the player, including gender and age. The movement history data is movement history data that is accumulated by associating the player position obtained from the player terminal 1500 of the player with the date and time (date and time information). The play history data includes the game progress status, total play time, player character used, favorite character, etc.

The game management unit 210 performs various processes related to the management of game execution. Since the game in this embodiment is a client-server type online game, the game management unit 210 controls the provision of data necessary for game play while communicating with the player terminal 1500. The game management unit 210 also has an analysis unit 220, a game event location determination unit 230, an event content determination unit 232, and a notice control unit 234.

The analysis unit 220 analyzes suitable visit points that satisfy given suitable conditions for the visit of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history in which the player positions obtained from each player terminal 1500 are associated with time. The analysis unit 220 also has an intersection analysis unit 222, a stay analysis unit 224, a grouping unit 226, and an unsuitable visit point setting unit 228, and analyzes suitable visit points using the intersection points analyzed by the intersection analysis unit 222, and the stay points and dense stay points analyzed by the stay analysis unit 224. In other words, (a) the intersection points, (b) the stay points, and (c) the dense stay points excluding the unsuitable visit points determined by the unsuitable visit point setting unit 228 are set as suitable visit points.

The intersection analysis unit 222 analyzes intersection points that satisfy a given intersection condition, which is a condition for the movement paths 5 of players 3 to intersect, based on the movement history of each player 3 (see FIG. 2). In addition, it analyzes intersection points that satisfy the intersection condition for the movement paths 5 of different players 3 that are separately included in player groups related to different crowded staying points, based on the movement history of each player 3 (see FIG. 6).

The retention analysis unit 224 analyzes retention points that satisfy given retention conditions, which are conditions for a player's position to remain, based on the movement history of each player 3 (see FIG. 3). It also analyzes crowded retention points that satisfy given crowded retention conditions, which are conditions for a player's position to remain, where the retention points of different players 3 are concentrated, based on the movement history of each player 3 (see FIG. 4).

The grouping unit 226 groups players who are associated with the same crowded staying point by that crowded staying point (see FIG. 5).

The inappropriate visit point setting unit 228 determines inappropriate visit points that are prohibited from being used as locations where game events occur, based on the crowded staying points, the presence or absence of facilities that correspond to the crowded staying points, and the facility information of the facilities (see FIG. 7). In other words, of the crowded staying points analyzed by the staying analysis unit 224, points for which visiting the corresponding facilities is defined as "not allowed" in the facility information 332 are determined as inappropriate visit points.

The analysis results by the analysis unit 220 are stored as analysis data 350. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the analysis data 350. According to FIG. 11, the analysis data 350 is generated for each analysis, and includes the analysis date and time, an intersection point list which is a list of the point IDs of the intersection points analyzed by the intersection analysis unit 222, a stay point list which is a list of the point IDs of the stay points analyzed by the stay analysis unit 224, a dense stay point list which is a list of the point IDs of the dense stay points analyzed by the stay analysis unit 224, grouping information, an unsuitable visit point list set by the unsuitable visit point setting unit 228, and a suitable visit point list. The suitable visit point list is a list of the point IDs of the suitable visit points which are the analysis results, and the suitable visit points are (a) intersection points, (b) stay points, and (c) points among the dense stay points excluding the unsuitable visit points. The grouping information is data related to the groups of players grouped by the grouping unit, and is data that associates the player IDs of each player grouped into a player group for each crowded staying point.

The game event location determination unit 230 determines the occurrence location of a game event to be generated in a positional game based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 220. That is, one or more locations are selected from the suitable visit locations analyzed by the analysis unit 220 and determined as the occurrence location of the game event. The selection method may be, for example, random selection, or selection with a selection probability according to the degree of intersection of an intersection point, the degree of stay of a stay point, and the degree of congestion of a dense stay point. Also, an intersection point that satisfies a predetermined intersection degree condition based on the degree of intersection, a stay point that satisfies a predetermined stay degree condition based on the degree of stay, or a dense stay point that satisfies a predetermined congestion degree condition based on the degree of congestion may be determined as the occurrence location of the game event.

The event content determination unit 232 determines the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on location-related information including facility information 332 corresponding to the occurrence point, the estimated behavior of the player previously associated with the facility, and area information of the occurrence point. The event content determination unit 232 also determines the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on the occurrence date and time. The event content determination unit 232 also determines the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on the movement history of a player who has passed through the occurrence point in his movement history. The event content determination unit 232 also determines the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on player information of a player who has passed through the occurrence point in his movement history (see FIG. 8).

That is, by referring to the location-related information 330, the type of facility corresponding to the determined occurrence location of the game event, the estimated behavior of the player 3 corresponding to the facility, and the area corresponding to the occurrence location are determined. Also, by referring to the player management data 310, players who have a history of passing through the occurrence location are extracted based on the movement history data, and the tendency value of the player who passed through the occurrence location is determined by analyzing the presence time at the occurrence location, gender, age, game progress status, player character (including avatar character), and favorite character based on the movement history data, attribute information, and play history data of each extracted player. Then, from among a plurality of content setting data 340 that predetermines the content of the game event, the content corresponding to a combination of (1) information about the occurrence location, which is the type of facility corresponding to the occurrence location, the estimated behavior of the player corresponding to the facility, and the area corresponding to the occurrence location, (2) the occurrence date and time, and (3) information about the player, which is the presence time, gender, age, game progress status, player character, and favorite character, is selected to determine the content of the game event. The occurrence date and time of the game event is, for example, arbitrarily determined.

This makes it possible, for example, to generate a mini-game as a game event with a difficulty level that corresponds to the time that the player has been continuously located at the generation point. Game events can be generated with content that corresponds to whether the generation point is a place where an unspecified number of players stay for a certain amount of time or is simply a passing point, making it possible to create a game event that is easy for players to stop by and is effective in attracting customers.

In addition, for example, a game event could be a mini-game featuring a favorite character of many players who have passed through the determined occurrence point, making it possible to create a game event that is more interesting to players and more effective at attracting customers.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of location-related information 330. According to FIG. 12, location-related information 330 includes facility information 332 and area information 334. Facility information 332 is information about facilities, which are structures or buildings in real space, and stores a unique facility ID assigned to each facility, the name of the facility used in real space, the type of facility, the location corresponding to the facility, whether or not the facility can be visited, and the player's estimated behavior in association with the facility. A "location corresponding to a facility" means a "location that includes part or all of the facility's premises." Therefore, one facility corresponds to one or more locations, and one location corresponds to one or more facilities. The player's estimated behavior is basically determined according to the type of facility, but may include behavior specific to the facility.

Region information 334 is information about regions, and stores the name of the region and points corresponding to the region in association with a unique region ID assigned to each region. "Region" refers to a geographical area including administrative divisions such as prefectures and cities, towns, and villages, as well as place names and famous places, and can overlap or be defined hierarchically. "Points corresponding to a region" means "points that include all or part of a region," similar to the facilities mentioned above. Therefore, one region can correspond to one or more points, and one point can correspond to one or more regions.

Data relating to the determined game event is stored as game event determination data 360. FIG. 13 is an example of game event determination data 360. According to FIG. 13, game event determination data 360 is generated for each game event, and includes the date and time of occurrence of the game event, the location ID of the occurrence location determined by the game event location determination unit 230, and the content determined by the event content determination unit 232.

The notice control unit 234 notifies each player terminal 1500 of notice information that notices the occurrence of a game event at the occurrence location. That is, in accordance with the game event determination data 360, notice information including the occurrence location, occurrence date and time, and content of the game event is transmitted to each player terminal 1500 and displayed.

The timekeeping unit 240 uses the system clock to keep track of the current date and time, etc.

The image generation unit 244 generates images related to system management of the server system 1000, images to be displayed on the player terminal 1500, etc. Then, it outputs image signals related to system management to the image display unit 104. The image display unit 104 displays various images for system management based on the image signals input from the image generation unit 244. For example, this can be realized by an image display device such as a flat panel display or a projector. The display 1006 in Figure 1 corresponds to this.

The sound generation unit 246 is realized by executing an IC or software that generates or decodes audio data, and generates or decodes audio data such as operation sounds and background music related to system management and game play of the server system 1000. It then outputs an audio signal related to system management to the audio output unit 106. The audio output unit 106 emits sound based on the audio signal. This corresponds to the speakers (not shown) provided in the main unit 1010 and display 1006 in FIG. 1.

The communication control unit 248 executes data processing related to data communication, and realizes data exchange with external devices via the communication unit 108. The communication unit 108 realizes communication by connecting to the communication network N. For example, this is realized by a wireless communication device, a modem, a TA (terminal adapter), a jack for a wired communication cable, a control circuit, etc. The communication device 1016 in FIG. 1 corresponds to this.

The server storage unit 300 stores programs and various data for implementing various functions that allow the server processing unit 200 to comprehensively control the server system 1000. It is also used as a working area for the server processing unit 200, and temporarily stores the results of calculations that the server processing unit 200 executes according to various programs. For example, it is implemented by IC memory such as RAM or ROM, magnetic disks such as hard disks, optical disks such as CD-ROM or DVD, online storage, etc. The server storage unit 300 stores a server program 302 for implementing various functional units of the server system 1000, a distribution client program 304, player management data 310, location setting information 320, location related information 330, content setting data 340, analysis data 350, and game event determination data 360.

The location setting information 320 is data that defines locations, which are areas that are partitioned into real space at a specified distance, for example, on the order of tens to hundreds of meters, and for each location, a unique location ID assigned to the location is stored in association with an area position that indicates the area of the location. The area position is, for example, the position of the center or apex of the area, expressed in latitude and longitude.

2. Player Terminal Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a player terminal 1500. According to Fig. 14, the player terminal 1500 includes an operation input unit 502, an image display unit 504, a sound output unit 506, a communication unit 508, a positioning unit 510, a device processing unit 600, and a device storage unit 700.

The operation input unit 502 outputs an operation input signal to the terminal processing unit 600 in response to various operation inputs by the player 3. For example, it can be realized by a push switch, a joystick, a touchpad, a trackball, an acceleration sensor, a gyro, a CCD module, etc.

The positioning unit 510 realizes a positioning function that acquires position information of the player terminal 1500 in real space using a known positioning system. For example, this can be realized by a positioning module that receives signals transmitted from satellite navigation systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo, and outputs positioning information including date and time, position coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude), etc.

The terminal processing unit 600 is realized by electronic components such as a processor and IC memory, and controls the input and output of data between each functional unit including the operation input unit 502 and the terminal storage unit 700. The processor includes, for example, a centralized processing device such as a CPU or GPU, as well as arithmetic circuits such as an ASIC or FPGA. It then executes various types of arithmetic processing based on predetermined programs and data, operation signals from the operation input unit 502, data received from the server system 1000, and the like, to control the operation of the player terminal 1500. The terminal processing unit 600 also has a game control unit 610, a timing unit 620, and a communication control unit 628.

The game control unit 610 has an operation signal transmission control unit 612, a game screen display control unit 614, and an audio playback control unit 616.

The operation signal transmission control unit 612 executes processing to transmit various data and requests to the server system 1000 in response to operations performed on the operation input unit 502.

The game screen display control unit 614 performs control to display a game screen based on various image data received from the server system 1000. For example, it is realized by a processor such as a CPU, a digital signal processor (DSP), a video signal IC, a program such as a video codec, an IC memory for drawing frames such as a frame buffer, etc., and generates one image of the game screen in one frame time (e.g., 1/60th of a second) based on the various data received from the server system 1000, and outputs an image signal of the generated game screen to the image display unit 504. In this embodiment, the image of the game screen is generated by the server system 1000, but it is also possible to generate the image by the player terminal 1500.

The image display unit 504 displays various game images based on image signals input from the game screen display control unit 614. For example, this can be realized by an image display device such as a flat panel display, a projector, or a head-mounted display.

The audio playback control unit 616 performs control to emit game sounds (e.g., sound effects, background music, lines read by a voice actor, etc.) based on various audio data received from the server system 1000. For example, it is realized by a processor such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a voice synthesis IC, an audio codec for playing audio files, etc., and generates audio signals for various sounds such as game-related sound effects, background music, various operation sounds, and lines read out, and outputs them to the sound output unit 506.

The sound output unit 506 outputs sound effects, background music, etc. based on the sound signal input from the audio playback control unit 616.

The communication control unit 628 executes data processing related to data communication, and realizes data exchange with external devices via the communication unit 508. For example, this is realized by a wireless communication device, a modem, a TA (terminal adapter), a jack for a wired communication cable, a control circuit, etc.

The timekeeping unit 620 uses the system clock to keep track of the current date and time, etc.

The terminal storage unit 700 stores system programs for implementing various functions that allow the terminal processing unit 600 to comprehensively control the player terminal 1500, programs necessary for game play, various data, etc. It is also used as a working area for the terminal processing unit 600, and temporarily stores the results of calculations executed by the terminal processing unit 600 in accordance with the various programs, input data from the operation input unit 502, etc. For example, it is realized by IC memory such as RAM or ROM, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, or an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD. In this embodiment, the terminal storage unit 700 stores a client program 702.

The client program 702 is application software that the device processing unit 600 reads and executes to realize the functions of the game control unit 610. In this embodiment, it is a copy of the distribution client program 304 (see FIG. 9) provided by the server system 1000. Note that the client program 702 may be a dedicated client program depending on the technical method used to realize the game, or may be configured with a web browser program and a plug-in that realizes interactive image display, etc.

[Process flow]
15 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the game event determination process. This process is related to the determination of a single game event, and is executed by the game management unit 210.

First, the event content determination unit 232 determines the general content (genre) of the game event (step S1). Next, the analysis unit 220 analyzes suitable visit points based on the movement history of each player 3 (step S2). That is, the intersection analysis unit 222 analyzes intersection points of the movement routes of each player 3, the stay analysis unit 224 analyzes the stay points of each player 3 and crowded stay points where the stay points of different players 3 are densely present, and the unsuitable visit point setting unit 228 sets unsuitable visit points that are prohibited from being used as occurrence points of game events, and sets (a) intersection points, (b) stay points, and (c) crowded stay points excluding unsuitable visit points as suitable visit points.

Then, the game event location determination unit 230 determines the location where the game event will occur based on the analysis results of the suitable visiting locations (step S3). Next, the event content determination unit 232 determines the detailed content of the game event. That is, the detailed content of the game event is determined based on the location related information 330 including facility information and area information corresponding to the determined occurrence location, the occurrence date and time, and information on players who have a history of passing through the occurrence location (step S5). After that, the advance notice control unit 234 advances the occurrence of the game event (step S7). Then, when the date and time of the game event arrives, the game management unit 210 implements the game event with the determined content for the player terminal 1500 located at the determined occurrence location (step S9). After the above processing is performed, this process ends.

[Action and Effect]
In this way, according to this embodiment, by using the movement history of each player, it is possible to appropriately determine the occurrence point in real space of a game event to be generated in a position game. In other words, from the movement history of each player, an intersection point where the movement paths of multiple players intersect, a stay point where a player has stayed in the past, or a crowded stay point is analyzed as a suitable visit point suitable for the visit of an unspecified number of players. Then, based on the analysis result, the occurrence point of a game event to be generated in a position game is determined. Therefore, it is possible to determine a point where a player can easily visit and where a certain number of people can be allowed to stay as the occurrence point of a game event. Therefore, by using the movement history of each player, it is possible to appropriately determine the occurrence point in real space of a game event to be generated in a position game.

[Modification]
Incidentally, the applicable embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can of course be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

(A) Player movement route For example, the player movement route may be a flow line showing the movement of a group of players that approximates the movement route of each player.

(B) Movement History to be Analyzed In addition, a period may be limited for the movement history of each player 3 to be analyzed in order to determine the occurrence point. For example, a period to be analyzed may be determined according to the date and time of occurrence of a game event, such as the past month, only Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, or only daytime hours, and the analysis unit 220 performs analysis using only the movement history that corresponds to that period.

(C) Game Space of Position Game The real space and the game space of the position game may be associated with each other, and the content of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point may be determined based on the position of the game space corresponding to the occurrence point. Specifically, each point in the real space where the player 3 exists is associated with a position in the game space of the position game or an object located at that position. In addition, the occurrence condition of the content setting data 340 of the game event (see FIG. 8 ) is further defined by adding an item of “position or object in the game space”. Then, when the event content determination unit 232 determines the content of the game event corresponding to the determined occurrence point, the content of the game event is further determined according to the position in the game space corresponding to the occurrence point or the object located at that position.

(D) Occurrence Date and Time In the above embodiment, the occurrence date and time is determined and then the content of the game event is determined, but the occurrence date and time may be determined based on the movement history of the player. Specifically, the occurrence date and time may be determined based on the player information of the player who has a history of passing the occurrence point in his/her movement history. The player information is information about each player managed as the player management data 310, and includes movement history, attributes such as gender and age, game progress and play level, player character, favorite character, and other game play information. For example, if most of the players who have passed the occurrence point are minors in their teens, the occurrence date and time may be determined to be the daytime or evening on a holiday, avoiding nighttime, or if most of the players are adults in their 30s or older, the occurrence date and time may be determined randomly from all time periods including nighttime.

1 Game system 1000 Server system 200 Server processing unit 202 Player management unit 210 Game management unit 220 Analysis unit
222...Cross analysis section, 224...Retention analysis section
226: Grouping unit, 228: Unsuitable visit location setting unit 230: Game event location determination unit 232: Event content determination unit 234: Advance notice control unit 300: Server storage unit 302: Server program 304: Distribution client program 310: Player management data 320: Location setting information 330: Location related information 332: Facility information, 334: Area information 340: Content setting data 350: Analysis data 360: Game event determination data 1500: Player terminal 3: Player

Claims (15)

A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
an analysis means for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visiting of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination means for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on an analysis result of the analysis means;
Equipped with
the analysis means includes an intersection analysis means for analyzing an intersection point that satisfies a given intersection condition, which is a condition for the movement paths of the player to intersect, based on the movement history, and analyzing the suitable visiting points using the intersection point;
Server system. A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
an analysis means for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visiting of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination means for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on an analysis result of the analysis means;
Equipped with
the analysis means includes a stay analysis means for analyzing a stay point that satisfies a given stay condition, which is a condition for the player's position to stay, based on the movement history, and analyzing the suitable visit point using the stay point;
Server system. The analysis means includes a stay analysis means for analyzing a stay point that satisfies a given stay condition, which is a condition for a player position to stay, based on the movement history, and satisfies a given crowded stay condition where the stay points of different players are present in a crowded state,
The server system according to claim 1 . The analysis means includes an unsuitable visit point determination means for determining an unsuitable visit point that is prohibited from being a location where the game event occurs based on the crowded staying point.
The server system according to claim 3 . The unsuitable place to visit determination means determines the unsuitable place to visit based on the crowded staying place, the presence or absence of a facility corresponding to the crowded staying place, and facility information of the facility.
The server system according to claim 4 . the analysis means includes a grouping means for grouping a group of players related to the same dense staying point by the dense staying point,
the analysis means analyzes the suitable visit points using intersection points where movement routes of different players included in the player groups related to the different dense staying points satisfy the intersection condition;
The server system according to claim 5 . a first event content determination means for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on location-related information including facility information corresponding to the generation point and/or area information of the generation point;
The server system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising: the location-related information includes facility information corresponding to the occurrence location and an estimated action of the player associated in advance with the facility;
The server system according to claim 7 . a second event content determination means for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation location based on a generation date and time;
The server system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , further comprising: A real space is associated with a game space of the position game,
a third event content determination means for determining content of the game event to be generated at the generation point based on a position in the game space corresponding to the generation point;
The server system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising: A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
an analysis means for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visiting of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination means for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on an analysis result of the analysis means;
an event content determination means for determining content of a game event to be generated at the generation point based on a movement history of a player who has passed through the generation point in his/her movement history;
A server system comprising: A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
an analysis means for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visiting of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination means for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on an analysis result of the analysis means;
an event content determination means for determining content of a game event to be generated at the generation point based on player information of a player who has a history of passing through the generation point in the movement history;
A server system comprising: A server system capable of communicating with a player terminal of each player having a positioning function and controlling a position game played on the player terminal, comprising:
a movement history storage means for storing the player positions acquired from each player terminal in association with date and time information, thereby storing the movement history of each player;
an analysis means for analyzing suitable visiting points that satisfy given suitable conditions regarding the visiting of an unspecified number of players based on the movement history;
a game event location determination means for determining a location where a game event is to occur in the position-based game based on an analysis result of the analysis means;
an occurrence date and time determination means for determining an occurrence date and time of the game event to be generated at the occurrence point based on player information of a player who has a history of passing through the occurrence point in the movement history;
A server system comprising: a notice control means for notifying each player terminal of notice information predicting the occurrence of a game event at the occurrence point;
The server system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , further comprising: a player terminal having a positioning function;
A server system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 ;
A game system comprising:

Images