JP7546705B2 - Game device, game system and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game device, a game system, and a program, and in particular to a technology for preventing unauthorized operation of a game device equipped with an item provision function.

There are game devices that provide items in exchange for game play (Patent Document 1). In order to guarantee the quality and operational safety of the items provided on such game devices, the publisher of the game device typically supplies the items to the store or other location where the game device is installed.

Patent No. 6175544

However, considering the structure of the game device capable of providing items as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to operate the device in a way that provides copies, imitation products, or even completely unrelated items, meaning that the game device could be operated fraudulently even without the supply of items from the publisher.

The present invention aims to provide a game device, game system, and program that prevent fraudulent operation.

The game device of one aspect of the present invention is a game device configured to provide a service that provides at least one of a game play experience and an item while in an operating state, and includes an execution means for executing a process related to the game, a provision means for providing an item, a control means for controlling whether the game device is in an operating state or a non-operating state based on numerical information recorded in a recording means, and a reception means for accepting use of the service while in the operating state, the numerical information indicating a number of times the service can be used expressed in a predetermined unit, and the number indicated by the numerical information is decreased in response to at least one of the acceptance of use of the service by the reception means, the execution of a process related to the game by the execution means, and the provision of an item by the provision means.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent unauthorized operation.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a plate 300 according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a holding portion 120 according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; A flowchart illustrating an operation control process executed by the game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a game process according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention; FIG. 1 shows an example of a screen display of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of various information used in the game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

The embodiment described below is an example of the application of the present invention to an arcade game device that has a function for providing plates, which are game items, and provides a game play experience in which the progress of the game can be changed by obtaining information from the plates. However, the present invention can be applied to any device that can provide a game play experience.

Configuration of game device 100
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, Fig. 1(a), (b), and (c) show a front perspective view, a side view, and a rear perspective view of the game device 100, respectively.

As shown in the figure, the game device 100 is configured by attaching two display devices, a first display unit 131 and a second display unit 132, to a support 130 provided on a top plate 150 of a main body unit 160. In the example of FIG. 1, the main body unit 160, the support 130, the first display unit 131, and the second display unit 132 may each be configured to be separable. In FIG. 1, the direction indicated by the arrow 170 is the vertical direction (specifically, the vertically upward direction), and the support 130 is configured such that the lower end of the first display unit 131 abuts against the upper end of the second display unit 132.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the direction indicated by the arrow 180 is the front direction of the game device 100, and while the game play experience is being provided, information is presented, including via the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, assuming that the user is basically present in this front direction. In other words, the game screen presented via the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 is configured in a manner optimized for viewing from the front direction.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the holding unit 120, explanation area 151, and display area 152 are provided on the top plate 150 of the main body unit 160, i.e., the holding unit 120, explanation area 151, and display area 152 are described as being integrally incorporated into the main body unit 160, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the top plate 150 may be any surface configured to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the main body unit 160, and may be configured to be detachable from the main body unit 160, such as a control panel for an arcade game cabinet.

Functional configuration of the game device 100
The functional configuration of the game device 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the game device 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 reads out the operation programs of each block recorded on, for example, the recording medium 102, and controls the operation of each block by expanding the programs into the memory 103 and executing them.

The recording medium 102 is a recording device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. In addition to the operation programs of each block of the game device 100, the recording medium 102 stores information on parameters required for the operation of each block, various graphics data used in the game executed by the game device 100, and the like. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of each block.

The payment detection unit 104 detects that a price has been paid on the gaming device 100. The payment of the price may be determined, for example, by detecting that a predetermined amount of coins or an equivalent coin has been inserted into a coin slot, or by detecting the completion of a settlement process based on communication with a chip related to a predetermined electronic money. The gaming device 100 of this embodiment will be described as starting to provide a service that provides at least one of a game playing experience and an item based on the payment of the price.

The acquisition unit 105 is an interface for acquiring information from items provided in the game device 100 of this embodiment. Specifically, the acquisition unit 105 is configured to be able to acquire information attached to two types of items, and acquires the information attached to the items through different acquisition devices (readers) for each type. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, in order to be able to acquire information from a plate associated with a game element appearing in a game in which a play experience is provided, and an operation card with information for permitting operation for providing a service of the game device 100, a plate reader 123 is provided for the former and a card reader 124 is provided for the latter. Note that in this embodiment, an aspect in which two types of readers are provided to enable information acquisition from two types of items is described, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and these pieces of information may be configured to be readable by a single reader.

In this embodiment, the plate is associated with one of the characters appearing in the game, and is provided with plate information as the second information according to the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the plate information may be configured to include a character ID 802 that uniquely identifies the character associated with the plate, in association with a plate ID 801 that identifies the plate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plate 300 is formed of a hard plate having a predetermined thickness in a direction perpendicular to the main surface, and includes a rectangular main surface. FIG. 3(a) shows the front surface of the plate 300, and FIG. 3(b) shows the back surface (opposite side of the front surface) of the plate 300. Here, "rectangular" refers to a shape whose outline in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the plate 300 is generally rectangular, and includes a shape that is not strictly rectangular due to chamfering of the ends and edges. In the following description, the part where the sides of the rectangle formed by the outline intersect at right angles is simply referred to as a "corner". That is, the rectangular main surface of the plate 300 has four corners, and as shown in the figure, the corner located at the top end in the normal position is identified as 301a, the corner located at the left end as 301b, the corner located at the right end as 301c, and the corner located at the bottom end as 301d.

As shown in the figure, plate 300 is defined in the correct position with the outline of its rectangular main surface being a rhombus (the diagonals of the outline extend horizontally and vertically), and an image showing the appearance of the associated character is formed on the front surface of plate 300 so that it can be correctly viewed when in the correct position. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the front surface of plate 300 is provided with an image of the associated character and the name of the character. Meanwhile, on the back surface of plate 300, as shown in FIG. 3(b), a two-dimensional code 304 converted from plate information is provided near corner 301d.

In order to read the two-dimensional code 304 attached to such a plate 300, the game device 100 of this embodiment is provided with a holding section 120 provided on the top plate 150 of the providing section 140 in a manner that bulges out from the top plate 150 as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the holding section 120 is provided with an insertion hole 121 and an inclined plate 122 for each plate 300 so that it can hold the three plates 300 when providing a game play experience. In the holding section 120, the multiple insertion holes 121 are arranged in a certain direction and are spaced apart so that when the plates 300 are inserted into two adjacent insertion holes 121, these plates 300 do not come into contact with each other. In addition, in order to ensure the visibility of the held plates 300, the separation distance between the two adjacent insertion holes 121 is configured to be equal to or less than the maximum diameter of the plate 300.

The inside of each insertion hole 121 has a groove structure that extends along the surface formed by the inclined plate 122, as shown in FIG. 4(b). The groove structure has a bottom 401 shaped like a V with an opening similar to the corner 301d of the plate, and as shown in FIG. 4(c), when the plate 300 in the normal position is inserted all the way to the bottom, the two sides that make up the corner 301d of the main surface are supported by the bottom 401, and the plate 300 is held in a state in which rotation does not occur around an axis perpendicular to the main surface. Here, the inclined plate 122 forms a surface that tilts backward when viewed from the front of the game device 100, and the inserted plate 300 is held in a position in which the main surface is not horizontal.

When the plate 300 is inserted into the insertion hole 121, the plate reader 123 reads the two-dimensional code 304 to obtain the plate information attached to the plate 300, and outputs the information to the acquisition unit 105. During the period when the plate reader 123 is controlled to a state in which information can be obtained from the plate 300, the plate reader 123 detects that the plate 300 has been inserted into the insertion hole 121 and obtains the plate information from the plate 300 by applying a predetermined image processing to the image obtained by imaging.

For this reason, the plate reader 123 is provided on the side of the inclined plate 122 at a position spaced a predetermined distance above (vertically upward) the lowest end of the bottom 401, and is configured to be able to read the two-dimensional code 304 attached to the plate 300 when the plate 300 is inserted into the insertion hole 121 in the normal position with the back surface in contact with the inclined plate 122. That is, the holding unit 120 has a structure for holding the plate 300 such that, in a state in which plate information can be acquired from the plate 300, the corner 301d of the main surface of the plate 300 is positioned vertically lower than any of the other corners (301a to c) and the corner 301a is positioned vertically higher than any of the other corners (301b to d). In this embodiment, plate 300 has a diamond shape in which one of the diagonals extends horizontally when in the normal position, so in this state, corners 301b and 301c of the main surface of plate 300 are held at the same vertical height.

As shown in the figure, the groove structure provided in the holding unit 120 is configured to cover only a part of the plate 300 (including the corner 301d of the main surface and the two-dimensional code 304) when the plate 300 is inserted in a state in which the attached plate information can be obtained. In other words, the depth of the groove structure is set shorter than the vertical dimension of the plate 300 in the normal position. In this embodiment, the groove structure holds the plate 300 so that, in a state in which the plate information can be obtained from the plate 300, as shown in FIG. 3(a), only the region 303 indicating the name of the character on the front side of the plate 300 is covered, and the remaining region 302 is visible. For this reason, the front side of the plate 300 is configured so that the part of the appearance of the character associated with the plate 300 that makes the character visually identifiable, such as the head, is arranged in the region 302. In contrast, the other parts of the character that are not highly identifiable may be included in the region 303 and covered together with the name of the character.

The holding unit 120 has such a holding structure, so that the player can identify which character the plate 300 associated with is inserted into which insertion hole 121 during gameplay. In addition, the plate 300 is held in a state where the corner 301a of the main surface protrudes from the top plate 150 of the main body unit 160, that is, where both sides forming the corner 301a intersect with the top plate 150, reducing the possibility that the player will forget to retrieve the plate 300 after playing the game. In terms of information acquisition, the amount of external light entering the periphery of the two-dimensional code 304 is reduced when acquiring plate information, reducing the occurrence of erroneous recognition during image conversion.

1, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the top plate 150 of the main body 160 is provided with an explanation area 151 in which explanatory matters related to the game play experience are written, and an exhibition area 152 in which some of the plates 300 that can be provided by using the game device 100 are displayed. The exhibition area 152 is composed of a recess and a protective plate made of a transparent material that covers the recess, and the plate 300 that is actually provided or a sample product of the same shape as the plate 300 is fixed and placed in the recess. In order to allow the player to intuitively grasp the number of plates 300 that can be held in the holding unit 120, the number of items that can be placed in the recess may be configured to be the same as the number of plates 300 that can be held in the holding unit 120. As shown in the figure, in order to increase the user's desire to obtain the plate 300, the display area 152 and the holding unit 120 are positioned such that, when viewed from the front of the game device 100, the display area 152 is on the front side and the holding unit 120 is on the back side, increasing the possibility that the item displayed in the display area 152 will come into the user's field of vision.

On the other hand, the card reader 124 is an acquisition device that is provided not to acquire information related to users of the service as the plate reader 123 does, but to acquire information related to the administrator of the game device 100, and therefore in this embodiment is provided in a manner that does not appear on the exterior of the game device 100. The operation card may be an item with information attached to part of its exterior in the form of a two-dimensional code, for example, similar to the plate 300, and is used to update the number of times the service can be used on the game device 100 from which the information was acquired, as described below.

The character DB 106 is a database that manages information (character information) about each character that appears in the game. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the player places a plate 300 in the holding unit 120 and causes information to be acquired during game play, thereby making the character associated with the plate 300 appear as a support character that supports the progress of the game. By appearing during the game, the support character can bestow, for example, a costume or item associated with the support character on the character being operated by the player, thereby exerting an effect that allows the game to progress advantageously.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), the character information managed for one character is associated with a character ID 811 that uniquely identifies the character, and includes drawing information 812 including graphics data used to generate a screen when the character and related items appear in the game, and parameter information 813 that describes the character's name, attributes, etc., as well as the effects that are activated by using the character. The parameter information 813 is information referenced in games that feature support characters, and the progress of the game provided is controlled by using this information.

In this embodiment, the character DB 106 stores graphics data, and the character information includes this data, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The character information may also include information indicating the storage location of the relevant data.

The presentation control unit 107 controls the presentation of various information to the user in the game device 100. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 that display images (game screen, menu screen, etc.) are described as a means of presenting various information to the user, but the means of presenting information are not limited to these, and it goes without saying that they can be replaced or added. The first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 are display devices such as liquid crystal displays, and as described above, they are fixed vertically above the main body unit 160 by being attached to the support 130. At this time, the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 are arranged vertically, and the lower end of the second display unit 132 provided in the lower stage is fixed so as to be at a vertical height that does not contact the plate 300 in a state held by the holding unit 120. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the service-related screen display is performed using two display areas, the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, so that the user can easily view the screen display, the first display unit 131 is fixed to the support 130 in a manner that tilts forward relative to the front direction of the game device 100, and the second display unit 132 is fixed to the support 130 in a manner that tilts backward relative to the front direction.

The presentation control unit 107 includes a drawing device such as a GPU, and performs a predetermined drawing process when generating a screen to be displayed on the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132. Specifically, while the game device 100 is running (while a service is being provided or in standby mode), the presentation control unit 107 performs necessary calculations on the necessary drawing objects (graphics data) based on the processing and commands performed by the control unit 101, and draws the screen. The generated screen is output to the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, and is presented to the user by being displayed in a predetermined display area.

The operation input unit 108 is a user interface that the game device 100 has. With the exception of the placement of the plate 300 on the holding unit 120, the game device 100 of this embodiment accepts operation input limited to touch operations on the second display unit 132. Therefore, the operation input unit 108 includes a sensor that detects touch operations performed on the screen of the second display unit 132. When the operation input unit 108 detects that a touch operation has been performed on the second display unit 132, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101.

The provision control unit 109 controls the provision of the plates 300 by the provision unit 140. The provision unit 140 is, for example, a plate dispenser, and has a stocker (not shown) that stacks the plates 300 vertically as a storage unit. When the plates 300 are loaded into the stocker, the provision of the plates 300 is ready. The provision unit 140 may have a mechanism that provides one plate 300 held at the bottom of the stocker in response to a provision command issued by the provision control unit 109 on the condition that payment of the price is detected. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the provision unit 140 is built into the main body unit 160, and the provision unit 140 may guide the plate 300 to an outlet 141 that is accessible from outside the game device 100, thereby providing the plate 300 to the user. Here, the plate 300 provided is, for example, a ready-made item having a fixed design that is manufactured in advance in a factory or the like and includes an associated character image and a two-dimensional code 304.

In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the provision unit 140 is described as adopting a provision method in which a ready-made plate 300 is provided, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plate 300 may be generated and provided on demand at a predetermined timing during the service. In this case, when an instruction to generate the plate 300 is given, the provision control unit 109 may compose print data for a sticker to be affixed to the base plate, including print data images for the front and back sides including the two-dimensional code 304 corresponding to the plate information to be affixed to the plate 300 and other elements that form the appearance. After composing the print data, the provision control unit 109 transmits the print data together with a print command to the provision unit 140 to instruct printing of the corresponding sticker, and outputs the printed sticker by affixing it to the base plate.

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface with an external device that the game device 100 has. The communication unit 110 can connect to an external device via a network (whether wired or wireless), which may be a communication network such as the Internet or a cable connecting devices, and can transmit and receive data. The communication unit 110 converts information input as a transmission target into data of a predetermined format and transmits it to an external device such as a server via the network. When the communication unit 110 receives information from an external device via the network, for example, it decodes the information and stores it in the memory 103. The game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to receive program data that packages a program for processing related to a game from an external device via the communication unit 110. When the program data is received by the communication unit 110 together with a program update request, the control unit 101 can update the program for processing related to the game currently stored in the recording medium 102 in accordance with the update request using the received program data. Additionally, the program update process for game-related processing can also be automatically executed when program data recorded on a recording medium is inserted into an optical drive (not shown) of the game device, or can be executed when the administrator issues a start command after insertion.

Service Overview
The services provided by the game device 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the game device 100 is configured to be able to accept the use of multiple types of services. First, in response to the payment of a price detected when the game device 100 is in standby mode, the following three types of services are presented, and the user can select and use one of the services. The three types of services are a first service that provides the plate 300 and executes a process related to the game (game process), a second service that only executes the game process, and a third service that only provides the plate 300. In other words, from the user's perspective, the three types of services are the first service that purchases a new plate 300 and then plays the game, the second service that only plays the game without purchasing a new plate 300, and the third service that only purchases the plate 300 without playing the game. In other words, when a payment of a price is detected for the game device 100 in standby mode, the operation of the game device 100 is switched depending on which of the three types of services is to be used.

Here, execution of game processing refers to executing a series of processes that provide the user (player) with the experience of playing a specified game, and in the first and second services, the player can play the game while performing touch operations on the second display unit 132. In addition, when playing the game, the player can obtain plate information by holding the plate 300 he owns in the holding unit 120, and can cause a character associated with the plate 300 to appear.

Each service has a set price according to the content of the service. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the execution of the game process (provision of a play experience) basically requires the payment of a price of 100 yen, and the provision of the plate 300 requires the payment of twice that price, 200 yen. In other words, the user will pay at least 100 yen whether using the first service, the second service, or the third service, so in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the payment of 100 yen (initial payment) is required for the transition from a standby state to a state in which the service can be used. Therefore, with regard to the second service, only the execution of the game process is performed, and the necessary price has already been collected with the initial payment.

On the other hand, for the first and third services, the plate 300 is provided, so the initial payment does not cover the necessary fee. Therefore, when the first and third services are selected, the user is required to pay an additional fee (the difference in price) after the selection. Note that, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, in order to increase the user's interest in the game content that provides a play experience, for the first service, the game process can be executed and the plate 300 can be provided for a fee of 200 yen (a discount of 100 yen is applied), and an additional fee equal to that of the third service is collected.

By the way, for a player who selected the second service and only played the game, it is expected that the interest of the player in the game content will increase by guaranteeing the opportunity to purchase the plate 300 based on the results of the game play. In other words, if the first service is selected, the player can purchase the plate 300 and then play the game, but it is also expected that the player may only play the game as a trial, and as a result, become interested in the game content. For this reason, the game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to accept the use of the fourth service, which provides the plate 300 on condition of the payment of a further fee, after the execution of the game processing related to the second service is completed.

Furthermore, the game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to accept the use of a fifth service in which an additional plate 300 is provided on condition of payment of a further fee after the provision of the plate 300 related to the third service has been completed. Here, a user of the third service is assumed to be, for example, a person who aims to collect plates 300. Although such a user would like to purchase plates 300 multiple times, it is highly likely that he or she does not wish to be bound by a given amount of time, such as playing a game. On the other hand, requiring a lump sum payment of 200 yen, which is double the fee for starting to use the game device 100, in order to provide an additional plate 300 may actually discourage users from using the fifth service.

For this reason, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, when starting to use the fifth service, the payment of 100 yen is first requested, and upon detection of the payment of the fee, processing related to a mini-game, such as a lottery game, is executed, and after the result of the mini-game is presented, payment of the remaining 100 yen that is not enough to provide the plate 300 is requested, and upon detection of the payment of the remaining fee, the plate 300 is provided.

In order to reduce the time spent by the user as described above, the processing related to the mini-game is configured to be completed in a shorter execution time than the execution time (time required from start to finish) required for the game processing executed in relation to the first and second services. Also, for example, if the mini-game is a lottery game, the mini-game may be controlled so that whether or not additional plates 300 are provided varies based on the lottery results. However, considering that users of the third service are primarily interested in collecting plates, in this embodiment, the mini-game is a formal presentation display, and the lottery result is always a win, and the mini-game is controlled so that additional plates 300 can be provided.

Operation control
However, game devices that have a function for providing ready-made goods generally do not have a function for identifying the goods provided, and can be operated fraudulently by changing the contents to provide counterfeit goods or completely unrelated goods. Such fraudulent operation not only reduces the profits of the sellers of the game devices and the goods provided, but also has the risk of damaging the impression of the game contents.

The game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to prevent such unauthorized use by storing remaining operation count information on the recording medium 102, which indicates the number of times a user can use various services on the game device 100, i.e., the number of times various services can be provided to the user, and decreasing the value of the remaining operation count information each time a service is used. For simplicity's sake, this embodiment will be described as managing the remaining number of times various services can be used as an integer value, and assuming that the integer value is subtracted (decremented) by one each time a service is used.

Here, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the counting of service usage is performed in accordance with the processing performed in response to the detection of the payment of the fee. That is, the subtraction from the value related to the remaining operation number information is performed in response to the acceptance of the use of the service and the provision of the plate 300 by the provision unit 140. Note that in this embodiment, the payment of the fee is accepted at the above-mentioned timing, so the description is given of the subtraction of the value related to the remaining operation number information in response to the acceptance of the use of the service, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, since the service provided by the game device 100 includes the provision of a play experience, the value related to the remaining operation number information may be subtracted in response to the execution of the game processing. That is, in the implementation of the present invention, the counting of service usage may be performed in response to at least one of the acceptance of the use of the service, the execution of the game processing, and the provision of the plate 300.

The remaining operation count information may be referenced, for example, when a series of processes related to the provision of each service is completed, or when the game device 100 is started. The control unit 101 controls the game device 100 to be in an operating state in which the use of the service can be accepted when the value related to the remaining operation count information is a natural number, and to be in a non-operating state in which the use of the service is not accepted (and payment of the fee is not accepted) when the value related to the remaining operation count information is other than a natural number, i.e., less than 1. More specifically, even in the operating state, the control is performed so that the use of the first service, the second service, and the third service can be accepted when the value related to the remaining operation count information is 2 or more, and only the use of the second service can be accepted when the value is 1. In other words, the value related to the remaining operation count information that allows the use of each service to be accepted is determined according to the amount of the fee that needs to be paid to use the service.

The value related to the remaining operation count information is incremented (updated to a value obtained by adding a predetermined number) when the card reader 124 acquires information from an unused (information not yet acquired) operating card when the game device 100 is started in the administrator mode in which no service is provided. Since information acquisition from operating cards is not performed frequently, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the card reader 124 acquires information only when started in the administrator mode, and is controlled not to acquire information in the provision mode in which services can be provided. When started in the provision mode, only the plate reader 123 is controlled to acquire information.

The operating card is provided with at least identification information that uniquely identifies the operating card, as the first information according to the present invention. Information on whether the operating card is unused or not is managed in an external server, and can be obtained as an authentication result by sending an authentication request based on the identification information acquired from the operating card to the external server via the communication unit 110. It is preferable that the operating card is issued for a predetermined number of plates 300 (official supplies) shipped in response to an order from a store or the like where the game device 100 is installed, and is delivered together with the plates 300. The number added in response to the acquisition of information from the operating card is at least a value greater than the number of plates 300 delivered together with the operating card. Note that the operating card may be delivered separately from the plates 300.

When the game device 100 is put into a non-operating state, the control unit 101 performs processing to notify the administrator of the game device 100 of information indicating that fact. The notification may be made, for example, by displaying an indication of that fact on at least one of the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, or may be presented via other presentation means. Alternatively, the notification may be realized by outputting information to an external terminal related to the administrator via the communication unit 110, causing a predetermined display to be made.

Game Overview
In this embodiment, the game in which the play experience is provided on the game device 100 will be described as a battle-type game between players or between a player and an NPC (Non-Player Character). The battle between players may be conducted on one game device 100, or may be conducted on multiple game devices 100 that are communicatively connected via the communication unit 110.

In a battle game that provides a play experience with one use, the play part in which the input operations are evaluated progresses through three phases, and the final winner is determined based on the evaluation in each phase. In the preparation part that precedes the play part, the player can set up to one support character to appear in each phase of the play part. The three insertion holes 121 provided in the holding part 120 shown in FIG. 4(a) correspond to each phase, and the player can set the plate reader 123 of the character to appear in the first phase in the leftmost insertion hole 121, the plate reader 123 of the character to appear in the second phase in the center insertion hole 121, and the plate reader 123 of the character to appear in the last phase in the rightmost insertion hole 121 in the order of progression of the play parts.

In the preparation part, as shown in FIG. 7, a screen is presented that allows a comparison of a group of support characters 701 that will appear in each phase for the player and a group of support characters 702 that will appear in each phase for the opponent. On the screen in FIG. 7, the arrangement position of each plate 300 in the holding unit 120 corresponds to the display position of the support characters related to the player on the screen, with the characters that appear in the first phase being arranged in the left column 703, the characters that appear in the second phase being arranged in the center column 704, and the characters that appear in the last phase being arranged in the right column 705.

In the preparation part, the player can change the position of the plate 300 placed on the holding part 120 or replace it with another plate 300. When the plate 300 is held in each insertion hole 121 in a manner that allows information to be acquired, an image of the corresponding character is displayed in the corresponding position on the screen. At this time, a judgment is made as to the compatibility with the support character set by the opponent for the same phase (such as superiority or inferiority when an effect is activated in the phase). For example, if the character corresponding to the held plate 300 is a character that activates an effect that makes the evaluation more favorable than the opponent's support character, an icon 706 indicating this is displayed in the corresponding position on the screen, and conversely, if the opponent's support character activates an effect that makes the evaluation more favorable, an icon 707 indicating that it is unfavorable is displayed in the corresponding position on the screen. In other words, the information of the character displayed in relation to the plate 300 will be displayed in a different form depending on the position at which the plate 300 is held.

In this embodiment, the information presented about the character is different depending on the compatibility between the support character set for each phase for the player and the support character set for the opponent for the same phase, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an aspect in which advantageous characteristics are set for each phase, the content of the presented information may be different depending on the compatibility (match/mismatch of characteristics) between the set support character and the phase.

<<Operation control process>>
In the game device 100 of this embodiment having such a configuration, the operation control process performed during startup of the game device 100 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 5. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the recording medium 102, for example, and expanding and executing the program in the memory 103. The actual operation control process will be described as being started, for example, when the game device 100 is started in the provision mode.

In S501, the control unit 101 determines whether the value associated with the remaining operation count information is 1 or greater. If the control unit 101 determines that the value associated with the remaining operation count information is 1 or greater, the control unit 101 sets the state of the game device 100 to an operating state and moves the process to S502. If the control unit 101 determines that the value associated with the remaining operation count information is less than 1, the control unit 101 sets the state of the game device 100 to a non-operating state and moves the process to S520.

In S502, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the price has been paid. The determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment detection unit 104 detects a payment of 100 yen. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has been paid, it proceeds to S503, and if it determines that the price has not been paid, it repeats the processing in this step.

In S503, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 causes the second display unit 132 to present available services in a selectable manner. The control unit 101 then determines which service has been accepted for use. The type of service presented as available is switched based on the value related to the remaining operation count information, and if the value is 2 or more, the first service, the second service, and the third service are applicable, and if the value is 1, only the second service is applicable. In response to the acceptance of the use of the service, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1. Furthermore, if the service for which use has been accepted is the first service, the control unit 101 moves the process to S504, if the service for which use has been accepted is the second service, the process moves to S508, and if the service for which use has been accepted is the third service, the process moves to S513.

In S504, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 displays a message indicating that further payment of the cost is required for the provision of the plate 300. Then, when the control unit 101 detects that payment of the cost for the provision of the plate 300 has been made, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S505.

In S505, under the control of the control unit 101, the provision control unit 109 causes the provision unit 140 to provide the plate 300. In addition, in response to the provision of the plate 300, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value that is one less than the value.

At S506, the control unit 101 executes game processing and starts providing a play experience.

Game Processing
Here, the game processing executed in this step will be described in detail with further reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In S601, the control unit 101 executes processing related to the preparation part of the competitive game. The processing related to the preparation part includes drawing the corresponding screen, acquiring information from the plate 300 by the plate reader 123, and changing the display information when information is acquired.

In S602, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the conditions for ending the preparation part have been met. The determination in this step may be made based on, for example, whether or not a predetermined time limit has been reached, whether or not a participating player has performed an operational input related to the completion of preparation, etc. If the control unit 101 determines that the conditions for ending the preparation part have been met, it moves the process to S603, and if it determines that the conditions have not been met, it returns the process to S601.

In S603, the control unit 101 executes processing related to the play part of the competitive game. In the play part, the control unit 101 controls and evaluates the progress of each phase based on information about the support character set in the preparation part for that phase and information about the operational inputs made for the play in that phase, and determines the superiority or inferiority between the players. Then, when the end condition for the play part is satisfied (the final phase ends), the control unit 101 moves the processing to S604.

At S604, the presentation control unit 107, under the control of the control unit 101, displays the results of the competitive game, and then the game processing is completed.

When the game processing is completed, in S507 of the operation control processing, the control unit 101 transitions the game device 100 to a standby state and returns the processing to S501.

If the service for which use has been accepted in S503 is the second service, the control unit 101 executes game processing in S508 to start providing a play experience.

When the provision of the play experience is completed, the control unit 101 determines in S509 whether the value associated with the remaining operation count information is 1 or greater. If the control unit 101 determines that the value associated with the remaining operation count information is 1 or greater, it proceeds to S510, and if it determines that the value is less than 1, it returns to S501.

In S510, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 presents information that the plate 300 can be provided by paying an additional price.

In S511, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a further payment has been made. This determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment detection unit 104 detects a payment of 100 yen. If the control unit 101 determines that a payment has been made, it proceeds to S512, and if it determines that a payment has not been made, it repeats the processing in this step. Note that if the control unit 101 determines that no payment has been made for a predetermined period of time, it transitions the game device 100 to a standby state and returns the processing to S501.

In S512, under the control of the control unit 101, the provision control unit 109 causes the provision unit 140 to provide the plate 300. In response to the provision of the plate 300, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining number of operations information to a value subtracted by 1, transitions the game device 100 to a standby state, and returns the process to S501.

If the service for which use has been accepted in S503 is the third service, the presentation control unit 107 displays in S513 that further payment of the fee is required for the provision of the plate 300. Then, when the control unit 101 detects that payment of the fee for the provision of the plate 300 has been made, the process proceeds to S514.

In S514, the provision control unit 109, under the control of the control unit 101, causes the provision unit 140 to provide the plate 300. In addition, in response to the provision of the plate 300, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value that is one less than the value.

In S515, the control unit 101 determines whether the value related to the remaining operation count information is 2 or greater. If the control unit 101 determines that the value related to the remaining operation count information is 2 or greater, the process proceeds to S516, and if the control unit 101 determines that the value is less than 2, the process returns to S501.

At S516, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 presents information that a mini-game related to the provision of the plate 300 can be played by paying an additional price.

In S517, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a further payment has been made. The determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment detection unit 104 detects a payment of 100 yen. If the control unit 101 determines that a payment has been made, it proceeds to S518, and if it determines that a payment has not been made, it repeats the processing in this step. Note that if the control unit 101 determines that no payment has been made within a predetermined period of time, it returns the processing to S501.

At S518, the control unit 101 executes processing related to the mini-game. In addition, in response to executing processing related to the mini-game, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value that is one less than the value.

In S519, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 displays the result of the mini-game and presents information that the plate 300 can be provided by paying an additional price. Then, under the control of the control unit 101, the provision control unit 109 causes the provision unit 140 to provide the plate 300 in response to the detection of the further payment of the price. Furthermore, in response to the provision of the plate 300, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1, transitions the game device 100 to a standby state, and returns the process to S501.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S501 that the value related to the operation count information is less than 1, the control unit 101 sets the state of the game device 100 to a non-operating state in S520, notifies the game device 100 that it is in a non-operating state, and completes the operation control process.

By doing this, the game device of this embodiment can prevent fraudulent operation using non-genuine items.

[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the outer shape of the main surface of the plate 300 has been described as being rectangular, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the outer shape of the plate 300 may be formed in a polygonal shape other than a rectangle. Note that even in an embodiment in which the outer shape of the plate 300 is formed in a polygonal shape other than a rectangle, when the attached plate information is in a state in which it is possible to obtain the plate, the holding part 120 is configured so that one corner protrudes from the upper end of the plate 300 and the two sides forming the angle intersect with the top plate 150 of the main body part 160.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the plate 300 is inserted into the groove structure formed by the insertion hole 121 and the inclined plate 122 of the holder 120 to be held, but the present invention is not limited to this. The plate 300 may be held by clamping a part of the front surface and the back surface of the main surface of the plate 300.

[Modification 3]
In the above embodiment, the fourth service of providing the plate 300 is made available after the second service is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is preferable from the viewpoint of increasing the player's interest in the game content to be able to provide a play experience of actually using the plate 300 after obtaining the plate 300 using the fourth service. Therefore, the fourth service may be configured to provide a service that is substantially similar to the first service, in which a further payment is requested after the plate 300 is provided and game processing is executed in response to the payment.

[Modification 4]
In the above embodiment, the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is described as being in the same unit as the number of times each service is provided, i.e., the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information of 1 corresponds to one service provision, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The value by which the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is subtracted for one service provision may be in units of a predetermined numerical value (e.g., 10) exceeding 1, in which case it is sufficient to determine whether to put the service in an operating state or a non-operating state based on a multiple of that unit.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The game device according to the present invention can also be realized by a program that causes one or more computers to function as the game device. The program can be provided/distributed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium or through an electric communication line.

100: Game device, 101: Control unit, 102: Recording medium, 103: Memory, 104: Payment detection unit, 105: Acquisition unit, 106: Character DB, 107: Presentation control unit, 108: Operation input unit, 109: Provision control unit, 110: Communication unit, 120: Holding unit, 121: Insertion hole, 122: Inclined plate, 123: Plate reader, 124: Card reader, 130: Support, 131: First display unit, 132: Second display unit, 140: Provision unit, 141: Removal port, 150: Top plate, 151: Explanation area, 152: Display area, 160: Main unit

Claims (7)

A game device configured to be capable of providing a game -related service in an operating state,
An execution means for executing a process related to the game;
A providing means for providing an item ;
a management means for managing permission information relating to the number of times the service can be used in the game device;
a control means for controlling whether the game device is in an operating state or a non-operating state based on the permission information managed by the management means;
a reception means for receiving a request for use of the service in the operating state;
Equipped with
the service includes a plurality of types of service items for providing the item and/or executing a process related to the game;
The reception of the service by the reception means includes selection of a service item to be used,
The management means changes the permission information in response to the acceptance by the acceptance means of the request to use the service. 2. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the management means changes the permission information in accordance with a service item type selected in response to the acceptance of the request for use of the service by the acceptance means. 3. The game device according to claim 1 , wherein the accepting means does not accept use of the service in the non-operating state. A detection means for detecting payment of a price is further provided,
4. The game device according to claim 1 , wherein the accepting means accepts use of the service on condition that the detection means detects the payment of the fee. An information presentation unit for controlling presentation of information related to the provision of the service is further provided,
5. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the information presenting means performs control so as to present information indicating that the game device is in the non-operating state when the game device is in the non-operating state . A game system including a game item and a game device configured to be capable of providing a game -related service in an operating state,
The game device comprises:
An execution means for executing a process related to the game;
A providing means for providing the game items;
a management means for managing permission information relating to the number of times the service can be used in the game device;
a control means for controlling whether the game device is in an operating state or a non-operating state based on the permission information managed by the management means;
a reception means for receiving a request for use of the service in the operating state;
Equipped with
the service includes a plurality of types of service items for providing the game items and/or executing a process related to the game;
The reception of the service by the reception means includes selection of a service item to be used,
The management means changes the permission information in response to the acceptance of a request to use the service by the acceptance means . A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the game device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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