JP7628599B2 - Game system and program - Google Patents

Description

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

Traditionally, there are known games such as battle royale games in which multiple players or teams participate in a single game world and the player or team that can continue the game to the end is recognized as the winner, and role-playing games (MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game).

In addition, in game systems that execute such multiplayer games, if there is a large difference in the levels or abilities of players, players with low levels or abilities will be eliminated soon after the game starts and will not be able to fully enjoy the game, while players with high levels or abilities will face many opponents who are not challenging enough to challenge them, and will often not be able to enjoy the game.

Recently, a gaming system has become known in which matching is performed based on the rank of the player and the player character operated by that player, and the game is played between players with little difference in ability or level (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5209094

However, the game system described in Patent Document 1 does not allow for games in which players with different levels or abilities can participate, so interactions between players are often limited, and it is not possible to expect the expansion of communication between players across levels, which could be one factor in livening up the game.

In addition, in the game system described in Patent Document 1, the game itself cannot start unless other players of similar level or ability participate, so in some cases, a considerable amount of time may be required from when a player wishes to play a game until the game actually starts. In particular, when a game is played by a large number of people (e.g., 100 people), there is a possibility that the game itself may not be possible in the first place.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a game system that allows many players to participate widely, thereby reducing the occurrence of waiting times before the game starts and the length of such waiting times, and making the game more lively as a whole.

(1) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A game system for executing a game in which multiple players participate using player characters, comprising:
a first determination means for executing a rank determination process for determining a relative rank of each player among a plurality of players participating in the game based on player-related information about each player stored in a storage means;
a setting means for setting, for each player participating in the game, an achievement condition to be achieved during the game by a player character operated by that player based on a result of the rank determination process;
a second determination means for executing a condition achievement determination process for determining whether or not the set achievement condition has been achieved for each of the players at a given timing;
a presentation means for presenting a result of the condition achievement determination process to a corresponding player;
The present invention has a configuration comprising:

With this configuration, the present invention can vary the conditions to be achieved during the game, such as the conditions for clearing the game and the conditions for acquiring items that can be acquired during the game, depending on the abilities and levels of the individual players participating in the game (hereinafter also referred to as "participating players"). Therefore, even if a game is played by multiple participating players with large differences in levels (player level for the game, game level or player level) and abilities, each individual player can enjoy the game.

In other words, even if a game is played in which players of low level or ability (hereinafter referred to as "low-level players") are mixed with players of high level or ability (hereinafter referred to as "high-level players"), the present invention allows not only high-level players but also low-level players to win bonuses, etc., as long as they fulfill the achievement conditions.

The present invention therefore makes it possible to realize a game that can be played by multiple players of various kinds without having to worry about differences in level or ability, allowing a wide range of players to participate.

In particular, when a game is played with a large number of players, such as 100 or more, the present invention can shorten the time it takes to gather the participating players and start the game, allowing the game to be played without making players who wish to participate wait for a long time.

In other words, the present invention can reduce waiting times for players in games involving multiple players, allowing for quick game provision.

As a result, the present invention can eliminate the frustration caused by waiting times for players and revitalize the game as a whole.

Note that a "game in which multiple players participate" may be any game in which multiple players use player characters, such as an RPG, racing game, action game, fighting game, communication game, or shooting game. However, it is preferable to apply the present invention to a fighting game in which a large number of players compete against each other, such as a battle royale format.

In particular, when playing such a game, the number of players who wish to participate may be limited or unlimited, and a matching process may be performed to match participating players based on the game level of the players and the area in which the players are located (network distance when playing the game over a network).

In addition to player information about the player, "player-related information" also includes information about the player character that is the object of operation by the player. In particular, player-related information includes achievements in games up to now, such as the achievements of the player and the acquisition of items, and is information based on game results.

For example, player information includes game level, abilities, experience points, game history (total time participated in the game and number of times participated), and billing history (including billing date and amount), while player character information includes character level, parameters that define each ability, attributes, number of battles, and owned items (including type and ability value).

And for "positioning among multiple players,"
(A1) For example, the level to which the player belongs (player's game level/player level), such as a level set in the game and acquired by the player based on the progress of the game, etc.
(A2) The presence or absence of items (weapons) owned (including combinations of multiple items) or their levels (the level of the highest level item or the average level of multiple items);
(A3) The level of the player character (strength based on abilities);
(A4) Parameter values such as points and experience points,
(A5) The total time of participation in the game, the number of participations, or the match history with other players, or
(A6) A level determined by the progress of a game played by a group of multiple players,
This includes ranking each player based on the player's performance, calculating a standard deviation, or classifying them into a range (rank).

Furthermore, the "achievement conditions" are set to, for example, strict conditions that are difficult to achieve if the ranking is high, and easy conditions that are easy to achieve if the ranking is low.

In particular, "achievement conditions" include cases where no conditions are set. For example, in this case, from the perspective of helping the weak, achievement conditions are set only for players with low levels or abilities, while achievement conditions are not set for players with high levels or abilities.

In addition to the above, the "given timing" at which the condition achievement determination process is executed may be during the game or after the game ends.

In addition, when "presenting the result of the condition achievement determination process to the relevant player," the "relevant player" may include not only the player for whom the achievement condition is set, but also each player on the team to which the relevant player belongs.

The "presentation to the player" may include displaying it on the game screen during the game, or presenting it through sound.

(2) The present invention also provides
The first determination means,
The player-related information is configured to determine the ranking of each player based on information indicating the degree of achievement of a goal set for each player in a past game.

With this configuration, the present invention can determine the ranking of each player based on the degree of goal achievement, which is the game result that reflects each player's ability, and therefore can set appropriate achievement conditions for each player.

The present invention therefore allows a game to be played according to the level and ability of each player, making it possible to realize a game that can be played by multiple players of various kinds without having to worry about differences in level or ability.

(3) The present invention also provides
The first determination means,
The player-related information is configured to determine the ranking of each player based on the degree of goal achievement and information on the results of past games of each player.

With this configuration, the present invention can determine the ranking of each player based on the appropriate ability and objective indicators of each player, making it possible to set appropriate achievement conditions for each player.

The present invention therefore allows a game to be played according to the level and ability of each player, making it possible to realize a game that can be played by multiple players of various kinds without having to worry about differences in level or ability.

(4) The present invention also provides
2. The game system according to claim 1,
The game device further comprises a benefit giving control means for giving a given benefit to a player character that satisfies the condition for achievement or to a player operating the player character, based on a result of the process of determining whether the condition has been achieved.

With this configuration, the present invention can provide a player character or player who meets the achievement conditions with a given bonus, such as items to be used in the game (including lives), in-game currency, new abilities (such as special abilities) for the player character, or points, recover the values of parameters that change during the game, such as energy parameters or ability parameters, or change the probability of winning in a lottery such as gacha (including the probability of winning for rarity).

The present invention therefore provides motivation for players to actively participate in the game, regardless of differences in level or ability.

The "granting of benefits" may include, for example, parameters such as points, experience points, and ability values of a given ability, scores, items and abilities used by the player character, in-game currency, and the right to play gacha or the right to change the winning probability or rarity of items acquired through said gacha.

In particular, a "benefit" is granted when the achievement conditions are met regardless of the level or ability differences between players, but it is preferable that the higher the level or ability, the higher the value of the benefit granted compared to when the achievement conditions are met by a player character of a player with a lower level or ability.

(5) The present invention also provides
The privilege granting control means
When the condition to be achieved is a condition related to quantity, the benefit to be given is changed according to the quantity exceeding the condition to be achieved.

With this configuration, the present invention can award bonuses of improved quantity and quality when bonuses, experience points, number of items, etc., that exceed the achievement conditions are acquired, so that even if the achievement conditions are achieved before the end of the game, the player can be encouraged to continue playing the game in order to further increase the quantity related to the achievement conditions.

Therefore, the present invention allows the player to maintain interest in the game until the end, and keeps the game active until the end.

Note that "changing a perk" includes improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the perk, as well as increasing the quantity of the perk.

(6) The present invention also provides
The privilege granting control means
The bonus to be given is changed depending on the period of time until the achievement condition is achieved.

With this configuration, the present invention can award bonuses of improved quantity and quality the shorter the period from the start of the game to the achievement of the achievement conditions, encouraging the player to achieve the achievement conditions in a short period of time and providing new excitement to the player by having them develop strategies to achieve this.

As mentioned above, "changing a perk" includes improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the perk, as well as increasing the quantity of the perk.

(7) The present invention also provides
The privilege granting control means
For players participating in the game as a team consisting of multiple players, if the condition achievement determination process determines that the achievement conditions set for all players belonging to the same team are met, the given benefit to be granted is changed, or a special benefit is additionally granted in addition to the given benefit to be granted.

With this configuration, the present invention can improve the interest of the game as a team match, even when teams are made up of players with different levels or abilities, or when teams are made up of players with low or high levels or abilities, and can make the game interesting for any player.

As mentioned above, "changing the perks" includes improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the perks, as well as increasing the quantity of the perks.

Also, "granting an additional special benefit" includes granting a bonus-like benefit in addition to the benefit granted by meeting the achievement conditions. For example, the special benefit may be the same as the benefit granted individually, or it may be a different benefit.

(8) The present invention also provides
The privilege granting control means
When it is determined that the condition is met by the condition achievement determination process, the benefit to be awarded is changed according to the result of the game of the relevant player.

With this configuration, the present invention makes it possible for the player to seek a good game result, thereby improving the player's motivation to play the game.

(9) The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
The privilege granting control means
When it is determined that the condition is not met by the condition achievement determination process, a disadvantage is given to the player.

With this configuration, the present invention can increase the player's motivation to play the game, since if the player does not achieve a good result in the game, he or she will suffer a disadvantage.

(10) The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
The achievement conditions set for each player participating in the game include conditions to be achieved jointly with other players.

With this configuration, the present invention can be applied to team battles, since achievement conditions can be set for each team made up of multiple players.

Note that the "conditions to be achieved jointly" may be conditions set in addition to the achievement conditions set for each individual player on the team, or may be the achievement conditions set for each player themselves.

(11) The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
The relevant player is a player for whom the achievement condition is set, or another player who belongs to a team made up of a plurality of players including the relevant player.

With this configuration, the present invention can provide each achievement condition to a player who is awarded a benefit for fulfilling the achievement condition, thereby improving the user's operability in the game.

(12) The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
The setting means:
The achievement condition for each player is set based on the result of the rank determination process as well as player-related information of all players participating in the game.

With this configuration, the present invention can, for example, lower the overall achievement conditions for low-level players and high-level players when there are many other players with a high level, or can raise the overall achievement conditions for low-level players and high-level players when there are many other players with a low level.

In other words, the present invention changes not only the player's ranking but also the progress (difficulty) of the game itself depending on the level, ranking, or deviation value of the other participating players, so it is possible to change the achievement conditions according to such game situations.

The present invention therefore allows the achievement conditions to be set while taking into account the balance with the original game, thereby making the game more entertaining.

(13) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A program for executing a game in which multiple players participate using player characters, comprising:
a first determination means for executing a rank determination process for determining a relative rank of each player among a plurality of players participating in the game, based on player-related information about each player stored in a storage means;
a setting means for setting, for each player participating in the game, an achievement condition to be achieved during the game by a player character operated by that player, based on a result of the rank determination process;
a second determination means for executing a condition achievement determination process for determining whether or not the set achievement condition has been achieved for each of the players at a given timing; and
a presentation means for presenting a result of the condition achievement determination process to a corresponding player;
The present invention has a configuration that causes a computer to function as a

With this configuration, the present invention can realize a game that can be played by multiple players of various kinds without having to worry about differences in level or ability, allowing a wide range of players to participate.

The present invention also makes it possible to provide a quicker game to players in a multi-player game by reducing waiting time for the players.

Therefore, the present invention can eliminate the frustration caused by waiting times for players and can also revitalize the game as a whole.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration showing the configuration of a game system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates functional blocks of a server device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a game process for executing a game based on an achievement condition for each player in one embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of player-related information used in one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a rank determination process according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an achievement condition setting process according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the privilege granting control process in one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the privilege granting control process in one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the privilege granting control process in one embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a game process (a game process for executing a game based on an achievement condition for each player) executed by a server device in one embodiment.

The present embodiment will be described below. Note that the present embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

[1] Game System First, an overview and a general configuration of a game system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration showing the configuration of the game system 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 1 of this embodiment is configured such that a server device 10 that provides game services and terminal devices 20 (e.g., terminal devices 20A, 20B, and 20C) can be connected to the Internet (an example of a network).

By accessing the server device 10 from the terminal device 20, the user can play games transmitted from the server device 10 via the Internet. Furthermore, by accessing the server device 10 from the terminal device 20, the user can communicate with other users.

The server device 10 is an information processing device capable of providing a service that allows users to play games using a terminal device 20 that is connected for communication via the Internet. The server device 10 may also function as an SNS server that provides a communication-type service. Here, the SNS server may be an information processing device that provides a service that allows communication between multiple users.

In addition, when the server device 10 functions as an SNS server, for example, it is capable of providing games called social games that are executed using the operating environment (API (Application Programming Interface), platform, etc.) of the SNS that it provides.

In particular, the server device 10 is capable of providing games that are provided on the web browser of the terminal device 20, such as browser games (games that can be started by simply opening the installation site in a web browser) created in a variety of languages, including HTML, FLASH, CGI, PHP, shockwave, Java (registered trademark) applet, and JavaScript (registered trademark).

Unlike existing online games, social games include games that do not require dedicated client software and can be played with just a web browser and an SNS account. The server device 10 is also configured to connect to other users' terminals (smartphones, PCs, game consoles, etc.) via a network, and provide online games in which users can share the same game progress online at the same time.

On the other hand, the server device 10 may be composed of one (device, processor) or multiple (devices, processors).

Then, the billing information, game information, and other information stored in the memory area of the server device 10 (the memory unit 140 described below) may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (an intranet or the Internet), and when functioning as an SNS server, the information stored in the player information storage unit 146, etc., stored in the memory area may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (an intranet or the Internet).

Specifically, the server device 10 of this embodiment receives input information based on the operation of the user of the terminal device 20 (i.e., the player who executes the game), and performs game processing based on the received input information. The server device 10 then transmits the game processing results to the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 performs various processes to provide the game processing results received from the server device 10 to the terminal device 20 so that they can be viewed by the user.

The terminal device 20 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PHS, a computer, a game device, a PDA, a portable game machine, an image generating device, etc., and is a device that can be connected to the server device 10 via a network such as the Internet (WAN) or a LAN. The communication line between the terminal device 20 and the server device 10 may be wired or wireless.

The terminal device 20 also has a web browser capable of viewing web pages (data in HTML format). That is, the terminal device 20 has a communication control function for communicating with the server device 10, and a web browser function for controlling display using data received from the server device 10 (web data, data created in HTML format, etc.), as well as transmitting user operation data to the server device 10, and executes various processes for providing a game screen to the user, allowing the user to play the game. However, the terminal device 20 may also acquire game control information provided by the server device 10, execute a predetermined game process, and play a game based on the game process.

Specifically, when the terminal device 20 makes a request to the server device 10 to play a specific game, the terminal device 20 is connected to the game site of the server device 10 and the game begins. In particular, the terminal device 20 is configured to use an API as necessary to cause the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server to perform a specific process, or to obtain the player information storage unit 146 managed by the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server to execute the game.

[2] Server Device Next, the server device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the server device 10 of this embodiment. Also, the server device 10 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (parts) of Fig. 2 are omitted.

The server device 10 includes an input unit 120 for use in administrator and other input, a display unit 130 for performing predetermined displays, an information storage medium 180 in which predetermined information is stored, a communication unit 196 for communicating with terminal devices 20 and others, a processing unit 100 that mainly executes processes related to the game to be provided, and a storage unit 140 that mainly stores various data used in the game.

The input unit 120 is used by a system administrator or the like to input game-related settings and other necessary settings and data. For example, the input unit 120 in this embodiment is configured with a mouse, keyboard, etc.

The display unit 130 displays an operation screen for the system administrator. For example, the display unit 130 in this embodiment is configured with a liquid crystal display or the like.

The information storage medium 180 (a computer-readable medium) stores programs, data, etc., and its functions are realized by optical disks (CD, DVD), magneto-optical disks (MO), magnetic disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or memory (ROM), etc.

The communication unit 196 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (e.g., terminals, other servers, or other network systems), and its functions are configured by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

The memory unit 140 serves as a work area for the processing unit 100, the communication unit 196, etc., and its functions are realized by a RAM (VRAM) etc. The information stored in the memory unit 140 may be managed by a database.

In addition to the main memory unit 142, the memory unit 140 of this embodiment also has a game data memory unit 144 in which game information indicating information related to the game is stored, and a player information memory unit 146 in which player-related information including information about each player, information about the player's game, and information about the player character operated by each player is stored.

In particular, the game data storage unit 144 stores information about the game field on which the game is played, condition information used for various judgments, information about each object on the game field, information for changing each object, various table information, and information about player characters that can be used in the game.

In addition, the player information storage unit 146 stores, for each player, player-related information, including information about the player character operated by that player.

In addition, player-related information includes, for example, game results such as past game performance and acquired items, as well as the degree of goal achievement in the achievement conditions described below, and is used to determine the relative ranking among multiple players described below.

The processing unit 100 performs various processes using the main memory unit 142 in the memory unit 140 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

The processing unit 100 performs various processes of this embodiment based on programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 180. That is, the information storage medium 180 stores programs for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processes of each part).

For example, the processing unit 100 (processor) controls the entire server device 10 based on a program stored in an information storage medium, and performs various processes such as controlling the transfer of data between each unit. Furthermore, it performs processes to provide various services in response to requests from the terminal device 20.

Specifically, the processing unit 100 of this embodiment has at least a communication control unit 101, a Web processing unit 102, a game management unit 103, a movement control unit 104, a matching processing unit 105, a player rank determination processing unit 106, an achievement condition setting unit 107, an achievement condition determination unit 108, a timer management unit 109, an information provision unit 110, and a bonus management unit 111.

For example, the player rank determination processing unit 106 of this embodiment constitutes the first determination means of the present invention, and the achievement condition setting unit 107 constitutes the setting means of the present invention. Also, for example, the achievement condition determination unit 108 of this embodiment constitutes the second determination means of the present invention, and the information providing unit 110 constitutes the presentation means of the present invention. Furthermore, for example, the bonus management unit 111 of this embodiment constitutes the bonus granting control means of the present invention.

The communication control unit 101 performs processing to transmit and receive data to and from the terminal device 20 via the network. That is, the server device 10 performs various processing based on information received from the terminal device 20, etc. by the communication control unit 101. In particular, the communication control unit 101 of this embodiment performs processing to transmit a game screen to a player's terminal device 20 based on a request from the player's terminal device 20.

The Web processing unit 102 functions as a Web server. For example, the Web processing unit 102 performs a process of transmitting data in response to a request from a Web browser 211 installed in the terminal device 20, and a process of receiving data transmitted by the Web browser 211 of the terminal device 20, through a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

In this embodiment, the server device 10 is described as having a function as an SNS server, but the server device 10 may be formed as a separate server for the game and a server for the SNS. In addition, the game processing of this embodiment may be performed in part or in whole by the server device 10, or in part by the terminal device 20.

The game management unit 103 works in conjunction with the terminal device 20 to construct a game space as a virtual space, and executes various game processes related to various competitive games such as battle games, action games, RPGs, sound games, or sports games in which multiple players compete against each other and engage in combat or hand-to-hand combat, based on player operations input via the terminal device 20.

In addition, when a competitive game is executed, the game management unit 103 executes game processing related to a match such as a battle between individuals or between groups (hereinafter referred to as an "individual match" or "group match") during the execution of the competitive game.

The movement control unit 104 controls the movement within the game space of the player character (hereinafter also referred to as the "target player character") that is the object of operation of each player participating in the game, in response to the operation input input to the terminal device 20 by the player.

The matching processing unit 105 executes a matching process to identify players who will participate in the game based on player-related information such as the player's level and ability, the type and level (including ability) of the player's character, or the area in which the terminal device 20 operated by the player is located.

The player ranking determination processing unit 106 executes a ranking determination process that determines the relative ranking (e.g., rank, ranking, or deviation value) of each player among multiple players participating in the game of each player based on the player-related information of each player whose participation has been determined by the matching process.

Before the game starts or during the game, the achievement condition setting unit 107 sets, for each player participating in the game, achievement conditions to be achieved during the game by the player character operated by that player, based on the results of the rank determination process.

The achievement condition determination unit 108 executes a condition achievement determination process to determine whether or not a set achievement condition has been achieved for each player at a given timing, such as during or after the game has ended.

The timer management unit 109 has a timer function and is used to manage the progress of the game. In particular, the timer management unit 109 works in conjunction with the game management unit 103 to output the current time and a preset time to each unit. The timer management unit 109 is also used to synchronize with each terminal device 20.

The information providing unit 110 generates various game information and provides it to the corresponding terminal device 20 so that the terminal device 20 can process the game.

In particular, the information providing unit 110 generates information (i.e., game information) for controlling each player's target player character by the corresponding terminal device 20, and provides the generated game information to the corresponding terminal device 20.

The information providing unit 110 also provides predetermined information to the terminal device 20 in order to present the results of the condition achievement determination process determined for each player to the relevant player.

Based on the results of the condition achievement determination process, the reward management unit 111 grants a given reward to the player character that meets the achievement condition or to the player operating the player character.

[3] Terminal Device Next, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device in this embodiment. Also, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (parts) in Fig. 3 are omitted.

The input unit 260 allows the player to input operation data, and this function can be realized by a touch panel or a touch panel display, etc. That is, the input unit 260 has a detection unit 262 capable of detecting two-dimensional pointed position coordinates (x, y) on the screen on which an image is displayed. For example, the input unit 260 has a detection unit 262 capable of detecting two-dimensional contact position coordinates (x, y) in a contact detection area (touch panel).

Note that touch operations on the display screen (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, referred to as the "touch panel") 12 may be performed using a fingertip or an input device such as a touch pen.

The input unit 260 may also include a button, lever, keyboard, steering wheel, microphone, acceleration sensor, etc. that can input operation information (operation signal) other than the indicated position.

The storage unit 270 serves as a work area for the processing unit 200, communication unit 296, etc., and its functions can be realized by a RAM (VRAM) or the like. The storage unit 270 of this embodiment includes a main memory unit 271 used as a work area, an image buffer 272 in which the final display image and the like are stored, a player information storage unit 273 that shows information about the player in relation to the game to be provided, and a game data storage unit 274 that stores various data necessary for executing the game, such as table data. Note that some of these may be omitted, or part of them may be configured by the storage unit 140 of the server device 10.

The information storage medium 280 (a computer-readable medium) stores programs, data, etc., and its functions can be realized by optical disks (CD, DVD), magneto-optical disks (MO), magnetic disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or memory (ROM), etc.

In addition, the information storage medium 280 can store programs for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processing of each part). Note that the processing unit 200 performs various processes of this embodiment based on the programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 280, as described below.

The display unit 290 outputs the image generated by this embodiment, and its function can be realized by a CRT, LCD, touch panel display, HMD (head mounted display), etc.

In particular, in this embodiment, the display unit 290 also functions as an input unit 260 where the player operates the game by using a touch panel display. Here, the touch panel that can be used may be, for example, a resistive film type (four-wire type, five-wire type), a capacitive type, an electromagnetic induction type, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave type, or an infrared scanning type.

The sound output unit 292 outputs the sound generated by this embodiment, and this function can be realized by a speaker or headphones, etc.

The communication unit 296 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (e.g., a host device or other terminal device), and its functions can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

The terminal device 20 may receive, via a network, programs and data for causing a computer to function as each part of this embodiment, which are stored in an information storage medium or memory unit 270 possessed by the server device 10, and store the received programs and data in the information storage medium 280 or memory unit 270. The case in which the terminal device 20 functions by receiving programs and data in this manner is also included within the scope of the present invention.

The processing unit 200 (processor) performs processing such as game processing, image generation processing, and sound generation processing in conjunction with the server device 10 based on input data and programs from the input unit 260.

In particular, in this embodiment, game processing includes processing for starting a game when a game start condition is satisfied, processing for progressing the game, processing for placing objects such as the player character and other player characters, processing for displaying objects, processing for calculating the game result, and processing for ending the game when a game end condition is satisfied.

The processing unit 200 performs various processes using the memory unit 270 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 200 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

In particular, the processing unit 200 of this embodiment includes an object space setting unit 210, a display control unit 212, an input reception processing unit 213, a game control unit 214, a game calculation unit 215, a virtual camera control unit 216, a game management unit 217, a drawing unit 220, and a sound processing unit 230. Also, some of these may be omitted.

The object space setting unit 210 performs processing to place and set various objects (objects consisting of primitive surfaces such as sprites, billboards, polygons, free-form surfaces or subdivision surfaces) that represent display objects such as objects (player characters, moving objects, other player characters), movement paths, buildings, trees, pillars, walls, maps (terrain), etc., in object space.

Specifically, the object space setting unit 210 determines the position and rotation angle (synonymous with orientation and direction) of an object (model object), and places the object at that position (X, Y) or (X, Y, Z) with that rotation angle (rotation angle around the X, Y axes) or (rotation angle around the X, Y, Z axes).

Here, the object space includes both so-called virtual two-dimensional space and virtual three-dimensional space. The two-dimensional space is a space in which an object is arranged, for example, in two-dimensional coordinates (X, Y), and the three-dimensional space is a space in which an object is arranged, for example, in three-dimensional coordinates (X, Y, Z).

When the object space is a two-dimensional space, the objects are arranged based on the priority order set for each of the multiple objects. For example, objects (sprites) that you want to appear to be in the back can be arranged in order, and objects that you want to appear to be in the foreground can be arranged on top of each other.

Also, by placing objects with a large drawing size at the bottom of the image and objects with a small drawing size at the top of the image, the object space corresponding to the top of the screen can be made to appear to be in the back, and the object space corresponding to the bottom of the screen can be made to appear to be in the foreground.

If the object space is a three-dimensional space, the object is placed in the world coordinate system.

Based on the information transmitted from the server device 10, the display control unit 212 causes the display unit 290 to display information necessary to prevent the recurrence of an immobility state within the game field.

The input reception processing unit 213 receives input instructions from the player inputted via the input unit 260, and outputs the received input instructions to the game control unit 214, the server device 10, or both.

The game control unit 214 works in conjunction with the server device 10 to execute game processing based on the commands received by the input reception processing unit 213.

In particular, the game control unit 214 executes control over the character to be operated (i.e., the player character) or control over the player characters of other players and other associated characters based on various information about the game sent from the server device 10 (game information, information about the movement of the player character (including information about movement judgment), information about the movement state, information about the rescue process for rescuing from an immovable state, or information about preventing recurrence when an immovable state occurs) and commands (i.e., input instructions) received by the input reception processing unit 213.

For example, in the case of fighting games including action games and shooting games, the game control unit 214 of this embodiment performs support such as attacking enemy characters and recovering the abilities of friendly characters, or in the case of simulation games, performs predetermined tasks such as growing crops and constructing buildings.

On the other hand, the game control unit 214 performs movement calculations for character objects to be operated, such as moving objects (particularly character objects such as the player character and other player characters) within the object space.

In other words, the game control unit 214 works in conjunction with the server device 10 and performs processing to move a moving object within the object space or control the operation (motion, animation) of the moving object based on game information transmitted from the server device 10 and input data or a program (movement algorithm) and various data (motion data) input by the player via the input unit 260.

Specifically, the game control unit 214 of this embodiment performs simulation processing to sequentially obtain object movement information (movement direction, movement amount, movement speed, position, rotation angle, or acceleration) and operation information (position or rotation angle of each part object) for each frame. Here, a frame is a unit of time for performing object movement processing, operation processing (simulation processing), and image generation processing. In this embodiment, the frame rate may be fixed or may be variable depending on the processing load.

The game control unit 214 executes a process of moving an object in a three-dimensional object space based on the input direction. For example, the game control unit 214 associates a movement direction with each input direction in advance, and moves the object in the movement direction corresponding to the input direction.

The game control unit 214 may be executed in conjunction with the server device 10, or part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The game calculation unit 215 performs various game calculation processes. In particular, the game calculation unit 215 performs calculation processes necessary for executing the game, such as forming a predetermined object space in a shooting game, forming an object space based on a map, progressing the game based on a scenario that is preset in response to user operations, battling the player character against other player characters or other objects, and managing parameters during the battle.

The game calculation unit 215 runs in conjunction with the server device 10, but a part or all of it may be formed in the server device 10.

The virtual camera control unit 216 generates an image of the game space seen from a given viewpoint, which appears to have depth. In this case, the virtual camera control unit 216 performs control processing of the virtual camera (viewpoint) to generate an image seen from a given (arbitrary) viewpoint in the object space. Specifically, it performs processing to control the position (X, Y, Z) or rotation angle (rotation angle around the X, Y, Z axes) of the virtual camera (processing to control the viewpoint position and line of sight).

For example, when using a virtual camera to capture an image of an object (e.g., a character, a ball, or a car) from behind, the position or rotation angle (orientation of the virtual camera) of the virtual camera is controlled so that the virtual camera follows changes in the object's position or rotation.

In this case, the virtual camera can be controlled based on information such as the position, rotation angle, or speed of the object obtained by the game control unit 214. Alternatively, the virtual camera may be controlled to rotate at a predetermined rotation angle or move along a predetermined movement path. In this case, the virtual camera is controlled based on virtual camera data for specifying the position (movement path) or rotation angle of the virtual camera.

The virtual camera may be set as the viewpoint of the player character. If there are multiple virtual cameras (viewpoints), the above control process is performed for each virtual camera.

The game management unit 217 works in conjunction with the server device 10, and based on the player's operations input via the input unit 260, sets the player characters and various items to be used in games such as competitive games for each player, and registers them in the player information storage unit 273.

The drawing unit 220 performs drawing processing based on various information regarding image generation transmitted from the server device 10 and the results of various processing (game processing) performed by the processing unit 200, thereby generating an image and outputting it to the display unit (display) 290.

In particular, the image generated by the drawing unit 220 may be a so-called two-dimensional image or a so-called three-dimensional image. In particular, the drawing unit 220 generates an image to be displayed on the screen, which is an image seen from a virtual camera in the object space.

When generating a two-dimensional image, the drawing unit 220 draws objects in order starting from the object with the lowest set priority, and when objects overlap, it overwrites and draws the object with the highest priority.

When generating a three-dimensional image, the rendering unit 220 of this embodiment first receives object data (model data) including vertex data (such as vertex position coordinates, texture coordinates, color data, normal vectors, or alpha values) for each vertex of an object (model), and performs vertex processing based on the vertex data included in the input object data. Note that when performing vertex processing, vertex generation processing (tessellation, surface division, polygon division) may be performed to further divide polygons as necessary.

Vertex processing involves geometry processing such as vertex movement, coordinate transformation (world coordinate transformation, camera coordinate transformation), clipping, perspective transformation, and light source processing, and the vertex data given for the vertices that make up the object is modified (updated, adjusted) based on the results of this processing. Rasterization (scan conversion) is then performed based on the vertex data after vertex processing, and the faces of polygons (primitives) are associated with pixels. Following rasterization, pixel processing (fragment processing) is performed to draw the pixels that make up the image (fragments that make up the display screen).

Pixel processing involves various processes such as reading textures (texture mapping), setting/changing color data, semi-transparent compositing, and anti-aliasing to determine the final drawing color of the pixels that make up the image, and outputting (drawing) the drawing color of the perspectively transformed object to image buffer 272 (frame buffer, buffer that can store image information on a pixel-by-pixel basis; VRAM, rendering target). In other words, pixel processing involves per-pixel processing that sets or changes image information (color, normal, brightness, alpha value, etc.) on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

This generates an image that can be seen from a virtual camera (given viewpoint) set within the object space. If there are multiple virtual cameras (viewpoints), the image can be generated so that the images seen from each virtual camera can be displayed as split images on one screen.

The vertex and pixel processing performed by the drawing unit 220 may be realized by hardware that makes the drawing process of polygons (primitives) programmable using a shader program written in a shading language, known as a programmable shader (vertex shader or pixel shader). With a programmable shader, the vertex and pixel processing can be programmed, allowing for a high degree of freedom in the content of the drawing process, and significantly improving expressiveness compared to fixed drawing processing by hardware.

When drawing an object, the drawing unit 220 performs geometry processing, texture mapping, hidden surface removal, alpha blending, etc.

In geometry processing, the object is subjected to processes such as coordinate transformation, clipping, perspective projection transformation, light source calculation, etc. Then, the object data (position coordinates of the object's vertices, texture coordinates, color data (brightness data), normal vectors, α values, etc.) after the geometry processing (after perspective projection transformation) is stored in the storage unit 270.

Texture mapping involves mapping the texture (texel values) stored in the texture storage section of the storage unit 270 onto an object. Specifically, texture (surface properties such as color (RGB), alpha value, etc.) is read from the texture storage section of the storage unit 270 using texture coordinates and the like set (assigned) to the vertices of the object, and the texture, which is a two-dimensional image, is mapped onto the object. In this case, processing is performed to associate pixels with texels, and bilinear interpolation is used to interpolate the texels.

In this embodiment, when an object is drawn, a process of mapping a given texture may be performed. In this case, the color distribution (texel pattern) of the mapped texture can be dynamically changed.

In this case, textures with different color distributions (pixel patterns) may be dynamically generated, or multiple textures with different color distributions may be prepared in advance and the texture to be used may be dynamically switched. The color distribution of the texture may also be changed on an object-by-object basis.

Hidden surface removal is performed using the Z-buffer method (depth comparison method, Z test) that uses a Z-buffer (depth buffer) in which the Z-values (depth information) of the rendering pixels are stored. That is, when rendering a rendering pixel corresponding to an object's primitive, the Z-value stored in the Z-buffer is referenced, and the Z-value of the referenced Z-buffer is compared with the Z-value of the rendering pixel of the primitive. If the Z-value of the rendering pixel is a Z-value that is closer to the virtual camera (e.g. a small Z-value), rendering processing is performed for that rendering pixel, and the Z-value of the Z-buffer is updated to a new Z-value.

In alpha blending (alpha compositing), the drawing unit 220 performs semi-transparent compositing processing (normal alpha blending, additive alpha blending, subtractive alpha blending, etc.) based on the alpha value (A value). The alpha value is information that can be stored in association with each pixel (texel, dot), and is additional information other than color information, for example. The alpha value can be used as mask information, semi-transparency (equivalent to transparency and opacity), bump information, etc.

The drawing unit 220 in this embodiment may generate an image to be displayed in a display area corresponding to the contact detection area. The image to be displayed in the display area may be, for example, an image including an object.

The sound processing unit 230 performs sound processing based on the results of various processes performed in the processing unit 200, generates game sounds such as background music, sound effects, or voice, and outputs them to the sound output unit 292.

[4] Method of this embodiment [4.1] Overview Next, an overview of the method of this embodiment (game processing for executing a game based on achievement conditions for each player) will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the overview of the game processing for executing a game based on achievement conditions for each player in this embodiment.

The server device 10 of this embodiment is configured to work in conjunction with terminal devices 20 operated by multiple players, and to execute games such as battle games, action games, RPGs, sound games, communication games (specifically, games in which communication is achieved between other players or characters within the game), or sports games in which multiple players participate using player characters, regardless of differences in level (also referred to as the player's game level or player level) or differences in ability.

In addition, the server device 10 of this embodiment is configured to change the conditions to be achieved during the game, such as the clearing conditions for clearing the game and the conditions for acquiring items that can be acquired during the game, depending on the abilities and levels of the individual players participating in the game (hereinafter also referred to as "participating players"). For example, even if a game is played in a state where players with low levels or abilities (hereinafter referred to as "low-level players") are mixed with players with high levels or abilities (hereinafter referred to as "high-level players"), it is possible for not only high-level players but also low-level players to acquire bonuses, etc., as long as the achievement conditions are met.

Furthermore, the server device 10 of this embodiment is thus capable of allowing players to participate in the game regardless of differences in level or ability, and is configured to be able to gather a large number of participating players, for example, 100 or more, in a short period of time to play the game.

In other words, the server device 10 of this embodiment has a configuration that can reduce waiting times for players in games in which multiple players can participate, and provide games quickly.

Specifically, the server device 10, for example, as shown in FIG.
(A1) When the participating players are determined by a matching process for matching the player characters who wish to participate ([1] in FIG. 4),
(A2) Executing a rank determination process for determining the relative rank of each player among a plurality of players participating in the game based on the stored player-related information for each player ([2] in FIG. 4);
(A3) based on the result of the rank determination process, an achievement condition setting process is executed for each player participating in the game, in which an achievement condition to be achieved during the game by the player character operated by that player is set ([3] in FIG. 4);
(A4) At a given timing, such as during the game or after the game ends, a condition achievement determination process is executed for each player to determine whether or not a set achievement condition has been achieved ([4] in FIG. 4 ).

(A5) A process for presenting the result of the condition achievement determination process to the corresponding player by the corresponding terminal device 20 (hereinafter, referred to as a “determination result presentation control process”) is executed ([5] in FIG. 4 ).
It has a configuration.

The server device 10 is configured to execute a bonus granting control process ([5] in FIG. 4) that grants a given bonus to a player character that satisfies the condition to be achieved or to the player operating the player character based on the result of the condition achievement determination process when presenting the result of the condition achievement determination process to the relevant player.

In addition, FIG. 4 shows that in the matching process, Player A, Player B, and Player C wished to participate in the game and were registered, that in the ranking determination process, they were determined (classified) into each rank, that in the achievement condition setting process, each achievement condition was set, that in the achievement condition determination process, it was determined whether each achievement condition could be achieved, and that the game screen of the corresponding terminal device 20 displayed a message saying that the achievement conditions had been achieved, and that a specified benefit was acquired.

With this configuration, in this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the dissatisfaction caused by the waiting time of the player, and to liven up the game as a whole.

In this embodiment, a "game in which multiple players participate" can be any game in which multiple players use player characters, such as an RPG, racing game, action game, fighting game, communication game, or shooting game. In the following explanation, however, a fighting game in which multiple players compete against each other, such as a battle royale format, will be used.

In addition, the player characters used in the following battle games may be characters operated by the player, or may be NPCs (non-player characters) that are controlled according to game processing such as a program and are not operated by the player.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment described below, the game space in which the competitive game is played may be a three-dimensional space or a two-dimensional space, as long as it is a space in which a game field is formed.

[4.2] Player-related information Next, the player-related information in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the player-related information used in this embodiment.

As described above, in this embodiment, the player-related information includes, for each player, information about the player character operated by that player, and is stored in the player information storage unit 146.

For example, the player-related information may include, as shown in FIG.
(A1) The player's nickname, player ID, and if the player belongs to a team, the name of the team and its ID (hereinafter referred to as "affiliation information");
(A2) Information regarding individual and team performance, such as current points, experience points, or earned rewards or game time (hereinafter also referred to as "performance information");
(A3) Information regarding the characteristics, attributes, and level of a player character (hereinafter referred to as "character level") and the type of items (including the abilities of the items) possessed by the player character (hereinafter referred to as "character information");
(A4) Information regarding the battle record, such as the number of battles and the number of wins and losses with other player characters and other teams in a competitive game with other player characters and other teams (hereinafter referred to as "battle record information");
(A5) The values of parameters that directly affect the outcome of each player character, such as life energy, or parameters that define each ability,
(A6) Information regarding the game history, such as the total time since the game was first played (hereinafter also referred to as "total game time") and the usage period from the date of new registration (hereinafter referred to as "game history information").
(A7) information related to charges, such as a charge history and a charge amount (hereinafter referred to as "charge information"); (A8) information related to the area in which the terminal device 20 operated by the player is located (hereinafter referred to as "area information"); and
(A9) Achievement condition information indicating achievement conditions set for each player, various information necessary to achieve the achievement conditions such as items set by the achievement conditions (hereinafter also referred to as "achievement condition related information"), and information regarding the granting of benefits (hereinafter referred to as "benefit grant information").
is stored.

The information included in the player-related information is updated at predetermined times. For example, the predetermined times include every given period (e.g., every 5 minutes), when the player logs out, at a specified time in the game (e.g., 8:00 a.m.), when a specified event occurs, etc.

In addition, the player-related information includes information about past games (game results), such as battle record information, billing information, game history information, achievement condition-related information, and bonus information.

In particular, information related to achievement conditions in past games also includes information on the degree of goal achievement in each game. For example, information on the degree of goal achievement indicates a numerical value that represents the difference between the ranking determined by the achievement conditions and the actual ranking after the game ends.

Furthermore, for example, in a competitive game, energy parameter information is information that basically decreases in real time when there is interference, such as an attack, from another player's character during the game, and increases in real time when a recovery action, such as eating or resting, is taken; for example, when the value becomes "0", the game for that player is over.

[4.3] Matching Processing Next, the matching processing in this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, the matching processing unit 105 executes a matching process to identify players who will participate in the game based on player-related information such as the player's game level and ability (experience points, number of stages cleared, game performance (achievement), etc.), the type and level (including ability) of the player's character, or the area in which the terminal device 20 operated by the player is located.

Specifically, the matching processing unit 105 executes a matching process in which, from among the players who wish to participate in the game, a preset number of players (e.g., 100 players) whose terminal devices 20 are operated by the players and who belong to the same region (e.g., Asia) are selected, and the selected players are identified as participating players.

In addition, each player-related information may specify a game level that is acquired as the game is played, and when playing a game, the matching processing unit 105 may match players who wish to participate in the game with players who have game levels within a predetermined range.

In particular, in this case, the matching processing unit 105 may extract and match a number of players belonging to a predetermined level, such as advanced level players (i.e., players belonging to a predetermined range of levels considered to be advanced level), intermediate level players, and beginner level players, from among the players who wish to participate in the game.

Furthermore, the matching processing unit 105 may match the number of players required by the game from among the players who wish to participate in the game according to predetermined conditions, such as players who have a specific item (ability) or players who control a specific player character.

In this embodiment, the matching processing unit 105 may be configured to set a deadline for participation and allow any player who wishes to participate in the game to do so without any limit on the number of players if they express their intention to participate by that deadline (i.e., if they perform a specified operation on the terminal device 20).

[4.4] Rank Determination Process Next, the rank determination process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the rank determination process in this embodiment.

The player rank determination processing unit 106 acquires player-related information for each player whose participation has been determined by the matching process at the start of the game or during the game, and executes a rank determination process that determines the rank, position, or deviation score of each player among the multiple participating players in the game based on the acquired player-related information, and determines the rank of each participating player.

Specifically, the player rank determination processing unit 106 determines the relative rank by:
(A1) The level to which the player belongs (the player's game level), such as the level set in the game and acquired by the player based on the progress of the game (the level acquired by the games played up to now);
(A2) The presence or absence (including combinations of multiple items) of items (weapons) owned, including items acquired in games played in the past, or their levels (the level of the highest level item or the average level of multiple items);
(A3) The level of the player character (strength based on ability) acquired through a game played in the past (a level defined for each individual player character separately from the player's game level);
(A4) Parameter values such as points and experience points acquired in games played in the past,
(A5) The total time during which the player participated in the game (total game time), the number of participations, or the match history with other players, or
(A6) A level determined by the progress of a game played by a group of multiple players,
Based on this, each player is ranked, a standard deviation is calculated, or the player is classified into a range (rank).

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 above, at the start of the game or during the game, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 determines the rank of each participating player based on the player's level (game level), game history (total game time and number of participations), or amount of money spent on the game, which are included in the player-related information, and determines the rank of each participating player.

Also, for example, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 determines the ranking among participating players or calculates a standard deviation based on the points, in-game currency, or experience points already acquired in the game, which are included in the player-related information, at the start of the game or during the game.

FIG. 4 shows a case where game levels 1-10 are specified, and when the game levels are determined into the top four ranks of S rank, A rank, B rank, and C rank, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 determines game levels "1" to "3" as C rank, game levels "4" to "6" as B rank, game levels "7" to "9" as A rank, and game level "10" as S rank (see [2] in FIG. 4).

Also, instead of the above ranks, if players A, B, C, D, and E have respectively obtained scores of 1100 points, 220 points, 587 points, 396 points, and 101 points, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 may rank the players as follows, as shown in Figure 6, as a ranking determination process: first place is player A, second place is player C, third place is player D, fourth place is player B, and fifth place is player E.

On the other hand, the player rank determination processing unit 106 may determine the rank of each player based on information indicating the degree of goal achievement set for each player in the past games.

For example, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 quantifies the degree of goal achievement for each player's achievement conditions in each past game and calculates the average as the degree of goal achievement.

For example, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 calculates the degree of goal achievement by dividing the actually achieved condition (e.g., the points obtained) by the achievement condition set as the goal (the target points) x 100.

The player rank determination processing unit 106 may then determine the rank of each participating player at the start of the game by judging the player's rank among the participating players based on the calculated degree of goal achievement (quantified).

The player rank determination processing unit 106 may determine the rank of each player based on information on the results of each player's past games and information indicating the degree of goal achievement set for each player in the past games.

For example, at the start of the game or during the game, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 may calculate a correction value by multiplying the player's level (game level), game history (total game time or number of participations), or amount of money spent on the game, which are included in the player-related information, by the degree of goal achievement (for example, the value calculated as above/100), and use the calculated correction value to determine the rank of each participating player and determine their rank among the participating players.

Also, for example, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 may calculate a correction value at the start of the game or during the game by multiplying the points, in-game currency, or experience points already acquired in the game, which are included in the player-related information, by the degree of goal achievement, and use the calculated correction value to determine the ranking among the participating players or to calculate a deviation score.

In this case, the ranking of each player can be determined based on the appropriate skill level of each player, and appropriate achievement conditions can be set for each player, making it possible to play a game that suits the level and ability of each player.

[4.5] Achievement Condition Setting Process Next, the achievement condition setting process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the achievement condition setting process in this embodiment.

Before the game starts or during the game, the achievement condition setting unit 107 executes an achievement condition setting process for each player participating in the game, based on the results of the rank determination process, to set achievement conditions to be achieved during the game by the player character operated by that player.

In particular, the achievement condition setting unit 107 sets strict conditions that are difficult to achieve for participating players who are high in the hierarchy, such as having a high rank or a high position, before the start of the game or during the game, and sets easy conditions that are easy to achieve for participating players who are low in the hierarchy, such as having a low rank or a low position.

Then, the achievement condition setting unit 107 stores information indicating the set achievement condition in the player-related information of the corresponding player.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case where the rankings are as follows: first place is player A, second place is player C, third place is player D, fourth place is player B, and fifth place is player E, the achievement condition setting unit 107 sets the achievement conditions as follows: a condition for player A to acquire 10 coins (items), a condition for player C to acquire 7 coins (items), a condition for player D to acquire 4 coins (items), a condition for player B to acquire 2 coins (items), and a condition for player E to acquire 1 coin (item).

The achievement condition setting unit 107 may also set achievement conditions for each player based on the player-related information of all players participating in the game, along with the results of the ranking determination process.

For example, in this case, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may lower the achievement conditions overall, including for low-level players, since it is generally difficult to even progress in the game when there are many high-level players (players with high ranks), and may raise the achievement conditions overall when there are many low-level players (players with low ranks), since it is generally easy to progress in the game.

In other words, in such a case, the achievement condition setting unit 107 is configured to be able to change the achievement conditions for each player based on the level, ranking, or deviation value of the other participating players, taking into consideration not only the player's ranking but also fluctuations in the progress (difficulty) of the game itself, in order to balance the progress of the game (changes in ease or difficulty) and the achievement conditions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if player A is S rank, players C and D are B rank, player B is C rank, and player E is A rank, the achievement condition setting unit 107 sets the achievement conditions as follows: for player A, seven coins (items), for players C and D, three coins (items), for player B, one coin (item), and for player E, five coins (items) (see [3] in FIG. 4).

On the other hand, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may not set achievement conditions for the relevant player.

For example, since players with high levels or abilities can already fully enjoy the game by winning or winning, from the perspective of helping the weaker players, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may set achievement conditions only for players with low levels or abilities for the achievement of high achievement conditions from the perspective of rewarding the game, and may not set achievement conditions at all.

During the achievement condition setting process, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may determine the bonus (type, number, timing, etc.) to be given to the player when the achievement condition is achieved, and store information related to the bonus (hereinafter referred to as "bonus information") as the achievement condition information.

In addition, in this embodiment, the game data storage unit 144 may store bonus information that specifies the bonus (type, number, timing, etc.) that will be granted to the player when the achievement condition is met.

In this case, the game data storage unit 144 only needs to store bonus information in association with each achievement condition set in the achievement condition setting process.

[4.6] Condition Achievement Determination Processing and Determination Result Presentation Processing Next, the condition achievement determination processing in this embodiment will be described.

The achievement condition determination unit 108 executes a condition achievement determination process for each participating player at a given time, such as during the game or after the game ends, to determine whether or not the player character operated by each player has achieved the set achievement condition.

Specifically, at a given timing, the achievement condition determination unit 108 references the achievement condition information and achievement condition related information stored in the player related information for each participating player, and executes a condition achievement determination process to determine whether or not the player character operated by each participating player has achieved the set achievement condition based on the referenced achievement condition information and achievement condition related information.

Then, the achievement condition determination unit 108 stores bonus granting information regarding the granting of a bonus in the achievement condition related information of a participating player who has achieved the set achievement condition, and stores information indicating that the achievement condition has not been achieved (hereinafter referred to as "achievement condition unachieved information") in the achievement condition related information of a participating player who has not yet achieved the set achievement condition.

On the other hand, the information providing unit 110, in conjunction with each terminal device 20, executes a judgment result presentation control process for presenting the result of the condition achievement judgment process determined based on the achievement condition related information to the relevant player.

In particular, the information providing unit 110 executes control to present a player who has achieved the achievement condition with bonus information indicating that the achievement condition has been achieved and the bonus to be acquired (such as items and abilities used by the player character, in-game currency, and the right to execute a gacha or the right to change the probability of winning or the rarity of an item acquired through the gacha).

In addition, the information providing unit 110 executes control to present information about unfulfilled conditions, including the conditions that were not met, to players who have not yet achieved the conditions.

[4.7] Benefit-granting control process The benefit-granting control process in this embodiment will be described next with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams for explaining the benefit-granting control process in this embodiment.

Based on the results of the condition achievement determination process, the reward management unit 111, while referencing the corresponding reward granting information, grants rewards to the player character that meets the achievement condition or to the player operating the player character, such as items and abilities that the player character can use, in-game currency, and the right to play gacha and the right to change the winning probability and rarity of items acquired through the gacha.

In particular, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus granting control process for granting a bonus to a participating player when the achievement conditions are met, regardless of the game level or ability differences between the participating players. However, it is preferable that the bonus management unit 111 grants a bonus of higher value to a player character with a higher level or ability, compared to a player character with a lower level or ability who meets the achievement conditions.

On the other hand, in order to keep the player interested in the game until the end, the bonus management unit 111 may, as a bonus granting control process, when the achievement condition is a quantity-related condition, vary the bonus to be granted by improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the bonus or increasing the amount of the bonus depending on the quantity that exceeds the achievement condition.

For example, suppose the achievement condition is a quantity-related condition that requires a player to acquire a certain number of specific items, and that a "medal" item of varying quality is awarded as a reward in response to changes in the quantity depending on the rank of the participating player, as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B).

In this case, when the achievement condition is met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus granting control process to grant a bonus to a rank S player, as shown in FIG. 8(A), in the case where the player has a predetermined number of specific items (e.g., 5 items), a "bronze medal" in the case where the player has a predetermined number of specific items + 1 or more and a predetermined number + 5 or less, and a "gold medal" in the case where the player has a predetermined number of specific items + 6 or more.

On the other hand, when the achievement condition is met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus awarding control process to award a bonus to a rank C player when the player has a predetermined number of specific items (1 item), a bonus of a "bronze medal" when the player has the predetermined number + 1 specific item, and a bonus of a "gold medal" when the player has the predetermined number + 2 or more specific items, as shown in FIG. 8 (B).

The bonus management unit 111 may also vary the bonuses to be granted, such as by improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the bonus and increasing the quantity of the bonus, depending on the time it takes to achieve the achievement conditions, in order to increase the interest of the game by requiring strategy in achieving the achievement conditions.

For example, suppose that the achievement conditions are such that, depending on the rank of the participating player, a "medal" item is awarded as a reward of varying quality in accordance with the change in the period required to achieve the achievement conditions, as shown in Figures 9(A) and (B).

In this case, when the achievement condition is met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus awarding control process to award a bonus to a participating player of rank S, as shown in FIG. 9(A), if the achievement condition is met within 5 minutes of the start of the game, a "gold medal," if the achievement condition is met within 6 to 15 minutes of the start of the game, and a "bronze medal," if the achievement condition is met 16 minutes or more after the start of the game. However, the measurement is performed in minutes.

On the other hand, when the achievement conditions are met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus awarding control process to award a bonus to a participating player of rank C, as shown in FIG. 9(B), if the achievement conditions are met within 15 minutes of the start of the game, a "gold medal," if the achievement conditions are met between 16 and 30 minutes of the start of the game, and a "bronze medal," if the achievement conditions are met 31 minutes or more after the start of the game. However, it is assumed that the measurement is still performed in minute increments.

Furthermore, in order to keep the participating players interested in the game until the end, the reward management unit 111 may change the rewards given to participating players who have achieved the achievement conditions, depending on the results of the game of that player.

For example, assume that the achievement condition is to award a "medal" item as a reward of different quality corresponding to the score at the end of the game depending on the rank of the participating player, as shown in Figures 10 (A) and (B).

In this case, when the achievement condition is met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus awarding control process to award a bonus to a participating player of rank S, as shown in FIG. 10(A), in the case where the score is 1000 points or less, a "bronze medal," in the case where the score is between 1001 points and 2000 points or less, and a "gold medal" in the case where the score is 2001 points or more.

On the other hand, when the achievement conditions are met, the bonus management unit 111 executes a bonus awarding control process to award a bonus to a participating player of rank C who has achieved a score of 200 points or less, a "bronze medal" if the score is between 201 points and 500 points, and a "gold medal" if the score is 501 points or more, as shown in FIG. 10(B).

In this embodiment, if the condition achievement determination process determines that the achievement conditions are not met (if the conditions are determined to have not been achieved), the bonus management unit 111 may give a disadvantage to the player.

For example, the reward management unit 111 collects 100 in-game coins from participating players who are determined not to meet the achievement conditions.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which a bonus was given to the player, but a bonus may also be given to the player character by increasing the level or rank of the player character, or by upgrading the version of the player character, etc.

[4.8] Modifications Next, modifications of this embodiment will be described.

(Variation 1: Team-Based Achievement Conditions)
When a game is played by a team formed by multiple participating players, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may set conditions to be achieved jointly with other participating players in the game as achievement conditions set for each player participating in the game.

Specifically, the achievement condition setting unit 107 may set an achievement condition that a participating player must achieve together with other participating players on the team to which the participating player belongs (e.g., seizing a specific item from another team).

(Modification 2: Condition Achievement Determination Process 1 Based on Team Joint Responsibility)
The achievement condition determination unit 108 may set different achievement conditions for each participating player on the same team, and when each participating player on the same team achieves their respective achievement conditions, the achievement condition determination unit 108 may determine that the achievement conditions of each participating player have been achieved.

In other words, if player A and player B belong to the same team and both player A and player B achieve the achievement condition, the achievement condition determination unit 108 determines that the achievement condition for player A and player B has been achieved, but if only player A achieves the achievement condition, the achievement condition determination unit 108 determines that the achievement condition for both player A and player B has not been achieved.

(Modification 3: Processing 2 for Determining Condition Achievement Based on Team Joint Responsibility)
When a player participating in a game as part of a team consisting of multiple players is determined to have met the achievement conditions set for all players belonging to the same team through a condition achievement determination process, the benefit management unit 111 may change the given benefit to be granted, or may grant an additional special benefit in addition to the given benefit to be granted.

In other words, the bonus management unit 111 is configured to increase the interest of the game as a team battle even when a team is made up of players with different levels or abilities, or when a team is made up of players with low or high levels or abilities, and to make the game interesting for any player.

In particular, the bonus management unit 111 changes the bonus to be granted by, for example, improving the quality, level, rarity, etc. of the bonus, and increasing the quantity of the bonus.

In addition, the reward management unit 111 adds special rewards such as bonus rewards, such as points, items, or energy recovery, in addition to the rewards granted by meeting the achievement conditions.

The special benefit may be the same as the benefit given to each individual, or it may be a different benefit.

(Modification 4: Processing for controlling presentation of judgment results to other participating players of the team)
The information providing unit 110 may execute control so that, when a player achieves the achievement condition, the player is informed, together with other participating players on the same team, of the achievement of the achievement condition and of bonus granting information indicating the bonus to be acquired.

The information providing unit 110 may also execute control for a player who has not achieved the achievement conditions to present information about the achievement conditions not being achieved, including the conditions that were not met, to the player and other participating players on the same team.

In other words, the information providing unit 110 may execute a judgment result presentation control process that presents a judgment result indicating whether or not the achievement condition has been achieved not only to the player for whom the achievement condition has been set, but also to other players who belong to a team consisting of multiple players including the player.

[5] Operation in this Embodiment Next, the operation of the game process executed by the server device 10 in this embodiment (game process for executing the game based on the achievement conditions for each player) will be described with reference to FIG.

Note that FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the game process executed by the server device 10 of this embodiment (game process that executes the game based on the achievement conditions for each player).

In this operation, a judgment result presentation control process is executed to display the result of the achievement condition judgment process on the corresponding terminal device 20 at a predetermined timing during the game, and a bonus granting control process is executed to grant a bonus after the game ends.

In addition, in this operation, it is assumed that the necessary player-related information for each player has already been registered in the player information storage unit 146, and that the relevant player-related information has been updated as appropriate.

First, when the timing for starting the game arrives (step S101), the matching processing unit 105 executes a matching process to extract players who meet certain conditions as participating players from among multiple players who wish to participate (step S102).

Next, the player ranking determination processing unit 106 acquires player-related information for each player whose participation has been determined by the matching process (step S103), and executes a ranking determination process to determine the ranking of each participating player by judging the rank, position, or deviation score of each player among the multiple participating players in the game based on the acquired player-related information (step S104).

Next, the achievement condition setting unit 107 executes an achievement condition setting process for each player participating in the game based on the results of the rank determination process, in which the achievement conditions to be achieved during the game by the player character operated by that player are set (step S105).

Next, the game management unit 103 starts the competitive game and starts executing various game processes related to the competitive game (step S106).

Next, the game management unit 103 determines whether it is time to end the game (step S107).

At this time, if the game management unit 103 determines that it is not time to end the game, it proceeds to processing of step S108, and if it determines that it is time to end the game, it proceeds to processing of step S112.

Next, if the achievement condition determination unit 108 determines in the process of step S107 that it is not time to end the game and detects that it is a given timing in conjunction with the game management unit 103 (step S108), it executes a condition achievement determination process for determining whether or not the set achievement condition has been achieved for each participating player (step S109).

Next, the achievement condition determination unit 108 specifies the results of the condition achievement determination process for each participating player in the player-related information (step S110).

Next, the information providing unit 110, in conjunction with each terminal device 20, executes a judgment result presentation control process for presenting the result of the condition achievement judgment process determined based on the achievement condition related information to the relevant player (step S111), and proceeds to the process of step S107.

On the other hand, if the bonus management unit 111 determines that it is time to end the game, it awards a specific bonus to the player controlling the player character who meets the achievement condition based on the result of the condition achievement determination process (player-related information) while referring to the corresponding bonus awarding information (step S112), and ends this operation.

At this time, the reward management unit 111 may change the reward to be granted based on the achievement status of the achievement conditions (the number or timing of achievement in the case of quantitative conditions).

[6] Others The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, a term cited in the description of the specification or drawings as a term with a broad meaning or synonymous meaning can be replaced with a term with a broad meaning or synonymous meaning in other descriptions of the specification or drawings.

In this embodiment, each game may be provided to the terminal device 20 by a single server device 10, or multiple server devices 10 may be linked together to form a server system and provide each game to the terminal device.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the game provided by the server device 10 is executed by the terminal device 20, but the functions of the processing unit 200 of the terminal device 20 and the execution of the game program, except for the operational input, may be executed by the server device 10, and the terminal device 20 may realize the above game by executing the operational input and image display by streaming.

In addition, in this embodiment, the game may be realized by a single game device having the functions of the server device 10, i.e., a device that operates independently (standalone) without relying on other devices such as a server device, in which case multiple input terminal devices are sufficient.

It is also possible to realize a game system using multiple game terminal devices, with one of the devices functioning as the server device 10, by connecting multiple game terminal devices together via wire or wirelessly.

In addition, in this embodiment, the game system of the present invention is applied to a server device 10 that runs in conjunction with a terminal device 20 via a network, but it can also be applied to a tablet-type information terminal device, a personal computer, or a game device installed in an amusement park.

The present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations with the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations with the same purpose and effect). The present invention also includes configurations that replace non-essential parts of the configurations described in the embodiments. The present invention also includes configurations that achieve the same effects as the configurations described in the embodiments, or that can achieve the same purpose. The present invention also includes configurations that add publicly known technology to the configurations described in the embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible that do not substantially depart from the novel aspects and effects of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... SERVER DEVICE 20 ... TERMINAL DEVICE 100 ... PROCESSING UNIT 101 ... COMMUNICATIONS CONTROL UNIT 102 ... WEB PROCESSING UNIT 103 ... GAME MANAGEMENT UNIT 104 ... TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT 105 ... MATCHING PROCESSING UNIT 106 ... PLAYER RANKING DETERMINATION UNIT 107 ... ACHIEVEMENT CONDITION SETTING UNIT 108 ... ACHIEVEMENT CONDITION SETTING UNIT 109 ... TIMER MANAGEMENT UNIT 110 ... INFORMATION PROVIDING UNIT 111 ... PRIVILEGE MANAGEMENT UNIT 120 ... INPUT UNIT 130 ... DISPLAY UNIT 140 ... MEMORY UNIT 142 ... MAIN MEMORY UNIT 144 ... GAME DATA MEMORY UNIT 146 ... PLAYER INFORMATION MEMORY UNIT 180 ... INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM 196 ... COMMUNICATION UNIT 200 ... PROCESSING UNIT 210 ... OBJECT SPACE SETTING UNIT 212 ... DISPLAY CONTROL UNIT 213 ... INPUT ACCEPTANCE PROCESSING UNIT 214 ... GAME COMPUTATION UNIT 215 ... VIRTUAL CAMERA COMPUTING UNIT 217 ... GAME MANAGEMENT UNIT 220 ... DRAGON UNIT 230 ... SOUND PROCESSING UNIT 270 ... Storage unit 271 ... Main storage unit 272 ... Image buffer 273 ... Player information storage unit 274 ... Game data storage unit 260 ... Input unit 262 ... Detection unit 280 ... Information storage medium 290 ... Display unit 292 ... Sound output unit 296 ... Communication unit

Claims (11)

A game system for executing a game in which multiple players participate using player characters, comprising:
a matching processing means for matching a plurality of players participating in the game as participating players, with a mixture of level differences or ability differences in the game;
a setting means for setting, for each participating player, an achievement condition to be achieved during a participating game in which the relevant player participates, based on a level difference or ability difference between the players;
a determination means for executing a condition achievement determination process for determining whether or not the set achievement condition is achieved for each participating player at a given timing during the participating game;
a presentation means for presenting a result of the condition achievement determination process to a corresponding participating player;
Equipped with
The setting means:
A game system comprising: a game system for setting, for each participating player, an achievement condition that is changed in accordance with the progress of the game of the corresponding participating player. 2. The game system according to claim 1,
The game system further comprises a benefit giving control means for giving a given benefit to a player character that satisfies the condition for achievement or to a participating player who operates the player character, based on a result of the process of determining whether the condition has been achieved. 3. The game system according to claim 2,
The privilege granting control means
When the condition for achievement is a condition related to quantity, the game system changes the benefit to be granted according to the quantity exceeding the condition for achievement. 4. The game system according to claim 2,
The privilege granting control means
A game system in which the benefit to be granted is changed depending on the period of time until the achievement condition is achieved. In the game system according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The privilege granting control means
In the game system, when it is determined by the condition achievement determination process that a participating player who participates in the participating game as a team consisting of multiple players meets the achievement conditions set for all participating players belonging to the same team, the given benefit to be granted is changed, or a special benefit is additionally granted in addition to the given benefit to be granted. In the game system according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The privilege granting control means
When it is determined that the condition is met by the condition achievement determination process, the benefit to be awarded is changed according to the result of the participating game of the relevant participating player. In the game system according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The privilege granting control means
When it is determined that the condition is not met by the condition achievement determination process, a disadvantage is given to the participating player. In the game system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A game system, wherein the achievement conditions set for each participating player include conditions to be achieved jointly with other participating players. In the game system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
In the game system, the relevant player is a participating player for whom the achievement condition is set, or another participating player who belongs to a team consisting of a plurality of participating players including the relevant participating player. In the game system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The setting means:
The game system sets the achievement condition for each participating player based on player-related information of all participating players in the game. A program for executing a game in which multiple players participate using player characters, comprising:
a matching processing means for matching a plurality of players participating in the game as participating players, with a mixture of level differences or ability differences in the game;
a setting means for setting, for each participating player, an achievement condition to be achieved during a participating game in which the relevant player participates, based on a level difference or ability difference between the players;
a determination means for executing a condition achievement determination process for determining whether or not the set achievement condition is achieved for each participating player at a given timing during the participating game; and
a presentation means for presenting a result of the condition achievement determination process to a corresponding participating player;
The computer functions as
The setting means:
A program for setting, for each participating player, an achievement condition that is changed in accordance with the progress of the game of the corresponding participating player.

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