JP7633146B2 - Game program and game device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game program and a game device, and in particular to an electronic game that involves the provision of goods.

There is a game device that provides items with different printed content depending on the game results (Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-189276 A

However, in a system in which the printed content of an item is controlled depending on the outcome of a game, as in Patent Document 1, some users find it difficult to obtain certain types of items.

The present invention aims to provide a game program and a game device that allows various types of items to be easily obtained and provides a highly entertaining playing experience.

The game program of the present invention is a game program that causes a computer that provides a service including the experience of playing a series of games to execute a detection process for detecting payment of a fee, a control process for controlling the execution of the series of games on the condition that payment of the fee for the start of the service provision has been detected, and a provision control process for causing the provision means to provide goods for the executed games, the series of games including a main game and a sub-game, the sub-game including a first sub-game and a second sub-game with different game content, and the provision control process causes the provision means to provide different types of goods for the main game and the sub-game, and to provide the same type of goods for the first sub-game and the second sub-game.

The present invention makes it possible to easily obtain various types of items and provide a highly entertaining play experience.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of data used in the game system according to the embodiment and the modified example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the execution timing of various games in a series of games according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of functional modules realized by executing a presentation process according to an embodiment of the present invention; A flowchart illustrating a presentation process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

The embodiment described below is an example of the application of the present invention to a game device configured to provide goods, as an example of a game device. However, the present invention can be applied to any device that provides services including the provision of a game play experience and is capable of providing different types of goods.

In addition, in this specification, "service provision" means temporarily granting the right to occupy and use the game device to a user (player) who has paid the fee, and providing a service that includes the experience of playing a series of games. The provision of a service to a single player begins on the condition that payment of the fee is detected while no service is being provided, and the provision basically ends after the execution of the functions of the game device made available for one service provision (including the execution of a series of games) is completed.

Game System Configuration
1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a game system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the game system is configured so that a server 200 and one or more game devices 100 can communicate with each other via a network 300.

In this embodiment, such a system configuration is configured to enable a competitive game between players using multiple game devices 100 via the server 200 and the network 300. Furthermore, games for which a play experience is provided on the game device 100 are not limited to competitive games between players, and may include games configured for one person.

As will be described in more detail later, when a player is identified when using the game device 100, i.e., when a service is provided after the player has been identified, the server 200 updates the information managed for each player based on the details of that usage (game play history).

<Configuration of the Game Device>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

The payment detection unit 104 detects that a payment has been made on the gaming device 100. The payment of the price may be determined, for example, by detecting that a predetermined amount of coins or an equivalent coin has been inserted into an insertion slot (not shown) of the gaming device 100, or by detecting the completion of a settlement process based on communication with a chip related to a predetermined electronic money. The gaming device 100 of this embodiment will be described as starting to provide a service, including the provision of a series of game play experiences, based on the payment of the price for starting the provision of the service. Furthermore, the payment of the price is configured to be detectable even after the start of the provision of the service.

The acquisition unit 105 is an interface provided in the game device 100 of this embodiment for acquiring information from objects. Specifically, the acquisition unit 105 has a reader configured to be able to acquire information attached to multiple types of objects from the objects. Here, the multiple types of objects from which the acquisition unit 105 can acquire information are all described as objects (real objects) having a physical volume that are configured to be provided by the game device 100.

In this embodiment, the multiple types of items are all game cards, and each is described as being associated with one game element (character, mount, item, etc.) that appears in the game in which the game device 100 provides a play experience. The game element associated with a game card can be identified by the acquisition unit 105 acquiring information (identification information) for identifying the game element attached to the game card. The identification information may be added to the game card by, for example, printing a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional code obtained by converting the identification information onto the game card, or by other methods such as recording the identification information on a tag or IC chip for near field communication (NFC) included in the game card.

In this embodiment, the acquisition of information from multiple types of game cards is described as being performed by a single reader provided in the acquisition unit 105, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the acquisition of information from multiple types of game cards may be performed by multiple types of readers.

In addition, the acquisition unit 105 also acquires information from an item that records a player ID in order to identify a player using the game device 100. In this embodiment, the item that records the player ID is a player card that is configured in the form of a card, similar to a game card, and the description will be given assuming that information can be acquired via a reader that is common to game cards. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and player identification may be achieved by adopting other items or methods.

The element DB 106 is a database that manages information (element information) about each game element that appears in the game. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, the player can place a game card during game play and acquire information, thereby making the game element associated with the game card appear in the game. The element information managed for one game element includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), type information 302 indicating the type in the game assigned to the game element in association with an element ID (identification information) 301 that uniquely identifies the game element, drawing information 303 including graphics data used to generate a screen when the game element appears in the game, and parameter information 304 that describes the parameters defined for each element level of the game element and the effects that are activated by using the game element in addition to the name, attributes, etc. of the game element. The parameter information 304 is information that is referenced in the game in which the game element appears, and is involved in the progress control of the game.

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

The presentation control unit 107 is responsible for controlling the presentation of various types of information to the player on the game device 100. In this embodiment, the game device 100 is described as having a display unit 120 that displays images (game screen, menu screen, etc.) as a means of presenting various types of information, but it goes without saying that the means of presenting information are not limited to these and can be replaced or added. The display unit 120, which is an example of a means of presenting information, is a display device that presents visual information, such as a liquid crystal display. In addition, in aspects in which other means of presenting information are provided, an appropriate device, such as a speaker that presents auditory information, is connected so as to be controllable by the presentation control unit 107.

The presentation control unit 107 includes a drawing device such as a GPU, and performs a predetermined drawing process when generating a screen to be displayed on the display unit 120. Specifically, while the game device 100 is running (while a service is being provided or in standby mode), the presentation control unit 107 performs the necessary calculations on the necessary drawing objects (graphics data) based on the processing and commands performed by the control unit 101, and draws the screen. The generated screen is output to the display unit 120 and presented to the player by being displayed in a predetermined display area.

The provision control unit 108 controls the operation of the first provision unit 130, the second provision unit 140, and the third provision unit 150 so that game cards are provided in response to the payment of the fee for the use of the service. The first provision unit 130 and the second provision unit 140 are configured as card dispensers configured to be able to provide the game cards stored in the storage units one by one. The game device 100 of this embodiment has three types of card dispensers (the first provision unit 130, the second provision unit 140, and the third provision unit 150) inside the housing of the game device 100, and the provision control unit 108 controls which one of them will provide the game cards. One card dispenser has a storage unit configured to be able to store game cards in a vertically stacked manner, and is equipped with a mechanism for sending out one game card held in the lowest layer in response to a provision command issued by the provision control unit 108. The sent game card is guided to an accessible space via an outlet (not shown) and provided to the player.

As described above, game elements are associated with game cards provided by the game device 100 of this embodiment, and can be used during game play to make the game elements appear in the game. The progress of the game is controlled according to the parameter information 304 of the game elements that appear, and the more advantageous the game element that has parameter information 304 for progressing, the higher its value in the game. Therefore, in this embodiment, game cards are classified into two types according to the value in the game of the associated game element.

The game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to provide different types of game cards. Specifically, the first providing unit 130, the second providing unit 140, and the third providing unit 150 are configured so that different types of game cards are stored in the storage units, and the providing control unit 108 drives the corresponding providing unit based on the information on the providing type included in the providing command made by the control unit 101, so that a specific type of game card can be provided. For this reason, game cards are delivered to the store or the like where the game device 100 is installed by type (first type and second type), and when replenishing game cards, the storage unit of the first providing unit 130 is operated to store a bundle of game cards of the first type, and the storage units of the second providing unit 140 and the third providing unit 150 are operated to store a bundle of game cards of the second type.

Here, the game cards stored in the second providing unit 140 and the third providing unit 150 are set to have a higher value in the game (such as the performance of the associated game elements) than the game cards stored in the first providing unit 130. In the following, the game cards stored in the first providing unit 130 are referred to as normal cards, and the game cards stored in the second providing unit 140 and the third providing unit 150 are referred to as rare cards. In other words, the game device 100 of this embodiment is configured to provide normal cards when the first providing unit 130 is driven, and provide rare cards when the second providing unit 140 and the third providing unit 150 are driven. Note that the game cards stored in the second providing unit 140 and the third providing unit 150 are both the same type of item from the perspective of rare cards, but they may differ, for example, in terms of the types of game elements that are associated with them, and are stored separately so that they can be provided separately according to the purpose.

The operation input unit 109 is a user interface that the game device 100 has, such as an operation member for inputting a decision and various sensors. When the operation input unit 109 detects that an operation input has been made to an operation member, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. Note that the operation input unit 109 may also include, for example, a touch input detection sensor that detects a touch input made on the screen of the display unit 120.

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface with an external device that the game device 100 has. The communication unit 110 can connect to the external device via a network 300 (either wired or wireless), which may be a communication network such as the Internet or a cable connecting devices, and can transmit and receive data. The communication unit 110 converts information that is input as the object of transmission, for example, into data in a predetermined format, and transmits it via the network 300 to an external device such as a server 200. When the communication unit 110 receives information from an external device via the network 300, for example, it decodes the information and stores it in the memory 103.

Server Configuration
Next, the functional configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 4. In the description of the functional configuration of the server 200, the configuration that realizes the same functions as the configuration of the game device 100 will be indicated with the prefix "server" in order to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the game device 100.

The server control unit 201 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the server 200. Specifically, the server control unit 201 controls the operation of each block by reading out the operation program of each block recorded, for example, on the recording medium 102, expanding it into the memory 103, and executing it.

The server recording medium 202 is a recording device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. The server recording medium 202 stores information such as parameters required for the operation of each block in addition to the operation programs of each block held by the server 200. The server memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The server memory 203 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of each block.

In the game system of this embodiment, the player DB 204 is a database that manages information (player information) indicating game usage status associated with each user (player) for a game for which a play experience is provided on the game device 100. The player information is information for managing the usage history of game play functions for each player and various game elements that are available to the player. The player information is updated sequentially according to the results of a game played using a player card on the game device 100, and is provided to the game device 100 when the player card is used again. This makes it possible to provide game play on the game device 100 in a state that reflects the previous game play.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(b), for example, the player information may include, in association with a player ID 311 that identifies the player, progress status information 312 indicating the progress of the player's game play, ownership information 313 indicating game elements that are available to the player in the game, strengthening status information 314 indicating the strengthening status of each of the available game elements, and reward information 315 indicating rewards granted to the player (which may be other types of game elements).

Here, the progress status information 312 may include progress information 321 indicating to what stage a predetermined story has progressed, and performance information 322 indicating the performance of a battle game, as well as evaluation information 323 evaluating the player's playing status. The ownership information 313 is configured by sequentially adding the element IDs 301 of game elements associated with game cards used by the player when playing the game, i.e., game elements that are available to the player, and the strengthening status information 314 may be configured to manage element levels 332 as indicators of parameters that have changed due to strengthening, in association with the element IDs 331 of game elements that have at least been strengthened (changed from the initial state). In this embodiment, in order to make the invention easier to understand, the strengthening status information 314 is described as being updated when the results of playing a game performed on the game device 100 are obtained, but it may be updated in response to, for example, obtaining information on the training results due to the use of a training function on the game device 100.

The matching processing unit 205 performs matching processing for a competitive game between players (human-versus-human battle) provided in the game system of this embodiment. Through the matching processing, a session is established for, for example, two game devices 100 that have sent matching requests at the same time among the game devices 100 connected to the server 200, and transition to a state in which information communication related to the competitive game is possible.

The management unit 206 manages the evaluation of the player related to the game based on the play content of the game played on the game device 100. More specifically, the management unit 206 evaluates the player based on the play content for each game play, and generates or updates evaluation information 323 of the player information related to the player.

The server communication unit 207 is a communication interface with an external device that the server 200 has. The server communication unit 207 can connect to an external device via a network 300 (either wired or wireless), which may be a communication network such as the Internet or a cable connecting devices, to enable sending and receiving of data. The server communication unit 207 converts information input as a transmission target, for example, into data in a predetermined format, and sends it to an external device such as the game device 100 via the network 300. When the server communication unit 207 receives information from an external device via the network 300, for example, it decodes the information and stores it in the server memory 203.

Overview of the series of games
Below, an overview will be given of a series of games for which a play experience is provided on the game device 100 of this embodiment.

When the game device 100 is powered on and started up, it becomes connected to the server 200 and transitions to a standby state in which it can accept provision of services. When payment of a fee is detected in the standby state, the game device 100 transitions to a service provision state and starts providing the service, including providing a series of game play experiences. Therefore, the payment of a fee to transition from the standby state to the service provision state is equivalent to the payment of a fee for starting provision of the service.

When the provision of a service is started, for example after reading the player card, receiving the corresponding player information, and providing a normal card, the control unit 101 executes game processing for a series of games. In this embodiment, the provision of one service in response to the payment of the price for starting the provision of the service is described as including the provision of one normal card and the subsequent execution of one series of games. More specifically, the provision of one service in response to the payment of the price for starting the provision of the service includes the provision of a play experience of a main game, which is included in one series of games described below, and the provision of one normal card for the main game. However, it will be understood that the number of normal cards provided and the timing of providing them are not limited to this when implementing the present invention.

The series of games includes a main game (main game), which is a competitive game between a human or a CPU, using game elements (used game elements) registered using a game card, and a sub-game (sub-game) different from the main game, which may occur randomly during one service provision. Here, the execution timing of the sub-game is set at a predetermined timing in the series of games, a lottery process is performed to determine whether or not to execute the sub-game at the execution timing, and the sub-game is executed when the lottery result is a win and further payment of the price during the service provision is detected. In this embodiment, a lottery process is performed at each execution timing of the sub-game set in the series of games, and the execution control of the sub-game is performed, and a mode is described in which the sub-game is not necessarily executed during the series of games, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the sub-game may be controlled so that at least one opportunity to execute the sub-game is guaranteed (subject to further payment of the price) during the series of games executed in relation to one service provision.

In addition, the game device 100 of this embodiment is controlled to provide one rare card each time a sub game is executed. As will be described in detail later, when a sub game is executed, the provision control unit 108 controls the second provision unit 140 or the third provision unit 150 to provide one game card accordingly. Therefore, the provision control unit 108 of this embodiment is configured to provide different types of game cards for the main game and the sub game.

The main game and the sub-game have in common that they are games with common content that feature game elements, but the play experience they provide is different. As described above, the main game is a battle game, and prior to the start, a group of usable game elements is registered for each of the player and opponent (the other matched player or the CPU character) based on information acquired from the game card, and the registered group of usable game elements proceed while performing battle actions in a specified game field. At this time, the progress of the main game is controlled based on the operation input made to the usable game elements and the parameters of the group of usable game elements. In contrast, the sub-game includes the following two types of games, which provide a different play experience from the main game as the first and second sub-games according to the present invention.

One of the sub-games is a salvage game serving as a first sub-game according to the present invention. The salvage game is a game that provides the player with an opportunity to obtain game elements that can be used in the main game, and provides, for example, a rare card related to one game element as a result of unearthing (salvaging) game elements in a game field or the like during the game. The provision of the rare card in the salvage game is realized by driving the second providing unit 140. In the salvage game, in order to increase the interest in providing the rare card, an appearance effect of a game element randomly selected from among game elements associated with the rare card is presented. Then, the provision control unit 108 drives the second providing unit 140 during or after the presentation of the appearance effect, and provides the rare card.

The other of the sub-games is a boss game as a second sub-game according to the present invention. The boss game is a game that provides the player with an opportunity to obtain game elements that can be used in the main game, similar to the salvage game, but unlike the salvage game, it is a game that includes a battle performance that requires operational input for the game elements to be used, like the main game. More specifically, the boss game of this embodiment is not a battle game in which a group of usable game elements registered for an opponent are the target of the battle action, but a battle game in which, for example, a boss character that is configured more powerfully than the usable game elements (parameters that allow the game to proceed advantageously are set) is the target of the battle action. The boss game provides a rare card related to one game element after the end of a game that includes such a battle performance. The provision of a rare card in the boss game is realized by driving the third provision unit 150. That is, the provision control unit 108 drives the third provision unit 150 after the end of the battle game related to the boss character, and provides a rare card.

In this way, each type of sub-game has a different card dispenser that provides rare cards and is configured with different presentation content. The differences between these sub-games are also reflected in the execution timing, maximum number of executions, and execution time in the series of games.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the timing at which the main game, salvage game, and boss game are executed in a series of games for which a play experience is provided on the game device 100 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the timing at which the salvage game is executed is provided multiple times during the execution period of the main game in the series of games. In contrast, the timing at which the boss game is executed is provided only once before the end of the series of games and after the end of the main game. In other words, in the series of games, the timing at which the salvage game is executed is provided before the timing at which the boss game is executed.

Here, the timing of execution of each sub game does not necessarily mean that execution is confirmed. As described above, when the execution timing is reached, a lottery process is carried out to determine whether or not to execute the sub game, and if the lottery process is successful, the sub game can be executed. When a sub game can be executed, the game device 100 is notified that the sub game (salvage game or boss game) can be executed, provided that further payment of the price during the service is made. Then, the sub game is controlled to be executed, provided that further payment of the price is detected during or after the notification.

In this embodiment, the lottery processes for the salvage game and boss game are described as being performed using a predetermined probability of winning, respectively, to ensure fairness between players. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and in order to increase interest, the probability of winning may be controlled to vary depending on, for example, the number of times the salvage game has been played, the progress of the main game, etc.

As shown in FIG. 5, since the salvage game is executed by temporarily suspending the processing of the main game during execution of the main game, it is preferable that the salvage game be configured to be easily terminated so as not to disturb the player's concentration on the main game. Therefore, the salvage game of this embodiment does not require a specific operation input, or can be terminated by only a simple operation such as a selection operation, and the execution time is set short by only presenting the appearance performance of the game elements. On the other hand, since the boss game is executed after the main game is ended, it does not disturb the player's concentration on the main game. Therefore, the boss game of this embodiment is configured as a more entertaining game that includes a performance of operating game elements, and the execution time is set longer than that of the salvage game. In other words, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the salvage game is configured to have a shorter execution time than the boss game, and the number of operation inputs required during execution is also less than that of the boss game.

<<Module configuration related to service provision>>
A module configuration for realizing the provision of services in the game device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a group of functional modules realized by the control unit 101 as a result of the game device 100 executing a program related to the provision of services.

The progress management module 601 is a functional module that manages the progress of the service provided, including the execution of a series of games. Upon detecting the payment of the fee for the start of the service provision, the progress management module 601 performs the following processes: start of processing related to the service provision (the provision processing described below), start of processing of a series of games, judgement of whether the timing for execution of each sub-game in the series of games has arrived, judgement of the end of processing of the series of games, and end of the service provision.

The main game module 602, the salvage game module 604, and the boss game module 605 are functional modules that execute the main game, the salvage game, and the boss game, respectively, of a series of games. The main game module 602, the salvage game module 604, and the boss game module 605 execute processing related to the corresponding game based on instructions from the progress management module 601.

The execution decision module 603 judges whether or not each sub-game can be executed when the execution timing of the sub-game is reached. More specifically, the execution decision module 603 executes a lottery process based on a predetermined winning probability at each execution timing, and judges whether or not the sub-game can be executed. The result of the judgment is returned to the progress management module 601 and is used to control the operation of the salvage game module 604 and the boss game module 605.

<Provision Processing>
The provision process for executing the process related to the provision of a service in the game device 100 of this embodiment having such a configuration will be specifically described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 7. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out the corresponding processing program stored in the recording medium 102, for example, and expanding and executing the program in the memory 103. More specifically, by executing this provision process, the control unit 101 can realize each of the functional modules shown in Fig. 6 and perform the following processes. Note that this provision process will be described as being started, for example, when payment of the price related to the start of the provision of the service is detected.

At S701, the progress management module 601 causes the provision control unit 108 to provide a normal card related to the current service provision. Based on instructions from the progress management module 601, the provision control unit 108 drives the first provision unit 130 to provide a normal card.

At S702, the main game module 602 starts processing the main game related to the current service provision under the control of the progress management module 601.

In S703, the progress management module 601 determines whether or not it is time to execute the salvage game. As described above, there are multiple times during execution of the main game when the salvage game is to be executed, and in this step, the progress management module 601 determines whether or not any of these execution times has been reached. If the progress management module 601 determines that it is time to execute the salvage game, it transfers the process to S704, and if it determines that it is not time, it transfers the process to S707.

In S704, the execution decision module 603 performs a lottery process under the control of the progress management module 601 to determine whether or not the salvage game can be executed. If the execution decision module 603 determines that the salvage game can be executed (wins the lottery process), it transfers the process to S705, and if it determines that the salvage game cannot be executed, it transfers the process to S707.

In S705, the progress management module 601 notifies the presentation control unit 107 that the salvage game can be played by paying an additional price. If an additional price is paid during the notification or within a predetermined time after the notification, the progress management module 601 transfers the process to S706. If an additional price is not paid within the relevant period, the progress management module 601 may simply transfer the process to S707, assuming that the salvage game will not be played.

At S706, the salvage game module 604 executes the salvage game. More specifically, the salvage game module 604 causes the presentation control unit 107 to present the appearance performance of the game elements while causing the provision control unit 108 to provide a rare card related to the currently executed salvage game, and ends the salvage game. Based on the instruction from the salvage game module 604, the provision control unit 108 drives the second provision unit 140 to provide the rare card.

In S707, the progress management module 601 determines whether or not the processing of the main game has ended. If the progress management module 601 determines that the processing of the main game has ended, it transfers the processing to S708, and if it determines that the processing has not ended, it returns the processing to S703.

In S708, the progress management module 601 determines whether or not it is time to execute the boss game. If the progress management module 601 determines that it is time to execute the boss game, it moves the process to S709, and if it determines that it is not time to execute the boss game, it repeats the process of this step.

In S709, the execution decision module 603 performs a lottery process under the control of the progress management module 601 to determine whether or not the boss game can be executed. If the execution decision module 603 determines that the boss game can be executed, the process proceeds to S710, and if it determines that the boss game cannot be executed, the process proceeds to S712.

In S710, the progress management module 601 notifies the presentation control unit 107 that the boss game can be played by paying an additional fee. If the additional fee is paid during the notification or within a predetermined time after the notification, the progress management module 601 transfers the process to S711. If the additional fee is not paid within the relevant period, the progress management module 601 may proceed to S712, assuming that the boss game will not be played.

At S711, the boss game module 605 executes a boss game. More specifically, after executing the boss game including the performance of manipulating game elements, the boss game module 605 causes the provision control unit 108 to provide a rare card related to the boss game currently executed, and ends the boss game. Based on the instruction from the boss game module 605, the provision control unit 108 drives the third provision unit 150 to provide a rare card.

At S712, the progress management module 601 executes processing to end the current service provision, transitions the state of the game device 100 from the service being provided to a standby state, and completes this provision processing.

As described above, with the game device of this embodiment, it is possible to know that a different type of item (rare card) than that in the main game will definitely be provided when a sub-game is executed, so that during the execution of a series of games relating to one service provision, the player can easily obtain the desired type of item, resulting in a highly interesting playing experience.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, a mode has been described in which rare cards are provided from different card dispensers for each of the two types of sub games (salvage game and boss game), but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Rare cards may be provided from the same card dispenser for both types of sub games.

The present invention may also be one that makes it easier for players to obtain a variety of items, and the items provided for the sub-game may be of a different type to the items provided for the main game. For example, in a mode in which game cards (real cards) having a physical volume are provided for the main game, virtual game cards (electronic items that function in the same way as real items in the game) without a physical volume may be provided for the sub-game.

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

100: Game device, 101: Control unit, 102: Recording medium, 103: Memory, 104: Payment detection unit, 105: Acquisition unit, 106: Element DB, 107: Presentation control unit, 120: Display unit, 108: Provision control unit, 130: First provision unit, 140: Second provision unit, 150: Third provision unit, 109: Operation input unit, 110: Communication unit, 200: Server, 201: Server control unit, 202: Server recording medium, 203: Server memory, 204: Player DB, 205: Matching processing unit, 206: Management unit, 207: Server communication unit, 300: Network, 501: Progress management module, 502: Main game module, 503: Execution decision module, 504: Salvage game module, 505: Boss game module

Claims (14)

A computer that provides a service that includes providing a series of game playing experiences.
a detection process for detecting payment of the price;
a control process for controlling execution of the series of games on condition that payment of the price for starting provision of the service is detected;
a provision control process for causing a provision means to provide an item for the executed game;
A game program for executing
The series of games includes a primary game and a secondary game,
The sub-game includes a first sub-game and a second sub-game having different game contents,
In the series of games, a timing for executing the first sub-game is set prior to a timing for executing the second sub-game,
A game program in which whether or not the first sub-game and the second sub-game are executable is determined based on a predetermined probability that varies during execution of the series of games. The execution timing of the first sub-game is set during the execution of the main game, and when the first sub-game is executed, the main game is interrupted;
2. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the second sub-game is executed before the end of the series of games and after the end of the main game. 3. The game program according to claim 2 , wherein in the series of games, the first sub-game is executed a maximum number of times, and the second sub-game is executed a maximum number of times, which is set to one time. 4. The game program according to claim 3 , wherein the first sub-game has a shorter execution time than the second sub-game. 5. The game program according to claim 3 , wherein the first sub-game requires fewer operation inputs during execution than the second sub-game. The first sub-game includes an appearance performance of a game element,
6. The game program according to claim 3 , wherein the provision control process causes the provision means to provide an item during or after an appearance presentation of the game element. the second sub-game includes a performance of manipulating game elements;
The game program according to claim 3 , wherein the provision control process causes the provision means to provide an item after a performance of manipulating the game element. 8. The game program according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute a process of notifying a player that the first sub-game can be played on condition of payment of a further price during the service being provided, when the first sub -game can be played. 9. The game program according to claim 8 , wherein the first sub-game is executed on condition that a further payment of a price is detected during or after notification that the first sub-game can be executed. 10. The game program according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute a process of notifying a player that the second sub-game can be played on condition of payment of a further price during the service being provided, when the second sub-game can be played. 11. The game program according to claim 10 , wherein the second sub-game is executed on condition that a further payment of a price is detected during or after notification that the second sub-game can be executed. 12. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the main game and the sub-game are games with common game elements but different play experiences. 13. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein, in the provision control process, the item provided by the provision means for the sub-game has a higher value in the series of games than the item provided by the provision means for the main game. A gaming device that provides a service including providing a series of game play experiences,
a detection means for detecting payment of the price;
a control means for controlling execution of the series of games on condition that the detection means detects the payment of the price for starting provision of the service;
a supply control means for causing the supply means to supply an item for the executed game;
Equipped with
The series of games includes a primary game and a secondary game,
The sub-game includes a first sub-game and a second sub-game having different game contents,
In the series of games, a timing for executing the first sub-game is set prior to a timing for executing the second sub-game,
A gaming device in which whether or not the first sub-game and the second sub-game are executable is determined based on a predetermined probability that varies during execution of the series of games.

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