JP7701017B2 - Game system and server device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game system and a server device.

Conventionally, in a game in which non-players (spectators) can watch a game being played by players, it is known that the spectators can give items to the players (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-171283 A

However, conventional game systems do not have a mechanism for realizing a competitive game in which a spectator's desired player can participate upon request from the spectator.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a game system and server device that can realize a competitive game in which a player of a spectator's choice can participate, at the spectator's request.

(1) The present invention relates to a game system for executing a competitive game in which a first player and a second player participate, the game system including: a setting unit for setting a combination of the first player and the second player; a determination unit for receiving a request for the combination set by the setting unit from a spectator of the competitive game and determining whether the request status from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition; a notification unit for notifying the first player and the second player of information related to the competitive game when the request status satisfies the predetermined condition; and a game control unit for executing the competitive game. The present invention also relates to a server device including the above-mentioned units. The present invention also relates to a program for causing a computer to function as the above-mentioned units. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable information storage medium storing the above-mentioned program.

According to the present invention, a combination of a first player and a second player participating in a competitive game is set, a request for the combination is accepted from a spectator, and if the request from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition, information about the competitive game is notified to the first player and the second player and the competitive game is executed, thereby realizing a competitive game in which the spectator desires to participate, in response to a request from the spectator.

(2) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the competitive game may be a game in which the first player and the second player compete against each other.

According to the present invention, a competitive game in which a first player and a second player of the spectator's choice play against each other can be realized at the spectator's request.

(3) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the competitive game may be a game in which a team to which the first player and the second player belong competes against a third player.

According to the present invention, a competitive game in which a team including a first player and a second player desired by the spectator plays against a third player can be realized upon request from the spectator.

(4) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the competitive game may be a game in which a team to which the first player belongs competes against a team to which the second player belongs.

According to the present invention, a competitive game in which a team including a first player of the spectator's choice plays against a team including a second player can be realized at the spectator's request.

(5) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the first player or the second player may be a non-player character.

(6) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the setting unit may set a combination of the first player and the second player designated by the spectator.

According to the present invention, a competitive game can be realized in which the first and second players desired by the spectator participate, based on a request from the spectator for a combination of a first player and a second player specified by the spectator.

(7) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the setting unit may present candidate combinations to the spectator based on player information of each player, and set the combination specified by the spectator from among the presented candidate combinations.

The present invention can improve the convenience for spectators when specifying a combination of a first player and a second player.

(8) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the request status may be at least one of the number of votes for the set combination, the amount of compensation consumed for the set combination, and the number of spectators who have consumed compensation for the set combination.

(9) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the determination unit may change the predetermined condition depending on player information of the first player and the second player.

According to the present invention, the conditions for establishing a competitive game can be appropriately set according to player information.

(10) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the information about the competitive game may include information notifying the implementation of the competitive game in which the first player and the second player participate, and the competitive conditions of the competitive game.

(11) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the notification unit may determine the content of the reward to be granted to the first player and the second player based on the request status, and notify the first player and the second player of the determined content of the reward.

The present invention can motivate players to participate in competitive games.

(12) In addition, in the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the notification unit may notify the first player and the second player of information regarding the competitive game after the end of a request acceptance period during which the request is accepted when the request status satisfies the predetermined condition, and may notify the spectator of the acceptance or rejection of the participation in the competitive game by the first player and the second player.

(13) In the game system, server device, program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the notification unit may change the content of the notification to the spectator based on the request status of the spectator.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a server according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a terminal according to the embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting a combination of a first player and a second player. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a voting screen for voting for a set combination. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a voting screen for voting for a set combination. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of table information for managing a request status for a set combination. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen for notifying information related to a competitive game. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the game system of the present 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 necessary components of the present invention.

1. Configuration Fig. 1 shows a game system according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the game system is configured with a plurality of terminals 10 and a server 20 (server system). In other words, as shown in Fig. 1, the game system according to the present embodiment is configured such that the server 20 (server device) that provides a service and the terminals 10 (10A, 10B, 10C, ...) can be connected to a network.

The server 20 is an information processing device that provides online game services in response to requests from the terminal 10. The server 20 can be composed of one or more servers (authentication server, matching server, game processing server, communication server, billing server, database server, etc.).

In this embodiment, a game is executed on the player's terminal 10, and the server 20 executes a process of controlling the progress of the game executed on the terminal, a process of allowing a spectator to watch a game played by a player (displaying the contents of the game on the spectator's terminal 10), etc. The server 20 also manages information such as the player's account information, the game results of the game executed on the terminal 10, game media (game media such as characters, items, etc.) that can be used in the game, and in-game currency that can be used in the game.

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

Figure 2 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the server 20 of this embodiment. Note that the server of this embodiment may be configured in such a way that some of the components (parts) of Figure 2 are omitted.

The memory unit 270 stores programs and various data for causing the computer to function as each part of the processing unit 200, and functions as a work area for the processing unit 200, and this function can be realized by a hard disk, RAM, etc. The memory unit 270 includes a storage unit 272 (e.g., a database).

The storage unit 272 stores player information for each of a plurality of players who participate (register) in the online game executed in the game system of this embodiment. For example, the storage unit 272 stores, as player information, the player name (player account), password, destination information (IP address, etc.) of the terminal 10, etc., in association with the player identification information (player ID, terminal ID used by the player, etc.) of each of the plurality of players. The storage unit 272 also stores, as player information, information for identifying other players who are in a friend relationship (an example of a predetermined relationship) with the player. The storage unit 272 also stores, as player information, information on the game medium and in-game currency owned by the player in association with the player identification information. The storage unit 272 also stores, as player information, the player's personal schedule (available dates and times for matches), match results, popularity, etc., in association with the player identification information.

The communication unit 296 performs various controls for communicating with the terminal 10 and other servers, and its functions can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

The processing unit 200 (processor) performs various processes such as managing player information, processing related to login/logout, and communication control processing based on data, programs, etc. sent from the terminal 10 and received via the communication unit 296. 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.), and programs. The processing unit 200 includes a setting unit 210, a determination unit 212, a notification unit 214, and a watching control unit 216.

The setting unit 210 sets a combination of a first player and a second player participating in a match game. For example, the setting unit 210 may set a combination of a first player and a second player designated by a spectator based on operation information from the terminal 10 of the spectator. In this case, based on player information (personal schedule, match results, popularity, etc.) of each registered player, candidates for combinations of a first player and a second player may be presented to the spectator (displayed on the display unit of the terminal 10 of the spectator), and a combination of a first player and a second player designated by the spectator from among the presented candidates may be set. The combination set by the setting unit 210 is presented to the spectator for a predetermined period in order to accept a request, which will be described later. Here, the competitive game may be a game in which a first player and a second player compete against each other, a game in which a team including the first and second players compete against a third player (which may be another player or an NPC), or a game in which a team including the first player competes against a team including the second player. One of the first and second players may be a non-player character (NPC). In addition, the competitive game may be any genre of game that includes a competitive element, such as an action game, a shooting game, a music game, a puzzle game, or a sports game.

The determination unit 212 accepts requests from spectators for the combination set by the setting unit 210 (votes, tips involving the consumption of consideration (in-game currency, items, etc.), etc.), and determines whether the request status from the spectators (number of votes, total amount of tips (amount of consideration consumed), number of spectators who have made tips, etc.) satisfies a predetermined condition. The determination unit 212 may also change the predetermined condition depending on the player information of the first player and the second player.

The notification unit 214 notifies the first player and the second player of information about the match game when the request status from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition (transmits the information to the terminal 10 of the first player and the terminal 10 of the second player). The information about the match game includes information notifying the implementation of the match game in which the first player and the second player participate, and the match conditions of the match game (date and time when the match game is implemented, rewards that can be acquired when participating in the match game, rewards that can be acquired when winning the match game, rewards that can be acquired when losing the match game, game title of the match game, etc.). The notification unit 214 may also determine the content of rewards (in-game currency, items, etc.) to be granted to the first player and the second player based on the request status from the spectator, and notify the content of the determined reward as information about the match game (match conditions). In this case, the processing unit 200 grants the rewards determined by the notification unit 214 to the first player and the second player after the match game ends. Additionally, the processing unit 200 may notify spectators when the first player and the second player accept or reject participation in the competitive game.

The watching control unit 216 presents to the spectator at least a part of the content of the competitive game being played in which the first player and the second player participate, so that the spectator can understand it. For example, the watching control unit 216 generates information necessary for watching the game screen of the competitive game at any time based on the player operation information and game progress status transmitted from the terminal 10 of the first player and the terminal 10 of the second player, and transmits the information to the terminal 10 of the spectator.

Figure 3 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the terminal 10 of this embodiment. Note that the terminal of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (parts) of Figure 3 are omitted.

The input unit 150 is a device for inputting (detecting) input information from the player, and outputs the player's input information (operation information) to the processing unit 100. The functions of the input unit 150 can be realized by input devices such as a touch panel, a touch pad, a mouse, directional keys or buttons, and a keyboard.

The memory unit 170 stores programs and various data for causing the computer to function as each part of the processing unit 100, and also functions as a work area for the processing unit 100, and this function can be realized by a hard disk, RAM, etc.

The display unit 190 outputs the game images generated by the processing unit 100, and this function can be realized by a display such as a touch panel, LCD, or HMD (head-mounted display) that also functions as the input unit 150.

The sound output unit 192 outputs the sound generated by the processing unit 100, and this function can be realized by a speaker or headphones, etc.

The communication unit 196 performs various controls for communicating with the server 20 and other terminals 10, and its functions can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

In addition, programs and various data for causing a computer to function as each part of the processing unit 100, which are stored in an information storage medium or memory unit possessed by the server 20, may be received via a network, and the received programs and data may be stored in the memory unit 170. Such cases in which a terminal is caused to function by receiving programs and various data are also included within the scope of the present invention.

The processing unit 100 (processor) performs processes such as progressing the game, generating images, and generating sounds, based on input information (operation information) from the input unit 150, a program, and data received via the communication unit 196. The functions of the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), and by programs. The processing unit 100 of the player's terminal 10 includes a game control unit 110, an image generation unit 120, and a sound generation unit 130.

The game control unit 110 executes the competitive game (performs control to progress the competitive game) based on the player's operation and the operations of the other players participating in the competitive game (operation information from the terminals 10 of the other players). When the game starts, the game control unit 110 of the player's terminal 10 transmits information to the server 20 to notify the server 20 that the game has started, and transmits the player's operation information and the game progress status to the server 20 as needed during the game. The server 20 performs spectating control processing and updating processing of various data associated with each player based on the information transmitted from the terminals 10 of each player participating in the competitive game.

The game control unit 110 of the spectator's terminal 10 also transmits to the server 20, based on the spectator's operation, information for specifying a combination of a first player and a second player participating in the competitive game, and information regarding requests (votes, tips, etc.) for the combination set by the setting unit 210. The game control unit 110 of the spectator's terminal 10 also transmits information to the server 20 to notify (request) the start of watching the competitive game, and in response to this, controls the display unit 190 to display the game screen of the competitive game based on the information transmitted from the server 20.

The image generation unit 120 performs drawing processing based on the results of various processes performed by the processing unit 100, thereby generating a game image and outputting it to the display unit 190. The image generation unit 120 may generate an image (a so-called three-dimensional image) that can be seen from a virtual camera (a given viewpoint) within the object space (game space).

The sound generation unit 130 performs sound processing based on the results of various processes performed by the processing unit 100, generates game sounds such as background music, sound effects, or voice, and outputs them to the sound output unit 192.

The game system of the present embodiment may be configured as a server system. The server system may be configured with one or more servers (authentication server, game processing server, communication server, billing server, database server, etc.). In this case, the server system performs processing of the processing unit 100 based on operation input (data input to the input unit of the terminal) transmitted from one or more terminals (e.g., smartphone, mobile phone, portable game machine, etc.) connected via a network, generates image generation data for generating an image, and transmits the generated image generation data to each terminal. Here, the image generation data is data for displaying an image generated by the method of the present embodiment on each terminal, and may be image data itself, or various data (object data, game processing result data, etc.) used by each terminal to generate an image. In this way, the processing of the game control unit 110, the setting unit 210, the determination unit 212, the notification unit 214, and the watching control unit 216 may be configured to be executed all by the server, may be configured to be executed all by the terminal, or may be configured to be executed in a distributed manner between the server and the terminal. The present invention can be applied to game apps executed on smartphones, game software for home game consoles, game software for PCs, browser games for smartphones and PCs, and commercial game machines.

2. Method of the present embodiment Next, the method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The game system of the present embodiment is configured such that a spectator sets a combination of a first player and a second player participating in a competitive game, other spectators vote (request) for the set combination, and when the voting situation (request situation) satisfies a predetermined condition, a competitive game related to the combination is executed. Below, a case where a competitive game in which a first player and a second player compete against each other is mainly described.

A spectator can access the server 20 from the terminal 10 and specify a combination of a first player and a second player that the spectator desires on a setting screen displayed on the display unit 190 of the terminal 10. For example, the spectator first specifies the first player by inputting the player ID of the desired player on the setting screen, or by selecting the desired player from a list of players (for example, a list of players who are friends with the spectator, a list of player rankings, or a list of players who participated in the most recent match). When the spectator specifies the first player, the server 20 determines (extracts) candidates for the second player who will be the opponent of the specified first player from among multiple registered players, and displays the determined candidates on the setting screen. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the spectator specifies player "A" as the first player on the setting screen SI, and as a result, player "B", player "D", player "E", etc. are determined as candidates CA for the opponent of player "A". When a spectator selects, for example, player "B" from among the candidates CA displayed on the setting screen SI and operates the setting button SB, a combination of player "A" and player "B" is set and registered. Here, the opponent candidates (candidates for combinations) are determined based on the player information of each player. For example, by referring to the personal schedules (available dates and times, free time set by the players themselves) and match results (for example, ranks based on the number of wins and losses, win rates, and match results in past (or most recent) matches) of the designated player "A" and other players, a player who has the same available dates and times as player "A" and has the same match results and popularity as player "A" is determined (extracted) as a candidate opponent of player "A". In addition, if the amount of remuneration (minimum remuneration) desired by the player is set as the player information of the player, a player who has the same minimum remuneration as player "A" may be preferentially extracted. Furthermore, if the participation rate in the competitive game (the ratio of the number of times that a player actually participated in a competitive game to the number of times a competitive game was established) is set as the player information of the player, players with high participation rates may be preferentially extracted. In this way, it is possible to eliminate the trouble for spectators to search for players and to increase convenience. The spectator may directly specify both the first player and the second player. Furthermore, in addition to the combination of the first player and the second player who will participate in the competitive game, the spectator may also be able to specify the characters that each of the first player and the second player will use in the competitive game and the game title of the competitive game.

When the combination of the first player and the second player is set, the display unit 19 of the terminal 10
The set combination is displayed for a predetermined period on a voting screen (a screen for accepting votes from spectators) displayed on the display VI at 0. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the set combinations of the first player and the second player are displayed on the voting screen VI as player "A" and player "B", player "A" and player "E", player "C" and player "F", etc. In the voting screen VI, a voting button VB for casting a vote is displayed in association with each combination. When a spectator operates a voting button VB corresponding to any of the combinations, the number of votes (an example of a request state) managed in association with the combination is increased by "1". Note that the number of votes for the combination may be set to "1" at the stage when the combination is set, assuming that the spectator who specified the set combination has voted for the combination. In addition, when a spectator votes for a combination including a player who has a predetermined relationship (such as a friend relationship) with the spectator, the increase in the number of votes may be greater than when a spectator votes for a combination including a player who does not have the predetermined relationship. For example, when a spectator votes for a combination of player "A" and player "B," if the spectator is not in a predetermined relationship with either player "A" or player "B," the number of votes for the combination increases by "1" as a result of the vote, and if the spectator is in a predetermined relationship with either player "A" or player "B," the number of votes for the combination increases by "5." Furthermore, when a spectator votes for a set combination, the spectator may vote for one of the players in the set combination that the spectator predicts will win (by predicting the winner). In this case, the number of votes for the combination is determined by adding up the number of votes predicting one player in the set combination as the winner and the number of votes predicting the other player as the winner.

Also, instead of (or in addition to) voting for a set combination, a spectator may be allowed to make a tip for a set combination. For example, when a spectator operates a voting button VB corresponding to one of the combinations on the voting screen VI, a dialogue DL for specifying the amount of a tip is displayed as shown in FIG. 6, and when the spectator inputs an amount in an input area IA in the dialogue DL and operates an execute button RB, the in-game currency held by the spectator is consumed (decreased) by the input amount ("100" in the example shown in FIG. 6), and the total amount of tips (an example of a request status) managed in association with the combination increases by the input amount. In this case, the number of spectators who have made tips (an example of a request status) managed in association with the combination may be increased by "1".

7 is a diagram showing an example of table information for managing the request status for the set combination. This table information is stored in the storage unit 272. The table information 300 shown in FIG. 7 stores the request status (here, the number of votes) in association with the set combination of the first player and the second player. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the number of votes for the combination of player "A" and player "B" is "10,000", the number of votes for the combination of player "A" and player "E" is "10", and the number of votes for the combination of player "C" and player "F" is "100". When spectators predict the winner and vote, the number of votes predicting the first player as the winner and the number of votes predicting the second player as the winner may be stored separately. Also, instead of (or in addition to) the number of votes, the total amount of tips or the number of spectators who have made tips may be stored.

Here, when the number of votes for the set combination reaches a predetermined number within a predetermined period (a predetermined period from the time the combination is set), it is determined that the request status for the combination satisfies a predetermined condition, and it is determined that a match game for the combination is to be held. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, if the number of votes required to satisfy the predetermined condition is "10,000", the number of votes for the combination of player "A" and player "B" satisfies the predetermined condition, and it is determined that a match game in which player "A" and player "B" participate (play against each other) is to be held. Note that, when the total amount of tips for the set combination reaches a predetermined amount within a predetermined period, or when the number of spectators who have given tips to the set combination reaches a predetermined number within a predetermined period, it may be determined that the request status for the combination satisfies the predetermined condition.

The specified conditions may also be changed according to player information (such as rank based on match results, popularity, etc.) of the set first and second players. For example, the higher the rank or popularity of the set first and second players, the greater the number of votes (or the total amount of tips, or the number of spectators who have given tips) required to satisfy the specified conditions. In this way, the conditions for holding a match game can be optimized by making it so that the specified conditions are not satisfied unless the number of votes is large in a match between players with high ranks or popularity (who are expected to receive many votes).

When the implementation of a match game of the set combination is decided, information about the match game is notified to the first player and the second player related to the combination. For example, when it is decided to implement a match game in which player "A" and player "B" compete against each other, a notification screen NI as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 190 of each of the terminals 10 of player "A" and player "B". The notification screen NI displays, as information about the match game, the fact that the match game will be implemented, the date and time when the match game will be implemented (match date and time), the reward (participation reward) that a player who participates in the match game can earn, and the reward (victory reward) that a player who wins the match game can earn. The example shown in FIG. 8 shows that only "5,000" in-game currency is granted as the participation reward, and only "10,000" in-game currency is granted as the victory reward. Here, the content of the reward (participation reward, victory reward) to be granted to the player may be determined based on the request situation from the spectator. For example, the amount of reward given to the players "A" and "B" may be increased as the number of votes for the combination of the players "A" and "B" increases. In addition, when spectators can give tips, the amount of reward given to the players "A" and "B" may be increased as the number of spectators who give tips to the combination of the players "A" and "B" (or the total amount of tips) increases. For example, the total amount of tips for the combination of the players "A" and "B" may be used as the source of the reward given to the players "A" and "B". In addition, a bonus from the organizer of the competitive game (such as the operator of the game system, the promoter of the competitive game, an investor, or a sponsor) may be used as the source of the reward. Furthermore, in cases where spectators can predict and designate the winner when voting, for example, if the number of votes predicting player "A" as the winner is greater than the number of votes predicting player "B" as the winner, the amount of the victory reward awarded to player "B" may be made greater than the amount of the victory reward awarded to player "A." In this way, by determining the content of the reward to be awarded to the players based on the request status from the spectators and notifying them on the notification screen NI, it is possible to motivate the players to participate in the competitive game.

When the player who has received the notification operates the acceptance button AB displayed on the notification screen NI, information indicating that the player has accepted the participation in the competitive game is transmitted to the server 20. If both the first player and the second player accept within a predetermined period, the implementation of the competitive game is officially decided, and the match is implemented on the notified match date and time (or within a predetermined period after the notification). If the match is not implemented within a predetermined period after the notification, it may be a draw. In this case, the rewards to be given to the players are carried over to the next match. When the match is implemented, the competitive game is executed on the terminals 10 of the first player and the second player, respectively, and a game image of the competitive game being played by the first player and the second player is displayed on the display unit 190 of the terminal 10 of the spectator. When the competitive game ends, a participation reward is given to the first player and the second player who participated in the competitive game, and a victory reward is given to one of the players who won the competitive game. In addition, a reward (for realizing a competitive game) may be given to a spectator who sets the pairing of the first player and the second player participating in the competitive game, and a reward (for correctly predicting) may be given to a player who predicts and casts a bet on the player who will win the competitive game.

The notification of the information regarding the match game to the first player and the second player (display of the notification screen NI) may be performed after the end of the request acceptance period for accepting requests from spectators (voting, tipping, etc.). In addition, when the first player and the second player accept (or reject) the participation in the match game, the spectator may be notified of the fact (a notification screen displaying the information to that effect may be displayed on the display unit 190 of the terminal 10 of the spectator). In this case, the content of the notification to the spectator (the content of the notification itself, the timing of the notification) may be changed based on the request status of the spectator (the amount of in-game currency or points consumed in exchange for the request, the relationship between the spectator and the first or second player). For example, the more the amount of in-game currency consumed by the spectator at the time of the request, the more luxurious the content of the notification to the spectator may be (for example, decorations may be displayed on the notification screen, the content of the text displayed on the notification screen may be more detailed). The amount of in-game currency consumed at the time of the request may be the amount of tipping at the time of voting, or may be the amount of tipping without voting. Also, the greater the amount of in-game currency consumed by the spectator at the time of the request, the shorter the time from when the first and second players agree to participate until the spectator is notified (the spectator may be given a higher notification priority than other spectators, and may be notified earlier). Also, if the spectator has a predetermined relationship (such as a friend relationship) with the first or second player, the content of the notification to the spectator may be made more luxurious, or the time from when the first and second players agree to participate until the spectator is notified may be made shorter.

According to this embodiment, a combination of a first player and a second player specified by a spectator is set, requests (such as votes) for that combination are accepted from the spectator, and if the request from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition, information about the competitive game is notified to the first player and the second player and the competitive game is executed, thereby realizing a competitive game in which the spectator desires to participate, in response to a request from the spectator.

In the above example, a case where a match game is played between a first player and a second player has been described, but a match game may be played between the first player and the second player belonging to the same team and the third player. In this case, the third player may be a predetermined player, or may be determined based on the player information (match results, popularity, etc.) of the first player and the second player. Also, a match game may be played between a team to which the first player belongs and a team to which the second player belongs. In this case, the spectator may specify only the combination of the first player and the second player, or may specify other players belonging to the team. For example, the spectator may specify and set a combination of players "a" and "b" belonging to the first team and players "c" and "d" belonging to the second team.

Spectators may specify combinations of the first and second players and make requests (such as voting) for those combinations using a medium (such as an IC card) that stores information linked to the spectator's personal information. In this case, the spectator has a reading unit provided in a terminal 10 (such as an arcade game machine) read the information stored on the medium, and when that information is transmitted to the server 20 and the server 20 confirms that the spectator is a registered spectator, the spectator can specify combinations and cast votes on the terminal 10.

3. Processing Next, an example of processing of the game system (server 20) of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the setting unit 210 determines whether or not information has been received from the terminal 10 indicating that an operation has been performed to specify a combination of a first player and a second player (step S10), and if such information has been received (Y in step S10), it sets (registers in the table information 300) the combination of the first player and the second player specified by that operation (step S11).

Then, the determination unit 212 determines whether or not information has been received from the terminal 10 that a request (such as a vote) has been made for the set combination (step S12), and if such information has been received (Y in step S12), it updates the request status for the set combination (such as the number of votes stored in the table information 300) (step S13) and determines whether or not the request status satisfies a predetermined condition (step S14). If the request status for the set combination satisfies a predetermined condition (Y in step S14), the notification unit 214 notifies the first player and second player involved in the combination of information related to the competitive game (step S15).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, terms cited in the specification or drawings as broadly defined or synonymous terms can be replaced with broadly defined or synonymous terms in other descriptions in the specification or drawings.

10... terminal, 20... server, 100... processing unit, 110... game control unit, 120... image generation unit, 130... sound generation unit, 150... input unit, 170... storage unit, 190... display unit, 192... sound output unit, 196... communication unit, 200... processing unit, 210... setting unit, 212... judgment unit, 214... notification unit, 216... watching control unit, 270... storage unit, 272... storage unit, 296... communication unit

Claims (14)

A game system for executing a competitive game in which a first player and a second player participate, comprising:
a determination unit that receives a request for a combination of the first player and the second player from a spectator of the competitive game and determines whether or not a state of the request from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition ;
When the request situation satisfies the predetermined condition, it is determined that the competitive game in which the first player and the second player participate is to be carried out. A game system for executing a competitive game in which a first player and a second player participate, comprising:
a determination unit that receives a request from a spectator of the competitive game for a combination of the first player and the second player specified by the spectator , and determines whether or not a state of the request from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition;
a notification unit that notifies the first player and the second player of information relating to the competitive game when the request status satisfies the predetermined condition. In claim 1 or 2,
The determination unit is
A game system characterized in that a vote for a player who is predicted to win by the spectator among the players involved in the combination is accepted as a request for the combination. In claim 3,
A game system characterized in that a reward is given to the spectators who predicted and voted for the victory of the player who won the competitive game. In claim 2,
The determination unit is
A game system comprising: a game player receiving a request for a combination designated by a spectator from among the combination candidates presented to the spectator based on player information of each player. In any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The game system is characterized in that the competitive game is a game in which the first player and the second player compete against each other. In any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The game system is characterized in that the competitive game is a game in which a team to which the first player and the second player belong plays against a third player. In any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The game system is characterized in that the competitive game is a game in which a team to which the first player belongs competes against a team to which the second player belongs. In any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
A game system, wherein the first player or the second player is a non-player character. In any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
A game system characterized in that the request status is at least one of the number of votes for the combination , the amount of consideration consumed for the combination , and the number of spectators who have consumed consideration for the combination . In any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The determination unit is
A game system comprising: a game unit configured to change the predetermined condition in accordance with player information of the first player and the second player. In claim 2 ,
The notification unit is
A game system characterized by determining the content of rewards to be granted to the first player and the second player based on the request status, and notifying the first player and the second player of the determined content of rewards. A server device that executes a competitive game in which a first player and a second player participate,
a determination unit that receives a request for a combination of the first player and the second player from a spectator of the competitive game and determines whether or not a request state from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition ;
a server device which determines, when the request status satisfies the predetermined condition, that the competitive game in which the first player and the second player participate will be held; A server device that executes a competitive game in which a first player and a second player participate,
a determination unit that receives a request from a spectator of the competitive game for a combination of the first player and the second player specified by the spectator , and determines whether or not a state of the request from the spectator satisfies a predetermined condition;
a notification unit that notifies the first player and the second player of information relating to the competitive game when the request status satisfies the predetermined condition.

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