JP7796785B2 - Program, information processing device and game system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies (1) Publication date: January 24, 2024 Website address: https://www.dbs-cardgame.com/fw/jp/ https://www.dbs-cardgame.com/fw/jp/news/01_22.html <Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World Digital Card Game Open Beta Test> (2) Website posting date: February 7, 2024 Website address: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=uYtLXVWU5Po&t <Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World Digital Edition PV> (3) ・Website publication date: February 29, 2024 ・Website address: https://www.dbs-cardgame.com/fw/jp/ <Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World Digital Card Game>

The present invention relates to a program, an information processing device, and a game system, and in particular to an electronic game in which players compete online against each other.

There are electronic games that pit players against each other online. The results of such games can depend on the playing skill of each player, and if a beginner is matched with an experienced player, the game's progress can become one-sided. For this reason, some electronic games ensure fairness by awarding points to players based on their match results, establishing a ranking system that classifies players according to the amount of points accumulated, and matching players within the same ranking (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-118991

However, specifications such as those in Patent Document 1, in which ranks are maintained permanently, have issues such as the players belonging to each rank being fixed, and players who reach the highest rank losing motivation to play the game. For this reason, some electronic games have introduced a season system in which rank evaluations are conducted for a limited period of time, and a system in which points related to rank are reset every period. Specifications have also been introduced to increase players' motivation to compete, such as providing rewards for each rank reached.

By the way, the design in which ranks are determined according to the amount of accumulated points has an advantage over players who play many matches during a period. In other words, players who have more flexibility in their time and can play many matches have relatively more opportunities to obtain points and can more easily reach higher ranks. On the other hand, players who are unable to play many matches due to being busy or other reasons have relatively fewer opportunities to obtain points, which can make it difficult for them to reach higher ranks.

The present invention aims to provide a program, information processing device, and game system that provides a suitable game playing experience regardless of the number of times the game has been played.

One aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other to execute the following: a first acquisition process that acquires information about the rank into which a target player who has requested matching is classified in the competitive game; a second acquisition process that acquires information about game elements associated with the target player; a betting process that registers game elements specified by the target player as betting elements for the competitive game in which the target player is participating; and a control process that controls the association of game elements with the target player based on the results of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the betting elements. The betting process registers game elements specified by the target player that are at least a portion of the game elements associated with the target player as betting elements, and changes at least one of the types and amounts of game elements that the target player can specify depending on the rank into which the target player is classified.

This invention makes it possible to provide a suitable gaming experience regardless of the number of times a game has been played.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a player terminal 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a client process executed in the player terminal 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a matching process executed by the server 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an application screen displaying matching candidate players displayed on a player terminal 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a betting screen for a competitive game according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a game start screen displayed when using a betting function according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 10 is a flowchart illustrating a class determination process executed by the server 200 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a matching criterion according to Modification 8 of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

In the embodiment described below, the present invention is applied to a game system in which a server connected to player terminals (communication terminals or game devices) used by each player provides a service (battle service) that matches two players connected at the same time and realizes a battle game in which both players participate. However, the present invention can be applied to a system realized with any device configuration that can progress an electronic game in which multiple players participate. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "player" refers to a user who logs in to use the battle service provided by the server 200 in this game system.

<Game System Configuration>
1 is a diagram showing the 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 a plurality of player terminals 100 can be connected for communication via a network 300. In this embodiment, the server 200 matches two players of connected player terminals 100 as players of a competitive game, establishes a communication session for transmitting and receiving various information related to the competitive game, and provides a competitive service that realizes a competitive game in which the two players participate.

Each player can log in to the battle service by launching a specified client application on the player terminal 100 used by that player. The client application allows players to perform various settings and advance preparations for the battle game to be played, set player profiles, and play (battle, play) the battle game. As will be described in detail below, the battle game (electronic game) that can be played in the battle service of this embodiment is a trading card game (TCG) in which players progress by placing game elements such as cards on a specified game field. The player terminal 100 can also be any communication terminal equipped with communication functions, such as a PC or smartphone.

<Hardware configuration of the player terminal>
Next, the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the player terminal 100.

The control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs various controls, including operational control of each piece of hardware included in the player terminal 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 performs the relevant controls by, for example, reading out necessary programs stored in the storage device 102, expanding them into the memory 103, and executing them.

The storage device 102 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. In addition to the operating system and various application programs required to operate the player terminal 100, the storage device 102 also stores parameter information required to implement various controls and various data used for browser display and communication functions. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 may be used not only as a development area for each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

The GPU 104 is a drawing device that executes various drawing processes related to the generation of display screens for the player terminal 100. The GPU 104 also executes drawing processes for game screens during play of a competitive game. The GPU 104 includes a GPU memory (not shown), and expands various graphics data read from the storage device 102, and performs predetermined calculations to generate various images, including screens. The screens and images generated by the GPU 104 are presented to the player by being displayed, for example, on a display 110 provided in the player terminal 100. The display 110 is an information display device, such as an LCD display, that is provided in the player terminal 100 or is detachably connected to the player terminal 100. The display 110 displays the screens generated by the GPU 104.

The operation I/F 105 is a user interface provided in the player terminal 100 that accepts operation input. When the operation I/F 105 detects that an operation input has been made, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. In one aspect, the operation I/F 105 includes, for example, operation members such as buttons provided on the exterior of the player terminal 100, as well as various sensors. Furthermore, the display 110 provided in the player terminal 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to detect touch input, and the operation I/F 105 includes a touch input detection sensor provided on the display 110.

The communication I/F 106 is a communication interface provided to the player terminal 100 for communication with an external device. Information communication between the communication I/F 106 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the communication I/F 106 will be described as being performed wirelessly, but this does not exclude wired communication.

The speaker 120 is an audio output interface provided on the player terminal 100. The speaker 120 outputs various audio information, including audio related to the client application.

<Server hardware configuration>
3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the hardware configuration that realizes the same functions as the player terminal 100 will be prefixed with the letter "server" to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the player terminal 100.

The server control unit 201 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs control related to the implementation of various functions, including operational control of each piece of hardware provided in the server 200, player management related to the battle service, player matching, and the sending and receiving and sharing of information about the battle game being played. Specifically, the server control unit 201 performs the relevant control by, for example, reading out the necessary programs stored in the server storage device 202, expanding them into the server memory 203, and executing them.

The server storage device 202 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as non-volatile memory or a HDD. In addition to the operating system and matching-related programs required to run the server 200, the server storage device 202 stores parameter information required to implement various controls and various data required to provide the matching function. The server storage device 202 also has a database function that manages information on each player registered as a player of the game system. The server memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as volatile memory. The server memory 203 may be used not only as a deployment area for each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

The server communication I/F 204 is a communication interface provided by the server 200 with an external device. Information communication between the server communication I/F 204 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the server communication I/F 204 may be performed either wired or wirelessly.

Overview of the game
Below, an overview of the competitive game that provides a play experience in the game system of this embodiment will be described.

<Service login>
When the client application is executed on the player terminal 100, a game window related to service use is displayed on the display 110 of the player terminal 100. The player can perform a service login procedure by, for example, inputting a player ID and password in the game window. This procedure causes a service login request to be transmitted from the player terminal 100 to the server 200 together with the input information. Upon receiving the service login request, the server control unit 201 checks the authenticity of the input information, for example, by referring to player information registered in association with the player ID, and if the authenticity is confirmed, manages the player as being in a logged-in state. A player who has entered the logged-in state can use various functions related to playing the competitive game and provided by the service via the game window.

Deck Building
The features offered by the service include deck building functionality.

The competitive game is played on a predetermined field defined by the game. Each player builds a "deck" by registering a set of game elements for the competitive game, and can play the competitive game using the deck they have built.

To build a deck, a player must obtain game elements, for example, through a lottery function that can be used by paying a fee. In other words, the game elements that a player can include in the deck they build are limited to, for example, game elements that the player has already obtained. Furthermore, a player is not limited to building one deck; they may be able to build multiple decks that differ in at least some of the registered game elements.

Information about game elements that a player has acquired and decks that the player has built is managed by registering it in the server storage device 202 in association with identification information (player ID) that uniquely identifies the player. More specifically, the server storage device 202 also functions as a database (DB) that manages various information about each player as player information, and in the player information, which is one record in the DB, the player ID is managed in association with information about game elements that the player has acquired and information about decks that the player has built.

For example, when a game element is acquired by a player, an element ID that uniquely identifies that game element and the number of those elements are included in the player information, making it possible to manage how many of those game elements the player owns. Furthermore, when a deck is constructed by a player, the identification information for that deck (deck ID) and the element IDs of the game elements included in that deck are included in the player information, making it possible to manage information about the deck that the player has constructed (deck information).

As described above, the competitive game that the competitive service of this embodiment provides a play experience with is a TCG, and the game elements that are given to players and can be registered in their decks and used are cards (virtual cards that can be owned in an electronic game). In the competitive game of this embodiment, the cards that players can use are classified into two types: leader cards and member cards, which have different roles in the competitive game, and decks are required to include one leader card. In other words, a deck is constructed from one leader card and multiple member cards (one or more). Each card has a cost that is determined, for example, according to the degree to which it provides an advantage in the competitive game, and players must register the cards to be included in their deck so that the total cost of the deck reaches a specified value.

Here, leader cards and member cards are cards that have different roles in a competitive game, and have the following differences, for example:

Leader cards limit the member cards that can be included in a deck, and determine the deck's direction (the strategic direction that must be taken to win a competitive game). In other words, including one leader card in a deck determines, to some extent, how a competitive game using that deck will unfold. On the other hand, member cards do not generally limit the other cards that can be included in a deck.

The game is played in turns, with each player's turn consisting of placing cards from their deck on the field in sequence. Leader cards are placed on the field at the start of the game and remain there throughout the game. Member cards, on the other hand, are randomly added to a player's hand from the deck and are placed on the field at the player's discretion during each turn. In other words, leader cards and member cards differ in whether their placement on the field is mandatory or optional.

Here, in the competitive game, a specified value of life (a parameter indicating the number of attacks the leader card can withstand) is set for each player's leader card at the start of the competitive game. In this embodiment of the competitive game, to ensure fairness between players, the life of each leader card is set to a fixed value of 8. The competitive game ends when either player's leader card's life reaches 0, or when either player's deck (hand, deck, and member cards on the field) reaches 0 cards. In other words, a player can defeat an opponent by reducing the life of the opponent's leader card to 0, or by first reducing the opponent's deck to 0 cards. A player is defeated by an opponent if their own leader card's life reaches 0, or their deck reaches 0 cards before their opponent.

Each card is assigned an effect that occurs when placed on the field in the competitive game, but member cards are assigned a single effect that does not change depending on the progression parameters of the competitive game. Leader cards, on the other hand, differ from member cards in that they are assigned multiple effects that change depending on the progression parameters of the competitive game. Here, the progression parameter of the competitive game may be, for example, the leader card's life, and it may be set so that halving the life can activate an effect that gives an advantage in the progression of the competitive game.

Therefore, when a player selects the "Build a New Deck" or "Edit an Existing Deck" menu for the deck building function, the system enters a state in which one deck is being edited, and a list of cards managed as available to the player is displayed in the game window. The player can select cards to register in the deck to be edited by performing an operation to select the desired card from the list. Specifically, the identification information (card ID) of the card selected to be registered in the deck is added to the deck information for the deck to be edited. The deck information for the deck to be edited is temporarily stored, for example, in memory 103 of the player terminal 100, and is updated each time a card to be registered is selected.

Here, if the "Build a New Deck" menu is selected, new deck information is generated and stored in memory 103 as deck information for the deck to be edited. Conversely, if the "Edit an Already Constructed Deck" menu is selected, deck information for the corresponding deck is downloaded from server 200 to player terminal 100 and stored in memory 103 as deck information for the deck to be edited.

Then, in response to an operation input related to the completion of construction, the deck information related to the deck to be edited is uploaded from the player terminal 100 to the server 200, and is managed as part of the player information related to the player. At this time, if the deck is a new deck, the server 200 assigns a new deck ID to the player, associates the deck ID with the uploaded deck information, and adds it to the player's player information. Furthermore, if the deck is already constructed, the deck information related to the deck to be edited already has an associated deck ID, and therefore any deck information in the player's player information that has the same deck ID as the uploaded deck information is updated based on the uploaded deck information.

In order to avoid DB storage space being occupied by deck information that does not have any cards registered being included in player information, the upload of deck information for the deck to be edited will be performed on the condition that one or more cards have been registered at the time the operation input for completion of deck construction is made. In other words, completion of deck construction does not necessarily require that the deck be in a state that can be used in a competitive game; for example, a player can save deck information as completed construction even if one or more cards that are temporarily being considered for use have been registered.

<matching>
Players can play the competitive game by using a deck constructed using the deck construction function. In the competitive game of this embodiment, two players compete against each other, so the players must transmit a matching request from their player terminals 100 to the server 200 before starting gameplay. Upon receiving the matching request, the server control unit 201 performs processing to match two players to compete against each other from among logged-in players who have simultaneously made matching requests.

The client application is therefore provided with a game play function, which is configured to accept a request from a player to start playing a competitive game when this function is used. For the (subsequent) competitive game, the player can select one of the decks they have constructed as the competitive deck, thereby making it possible to perform operational input related to the request to start playing. Details will be described later, but in this embodiment of the game system, in order to enhance the entertainment value of the competitive game, opponent matching is performed taking into consideration the deck used by the player. Therefore, when operational input related to the request to start playing is performed, the control unit 101 sends a matching request including information about the competitive deck to the server 200 via the communication I/F 106.

The matching request includes, for example, the player's player ID and information indicating the battle deck used by that player. The information indicating the battle deck can be, for example, a deck ID, and the server control unit 201 can reference deck information related to the battle deck from the relevant player information based on the player ID and deck ID, and can identify the cards registered in that battle deck.

As mentioned above, how a battle game unfolds depends on the battle deck used by the player, and in particular on the leader card included in the battle deck. The characteristics associated with each leader card are primarily determined by the effects that can be activated by that leader card, but to allow for a variety of play styles, advantageous and disadvantageous compatibility exists between characteristics. For this reason, if a player is repeatedly matched with other players using decks with which the player has an unfavorable compatibility, there is a risk that the player's interest in the battle game will decrease. Therefore, in the game system of this embodiment, information about the battle deck is included in the matching request and is referenced in the matching process performed by the server control unit 201, which will be described later.

However, building a battle deck that will allow for optimal game development requires considering the effects and costs set for each leader card and member card, which takes time. Furthermore, the matching process, which provides a highly engaging battle game experience and matches players who have made a matchmaking request with suitable opponents, can also take time depending on the time of day, etc. In other words, if a request to start playing a battle game were to be accepted only after a battle deck has been completed, it could take a long time for a player who has logged into the service to begin playing the battle game.

For this reason, the game system of this embodiment is configured to accept a request to start play using a deck as a battle deck, provided that at least a leader card is registered in that deck. In other words, a matching request is sent from the player terminal 100 to the server 200, provided that the deck selected as the battle deck contains at least one leader card.

Therefore, in the game window related to the client application, the player can display and check the contents of the battle deck even after making an operation input related to a request to start play, and the battle deck can also be edited. Here, the deck to be edited is limited to the battle deck. As will be described in detail later, in response to a matching request, the server 200 executes matching processing based on the information of the leader card of the battle deck, so after a request to start play is made, only the members cards, i.e., the parts of the battle deck other than the leader card, can be edited. Editing of the battle deck in this way is controlled so that it is only possible for the period until the opponent matching is complete.

(Matching process)
The following provides an overview of the matching process executed by the server 200 in relation to matching.

The competitive game provided by the game system of this embodiment is a TCG in which two players compete against each other. Therefore, when the server control unit 201 receives a matching request for one player from the player terminal 100, it executes a matching process to determine the other player (opponent) to compete against that player. The matching process matches logged-in players who have submitted matching requests at the same time. To provide a highly engaging playing experience, the matching process of this embodiment sets multiple types of matching criteria and extracts players to be used as opponents based on these criteria. Each matching criterion specifies the conditions for players to be extracted as opponents, and the server control unit 201 extracts players that meet the conditions from among players who have submitted matching requests at the same time and selects one of these players as the opponent. A priority order is assigned to each of the multiple types of matching criteria, and the server control unit 201 basically extracts players who meet the conditions for all of the matching criteria and selects one player from among them as the opponent. However, if there is no player who meets all the conditions, the process of extracting players is repeated, excluding matching criteria with the lowest priority in order.

The first matching criterion in the matching process of this embodiment relates to the frequency of matching with the same player. The outcome of a competitive game is influenced by factors such as the player's experience and playing skill, as well as the cards the player possesses. In particular, playing skill is dependent on the number of times the competitive game has been played, and when there is a clear difference between players, the player with the higher playing skill is likely to win even in consecutive matches. As a result, players with lower playing skill are more likely to suffer consecutive losses, which may reduce that player's interest in the competitive game. Furthermore, in situations where the same players are repeatedly matched, for example, by repeatedly playing the game during times when there are fewer logged-in players, it is possible to intentionally match with the same player. For example, one player may intentionally repeatedly declare defeat, thereby unfairly manipulating the other player's win rate.

Therefore, the first matching criterion is that the opponent matched with the player who has made the matching request must not be an opponent in a predetermined number of most recent competitive games played by that player. To make the invention easier to understand, this embodiment will describe an embodiment in which the predetermined number is set to one, so as to avoid consecutive games with the same player. In other words, below, the first matching criterion is set as a condition that the opponent must not be a player who was most recently matched with the player who made the matching request. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a player who has been matched once may not be matched with another player until they have played a predetermined number of competitive games against other players two or more times.

The second matching criterion for the matching process of this embodiment relates to the frequency of matching with players using decks containing the same leader card. As mentioned above, the game development of a competitive game can depend on the leader card included in the deck. For this reason, if consecutive battles against decks containing the same leader card were allowed, the player would be repeatedly provided with a competitive game experience with similar game developments, which could result in the player becoming bored with the gameplay. In particular, if a player is forced into consecutive battles against decks containing leader cards with unfavorable compatibility, the player will be forced into a game development that is difficult to recover from, and may lose interest in the competitive game.

Therefore, the second matching criterion requires that the leader card of the opponent matched with the player who made the matching request must be different from the deck used by the opponent in the predetermined number of most recent competitive games played by that player. To make the invention easier to understand, this embodiment will describe an embodiment in which the predetermined number is set to one, so as to avoid consecutive matches with players using decks containing the same leader card. In other words, below, the second matching criterion is defined as the condition that the leader card of the player who made the matching request must be different from the deck used in the most recent match. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a leader card that has been used once in an opponent's deck may not be matched until the opponent has played two or more predetermined number of competitive games using a deck with a different leader card.

The third matching criterion for the matching process of this embodiment requires that the opponent must use a deck containing a different leader card than the player who made the matching request. Each player builds their deck taking into account the characteristics of their leader card, but when playing against decks containing the same leader card, it can be difficult to make use of those characteristics, which can result in a monotonous game. Therefore, the third matching criterion requires that the opponent matched with the player who made the matching request must use a deck containing a different leader card than the battle deck used by that player.

The server control unit 201 determines other players to match with the player who has made a matching request based on these three types of matching criteria. The priority of the matching criteria is set so that the first matching criterion is lower, followed by the second matching criterion and then the third matching criterion. The server control unit 201 appropriately combines these matching criteria to extract players in order to determine opponents from among players who have made matching requests at the same time.

For example, in a situation where player A most recently played against player B, who used a deck including leader card b, and will use a battle deck including leader card a in the next battle game, the server control unit 201, upon receiving a matching request from player A, first extracts players who meet all of the matching criteria. That is, the server control unit 201 extracts players who are different from player B (first matching criterion) and who are using decks that include leader cards other than leader card a and leader card b (second and third matching criteria). At this time, if there are players who meet all of the matching criteria (one or more players have been extracted), the server control unit 201 selects an opponent from among those players. On the other hand, if there are no players who meet all of the matching criteria, the server control unit 201 excludes the matching criterion with the lowest priority (in this case, the third matching criterion) and again extracts players who meet the criteria. Specifically, the server control unit 201 extracts players who are different from player B (first matching criterion) and who use decks that include leader cards other than leader card b (second matching criterion). If the server control unit 201 cannot extract a player that meets these conditions, it further relaxes the conditions (excluding the second matching criterion) and performs the extraction again.

In this way, the server control unit 201 extracts players based on predetermined conditions to provide a suitable playing experience, and relaxes the conditions as necessary to determine the opponent to be matched with the person who has made the matching request. Note that if there is no player that meets even the first matching criterion, the server control unit 201 may, for example, randomly select one player as the opponent from among players who have made matching requests at the same time, or it may extend the search period until a specified timeout period is reached and search again for a player who meets the matching criteria.

Once player matching is complete, the server control unit 201 establishes a communication session for transmitting and receiving various information related to the competitive game in which the two matched players will participate. Information about the communication session, along with information about the matching results, is sent to the player terminals 100 used by each of the two players. When the control unit 101 of the player terminal 100 receives the communication session information, it begins processing to connect to the communication session.

Gameplay
When the player terminals 100 of the players competing in the communication session are connected, game play of the competitive game in which the two matched players are participating can begin. When the player terminals 100 of both players connect to the communication session, the client application running on each player terminal 100 starts processing related to playing the competitive game and displays a game screen.

Here, the competitive game is executed on the condition that the battle deck contains one leader card and one or more member cards, and once processing related to playing the competitive game begins, the battle deck is controlled so that it cannot be edited to ensure fairness. Therefore, if the battle deck used by a player does not contain any member cards before processing related to playing the competitive game begins, control can be exercised to accept operational input related to the selection of at least one member card, and once a member card has been added and the deck information has been updated, processing related to playing the competitive game can be executed.

In the processing related to playing the competitive game executed on each player terminal 100, various information for game progress is constructed based on operational inputs made by the players in relation to the competitive game, and transmitted to the server 200. The server 200 manages various information for game progress for each communication session, and transmits (shares) information received from a player terminal 100 to other player terminals 100 participating in the communication session. In the processing related to playing the competitive game, when game progress information related to the opponent is received from the server 200, display control of the game screen is performed based on that information. In this way, the game system can provide a playing experience in which players in remote locations compete against each other via the server 200.

<<Client Processing>>
Specific client processing executed in accordance with a client application in the player terminal 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 4. The processing corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in, for example, the storage device 102, and expanding and executing it in the memory 103. Note that this client processing will be described as being initiated, for example, when the client application is executed in the player terminal 100 and service login of the player is completed. Furthermore, in the description of this client processing, a player who has logged in for service using the player terminal 100 that is executing this processing will be referred to as the "target player."

In S401, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operational input related to the use of the deck building function has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operational input related to the use of the deck building function has been made, the control unit 101 proceeds to S402; if it determines that an operational input related to the use of the deck building function has not been made, the control unit 101 proceeds to S403.

At S402, the control unit 101 executes processing related to the deck building function. In this embodiment, details of the processing related to the deck building function will be omitted, but as described above, by using the deck building function, deck information can be added/updated to the player information related to the target player.

In S403, the control unit 101 determines whether an operation input related to a request to start playing the competitive game has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to a request to start playing has been made, it proceeds to S404; if it determines that an operation input related to a request to start playing has not been made, it proceeds to S411.

At S404, the control unit 101 accepts the selection of the deck (battle deck) that the target player will use in the battle game. The selection of the battle deck is made based on an operational input to select one of the decks constructed in association with the target player. Prior to this selection, the control unit 101 obtains deck information registered in association with the player from the server 200, and displays the corresponding decks on the display 110 so that they can be selected.

In S405, the control unit 101 determines whether a leader card is registered in the deck selected in S404. If the control unit 101 determines that a leader card is registered in the selected deck, it proceeds to S406; if it determines that a leader card is not registered, it returns to S404. In the latter case, the server control unit 201 may, for example, display a notification on the display 110 instructing the player to select a deck in which a leader card is registered.

At S406, the control unit 101 sends a matching request to the server 200, which includes the deck ID of the deck selected at S404 as the deck ID of the battle deck. In response to this matching request, the server 200 executes a matching process, and the opponent player (hereinafter referred to as the opponent player) is determined.

In S407, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an opponent player has been matched. The determination in this step can be made based on whether or not matching result information has been received from the server 200. If the control unit 101 determines that an opponent player has been matched, it proceeds to S408, and if it determines that an opponent player has not been matched, it repeats the processing in this step.

At S408, the control unit 101 establishes a communication connection with the communication session via the communication I/F 106 based on the information about the destination communication session included in the matching result information.

At S409, the control unit 101 executes processing related to playing the competitive game.

In S410, the control unit 101 determines whether the processing related to the playing of the competitive game that started in S409 has been completed. Here, the processing related to the playing of the competitive game ends when the termination conditions for the played competitive game are met and the match result is determined. If the control unit 101 determines that the processing related to the playing of the competitive game has been completed, it proceeds to S411; if it determines that the processing has not been completed, it repeats the processing of this step.

In S411, the control unit 101 determines whether an operation input related to terminating the client application has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to terminating the client application has been made, it completes this client processing; if it determines that an operation input related to terminating the client application has not been made, it returns the processing to S401.

<<Matching process>>
Next, the matching process executed by the server 200 of this embodiment will be described in detail using the flowchart in Fig. 5. The process corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the server control unit 201 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in, for example, the server storage device 202, and deploying and executing it in the server memory 203. Note that this matching process will be described as being started, for example, when a matching request is received from one of the player terminals 100. In addition, in the description of this matching process, the player who receives the matching request will be referred to as the "target player," other players who are making matching requests at the same time will be referred to as "waiting players," and players who will be matched with the target player will be referred to as the "opponent players."

At S501, the server control unit 201 acquires information (extraction information) for extracting an opponent player. In this embodiment, the server control unit 201 acquires, as the extraction information, the player ID of the player most recently matched with the target player (hereinafter referred to as the previous player), the card ID of the leader card related to the previous player in the most recent battle game, and the card ID of the leader card in the target player's battle deck. Here, various pieces of information related to the previous player may be obtainable, for example, from battle history information included in the player information of the target player.

In S502, the server control unit 201 determines, based on the extraction information, whether or not there is a player among the waiting players who meets all of the matching criteria. That is, the server control unit 201 sets three types of matching criteria as extraction conditions and attempts to extract a player who meets the extraction conditions from the waiting players. If the server control unit 201 determines that there is a player among the waiting players who meets all of the matching criteria, it proceeds to S505; if it determines that there is not, it proceeds to S503.

At S503, the server control unit 201 sets new extraction conditions by excluding the matching criterion with the lowest priority from the matching criteria set in the current extraction conditions.

At S504, the server control unit 201 determines, based on the extraction information, whether or not there is a player among the waiting players who meets the new extraction conditions. If the server control unit 201 determines that there is a player among the waiting players who meets the new extraction conditions, it proceeds to S505; if it determines that there is no player among the waiting players who meets the new extraction conditions, it returns to S503. Note that if no matching criteria-related conditions are set as extraction conditions, the server control unit 201 determines that all waiting players meet the new extraction conditions.

At S505, the server control unit 201 extracts players who meet the extraction conditions from the waiting players and determines one of these players as the opponent player. Here, the opponent player may be determined by lottery processing, for example. The server control unit 201 returns the player ID of the determined opponent player to the player terminal 100 used by the target player as matching result information, and completes the matching process. At this time, the server control unit 201 also transmits matching result information to the player terminal 100 used by the opponent player, indicating that the player has been matched with the target player.

As described above, the communication terminal of this embodiment allows players to easily start a competitive game. Furthermore, the information processing device of this embodiment can provide highly entertaining matching.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the first matching criterion is described as being that the target player is not an opponent in a predetermined number of recent competitive games played by the target player. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the difference in playing skill between the target player and the opponent player is small, it is difficult to imagine a situation in which the game will unfold one-sidedly even if these players rematch. In other words, if the difference in playing skill between the target player and the opponent player is large, the game may unfold in a similar manner even if these players rematch within a short period of time. However, it is highly likely that the game will not unfold in a similar manner between players with a small difference in playing skill.

Therefore, in a mode in which player information is managed by including attribute information such as game level, number of plays, and rank based on game results, the predetermined number of plays until the target player can be matched with the opponent player may be increased or decreased based on the attribute information of the target player and the attribute information of the opponent player. For example, multiple ranges may be set for the difference in number of plays between players, and the predetermined number of plays may be changed depending on which range the difference falls within. In this case, the predetermined number of plays may be determined to be larger the greater the range of the difference.

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment and modified example, in order to match a target player with an opponent player with whom the target player has played once, the condition is that the target player has not been matched with the opponent player in a predetermined number of competitive games played by the target player, i.e., the number of competitive games played is the condition for matching between the same players. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed may also be set.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described embodiment and modified example, a battle deck can be edited only for member cards even after a matching request is sent. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In one aspect, the battle deck may be configured to be complete (e.g., the difference between the total cost and the upper cost limit is within a threshold) at the time of sending the matching request, and editing of the battle deck may be disabled after the matching request is sent. This type of aspect is expected to be used to optimize evaluations in game modes that are based on so-called serious competition between players, such as evaluating and ranking players based on their performance in a battle game.

[Embodiment 2]
In the first embodiment described above, in response to receiving a matching request, the server control unit 201 matches a player selected from among players who simultaneously made matching requests with the player related to the matching request. That is, the game system of the above-described embodiment employs a matching method in which a predetermined number of players to compete in a competitive game are determined by a matching process executed by the server 200 without the player's consent. However, matching methods for online competitive games are not limited to methods in which the server control unit 201 forcibly determines opponents. For example, there is also a matching method in which some players are placed in a standby state to accept challenges, and other players who are not in a standby state select a desired player from among the standby players and apply to the challenge. In this matching method, players who are not in a standby state can challenge a desired player, thereby achieving matching based on the player's will, unlike in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a method for achieving highly interesting matching in this matching method will be described.

"matching"
In the game play function of the client application of this embodiment, when a request to start playing a competitive game is accepted, the game player further accepts a selection of whether to wait for a challenge from another player (hereinafter referred to as a challenge waiting request) or to make a challenge to another player who is waiting (hereinafter referred to as a challenge request). Whichever request is selected, the client application then accepts the selection of a battle deck, as in the first embodiment, and a matching request is sent from the player terminal 100 to the server 200.

In the game play function of this embodiment, the timing of sending a matching request differs depending on whether the target player selects an application waiting request or an application request.

Specifically, if the target player selects a request to wait for a challenge, when a battle deck is subsequently selected, a matching request including the target player's player ID, the battle deck's deck ID, and the request to wait for a challenge is sent from the player terminal 100 to the server 200. Upon receiving this matching request, the server control unit 201 adds the target player to the waiting players who are waiting for a challenge and manages them.

On the other hand, if the target player selects the application request, when a battle deck is subsequently selected, a "candidate acquisition request" including the target player's player ID, the battle deck's deck ID, and the application request is sent from the player terminal 100 to the server 200. When the server control unit 201 receives the candidate acquisition request, it returns information about matching candidates including multiple waiting players to the player terminal 100 so that the target player can select a player to apply for a battle. Upon receiving the matching candidate information, an application screen is displayed in the game window related to the client application on the player terminal 100 used by the target player, displaying each of the matching candidate players in a manner that allows them to accept a battle application.

Figure 6 shows an example of the application screen configuration. In the example of Figure 6, the application screen 600 displays three waiting players included in the matching candidate information as matching candidates 601a-c, and is configured so that a challenge to the corresponding waiting player can be accepted by, for example, performing an operational input in each area. That is, matching candidates 601a-c show matching candidates with which the target player can be matched, and in response to the target player performing an operational input to select one of the matching candidates, a matching request including the player ID of the waiting player of that matching candidate is sent to the server 200. Upon receiving this matching request, the server control unit 201 executes processing to match the waiting player identified by the player ID included in the matching request with the target player.

As will be explained in more detail below, the matching candidates 601 do not display all waiting players who are simultaneously waiting to request a match, but rather display waiting players selected by the server control unit 201 who are below the upper limit (3) of players who will accept a match request from the target player. By limiting the number of players displayed as matching candidates 601 in this way, it is possible to avoid lengthening the matching time caused by the target player being confused about which waiting player to match up with.

On the other hand, limiting the number of waiting players displayed as matching candidates 601 may give the target player the impression that there are only a few players interested in the competitive game. For this reason, as shown in the figure, the application screen 600 displays non-candidate players 602a-g as entertainment elements in addition to matching candidates 601a-c. Therefore, when the server control unit 201 returns information about matching candidates to the player terminal 100, it also sends information about players to be displayed as non-candidate players 602.

Here, players displayed as non-candidate players 602 are just for entertainment purposes, and so may be selected, for example, from waiting players who were not selected as matching candidates, or may be selected from logged-in players based on predetermined rules, or may be selected from all players, including logged-out players.

The matching candidates 601 and non-candidate players 602 differ on the application screen 600 in that the former are displayed in a state where the target player can apply for a match, while the latter are displayed in a state where the target player cannot. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the former are displayed in a larger size than the non-candidate players 602. Furthermore, to help the target player select a waiting player from the matching candidates 601 to apply for a match, the information on the matching candidates includes detailed information about each waiting player, such as player name, record, and attribute information. Therefore, each of the matching candidates 601a-c displays a detail display icon 603a-c, which allows detailed information about the corresponding waiting player to be displayed in response to operational input to the icon, which also differentiates them from the non-candidate players 602. In other words, as shown in the figure, the detail display icon 603 is not displayed on the non-candidate players 602a-g, preventing the target player from viewing detailed information.

The game system of this embodiment is configured to enable players from various geographic locations to compete against each other. For this reason, the server 200 may be configured not as a single server, but as a group of multiple servers working together. In this configuration, to create the impression that the target player can compete against players from various regions, a map image resembling the Earth is displayed as the background image 604 on the application screen 600. Here, the position of the map image in the background image 604, which is shown as the center, may be changed based on geographic information associated with the player terminal 100 (e.g., the geographic location information of the player terminal 100). In other words, if a player from Japan requests to obtain candidates, the map image in the background image 604 is displayed with Japan at the center, and if a player from the United States requests to obtain candidates, the map image in the background image 604 is displayed with the United States at the center.

Note that, because the competitive game that the game system of this embodiment provides a play experience with is a TCG, in the example of Figure 6, the matching candidates 601 and non-candidate players 602 displayed on the application screen 600 are both displayed in card form, but it should be readily understood that the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this.

To ensure that a competitive game with favorable game development is played, the server control unit 201 extracts matching candidate players from among the waiting players based on multiple types of matching criteria, as in embodiment 1. When extracting matching candidate players, the server control unit 201 sets extraction information based on information included in the candidate acquisition request. In this embodiment, the server control unit 201 acquires and sets the player ID of the previous player most recently matched with the target player, the card ID of the leader card associated with the previous player in the most recent competitive game, and the card ID of the leader card in the target player's battle deck as the extraction information. The server control unit 201 then extracts the maximum number (three) of waiting players based on the extraction information and three types of matching criteria. The process related to this extraction may be performed in the same manner as steps S501 to S505 in the matching process of embodiment 1, but differs in that instead of determining one of the extracted players as the opponent player, a maximum number of players from the extracted players are determined as matching candidates, and information about the matching candidates is returned to the player terminal 100.

In this case, if the maximum number of players includes players who have been extracted because they meet different combinations of matching criteria, the matching candidate information may be configured to include information identifying players who meet more of the matching criteria, and to display them in a distinguishable manner on the application screen. That is, for example, if there are two players who meet all types of matching criteria, and the remaining player is extracted from players who meet two types of matching criteria to ensure the maximum number of matching candidates, the former two players will be displayed differently from the remaining player on the application screen 600, as they are deemed to have the potential to lead to a more interesting game development.

To facilitate understanding of the invention, the game system of this embodiment will be described as matching a matching candidate with a target player when a challenge is made to a matching candidate, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the event that a waiting player is disconnected while waiting for a challenge, or in the event that a waiting player declines a challenge in a state where they can choose whether or not to accept the challenge, the display of the application screen 600 may be controlled to continue until matching is complete (information on the matching results is received) and to end once matching is complete. In this case, to prevent duplicate matching requests from being sent, the application screen 600 may be controlled so that operation input to select a matching candidate 601 is not accepted after a matching request has been sent.

Note that because matching requests may be received from multiple player terminals 100 at the same time, the waiting players change from moment to moment. Therefore, the server control unit 201 may update the information on matching candidates, for example at predetermined time intervals, and transmit this information to the player terminals 100 periodically. When the player terminal 100 used by the target player receives information on new matching candidates, the display content of the application screen 600 is updated. Here, if the target player is displaying detailed information on one of the matching candidates when receiving the information on the matching candidates, it is assumed that the target player is considering a match with that matching candidate, and therefore the control unit 101 may retain the information on the matching candidates received earlier and perform control so as not to change the display content of the application screen 600.

[Modification 4]
In the above-described second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, candidate players are extracted based on matching criteria based on the most recent players and the leader card of the deck. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an embodiment in which player information is managed by including attribute information such as game level, number of plays, and player rank based on game results, matching criteria related to the similarity of attribute information with the target player may be further included. The matching criteria require that the attribute information of a player who is a candidate for the target player is similar to the attribute information of the target player. Here, whether the attribute information is similar may be determined by, for example, whether the difference in game level, number of plays, or rank is below a predetermined threshold. This configuration increases opportunities for players with similar playing skills to compete against each other, thereby increasing player interest in competitive games.

In such an embodiment, to ensure that the game develops favorably for a target player who voluntarily requests a match, the information on potential matches may be configured to include waiting players of the same rank as the target player, or waiting players of a lower rank than the target player. Alternatively, the information on potential matches may include waiting players of a higher rank than the target player, but the information on potential matches may be configured so that there are more waiting players of a lower rank than the target player compared to the number of waiting players of the higher rank and the same rank.

[Embodiment 3]
In the above-described embodiment and modified example, a matching process was mainly described for all logged-in players. However, since players use the service at various times and have different playing styles (play frequency and playing time periods) for the competitive game, differences in playing skill among players are bound to occur. Therefore, in a game mode in which matching is performed for all players, if a significant difference in playing skill exists between players, this may reduce interest in the competitive game, especially among players with lower playing skill. For this reason, the competitive game of this embodiment includes a rank matching mode as a game mode that realizes more interesting matching and makes it easier to match players with similar playing skill.

Rank Match Mode
In the class match mode, players are awarded class points based on their performance in the match game, and the player's class is determined based on the accumulated number of points awarded. The match game in the class match mode is basically configured to match players classified in the same class. In other words, in the class match mode, players are separated by class, and the matching process is controlled to match players within the same class.

In one aspect, there are six ranks, for example, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Master, and God, in descending order. Each rank has a set number of rank points required to be classified into that rank (point threshold: minimum number of points for each rank), with higher ranks requiring higher rank points. In other words, a player's rank is determined by identifying the maximum point threshold that the player's cumulative number of awarded rank points exceeds, and then determining the rank associated with that maximum point threshold. For example, in an aspect where the point threshold for Bronze is 0, the point threshold for Silver is 10,000, the point threshold for Gold is 30,000, the point threshold for Platinum is 50,000, the point threshold for Master is 70,000, and the point threshold for God is 90,000, a player with 55,000 cumulative awarded rank points will be in the Platinum rank.

When a player wins a competitive game, the server control unit 201 decides to award a fixed number of rank points to that player and updates the attribute information of the relevant player information. At this time, the server control unit 201 compares the cumulative number of rank points awarded after the update with the threshold value for each rank and determines the new rank to which the player will be classified. On the other hand, if the player loses or draws in the competitive game, the server control unit 201 does not award rank points to that player, and does not update the attribute information of the relevant player information.

In the rank match mode, therefore, more rank points are awarded to players who win more competitive games, and as a result, the cumulative number of points awarded increases, resulting in that player being classified into a higher rank. In other words, ranks in the rank match mode correspond to parameters that evaluate the playing skill of each player. Rank information in the rank match mode may be managed by including it as attribute information in the player information for each player, and the server control unit 201 acquires this rank information in the matching process for the rank match mode and determines opponents. This configuration makes it easier for players with high playing skill to be classified into higher ranks, making it possible to provide a competitive game experience that is more entertaining and ensures fairness.

<Bet function>
In a mode in which a fixed number of rank points are awarded for winning a competitive game, a player must play and win a considerable number of competitive games before being classified into an appropriate rank (a rank in which many players with similar playing skills exist). In other words, in such a mode, the more skilled a player is, the more wins and plays are required before being classified into an appropriate rank. However, because the amount of time available for game play varies depending on the player's environment, it may not be possible to guarantee a suitable playing experience for some players.

For this reason, the fighting game of this embodiment provides a betting function in the rank match mode as a mechanism for making it easier for players to be classified into an appropriate rank regardless of the number of times they have played. The betting function allows a player to earn additional rank points as an additional reward if they win a fighting game. More specifically, the betting function allows a player to bet at least a portion of the rank points currently associated with the target player on the target player's own victory in a fighting game executed based on the target player's matching request. In this way, the target player is awarded rank points (also known as a payout) according to the number of rank points bet (also known as a bet amount/chips; hereinafter referred to as a bet element) if they win the fighting game, in addition to the fixed number of rank points. In other words, the more rank points the target player bets as a bet element, the greater the additional reward they can receive if they win the fighting game. Therefore, players with high playing skills can increase their accumulated rank points more quickly by actively using the betting function, making it easier for them to reach an appropriate rank.

Here, in order to ensure fairness between players, bets on bet elements using the bet function will only be accepted until matching is performed in the matching process. Furthermore, if the target player loses the competitive game, the rank points bet as bet elements will no longer be awarded to the target player. In other words, in a competitive game using the bet function, the bet elements related to the target player will remain associated with the target player but will be temporarily managed as held by the server 200, and the treatment of this association will change depending on the outcome of the competitive game.

More specifically, if the target player wins the competitive game, the bet element is returned to the target player's assigned state while maintaining its association with the target player, and the target player is further awarded additional reward rank points. On the other hand, if the target player loses the competitive game, the bet element is released from its association with the target player, the target player is placed in a state where no bet element has been assigned (a state where the bet element has been lost), and no additional reward rank points are awarded. Note that if the target player draws in the competitive game, the bet element is returned to the target player's assigned state while maintaining its association with the target player, and no additional reward rank points are awarded.

Furthermore, the rank points awarded as an additional reward are set to an amount smaller than the bet element, so as to prevent the number of players classified into higher ranks from increasing too much. Preferably, the ratio (payout rate) of the amount of rank points awarded as an additional reward to the amount of bet element may be set so that the larger the amount of the bet element, the smaller the ratio.

The target player's cumulative number of awarded rank points may change depending on the process of awarding or associating these rank points related to a competitive game using the betting function, so the server control unit 201 determines the rank into which the target player should be classified when there is a change in the cumulative number of awarded ranks. In other words, if the target player wins a competitive game using the betting function, more rank points will be awarded, and the target player may be classified (promoted) in a higher rank than his/her current rank. On the other hand, if the target player loses a competitive game using the betting function, some rank points will be lost, and the target player may be classified (demoted) in a lower rank than his/her current rank.

In other words, while the betting feature requires the target player to take a risk, it makes it easier for the target player to reach the appropriate rank and provides an exciting and engaging competitive gaming experience.

In the battle game of this embodiment, the number of rank points that each player can bet using the betting function is described as being configured to be selectable from a selection of predetermined amounts or predetermined units, rather than being able to specify an arbitrary value by the player. The betting screen that accepts the specification of bet elements can be configured to allow selection from options 701a-f, including not betting, as shown in FIG. 7, for example. In the example of FIG. 7, if the target player's cumulative awarded number is currently 85,000 and 5,000 corresponding to the selected option 701a is bet, if the player wins the battle game, they will be awarded 1,000 fixed points upon victory and an additional reward of 4,000, bringing their cumulative awarded number to 90,000 and their rank to God. If they lose, they will lose the bet element of 5,000 and their cumulative awarded number will be 80,000.

Here, we will explain that the options that can be specified as the amount of rank points to be bet change depending on the rank into which the target player is classified, in order to ensure game balance and prevent rank fluctuations. That is, in the example of Figure 7, the target player's rank is Master, so options 701a-e are shown, but for example, for Platinum, the next lower rank, option 701a may not be selectable or may be controlled so that it is not displayed. Also, in order to prevent the cumulative number of awarded points from becoming negative, the designation of a bet element is controlled to be acceptable only if the target player has been awarded the amount of rank points that is being designated.

(Display of bet details)
When matching is completed for players using the betting function, bet elements are displayed in a manner that allows all players participating in the competitive game to see them on a game start screen that notifies two competing players, as shown in Fig. 8. Displaying such bet elements can serve as an indicator of each player's enthusiasm for the competitive game, thereby increasing players' motivation for playing the game and enhancing its enjoyment.

In addition, depending on the total amount of bet elements placed by two players in a competitive game, the display effects on the game start screen and game screen during the competitive game may be varied by adding cheers or confetti, for example, to further enhance the entertainment value of the competitive game.

In this embodiment, details of the matching process will be omitted, but from the perspective of utilizing the effect of increasing interest depending on the number of bet elements, for example, in a matching method such as that of embodiment 1, for a matching request related to a player who has a bet element specified with a predetermined amount of rank points or more, such as a so-called high-value bet, the matching process can be configured to use matching criteria for matching players who are betting under similar conditions.

Rank Determination Process
The rank determination process executed in the server 200 of this embodiment in the rank match mode will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 9. The process corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the server control unit 201 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in, for example, the server storage device 202, and then loading and executing the program in the server memory 203. Note that this rank determination process will be described as being initiated when, for example, a termination condition for a competitive game executed in the rank match mode in one of the communication sessions is satisfied. In addition, in the description of this rank determination process, the competitive game for which the termination condition is satisfied will be referred to as the "target game."

At S901, the server control unit 201 selects, as the target player, one player who participated in the target game and whose new rank after the target game has not yet been determined.

In S902, the server control unit 201 determines whether the target player has used the betting function related to the target game. If the server control unit 201 determines that the target player has used the betting function, it proceeds to S903; if it determines that the target player has not used the betting function, it proceeds to S905.

At S903, the server control unit 201 determines the rank points of the additional reward to be awarded to the target player based on the match result of the target player in the target game and the bet element related to the opposing player. If the match result of the target player is a win, the server control unit 201 determines an additional reward in an amount corresponding to the bet element and awards it to the target player. That is, the server control unit 201 executes processing to update the player information of the target player and changes the cumulative number of awarded rank points to a value obtained by adding the amount of the additional reward. Furthermore, if the match result of the target player is a draw or a loss, the server control unit 201 determines the additional reward to be 0. In this case, since the cumulative number of awarded points for the target player remains unchanged, the server control unit 201 only determines that the additional reward is 0 and does not need to execute processing to update the player information of the target player.

At S904, the server control unit 201 determines and executes the disposition of the bet elements that were in a held state for the target player based on the match result of the target player in the target game. If the match result for the target player is a win or a draw, the server control unit 201 maintains the association of the bet elements with the target player and changes the bet elements from a held state to an awarded state for the target player. At this time, there is essentially no change in the target player's cumulative awarded number, so the server control unit 201 only performs processing to cancel the held state and does not need to perform processing to update the player information for the target player. Furthermore, if the target player's match result is a loss, the server control unit 201 cancels the association of the bet elements with the target player and puts the target player in a state where they have lost the bet elements. In other words, the server control unit 201 performs processing to update the player information for the target player and changes the cumulative awarded number of rank points to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of the bet elements.

At S905, the server control unit 201 determines the normal reward rank points based on the match result of the target player in the target game. If the match result of the target player is a win, the server control unit 201 awards the target player the normal reward (a fixed value of rank points). That is, the server control unit 201 executes processing to update the player information of the target player, and changes the cumulative number of awarded rank points to a value obtained by adding a fixed value. Furthermore, if the match result of the target player is a draw or a loss, the server control unit 201 determines the normal reward to be 0. In this case, since the cumulative number of awarded points for the target player remains unchanged, the server control unit 201 simply determines that the normal reward is 0, and does not need to perform processing to update the player information of the target player.

At S906, the server control unit 201 determines a new rank to classify the target player into based on the target player's current cumulative number of rank points. More specifically, the server control unit 201 compares the target player's cumulative number of rank points with the point threshold to determine a new rank to classify the target player into. Once the server control unit 201 determines a new rank to classify the target player into, it updates the player information of the target player.

In S907, the server control unit 201 determines whether new ranks have been determined for all players who participated in the target game after the target game. If the server control unit 201 determines that new ranks have been determined for all players, it completes this rank determination process; if it determines that no ranks have been determined, i.e., that there are undetermined players, it returns the process to S901.

As explained above, the information processing device of this embodiment can provide a suitable game playing experience regardless of the number of times the game has been played. In other words, players with high playing skills are more likely to be promoted to an appropriate rank that allows them to compete against players with similar playing skills more quickly, thereby avoiding the occurrence of matches with disparities in playing skill in lower ranks.

[Modification 5]
In the above-described third embodiment, when a target player loses a competitive game using a betting function, the target player's rank may be demoted in response to the deduction of rank points. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Demotion is undesirable for players, and players in lower ranks such as silver and gold may lose motivation to play the game. For this reason, demotion due to the deduction of rank points may be performed only if the target player's rank is higher than a predetermined rank, such as master or higher. In other words, for example, a player in a rank below platinum may be allowed to maintain his or her current rank without being demoted to a lower rank even if the deduction of rank points causes the player's rank to fall below the point threshold for that rank.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when a target player wins a competitive game using the betting function, the player is immediately promoted on the condition that the increased rank points exceed the point threshold for a higher rank. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. Regarding promotion, when the point threshold is exceeded, the target player may be given the right to challenge a promotion match to determine whether or not he or she can be promoted to the corresponding rank, and may be promoted if his or her performance in the promotion match meets the promotion conditions. Promotion matches may be, for example, competitive games against players of the same rank, and the target player is granted promotion if he or she wins more than half of the competitive games played a predetermined number of times. Here, the predetermined number of times may vary depending on the rank, and may be adjusted so that the higher the rank, the higher the predetermined number of times and the more difficult it is to achieve the promotion conditions.

[Modification 6]
In the above-described third embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the designation of the number of rank points to be used as a bet element is accepted from among options of a predetermined amount or a predetermined unit, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the total number of rank points that the target player has awarded is less than the minimum amount that the player can designate as a bet element, all of the rank points that the target player has awarded may be designated as a bet element (so-called all-in). Alternatively, to increase the player's interest, the all-in option may be designated regardless of the total number of rank points that the player has awarded.

[Modification 7]
In the above-described third embodiment and modified example, an aspect in which rank points can be designated as a bet element has been described, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an aspect in which other types of game elements are awarded to a player in addition to rank points, or in an aspect in which other types of game elements are awarded to a player instead of rank points, the betting function may be configured to allow the player to designate the other types of game elements as bet elements. In such an aspect, the types of game elements that a player can designate as bet elements may change depending on the rank to which the player is classified. Furthermore, in an aspect in which the types of game elements that can be designated as bet elements change depending on the rank, the higher the rank to which the player is classified, the more game elements that are set to have a higher value in the competitive game can be designated as bet elements, and the more interesting the competitive game can be by configuring the game elements to be obtainable by, for example, winning.

[Modification 8]
In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, various aspects have been described regarding multiple types of matching criteria for matching with a target player who has made a matching request, or for extracting a player as a matching candidate. However, it goes without saying that these matching criteria may be used in different combinations, and the priority of each matching criterion may also be changed as appropriate based on other factors such as the content of the competitive game and rank.

One example of such a combination is shown in Figure 10. The table shown in Figure 10 illustrates multiple types of matching criteria and their priorities that are referenced in the matching process for the above-mentioned ranking match mode battle game. Each row in the table indicates, for one matching criterion, the extraction conditions associated with that matching criterion, the prerequisites for applying that matching criterion, and the priority of that matching criterion among multiple types of matching criteria. As shown in the figure, the matching criterion shown in the top row has a higher priority, and is a matching criterion that is more likely to meet the conditions when extracting waiting players associated with the target player.

In the example of Figure 10, the top priority condition is to not match players who the target player has faced in the last 10 matches, and conditions are also set regarding the target player's rank, bet elements, and the leader card in the deck.

The conditions related to the target player's rank are set differently depending on whether the target player is classified as God, the highest rank, or any other rank. More specifically, if the target player is God, low-priority matching standards are set so that waiting players within ±50th place of the target player's rank are matched; however, if no such waiting players exist, the standards are relaxed to allow waiting players within ±200th place, and then waiting players with a God rank. On the other hand, if the target player is not God, low-priority matching standards are set so that waiting players of the same rank are matched; however, if no such waiting players exist, the standards are relaxed to allow waiting players within ±1 place, and then waiting players within ±2 place.

Furthermore, the matching criteria for the deck's leader card, which state that the leader card must not be the same as the deck used by the player most recently faced by the target player, or the same as the target player's battle deck, are set as a prerequisite that the target player's rank is not God. This is because at God, the highest rank, battles between players of that rank involve a great deal of strategy, and individual playing skill is considerable, so exchanges can unfold that are not based on deck compatibility advantages or disadvantages.

Furthermore, the conditions related to the bet element are set as a prerequisite that the bet element bet by the target player must be equal to or greater than a specified amount. This not only increases the entertainment value of the competitive game by pitting players who have placed so-called high bets against each other, but also produces the following effects. For example, even if a player with high playing skills attempts to engage in gameplay (so-called smurfing) by repeatedly placing high bets using a sub-account with the aim of fraudulently manipulating their battle record or accumulated points awarded, such behavior can be deterred by configuring the system so that a waiting player of a higher rank, who is more likely to place high bets, is matched with the player.

[Summary of the embodiment]
The above-described embodiments disclose at least the following programs, information processing devices, and game systems.

(1) A computer that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other,
a first acquisition process for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the fighting game;
a second acquisition process for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting process for registering game elements designated by the target player as betting elements for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control process for controlling association of game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
A program for executing
The betting process includes:
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of game elements associated with the target player and designated by the target player;
A program for changing at least one of the type and quantity of game elements that can be designated by the target player, depending on the rank into which the target player is classified.

(2) The program described in (1) further causes the computer to execute a determination process for determining a new rank into which the target player will be classified in response to a change in the association of game elements with the target player.

(3) The program described in (2), wherein the control process associates a game element corresponding to the bet element related to the target player with the target player, on the condition that the target player wins the competitive game.

(4) The program described in (3), wherein the control process associates with the target player a game element of the same type as the bet element, but in an amount smaller than the bet element associated with the target player, on the condition that the target player wins the competitive game.

(5) The program described in (4), wherein the determination process determines the newly classified rank based on the total amount of game elements associated with the target player.

(6) The program described in (5), wherein the determination process determines a rank higher than the rank to which the target player is currently classified as the new rank to be classified, on the condition that the total amount of game elements associated with the target player exceeds a predetermined threshold.

(7) The program described in any one of (2) to (6), wherein the control process disassociates the bet element from the target player on the condition that the target player has lost the competitive game.

(8) The program described in (7), wherein the determination process determines a rank lower than the rank to which the target player is currently classified as the new rank to be classified, on the condition that the total amount of game elements associated with the target player is below a predetermined threshold.

(9) The program described in (8), wherein the determination process determines a rank lower than the rank to which the target player is currently classified as the new rank to be classified, provided that the rank to which the target player is classified is higher than a predetermined rank.

(10) A program described in any one of (2) to (9), wherein the control process maintains the association of the bet element with the target player on the condition that the target player has drawn in the competitive game.

(11) A program described in any one of (1) to (10), in which the betting process accepts the designation of the betting element on the condition that a game element associated with the target player exists.

(12) The program described in any one of (1) to (11), wherein the betting process accepts designation of all game elements associated with the target player as the betting elements.

(13) The betting process includes:
one of a plurality of types of game elements is designated as the bet element;
The program according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein the higher the class into which the target player is classified, the more expensive the type of game element in the competitive game can be designated as the bet element.

(14) The program further causes the computer to execute a matching process for matching players who have made matching requests at the same time,
The program according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the betting process accepts designation of the betting element before matching is performed in the matching process.

(15) An information processing device that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other, comprising:
a first acquisition means for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the competitive game;
a second acquisition means for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting means for registering game elements designated by the target player as betting elements for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control means for controlling association of game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
Equipped with
The betting means is
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of game elements associated with the target player and designated by the target player;
An information processing device that changes at least one of the type and quantity of game elements that the target player can specify, depending on the rank into which the target player is classified.

(16) A game system including an information processing device that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other, and a communication terminal used by each player,
The communication terminal
a transmission means for transmitting a matchmaking request for an opponent in the competitive game;
an execution means for executing the competitive game with the opponent in response to the opponent being matched;
a display control means for displaying a screen relating to the competitive game on a display device;
Equipped with
The information processing device includes:
a first acquisition means for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the competitive game;
a second acquisition means for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting means for registering game elements designated by the target player as betting elements for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control means for controlling association of game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
Equipped with
The betting means is
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of game elements associated with the target player and designated by the target player;
A game system that changes at least one of the type and quantity of game elements that the target player can specify, depending on the rank into which the target player is classified.

(17) The information processing device further includes a matching means for matching players who have made matching requests at the same time,
The game system according to (16), wherein the display control means displays the bet elements of the target player and the opponent player after the competitive game based on the matching by the matching means has started.

(18) A game system described in (16) or (17), in which the display control means varies the display effects applied to the screen related to the battle game depending on the bet element related to the target player and the bet element related to the opponent.

[Other embodiments]
The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

100: Player terminal, 101: Control unit, 102: Storage device, 103: Memory, 104: GPU, 105: Operation interface, 106: Communication interface, 110: Display, 120: Speaker, 200: Server, 201: Server control unit, 202: Server storage device, 203: Server memory, 204: Server communication interface, 300: Network

Claims (16)

A computer that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other,
a first acquisition process for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the fighting game;
a second acquisition process for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting process for registering the game elements designated by the target player as betting elements for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control process for controlling association of the game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
a determination process for determining a new rank into which the target player will be classified in response to a change in the association of the game elements with the target player;
A program for executing
The betting process includes:
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of the game elements associated with the target player, the game elements designated by the target player;
changing at least one of the type and the amount of the game elements that the target player can specify according to the rank into which the target player is classified;
The determination process is a program for determining the newly classified rank according to the total amount of the game elements associated with the target player. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the control process associates the game element corresponding to the bet element related to the target player with the target player on the condition that the target player wins the competitive game. 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein the control process associates, with the target player, the game element of the same type as the bet element, but in an amount smaller than the bet element related to the target player, on condition that the target player wins the competitive game. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the determination process determines, as the new rank to be classified, a rank higher than the rank to which the target player is currently classified, on the condition that the total amount of the game elements associated with the target player exceeds a predetermined threshold. The program described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control process disassociates the bet element from the target player on the condition that the target player loses the competitive game. 6. The program according to claim 5, wherein the determination process determines, on the condition that the total amount of the game elements associated with the target player is below a predetermined threshold, a rank lower than the rank to which the target player is currently classified as the new rank to be classified. The program described in claim 6, wherein the determination process determines a rank lower than the rank to which the target player is currently classified as the new rank to which the target player will be classified, provided that the rank to which the target player is classified is higher than a predetermined rank. The program described in claim 1, wherein the control process maintains the association of the bet element with the target player on the condition that the target player has drawn in the competitive game. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the betting process accepts the designation of the betting element on the condition that the game element associated with the target player exists. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the betting process accepts designation of all of the game elements associated with the target player as the betting elements. The betting process includes:
one of a plurality of types of game elements is designated as the bet element;
2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the higher the rank to which the target player is classified, the more expensive the game elements in the competitive game can be designated as the bet elements. the program further causes the computer to execute a matching process for matching players who have made matching requests at the same time;
The program according to claim 1 , wherein the betting process accepts designation of the betting element before matching is performed in the matching process. An information processing device that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other,
a first acquisition means for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the competitive game;
a second acquisition means for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting means for registering the game element designated by the target player as a betting element for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control means for controlling association of the game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
a determination means for determining a new rank into which the target player will be classified in response to a change in the association of the game elements with the target player;
Equipped with
The betting means is
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of the game elements associated with the target player, the game elements designated by the target player;
changing at least one of the type and the amount of the game elements that the target player can specify according to the rank into which the target player is classified;
The determination means determines the newly classified rank according to the total amount of the game elements associated with the target player. A game system including an information processing device that manages information about each player in a competitive game in which players compete against each other, and a communication terminal used by each player,
The communication terminal
a transmission means for transmitting a request for matching with an opponent in the competitive game;
an execution means for executing the competitive game with the opponent in response to the opponent being matched;
a display control means for displaying a screen relating to the competitive game on a display device;
Equipped with
The information processing device includes:
a first acquisition means for acquiring information on a rank into which a target player who has made a matching request is classified in the competitive game;
a second acquisition means for acquiring information on game elements associated with the target player;
a betting means for registering the game element designated by the target player as a betting element for the competitive game in which the target player participates;
a control means for controlling association of the game elements with the target player based on the result of the competitive game in which the target player participated and the bet elements;
a determination means for determining a new rank into which the target player will be classified in response to a change in the association of the game elements with the target player;
Equipped with
The betting means is
registering, as the bet elements, at least a part of the game elements associated with the target player, the game elements designated by the target player;
changing at least one of the type and the amount of the game elements that the target player can specify according to the rank into which the target player is classified;
The determining means determines the newly classified rank according to the total amount of the game elements associated with the target player. the information processing device further comprises a matching means for matching players who have made matching requests at the same time,
15. The game system according to claim 14, wherein the display control means displays the bet elements for each of the target player and the opponent player after the competitive game based on the matching by the matching means has started. A game system as described in claim 14 or 15, wherein the display control means varies the display effects applied to the screen related to the competitive game depending on the bet elements related to the target player and the bet elements related to the opponent.