JP7812435B2 - Program and information processing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program and an information processing system.

In recent years, attempts have been made to utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence) in a variety of fields (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-151950 A

By the way, when it comes to services such as games, there is a demand for increasing interest.

The purpose of this invention is to improve the interest of services.

According to one embodiment shown in the present disclosure,
Computer,
A program is provided that causes the AI to function as a control means for determining the content of the issuance of an object based on information relating to the issuance of an object in a virtual space generated by each of the plurality of AIs.

This invention makes it possible to improve the interest of services.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a game system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the game system. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen related to mountain acquisition. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displaying a list of mountains acquired by a user. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen when mining is performed. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a timeline for mountain acquisition and mining. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow for having AI determine the content of mountain issuance. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that notifies the content of the issuance of an object determined by AI. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for providing various notifications. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to issuing an object. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to the acquisition and use of a mountain. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to a notification on a notification screen. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to a notification on a notification screen.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Game system hardware configuration>
1 , the game system 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of terminal devices 10, a server 20, and a blockchain system (in other words, a blockchain network) 3. The blockchain system 3 also includes a plurality of node devices 30.

The terminal device 10, server 20, and blockchain system 3 (in other words, node device 30) are connected to each other via network 2. Network 2 may be configured, for example, by the Internet, a mobile communication system (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc.), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), other communication lines, or a combination of these.

The server 20 (in other words, a computer, an information processing device) may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The server 20 comprises a processor 21, memory 22, storage 23, a communication IF (interface) 24, and an input/output IF 25. These components of the server 20 are connected to each other by a communication bus.

The processor 21 controls the overall operation of the server 20. The processor 21 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The processor 21 reads programs from the storage 23 and loads them into the memory 22. The processor 21 executes the loaded programs.

Memory 22 is the main storage device. Memory 22 is composed of storage devices such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory 22 provides a working area for processor 21 by temporarily storing programs and various data that processor 21 reads from storage 23. Memory 22 also temporarily stores various data generated while processor 21 is operating according to the programs.

In this embodiment, the program may be a program that realizes a game by the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the program may be a program that realizes the game through cooperation between the terminal device 10 and the server 20. Furthermore, the program may be a program that realizes the game through cooperation between the terminal device 10, the server 20, and the blockchain system 3. Furthermore, as an example, the game may be a game that is executed on a browser launched on the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the various data include, for example, data related to the game, such as user information and game information, as well as instructions and notifications sent and received between devices such as the terminal device 10 and the server 20.

Storage 23 is an auxiliary storage device. Storage 23 is composed of a storage device such as flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Various data related to the game is stored in storage 23.

The communication IF 24 controls the transmission and reception of various data between the server 20 and the terminal device 10, etc. via the network. The communication IF 24 also controls the transmission and reception of various data between the server 20 and the blockchain system 3 (in other words, the node device 30) via the network.

The input/output IF 25 is an interface through which the server 20 accepts data input, and also an interface through which the server 20 outputs data. The input/output IF 25 may include, for example, an input unit which is an information input device such as a mouse or keyboard, and a display unit which is a device that displays and outputs images.

The terminal device 10 (in other words, a computer or information processing device) may be, for example, a smartphone, feature phone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), tablet computer, personal computer, wearable device, or game device. The terminal device 10 may also be a mobile terminal. The terminal device 10 may also be a portable terminal that the user uses when playing a game.

The terminal device 10 includes a processor 11, memory 12, storage 13, a communication IF 14, an input/output IF 15, an input unit 17, and a display unit 18. These components of the terminal device 10 are connected to each other via a communication bus.

The processor 11 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 10. The processor 11 may include a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The processor 11 reads a program from the storage 13 and loads it into the memory 12. The processor 11 executes the loaded program.

Memory 12 is a main storage device. Memory 12 is composed of storage devices such as ROM and RAM. Memory 12 provides a working area for processor 11 by temporarily storing programs and various data that processor 11 reads from storage 13. Memory 12 also temporarily stores various data generated while processor 11 is operating according to a program.

Storage 13 is an auxiliary storage device. Storage 13 is composed of a storage device such as flash memory or an HDD. Various data related to the game is stored in storage 13.

The communication IF 14 controls the transmission and reception of various data via a network between the terminal device 10 and the server 20, etc. The communication IF 14 may also control the transmission and reception of various data via a network between the terminal device 10 and the blockchain system 3 (in other words, the node device 30).

The input/output IF 15 is an interface through which the terminal device 10 accepts data input and outputs data. The input/output IF 15 may input and output data via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus). The input/output IF 15 may include an input unit 17 or a display unit 18.

The input unit 17 accepts input from the user. The input unit 17 may be, for example, a pointing device such as a touchpad or a mouse. The display unit 18 displays images. The display unit 18 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The terminal device 10 may be equipped with, for example, a touch screen, which is an electronic component that combines the input unit 17 and the display unit 18. In this case, the input unit 17 may have the function of detecting a position input on the input surface by a user operation (for example, a touch operation, a tap operation, a slide operation, a swipe operation, a flick operation, a pinch-in operation, a pinch-out operation, etc.) and transmitting information indicating the detected position as an input signal.

The input unit 17 may be, for example, a keyboard, various physical buttons, various sensors (for example, an acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor), a control stick, a camera, or a microphone. The display unit 18 may be, for example, a projector.

In this embodiment, the input unit 17 is described as a keyboard and mouse. Note that in this embodiment, operations on various UI elements such as buttons may be performed by, for example, positioning the mouse cursor over an area on the display unit 18 where the button is displayed and clicking.

Multiple node devices 30 make up the blockchain system 3. Each node device 30 holds a distributed ledger. Each node device 30 stores the same data in the distributed ledger. As will be described in more detail later, in this embodiment, assets held by users are managed in the distributed ledger of the blockchain system 3.

The node device 30 (in other words, a computer, an information processing device) may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The node device 30 comprises a processor 31, a memory 32, a storage 33, a communication IF 34, and an input/output IF 35. These components of the node device 30 are connected to each other by a communication bus.

The processor 31 controls the overall operation of the node device 30. The processor 31 may include a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The processor 31 reads a program from the storage 33 and loads it into the memory 32. The processor 31 executes the loaded program.

Memory 32 is a main storage device. Memory 32 is composed of storage devices such as ROM and RAM. Memory 32 provides a working area for processor 31 by temporarily storing programs and various data that processor 31 reads from storage 33. Memory 32 also temporarily stores various data generated while processor 31 is operating according to a program.

Storage 33 is an auxiliary storage device. Storage 33 is composed of a storage device such as flash memory or an HDD, for example.

The communication IF 34 controls the transmission and reception of various data between the node device 30 and the server 20 via the network. The communication IF 34 may also control the transmission and reception of various data between the node device 30 and the terminal device 10 via the network.

The input/output IF 35 is an interface through which the node device 30 accepts data input, and also an interface through which the node device 30 outputs data. The input/output IF 35 may include, for example, an input unit that is an information input device such as a mouse or keyboard, and a display unit that is a device that displays and outputs images.

Note that the server 20 and the terminal device 10 may function as the node device 30. In other words, the blockchain system 3 may include the server 20 and the terminal device 10.

<Functional configuration of the game system>
2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 20, the terminal devices 10, and the node devices 30. The server 20 in this embodiment has, for example, a function to provide each terminal device 10 with various data and programs necessary to realize the game, and a function to collect and manage data related to the game from each terminal device 10.

In this embodiment, the server 20 identifies each user and terminal device 10 using a user account that is registered in advance for each game. The method of registering an account is not particularly limited. For example, the terminal device 10 or another device such as a personal computer may transmit information required for user account registration to the server 20 based on a user's operation, and the server 20 may then create and save each user's account based on the received information.

As shown in FIG. 2, the server 20 functions as a control unit 210 and a storage unit 220 through cooperation of a processor 21, memory 22, storage 23, communication IF 24, input/output IF 25, etc. The storage unit 220 stores various data used by the control unit 210. Examples of the various data include programs, game information, and user information. The programs are programs for realizing the games. The game information and user information are data referenced by the control unit 210 when executing the programs.

Game information includes, for example, information for defining various virtual spaces (in other words, game spaces). A virtual space is a space in which objects such as characters that can be controlled by a user (hereinafter also referred to as "player characters") are placed. Game information also includes, for example, information regarding the placement positions and setting values of various objects such as buildings, trees, stones, and items placed within the virtual space. Hereinafter, character objects placed in a virtual space may be simply referred to as "characters." Note that characters include avatars, etc.

User information is information managed for each game account. User information includes, for example, information about the player character, information about owned assets, information indicating the progress of the game, and information about mountains the user has acquired (mountains will be described later) (in other words, information about the rights to play the game in a specific virtual space). Owned assets can be said to be value owned by the user in the virtual space. Examples of such value include electronic currency, tokens, items, characters, etc. Examples of electronic currency include virtual currency (in other words, crypto assets) and in-game currency that can be used in the game. In other words, the storage unit 220 may store information such as electronic currency, tokens, items, or characters owned by each user, for example, by associating each user with identification information that can identify each user.

The control unit 210 controls various game-related processes by executing programs stored in the memory unit 220. The control unit 210 has a transmission/reception unit 211, a game control unit 212, an asset management unit 213, and a market management unit 214.

The transmission/reception unit 211 transmits and receives various types of data. For example, the transmission/reception unit 211 receives requests to transmit various types of data and programs, requests for synchronization processing to support multiplayer functions, data to be synchronized, etc. from each terminal device 10, and passes them on to the game control unit 212, asset management unit 213, market management unit 214, etc. The transmission/reception unit 211 also transmits various types of data and programs to each terminal device 10 in accordance with the control of the game control unit 212, asset management unit 213, market management unit 214, etc.

In this embodiment, the multiplay function is a function that allows game processing by multiple accounts to proceed in a synchronized state. The server 20 and terminal device 10 of the game system 1 perform various processes to support the multiplay function when multiple accounts logged in to the game system 1 participate in the same game.

The game control unit 212 provides a game to the terminal device 10 by executing calculations described in the program stored in the memory unit 220.

The game control unit 212 defines the virtual space based on information for defining the virtual space included in the game information. The game control unit 212 places objects in the virtual space based on object setting information included in the game information. The game control unit 212 controls the objects placed in the virtual space. Specifically, the game control unit 212 changes the position, orientation, shape, color, etc. of the objects within the virtual space, and causes the objects to perform predetermined actions.

The game control unit 212 also places the player character in the virtual space based on the play information transmitted from the terminal device 10. The game control unit 212 also performs various determination processes related to the progress of the game based on the play information transmitted from the terminal device 10. In other words, the game control unit 212 controls objects and performs various determination processes based on the user's input operations. The play information is output in response to the user's input operations. For example, the play information may include, as the content of the player character's operation, player character coordinate information, information regarding the player character's action, or information indicating the button operated by the user. The play information may also include information regarding the player character's settings. For example, the character coordinate information is information indicating the character's position in the game space. For example, the action information is information regarding the character's action. For example, the character's action may include the action of swinging a pickaxe, the action of using various items, or a jump, as described below. For example, the information regarding the character's settings may include information regarding the character's equipment, appearance, etc. The character's settings may also be changed by the user.

The game control unit 212 places the player characters of multiple players in a single virtual space and can control each player's player character based on play information transmitted from each player's terminal device 10. In other words, the game control unit 212 performs control so that a game space, which is an example of a virtual space, can be shared by multiple users.

Furthermore, when the game control unit 212 receives, for example, a request for synchronization processing to support the multiplayer function or data to be subject to synchronization processing from the terminal device 10 via the transmission/reception unit 211, it executes synchronization processing to support the multiplayer function. The game control unit 212 also issues a command to the transmission/reception unit 211 to instruct the transmission of game information or user information. For example, when the server 20 sends information to multiple terminal devices 10, the game control unit 212 synchronizes the game progressing between the terminal devices 10 by simultaneously sending the information to each terminal device 10. By executing synchronization processing, it becomes possible for in-game events resulting from operations input on one terminal device 10 to be reflected simultaneously on the other terminal devices 10.

The asset management unit 213 manages the assets held by the user. The asset management unit 213 also manages some or all (in other words, at least some) of the user's assets in the distributed ledger of the blockchain system 3. In other words, the asset management unit 213 may store information about the user's assets in the memory unit 220, or may store the information in the distributed ledger. Note that if the server 20 is configured to function as a node device 30, the asset management unit 213 may store information about the held assets in the distributed ledger stored in its own memory unit 220. Note that if the server 20 is configured not to function as a node device 30, the asset management unit 213 may perform control such as sending a request to the blockchain system 3 for storage in the distributed ledger.

The terminal device 10 has, for example, a function as an input device that accepts user input operations, and a function as an output device that outputs game images and sounds.

The terminal device 10 functions as a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120 through cooperation between the processor 11, memory 12, storage 13, communication IF 14, input/output IF 15, etc. The storage unit 120 stores various data used by the control unit 110. Examples of the various data include programs, game information, and user information. The programs are programs for realizing games on the terminal device 10 side. The game information and user information are data referenced by the control unit 110 when executing the programs. The game information and user information stored in the storage unit 120 may include information similar to the game information and user information stored in the storage unit 220.

The control unit 110 controls various processes related to the game executed on the terminal device 10 by executing programs stored in the memory unit 120. The control unit 110 includes, for example, an operation reception unit 111, a transmission/reception unit 112, a device processing unit 113, and a display control unit 114.

The operation reception unit 111 receives operations (hereinafter also referred to as "input operations") input by the user via the input unit 17. Specifically, the operation reception unit 111 detects input operations on the mouse or keyboard serving as the input unit 17. Note that input operations are not limited to operations that involve physical contact with the input unit 17, but may also include non-contact operations. Note that the operation reception unit 111 can also receive input operations performed using an operating device connected via the input/output IF 15, in the same way as input operations on the input unit 17.

The transmission/reception unit 112 transmits or receives various types of data. For example, the transmission/reception unit 112 transmits various types of data and various requests to the server 20. As an example, the data transmitted by the transmission/reception unit 112 to the server may include play information, game information, and user information. In other words, the transmission/reception unit 112 transmits information regarding the input operation received by the operation reception unit 111 to the server 20.

The transmission/reception unit 112 also receives various data, programs, and various requests from the server. As an example, the data that the transmission/reception unit 112 receives from the server 20 may include the type of object (e.g., character or item) to be placed in the game space, object coordinate information, character action information, information related to character settings, and other information. As another example, the data that the transmission/reception unit 112 receives from the server may include data for synchronization to support multiplayer functions. The data for synchronization may include, for example, the data to be synchronized, the type of data, and data for specifying the time to synchronize.

The device processing unit 113 executes various processes related to the progress of the game. The device processing unit 113 identifies the user's instructions based on the user's input operations detected by the operation reception unit 111. The device processing unit 113 also executes various determination processes related to the progress of the game based on the identified instructions, etc. The device processing unit 113 also progresses the game while communicating with the server 20 based on the results of the determination processes, etc.

The device processing unit 113 defines a virtual camera for specifying an area of the virtual space to be presented to the user. The device processing unit 113 places the virtual camera within the virtual space by defining the position and orientation of the virtual camera within the virtual space. The device processing unit 113 instructs the display control unit 114 to generate an image depicting the field of view defined by the virtual camera and the objects located in this field of view. In other words, the device processing unit 113 instructs the display control unit 114 to display an image on the display unit 18 that corresponds to the progress of the game.

The position and orientation of the virtual camera can be determined appropriately for each virtual space. For example, the device processing unit 113 uses the position and orientation of a specific object as a reference and positions the virtual camera so that the specific object is located in the center of the field of view in a specific orientation. In doing so, the device processing unit 113 adjusts the position and orientation of the virtual camera using the direction, distance, and angle relative to the specific object. The specific object may be, for example, a dynamic object such as a player character or non-player character, or a static object such as a building, tree, or stone. Dynamic objects include player characters that act based on the operations of each user, and non-player characters that act based on a program.

The display control unit 114 displays images related to the game on the display unit 18. Specific examples are explained below.

The display control unit 114 generates an image of the virtual space, depicting the area of the field of view of the virtual camera defined by the device processing unit 113 and the objects present in that area, and displays it on the display unit 18. The display control unit 114 can superimpose and draw objects related to the UI (User Interface) required for various game operations, such as icons, buttons, and menus showing various parameters, on the image displayed on the display unit 18.

The control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 may place objects in the virtual space based on object data sent from the server 20 and information indicating the positions of various objects in the virtual space, and display a predetermined area of the virtual space on the display unit 18. The control unit 210 of the server 20 may also place objects in the virtual space and control the virtual camera, generate an image to be displayed on the display unit 18, and send it to the terminal device 10, and the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 may display the image on the display unit 18. In other words, various processes related to control of objects based on user input operations, control of the virtual camera, and generation of images to be displayed on the display unit 18 may be performed by either the server 20 or the terminal device 10.

The node device 30 functions as a control unit 310 and a memory unit 320 through cooperation between a processor 31, memory 32, storage 33, communication IF 34, and input/output IF 35. The memory unit 320 stores programs including part of the game program, distributed ledgers used in the blockchain system 3, etc.

The control unit 310 controls the operation of the node device 30 by executing programs stored in the memory unit 320.

When a user acquires various items or a specific token (described below) (for example, from another user or a game operator (for example, by mining, described below)), the control unit 310 receives a request to register information related to the holdings of the item or specific token, transmitted from the server 20, and registers the information in the distributed ledger. The control unit 310 may register transaction history information for each item or specific token in the distributed ledger, for example, based on information related to transactions (in other words, transfers) of the item or specific token transmitted from the server 20 or the terminal device 10. Specifically, the distributed ledger stores multiple blocks containing hash values and transactions. A transaction may be, for example, information indicating the transaction details of an item or specific token. A transaction includes, for example, input information indicating the transfer source and output information indicating the transfer destination. The hash value is calculated from the information contained in the previous block, and the distributed ledger stores the transaction history of the item or specific token, with each block linked like a chain by the hash value. By managing such transaction history in a distributed ledger in each node device 30, it is possible to store information indicating which users own which items, and information indicating how many specific tokens each user owns, on the blockchain. Note that instead of the transaction history of items, etc., information regarding each user's item ownership status may be managed in a distributed ledger, thereby storing information indicating which users own which items on the blockchain. In this way, in the game of this embodiment, information regarding the ownership of items and specific tokens is stored on the blockchain. Note that there may be items, etc. whose ownership information is not stored on the blockchain.

Note that the functions of the terminal device 10, server 20, and node device 30 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples. Each of the terminal device 10, server 20, and node device 30 may have at least some of the functions of the other devices. In other words, in this embodiment, the server 20 or node device 30 may have some or all of the functional blocks of the terminal device 10, the terminal device 10 or node device 30 may have some or all of the functional blocks of the server 20, or the terminal device 10 or server 20 may have some or all of the functional blocks of the node device 30. Furthermore, each of the devices, such as the terminal device 10, server 20, and node device 30, does not have to be realized by an integrated device, and may be realized, for example, by multiple devices connected via a network or the like. Furthermore, the game system 1 may not include, for example, the terminal device 10, server 20, or node device 30.

<Processing according to this embodiment>
Next, processing according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the processor 11 of the terminal device 10, the processor 21 of the server 20, or the processor 31 of the node device 30 executes a program stored in the game system 1 to perform each of the processes described below. However, at least a portion of the processing performed by the processor 11, which is described below, may be executed by a processor other than the processor 11 (e.g., the processor 21 or the processor 31). Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing performed by the processor 21, which is described below, may be executed by a processor other than the processor 21 (e.g., the processor 11 or the processor 31). Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing performed by the processor 31, which is described below, may be executed by a processor other than the processor 31 (e.g., the processor 11 or the processor 21). In other words, the computer that executes the program in this embodiment may be any of the terminal device 10, the server 20, and the node device 30, or may be implemented by a combination of multiple devices. Furthermore, some or all of the various processes may be executed on a blockchain.

Here, an overview of the game of this embodiment will be described. In the game of this embodiment, there is a map 40 that is shared among multiple users (specifically, all users) participating in the game. An example of the map 40 is shown in Figure 3. Multiple mountains are located on the map 40. In the map 40 shown in Figure 3, the positions of the mountains are indicated by triangular symbols.

The user acquires (or selects) the mountain they will mine (or the virtual space in which they will play the game) from the map 40. Acquiring a mountain is performed, for example, as follows. For example, the display control unit 114 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a map 40 (or a list of mountains available for acquisition by the user) as shown in FIG. 3 based on a predetermined input operation by the user. The user can then acquire a specific mountain by selecting it on the map 40 displayed on the display unit 18 (for example, by clicking on the specific mountain displayed). Specifically, for example, when an operation is performed to select a specific mountain from the mountains displayed on the map 40, the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display an acquire button 41 that accepts an operation to acquire the selected mountain. The game control unit 212 then causes the user to acquire the mountain selected by the user based on the operation on the acquire button 41. Note that "allowing a user to acquire (in other words, granting)" a specific object such as a mountain or item can also be interpreted as storing the specific object in a specific storage unit, linked to the user's account as an object owned by the user (in other words, acquired). "Storing the specific object in a specific storage unit, linked to the user's account as an object owned by the user (in other words, acquired)" can include storing a transaction history in a distributed ledger that indicates that the user owns the object.

In addition, users are able to mine for specific items in the mountains they have acquired. In other words, once a user acquires a mountain, they are able to play a game in which they mine in the acquired mountain. In other words, in this embodiment, "acquiring a specific mountain" can be rephrased as "acquiring the right to mine in a specific mountain," or even "acquiring the right to play a game in a specific virtual space." Note that the system may be configured so that users can mine in a mountain without acquiring the mountain (in other words, without acquiring the right to mine).

In addition, in the game of this embodiment, item A is provided, which is used for mining in the mountain. To mine, the user must have item A. In other words, item A is an item required to participate in the game. In this embodiment, item A is a pickaxe. It may be configured so that a user without item A cannot acquire the mountain. In the game of this embodiment, multiple types of item A with different characteristics are provided. Item A can be converted into an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). An NFT state refers to a state in which information proving that item A is unique is stored on the blockchain. In other words, an NFT state refers to a state in which an NFT corresponding to item A has been issued and is managed on the blockchain. Hereinafter, digital assets such as items for which a corresponding NFT has been issued will also be referred to as NFTs. In this embodiment, the conversion of item A into an NFT (in other words, the generation of item A) is performed by the game operator, and users cannot convert item A into an NFT (in other words, mint it). In other words, in the game of this embodiment, users will not be able to obtain item A that has not been converted into an NFT. However, users may be able to convert item A into an NFT.

In addition, in the game of this embodiment, users can acquire items B and C through mining. As will be described in detail below, item B is an item that can be converted into an NFT. Item C is an item that can be exchanged for a specific token. Hereinafter, tokens that can be acquired in exchange for item C will be referred to as "specific tokens."

In addition, in the game of this embodiment, there are multiple types of item B, which are collectible items. Specifically, item B is a gem that the user collects. Item C is a mineral different from gems (hereinafter referred to as "pyroxene"). In other words, the game of this embodiment has the gameplay of mining in the mountains using a pickaxe as item A to obtain gems as item B and pyroxene as item C.

Furthermore, the specific token that can be acquired in exchange for item C is a crypto asset (e.g., virtual currency). In the game of this embodiment, the specific token can be used to level up item A, repair item A (in other words, fix it), and turn item B into an NFT, etc.

Regardless of whether they have been converted into NFTs or not, assets such as Item A, Item B, or Item C held by each user may be managed on a blockchain (in other words, a distributed ledger).

Mining in a mountain as a specified event is carried out, for example, as follows. For example, the display control unit 114 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display the home screen 42 illustrated in FIG. 4 based on a specified input operation by the user. The home screen 42 displays a start mining button 43 that accepts operations related to starting mining in the mountain acquired by the user. Then, the game control unit 212 causes the user to start mining in the mountain acquired based on the operation on the start mining button 43.

The home screen 42 is the first screen displayed when the game (or, in other words, an application related to a specific service) is launched on the terminal device 10. Here, "first displayed when launched" includes the case where the home screen 42 is displayed after various launch-related displays (e.g., a title display, a loading display, etc.) are displayed. The home screen 42 is not limited to being displayed at launch, but may also be displayed at a specific trigger. For example, the home screen 42 may be displayed when the home button 90 is operated or when in-game mining in the mountains is completed. The home screen 42 may display a specific background image (e.g., a background image including a player character, etc.). The home screen 42 may also display multiple menu items related to the game. Specifically, the home screen 42 may display various UIs that accept operations related to the display of various screens. For example, the mine button 91, item button 92, shop button 94, and home button 90 may be displayed as such UIs. The display control unit 114 may then display, on the display unit 18, a screen displaying the map 40 illustrated in FIG. 3 or a screen displaying a list of acquired mountains 44 illustrated in FIG. 5, based on an operation on the mine button 91. The display control unit 114 may also display, on the display unit 18, a screen displaying a list of items owned by the user, based on an operation on the item button 92. The display control unit 114 may also display, on the display unit 18, a screen related to the purchase of a predetermined item, such as a pickaxe, based on an operation on the shop button 94. The display control unit 114 may also display, on the display unit 18, a home screen 42, based on an operation on the home button 90. The display control unit 114 may also switch between the screen displaying the map 40 illustrated in FIG. 3 and the screen displaying the list of acquired mountains 44 illustrated in FIG. 5, based on an operation on the map display button 95 and the my mine display button 96, respectively, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The mountain that the user will mine is determined, for example, as follows. For example, the display control unit 114 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a list 44 of mountains acquired by the user, as shown in FIG. 5, based on a predetermined input operation by the user. The list 44 of mountains may, for example, be a list of mountains acquired by the user on a map 40 displayed on the display unit 18. When an operation (e.g., a click operation on a specific mountain) is performed to select a specific mountain from the mountains acquired by the user (in other words, the listed mountains) displayed on the display unit 18, the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display a mining target determination button 46 that accepts an operation to determine the selected mountain as the mountain to be mined. Based on an operation on the mining target determination button 46, the game control unit 212 sets the mountain selected by the user as the mountain to be mined. When the start mining button 43 is operated, mining begins on the mountain that was set as the mountain to be mined by operating the mining target determination button 46. That is, in this embodiment, the user can select (or change) the mountain to be mined by selecting the mountain they wish to mine from the list of mountains 44 they have acquired and operating the mining target selection button 46. When the user selects a specific mountain from the list of mountains 44 they have acquired, a start mining button 43 may be displayed (see FIG. 5 ) instead of or in addition to the select mining target button 46, and operating the start mining button 43 may start mining in that specific mountain. As shown in FIG. 4 , the home screen 42 (i.e., the screen that accepts operations related to starting mining) may display a display 48 that identifies the mountain set as the mountain to be mined (i.e., the mountain from which mining will begin upon an operation to start mining). The home screen 42 may also display a display 49 that identifies the pickaxe set as the pickaxe to be used for mining (i.e., the pickaxe equipped on the player character).

When the mining start button 43 is operated, the game control unit 212 places the player character 38 in the mountain 37 where mining will take place, as shown in FIG. 6 . The game control unit 212 then moves the player character 38 based on the user's input operation. That is, the mountain 37 is a virtual space in which the user can operate the player character 38 to play a predetermined game (specifically, a mining game, in other words, a predetermined in-game) (in other words, to execute a predetermined event). In other words, the start of mining on a specific mountain 37 can be considered the start of game play in a specific virtual space, or entry into a specific virtual space. Based on the user's input operation, the game control unit 212 moves the player character 38 within the virtual space and causes the player character 38 to perform an action using the pickaxe 39 (specifically, swinging the pickaxe 39). The method of operating the player character 38 within the virtual space can be similar to that of conventional action games, but may also be as follows, for example. The game control unit 212 may move the player character 38 within the mountain 37 based on operations using the "W", "A", "S", and "D" keys on the keyboard. The game control unit 212 may also cause the player character 38 to jump based on operations using the space bar on the keyboard. The game control unit 212 may also cause the player character 38 to perform a mining action of swinging the pickaxe 39 and digging into the mountain 37 based on operations using the left mouse button.

Gems and pyroxenes are buried (in other words, arranged) in the mountain 37. Users can acquire the gems and pyroxenes they dig up (in other words, discover). That is, when a player character 38 operated by a user digs up an item such as a gem or pyroxene, the game control unit 212 grants the excavated item to the user (in other words, allows the user to acquire the item).

Note that mining can be interrupted midway. For example, the display control unit 114 of the terminal device 10 displays a predetermined menu screen (not shown) on the display unit 18 based on a predetermined input operation by the user (e.g., operation of the Tab key on the keyboard). The menu screen displays an Exit button that accepts operations related to exiting the mountain. Then, the game control unit 212 causes the player character 38 to exit the mountain 37 (in other words, ends mining) based on operation of the Exit button. At this time, the game control unit 212 stores the mining progress status in the memory unit 220. Then, the next time mining in the same mountain 37 is started, the game control unit 212 reads out the stored progress status and resumes mining from where it left off. In other words, when mining is resumed, the previously excavated portion of the mountain 37 will be in a completely excavated state, and the gems, etc. buried in the mountain 37 that were previously dug up will be in a completely excavated state. In other words, when a user leaves and re-enters mountain 37 as a specific virtual space, the changes made by the user the last time they entered are reflected in the specific virtual space. In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to pause a game in a specific virtual space and resume it from where it left off.

The user can also dispose of the mountains they have acquired at their discretion. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when an operation is performed to select a specific mountain from the mountains acquired by the user and displayed on the display unit 18 (in other words, the mountains displayed in a list), the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display a disposal button 47 that accepts operations related to disposing of the selected mountain. Then, based on the operation on the disposal button 47, the game control unit 212 disposes of the selected mountain (in other words, cancels the user's acquisition of the selected mountain). The disposed mountain disappears from the list 44 of mountains acquired by the user, and mining at that mountain becomes impossible.

In this embodiment, the pickaxe to be used in mining is selected before mining begins by operating the mining start button 43. The operation for selecting such a pickaxe can be similar to the operation for selecting the weapon to be used (in other words, equipped to the player character 38) in conventional games. The pickaxe to be used may also be changeable while mining is in progress.

Pickaxes used for mining have a durability value, which decreases as they are used for mining (for example, from a durability value of 100 to a durability value of 0). When the durability value reaches a predetermined value (for example, a durability value of 0), the pickaxe becomes unusable. In other words, mining cannot be performed using a pickaxe whose durability value has reached the predetermined value. Specifically, when the durability value reaches the predetermined value, the pickaxe can be swung, but it will not be able to dig into the surface. Note that once the durability value reaches the predetermined value, mining may still be possible using the pickaxe, although its performance will decrease. The amount of durability consumed (or, in other words, the amount of durability decrease) is also a parameter that indicates how much of the mountain the user has dug (or, in other words, how much durability has been consumed).

The operation reception unit 111 also receives an operation from the user instructing the recovery of the durability of the pickaxe (in other words, repairing item A). The game control unit 212 then performs processing to recover the durability of the pickaxe based on that operation. A predetermined amount of specific tokens is required to recover the durability of the pickaxe, and when the durability of the pickaxe is recovered by that operation, that predetermined amount of specific tokens is consumed. Note that the durability of the pickaxe may not be recovered unless its durability reaches a predetermined value (for example, a durability value of "0").

Note that in the game of this embodiment, items may be available that can be obtained through acquisition routes different from items A, B, and C. For example, there may be items (e.g., items that can be equipped by a player character) that can be purchased in the game using in-game currency that is not a cryptocurrency (e.g., user-owned assets that are not managed by the blockchain but are managed in the storage unit 220, etc.). Note that the in-game currency may also be something that can be purchased using legal tender, etc.

Furthermore, the various items in this embodiment (for example, item A, item B, and item C) may be interpreted as objects. That is, item B and item C, which are granted by playing a game in a specific virtual space (in other words, by executing an event), may be characters, etc. Note that objects include things that exist in the virtual space (in other words, the game world), and specifically include items, characters, living things, natural objects, structures, buildings, etc. In other words, mountains are also included in the category of objects.

In this embodiment, the map is updated (in other words, newly generated) at predetermined intervals (specifically, once a day). Acquirable mountains are also newly issued (in other words, generated) at predetermined intervals (specifically, once a day) in conjunction with the map updates. Each mountain can only be acquired by one user, and once a user acquires a mountain (in other words, the right to mine that mountain), other users cannot acquire that mountain. In other words, mountain acquisition is first come, first served. However, after a user acquires a mountain, other users may also acquire that mountain.

Here, we will explain the process of acquiring and consuming assets in the game of this embodiment.

As mentioned above, in the game of this embodiment, the user must have a pickaxe in order to participate in the game. In this embodiment, the pickaxe can be purchased in the in-game marketplace, and the user purchases the pickaxe from the marketplace. The pickaxe can be purchased using a specific token. Transactions in the marketplace are managed by the market management unit 214. Specifically, for example, the operation reception unit 111 of the terminal device 10 receives an operation by the user to select an item they wish to purchase. Information regarding this operation is then sent to the market management unit 214 of the server 20 via the transmission/reception units 112, 211, and the market management unit 214 performs processing to transfer the item selected by the user to the user based on this operation, and to transfer payment from the user to the person who sold the item.

The user then uses the pickaxe they have acquired to mine in the mountains. Through mining, they can obtain several types of items, including gems and gemstones.

The pyroxene acquired by the user can be exchanged for specific tokens. The exchange of pyroxene for specific tokens may be performed automatically, or may be performed based on the user's operation to instruct the exchange. For example, all pyroxene owned by the user may be converted into specific tokens on a regular basis. Specifically, at a predetermined time each day, all pyroxene owned by the user may be automatically converted into specific tokens, and all pyroxene owned by the user at that time may be lost. Furthermore, pyroxene may be automatically exchanged for specific tokens at a specific time, such as when the user leaves the mountain. In this embodiment, pyroxene is granted to the user through mining in the mountain, and the pyroxene is exchanged for specific tokens. However, specific tokens may also be granted directly to the user through mining in the mountain, in place of or in addition to the pyroxene.

In addition, in this embodiment, the specific token is a virtual currency managed by a blockchain. The specific token may be a token that can be exchanged for other crypto assets at a predetermined exchange (for example, a decentralized exchange). The specific token may also be a unique token related to the game of this embodiment, a token with an issuance limit set, or a virtual currency that can be used outside the game.

Gemstones acquired by a user can be converted into NFT tokens by satisfying certain conditions. In other words, in this embodiment, NFT tokens corresponding to the gemstones can be issued and managed on the blockchain. Specifically, for example, after a user acquires a gemstone, the process of converting the gemstone into an NFT token may be initiated in response to a user operation on the acquired gemstone, or the process of converting the gemstone into an NFT token may be initiated automatically without any user operation. For example, the operation reception unit 111 of the terminal device 10 may receive an operation in which the user selects a gemstone to be converted into an NFT token within the game. Information regarding this operation is then sent via the transmission/reception units 112 and 211 to the asset management unit 213 of the server 20, and the asset management unit 213 may convert the selected gemstone into an NFT token based on this operation. Furthermore, NFT conversion requires a fee (e.g., a predetermined amount of specific tokens), and when converting a gemstone into an NFT token through this operation, this fee may be consumed from the user's assets. Furthermore, by converting the gemstone into an NFT token, the gemstone may be taken outside the game and traded on an external marketplace. In other words, converting an item into an NFT token can be interpreted as making it available for buying and selling in a marketplace outside the game. Converting an item into an NFT token can also be interpreted as making it possible to take the item outside the game. Note that gems may be traded in the in-game marketplace regardless of whether they are NFT tokens. Specifically, for example, the operation reception unit 111 of the terminal device 10 may receive an operation in which the user selects a gem they want to sell (specifically, an NFT-converted gem). Information regarding this operation is then sent to the market management unit 214 of the server 20 via the transmission/reception units 112 and 211. The market management unit 214 may then put the gem selected by the user up for sale based on this operation. If there is another user who wishes to purchase the gem, the market management unit 214 may then transfer the gem to the other user and transfer the payment from the other user to the user who sold the gem. In other words, NFT-converted item B may be tradeable with other users.

Gems may also be exchangeable for specific tokens. Specifically, the operation reception unit 111 of the terminal device 10 may receive an operation by the user to select the gems they wish to exchange for specific tokens in the game. Information regarding this operation is then sent to the server 20 via the transmission/reception units 112, 211, and the asset management unit 213 may grant the specific tokens to the user in exchange for the selected gems based on this operation. In other words, gems may be items that can be converted into NFTs and exchanged for specific tokens. Note that the exchange of gems for specific tokens may be possible either before or after the gems are converted into NFTs, or both.

The game control unit 212 controls the game played by the user. The game control unit 212 has a virtual space management unit 231 and a reward granting unit 233. The virtual space management unit 231 also executes a map creation process to create a map, an item overview determination process to determine the overview of items that can be obtained on each mountain (in other words, items to be placed in each virtual space), a virtual space creation process to create mountains, and an item detail determination process to determine the details of items that can be obtained on each mountain.

Furthermore, among the various processes in this embodiment, there is a process having randomness. In this embodiment, the process having randomness is realized by performing an operation using a predetermined seed. The predetermined seed includes a seed using a blockchain (e.g., the Bitcoin blockchain) and a seed using an object ID, which will be described later, but it may include only one of them. Specifically, in this embodiment, two types of seeds using a blockchain (hereinafter referred to as "seed _hlast " and "seed _hfirst ") and one type of seed using an object ID (hereinafter referred to as "seed _mdid ") are provided.

More specifically, a seed related to the hash of a blockchain (specifically, for example, a Bitcoin blockchain) as a seed using the blockchain and a seed related to an object ID are used to achieve randomness. In this embodiment, hash _{last_yyyymmdd} , which is the last hash (in other words, the hash value of the last generated block) of an arbitrary period (for example, one day), and hash _{first_yyyymmdd+} 2, which is the first hash (in other words, the hash value of the first generated block) _{two days after hash last_yyyymmdd} was generated, are used as the seeds related to the hash. Also, in this embodiment, the object ID is used as the seed related to the object ID. That is, in this embodiment, seed _hlast = hash _{last_yyyymmdd} , seed _hfirst = hash _{first_yyyymmdd+2} , and seed _mdid = object ID.

In this embodiment, the items that can be obtained on the map and in each mountain are randomly determined based on various seeds, but since the method of randomly determining specific items such as maps and various objects based on a seed is well known, an explanation of this method will be omitted.

In the map creation process, the virtual space management unit 231 creates a map. Specifically, as part of the map creation process, the virtual space management unit 231 performs a process of determining the topography of the map (in other words, the virtual space) on which multiple mountains will be placed, and a process of determining the placement of each mountain on the map. In addition, in the map creation process, the virtual space management unit 231 assigns an ID (in other words, identification information; hereinafter referred to as an "object ID") to each mountain in the map to be created, allowing the mountain to be identified. In other words, each mountain in the map to be created is assigned a unique object ID. Note that the object ID may consist of one or more numbers; for example, each mountain may be assigned a consecutive number starting from 1.

In this embodiment, the map is created randomly. In other words, the map creation process is random. Specifically, the virtual space management unit 231 generates random numbers by performing calculations using a predetermined seed (hereinafter referred to as a "map creation seed"), and determines the topography of the map and the placement of each mountain on the map based on the random numbers. The map creation seed includes a seed _hlast . In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 creates a map using a function in which the seed _hlast is specified as an argument. That is, the virtual space management unit 231 creates a map according to the seed _hlast (in other words, the hash of the blockchain).

In the item overview determination process, the virtual space management unit 231 determines an overview of the items that can be obtained from each mountain (in other words, the items that will be placed in each virtual space). Specifically, as part of the item overview determination process, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the number of items B buried in each mountain and an overview of the size of each item B (for example, a rough size such as small, medium, or large). In other words, in the item overview determination process, for example, the number of gems buried in each mountain that can be obtained by mining that mountain is determined to be one large gem and two small gems. Note that the item overview determination process may also determine the number of pyroxenes buried in each mountain, etc.

In this embodiment, the overview of the obtainable items (specifically, the number and size of item B) is determined randomly. In other words, the determination of the overview of the obtainable items is random. Specifically, the virtual space management unit 231 generates a random number by performing a calculation using a predetermined seed (hereinafter referred to as a "overview determination seed"), and determines the overview of the obtainable items based on the random number. The overview determination seed includes _{seed_hlast} and _{seed_mdid} . In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the overview of the obtainable items using a function in which _{seed_hlast} and _{seed_mdid} are specified as arguments. In yet other words, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the overview of the obtainable items by performing a predetermined lottery using _{seed_hlast} and _{seed_mdid} . Note that when determining an overview of obtainable items for a certain mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 uses the object ID of the certain mountain as the seed _mdid . That is, the virtual space management unit 231 determines an overview of obtainable items for each mountain based on the seed _hlast (in other words, the hash of the blockchain) and the object ID of each mountain.

In the virtual space creation process, the virtual space management unit 231 creates a mountain as a three-dimensional virtual space where the item determined in the item summary determination process can be acquired (in other words, where the item is placed). In this embodiment, the mountain is created randomly. In other words, the virtual space creation process is random. For example, the topography of the mountain (in other words, the shape of the mountain as a predetermined object) and the location of each item buried in the mountain may be determined randomly. The virtual space management unit 231 generates a random number by performing a calculation using a predetermined seed (hereinafter referred to as a "virtual space creation seed") and creates a mountain based on the random number. The virtual space creation seed includes a seed _hlast and a seed _mdid . The virtual space management unit 231 then creates the mountain using a function with the seed _hlast , the seed _mdid , and the summary of the acquireable item determined in the item summary determination process specified as arguments. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 creates mountains by conducting a predetermined lottery using the seed _hlast and seed _mdid . Note that when creating a mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 uses the object ID of the mountain as the seed _mdid . Also, when creating a mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 uses the summary of the obtainable items determined for the mountain as an argument. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 creates mountains so that each mountain corresponds to the seed _hlast (in other words, the hash of the blockchain), the object ID of each mountain, and the summary of the obtainable items for each mountain determined in the item summary determination process.

In the item detail determination process, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the details of the items obtainable from each mountain, as determined in the item summary determination process. Specifically, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the type, detailed size, shape, or quality of Item B obtainable from each mountain, as determined in the item summary determination process. More specifically, for example, if the overview of obtainable items is determined to be two small gems and one large gem, as described above, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the type of each small gem and large gem, such as diamond, aquamarine, red spinel, etc. The virtual space management unit 231 also determines the quality of each small gem and large gem, such as low quality, medium quality, or fine quality. The virtual space management unit 231 also determines the detailed size of each small gem and large gem, such as 0.2 carats or 6.4 carats. Note that the quality of gems may also be determined taking into account their carat weight. For example, the higher the carat weight, the higher the quality of the gem.

In this embodiment, the details of the obtainable item (specifically, the type, quality, and detailed size of item B) are determined randomly. In other words, the determination of the reward details is random. Specifically, the virtual space management unit 231 generates a random number by performing a calculation using a predetermined seed (hereinafter referred to as a "detail determination seed") and determines the details of the obtainable item based on the random number. The detail determination seed includes seed _hfirst and seed _mdid . The virtual space management unit 231 then determines the details of the obtainable item using a function that has as arguments seed _hfirst , seed _mdid , and the overview of the obtainable item determined in the item overview determination process. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 determines the details of the obtainable item by performing a predetermined lottery using seed _hfirst and seed _mdid . Note that when determining details of obtainable items for a certain mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 uses the object ID of the certain mountain as the seed _mdid . Furthermore, when determining details of obtainable items for a certain mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 uses the summary of the obtainable items determined for the certain mountain as an argument. That is, for each mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 determines details of the obtainable items based on the seed _hfirst (in other words, the hash of the blockchain), the object ID of each mountain, and the summary of the obtainable items for each mountain determined in the item summary determination process.

As such, in this embodiment, details of gems that can be obtained through mining (e.g., type, quality, or some details such as detailed size) are not determined until the item detail determination process is executed.

Here, a timeline for mountain acquisition and mining will be described with reference to Figure 7. Here, an example will be described in which the last hash generated on May 29, 2022, hash _{last_20220529} , is used as the seed _hlast , and the first hash generated on May 31, 2022, hash _{first_20220531} , is used as the seed _hfirst , and a map, mountains, and obtainable items are generated.

First, the virtual space management unit 231 performs a map creation process using the last hash of May 29, 2022, to create a map. Here, the last hash of May 29 (in other words, the last block) is determined ex post when the date of the timestamp included in a block of the blockchain changes to May 30. In other words, seed _hlast is determined when the first hash of May 30, 2022 (in other words, the first block) is generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the virtual space management unit 231 creates a map using hash _{last_20220529} at the time when the first hash of May 30 is generated (in other words, after the hash is generated).

The virtual space management unit 231 also performs an item summary determination process using the last hash of May 29, 2022, to determine a summary of the items that can be obtained for each mountain. The virtual space management unit 231 also performs a virtual space creation process using the last hash of May 29, 2022, to create mountains in which the items whose summaries have been determined in the item summary determination process are placed. In this embodiment, the virtual space management unit 231 determines a summary of the items that can be obtained for each mountain using hash _{last_20220529} when the first hash of May 30 is generated (in other words, after the hash is generated). The virtual space management unit 231 also creates mountains using hash _{last_20220529} when the first hash of May 30 is generated (in other words, after the hash is generated).

The virtual space management unit 231 also controls the period during which a mountain can be acquired. In this embodiment, the period during which a mountain can be acquired is set to the period from when the first hash of the day is generated (the seed _hlast related to the last hash of the previous day is determined) to when the first hash of the next day is generated (the seed _hfirst related to this hash is determined). In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 controls the period during which a mountain created using hash _{last_20220529} can be acquired to the period until the details of the items that can be acquired from that mountain are determined. In other words, once a mountain (in other words, a map) is created, the created mountain can be acquired until the next mountain (in other words, a map) is created. Note that the period during which a mountain can be acquired may be set, for example, from when the first hash of the day is generated to the end of that day (in other words, the day the mountain was created). Furthermore, there may be no limit on the period during which a mountain can be acquired.

Furthermore, the virtual space management unit 231 performs an item detail determination process using the first hash of May 31, 2022, and determines details for items whose overviews were determined using the last hash of May 29, 2022. In this embodiment, the virtual space management unit 231 determines details of obtainable items using hash _{first_20220531} at the time the first hash of May 31 is generated (in other words, after the hash is generated). That is, the virtual space management unit 231 determines details of obtainable items on a mountain after the obtainable period for the mountain has elapsed. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 exercises control so that a mountain cannot be obtained after details of obtainable items have been determined.

In this way, the mountain (or in other words, the right to mine the mountain), whose overview and details of the obtainable items are determined, is acquired by the user based on the user's operations, and items can be obtained through mining.

When a user performs an operation to select a mountain to acquire, the virtual space management unit 231 grants the selected mountain to the user based on that operation. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 grants the user the right to mine the mountain selected by the user (in other words, the right to play the game in the selected virtual space).

When an operation to select a mountain to acquire is received, the display control unit 114 displays detailed information 50 about the mountains available to the user on the display unit 18, as shown in FIG. 3. For example, when the user selects a specific mountain on the map 40 that displays the mountains available to the user, the display control unit 114 displays detailed information 50 about the specific mountain on the display unit 18. In this embodiment, the detailed information 50 displays information about the gems available to acquire on the specific mountain. In other words, the detailed information 50 displays a display about the expected reward for the specific mountain. Specifically, the device processing unit 113 receives information about an overview of the items available on the specific mountain from the virtual space management unit 231, and based on that information, displays on the display unit 18 the number of gems available to acquire when mining the mountain, an overview of the size of each gem, and so on. This allows the user to view the detailed information 50 and then decide whether or not to acquire the specific mountain. That is, in this embodiment, the virtual space management unit 231 can present the user with information regarding the rewards that can be obtained by playing the game in the virtual space (in other words, detailed information 50) before the user acquires the right to play the game in the virtual space, and this information is displayed on the display unit 18. Note that in this embodiment, the number of gems that can be obtained in the mountain and an outline of the size of each gem are presented as detailed information 50, and it is ensured that the presented number of gems and gems of a size corresponding to the presented size can be obtained; however, the number and size of gems presented as detailed information 50 are merely a guide, and there may be cases where the number of gems presented as detailed information 50 or gems of a size corresponding to the presented size (in other words, the rewards indicated in detailed information 50) cannot be obtained.

The virtual space management unit 231 also stores information indicating the mountains acquired by the user on a blockchain (e.g., the Ethereum blockchain). Specifically, when a user acquires a mountain, the virtual space management unit 231 stores information indicating that the user has acquired the mountain on the blockchain. That is, in this embodiment, the history of users' mountain acquisitions is stored on the blockchain. In other words, in this embodiment, information regarding rights to play games in a specific virtual space is stored on the blockchain. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the acquisition of mountains, items, etc. by fraudulent means. That is, in this embodiment, the right to acquire a specific item is acquired by acquiring a mountain that has a limited acquisition period, and information indicating the mountains acquired by the user is stored on the blockchain, which is difficult to tamper with. Therefore, with this configuration, even if a user acquires an item (specifically, a gem) through fraudulent means, it is possible to confirm that the user does not have acquisition information for a mountain that can acquire the item, making it possible to prove the user's fraud. Additionally, in this embodiment, mountain acquisition information is stored on a blockchain that is difficult to rewrite, and the details of obtainable items are determined after the period during which the mountain can be acquired has elapsed, making it possible to more effectively prevent the unauthorized acquisition of items.

The game control unit 212 starts mining in the mountain that the user has acquired based on the user's operation to instruct the start of mining in the mountain. In the game of this embodiment, mining in the mountain is possible once the outline of the obtainable items has been determined and the mountain has been created, and it is also possible to start mining before the details of the obtainable items have been determined. It is also possible to start mining in the mountain after the details of the obtainable items have been determined.

The reward granting unit 233 grants items to the user based on the results of mining in the mountain. Specifically, in this embodiment, gems and pyroxenes discovered through mining are granted to the user.

Here, the timing at which the grant of an item based on mining in a mountain is determined can be either before or after the details of the item are determined. In other words, there may be cases where the details of the item have not yet been finalized when the grant of the item is determined. Specifically, in this embodiment, a state may exist in which a gem is discovered through mining in a mountain (in other words, the granting of a gem is determined), but the details of the discovered gem have not yet been determined. In other words, in this embodiment, the details of the gem are determined after the specified period during which the mountain can be acquired (in other words, the period during which the right to play a game in a specific virtual space can be acquired). Furthermore, mining in the mountain is possible during the period during which the mountain can be acquired, and a situation may arise in which mining in the mountain is carried out and gems are acquired during the period during which the mountain can be acquired. The user can check the gems they have acquired on a specified screen, such as a screen that displays a list of the user's items (for example, a screen that can be opened after leaving the mountain). However, after the user acquires a gem, only an overview of the gem is displayed on the specified screen until the details of the gem are determined. Once the details have been decided, the details of the gem can be viewed on the specified screen.

In this embodiment, map creation, mountain creation (i.e., virtual space creation), and determination of an overview of obtainable items for each mountain and details of obtainable items are performed daily, with map updates and obtainable mountains being issued (i.e., generated) daily. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the map creation process, item overview determination process, and virtual space creation process are performed using the last hash of May 30th, and for items whose overviews were determined in the item overview determination process, the item detail determination process is performed using the first hash of June 1st. In this embodiment, the next map update and issuance of obtainable mountains are performed after the mountain acquisition period has ended, but the next map update and issuance of obtainable mountains may also occur during the mountain acquisition period. In other words, the hash used to create the map, create the mountains, determine the overview of obtainable items for each mountain, or determine details of obtainable items does not have to be the last or first hash of the day.

In this embodiment, the hash generated at the end of the day is used to create the map and mountains and determine the overview of obtainable items. However, the hash generated at the end of the day (in other words, the last block of the day) is determined after the first hash of the next day (in other words, the first block of the next day) is generated. Therefore, the map and mountains are created and the overview of obtainable items is determined after the first hash of the next day is generated. Therefore, it is possible to create the map and mountains and determine the overview of obtainable items using the first hash of the next day. However, in this embodiment, the map and mountains are created and the overview of obtainable items is determined using the hash generated at the end of the day, so that the map and mountains are created and the overview of obtainable items are determined based on different hashes, and the details of obtainable items are determined based on different hashes. In other words, when processes related to the creation of the map and mountains and the determination of obtainable items are performed every day, the hash used to determine the details of the items whose overview was determined the previous day is not the same as the hash used to determine the item overview on the current day. In other words, in this embodiment, the game control unit 212 determines item details using a specific hash within a recurring arbitrary period (specifically, the first hash of the day), and determines an overview of the item using a hash different from the specific hash (specifically, the last hash of the day). Also, while blockchains can branch, in this embodiment, when the first hash of the next day is generated, the hash generated at the end of the day is used to create the map and mountains and determine an overview of the obtainable items, making it possible to perform processing using hashes (in other words, blocks) that are likely to be adopted.

In the game of this embodiment, the lottery logic for the gem as item B is stored and made public on the blockchain. Specifically, the logic for the item summary determination process and the item detail determination process is made public as a smart contract. That is, the logic for the process of determining the reward summary using seed _hlast is made public as a smart contract. Also, the logic for the process of determining the reward details using seed _hfirst is made public as a smart contract. Furthermore, seed _hlast and seed _hfirst are hashes of the blockchain and serve as public seeds. That is, in this embodiment, the summary of the items obtainable from each mountain is determined by a predetermined logic using a predetermined seed, and the predetermined seed and the predetermined logic are made public, allowing each user to verify whether any fraud has occurred in determining the item summary using the published predetermined seed and the predetermined logic. In this embodiment, the details of the items obtainable at each mountain are determined by a predetermined logic using a predetermined seed. The predetermined seed and the predetermined logic are publicly available, allowing users to verify whether any fraudulent activity has occurred in determining the item details using the publicly available predetermined seed and the predetermined logic. This configuration provides a highly transparent system that prevents the operator from interfering with the allocation of items and clearly presents this information to users. Furthermore, by using a blockchain hash as the seed, the seed can be made unpredictable even by the operator and unchanging and clear to anyone. In other words, the configuration of this embodiment makes it impossible for even the operator to control the allocation of items, and users can verify the calculations using the publicly available logic, making it unpredictable in advance. This prevents fraudulent activity in the allocation of items and damage to the value of the system. In this embodiment, random numbers used to determine the outline and details of items are determined based on the blockchain hash, making the random numbers identifiable. This makes it possible to detect fraudulent activity involving random number manipulation and prevent fraudulent activity, such as the manipulation of random numbers to fraudulently cause specific objects to appear. The logic of the virtual space creation process may be stored on the blockchain and made public, or may not be stored on the blockchain and kept private.

Note that detailed information 50 about a mountain may be displayed not only when the user acquires a mountain, but also when the user selects a mountain to mine from among the mountains acquired by the user, when the user begins mining at a mountain, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when a list 44 of mountains acquired by the user is displayed on the display unit 18 and an operation to select a specific mountain is performed, the display control unit 114 causes detailed information 50 about the specific mountain to be displayed on the display unit 18. For example, detailed information 50 may display information about gems that can be acquired at the specific mountain (e.g., the number of gems and an outline of the size of each gem). In other words, detailed information 50 displays an indication of the expected reward for the specific mountain. This allows the user to view detailed information 50 and decide whether or not to mine at the specific mountain. Furthermore, detailed information 50 may also display the progress of mining. Specifically, detailed information 50 may display, for example, how many gems have been discovered, what percentage of the gem reserves have been discovered, how many pyroxenes have been discovered, what percentage of the pyroxene reserves have been discovered, or the degree of mining progress for that mountain (in other words, the degree of game progress for that mountain) calculated based on the amount of gems discovered, etc.

The virtual space management unit 231 can be said to determine the number, value, position on the mountain, etc. of gems and pyroxenes to be placed on the mountain, and place them on the mountain. It can also be said that the virtual space management unit 231 randomly determines the number of gems or pyroxenes to be placed on the mountain, randomly determines the value of the gems or pyroxenes to be placed on the mountain, and randomly determines the position on the mountain of the gems or pyroxenes. In other words, the virtual space management unit 231 associates gems and pyroxenes with mountains. The virtual space management unit 231 also randomly associates gems (or pyroxenes) with mountains in terms of the number of gems (or pyroxenes) associated with the mountain, the value of the gems (or pyroxenes) associated with the mountain, or the position of the gems (or pyroxenes) on the mountain. Note that the "value" of gems or pyroxenes can be rephrased as type, quality, size, etc. In other words, value can be determined based on at least one of the type, quality, or size of the object.

(Determining the content of the object to be issued)
The game control unit 212 causes the AI to determine the content of the object issuance based on information related to the issuance (in other words, generation) of the object in the virtual space generated by each of the plurality of AIs. Specifically, the game control unit 212 causes each of the plurality of AIs to provide an opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and causes the AI to determine the content of the mountain issuance based on the opinions of the plurality of AIs.

Here, for "multiple AIs," each of multiple AI models may function as a respective one of the multiple AIs. Furthermore, for "multiple AIs," multiple different personalities set in a single AI model may function as a respective one of the multiple AIs. Furthermore, each AI (in other words, each AI model) may be provided by the game system 1, or AI provided by an external service may be used. Specifically, for example, generated AI such as ChatGPT (GPT3.5 or GPT4.0, etc.), Google Bard (registered trademark), or Cloude may be used as each of the multiple AIs (in other words, each AI model). Furthermore, the AI may be either machine learning type or non-machine learning type (rule-based).

In other words, the game control unit 212 has each of the multiple AIs provide an opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and the AI decides the content of the issuance of the mountain based on the opinions of the multiple AIs.Specifically, for example, the following configuration is possible.

(1) The game control unit 212 has each of multiple different generation AIs (in other words, multiple AI models) give their opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and has a generation AI different from the multiple generation AIs decide the content of the mountain issuance based on the opinions of the multiple AIs.
(2) The game control unit 212 has each of multiple different generation AIs (in other words, multiple AI models) give their opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and has the AI included in the multiple generation AIs decide the content of the mountain issuance based on the opinions of the multiple AIs.
(3) The game control unit 212 sets multiple personalities for a single generated AI (in other words, a single AI model), has each of the multiple personalities give an opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and has a personality other than the personality that gave the opinion decide the content of the issuance of the mountain based on the opinions of the multiple personalities.
(4) The game control unit 212 sets multiple personalities for a single generated AI (in other words, a single AI model), has each of the multiple personalities give an opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and has the personality that gave the opinion decide the content of the issuance of the mountain based on the opinions of the multiple personalities.
(5) The game control unit 212 sets multiple personalities in a single generation AI (in other words, a single AI model), has each of the multiple personalities give their opinion regarding the issuance of the mountain, and has a generation AI different from the generation AI determine the content of the issuance of the mountain based on the opinions of the multiple personalities.

In configurations (2) and (4), the AI that decides the content of the issuance may be one or more (for example, all) of the multiple AIs that provide opinions (multiple generation AIs, or multiple personalities set in a single AI model). That is, the game control unit 212 may set a specific AI from among the multiple AIs that provide opinions as a representative, and have that representative decide the content of the mountain's issuance. The game control unit 212 may also instruct the multiple AIs that provide opinions to discuss and reach a conclusion among the multiple AIs regarding the content of the mountain's issuance. That is, in this embodiment, "having multiple AIs provide opinions" may include having the multiple AIs discuss with each other.

Note that an AI's "personality" refers to a virtual personality that the AI possesses, or in other words, a virtual role that the AI plays. In this embodiment, an AI's "personality" can be said to be a personality that can influence the content of object issuance in the virtual space. For example, an AI with an aggressive virtual personality tends to propose issuing more objects. On the other hand, an AI with a conservative virtual personality tends to propose issuing fewer objects. Furthermore, an AI with a virtual personality that is loyal to user opinions may propose object issuance content that is close to the opinions of multiple users that have been acquired, while an AI with a virtual personality that is rebellious against user opinions may propose object issuance content that deviates slightly from the opinions of the users that have been acquired. By assigning a personality to the AI in this way, it is possible to prevent the AI from continuing to reach average conclusions.

The following explanation uses configuration (1) as an example, but the matters explained below can be similarly applied to other configurations such as configurations (2) to (5). Also, below, the AI that provides opinions regarding the issuance of the mountain will be referred to as the "proposer AI," and the AI that decides the content of the issuance of the mountain based on the opinions provided by multiple proposer AIs will be referred to as the "decider AI." Note that, as mentioned above, the proposer AI may also serve as the decider AI.

The following explains an example in which one decider AI decides on the content of the mountain's issuance based on the opinions of three proposer AIs. Figure 8 shows an example of the flow for having the AI decide on the content of the mountain's issuance.

The game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to generate information regarding the issuance of objects in the virtual space based on data indicating the user's usage of the service (e.g., game play status), the user's opinions, and real-world information. Specifically, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to output an opinion regarding the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the usage of the ice axe, the user's opinions, and real-world news.

The game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to execute a first step of determining the range of the number of piles to issue, a second step of summarizing the user's opinions, and a third step of outputting the opinion regarding the number of piles to issue. Here, the third step is executed by multiple proposer AIs (three in this example), but the first and second steps may be executed by multiple proposer AIs, or by a single proposer AI. In other words, the results of the first step and the second step executed by a specific proposer AI may be used by that specific proposer AI in a subsequent step, or by another proposer AI. Note that the second step may be executed after the first step, or the first step may be executed after the second step.

As a first step, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the usage status of the ice axe. For example, the game control unit 212 causes a known generation AI acting as the proposer AI to determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued by inputting the following instruction as a prompt:

(Example of a prompt)
You are the one who suggests the parameters of the game.
conditions:
・The game parameter is the number of mines the user can select. ・Please propose a range for the number of new mountains to offer based on the following input data: Input data:
- Number of mountains consumed: 800 mountains were consumed yesterday

In this embodiment, the game control unit 212 regards the total number of ice axes (800 in this example) consumed by multiple users (e.g., all users) using the service within a predetermined period (e.g., the most recent day) as the "number of consumed mountains," and inputs this to the proposer AI as input data for determining the range of the number of mountains to be issued. Here, the "number of consumed ice axes" may be, for example, the number of ice axes whose durability has reached "0." The game control unit 212 may also calculate the "number of consumed mountains" from the total number of ice axes according to a predetermined formula, etc., and input this to the proposer AI as input data for determining the range of the number of mountains to be issued. Note that, although data regarding the number of ice axes consumed is used here as data indicating the ice axis usage status, the data indicating the ice axis usage status may be any data that changes depending on the ice axis usage status. For example, the game control unit 212 may use information regarding the durability of the pickaxe, specifically the total amount of pickaxe durability (e.g., the total amount of decrease in durability) consumed within a specified period by multiple users (e.g., all users) using the service, as data indicating the pickaxe usage status. In other words, the game control unit 212 may calculate the "number of mountains consumed" from the information regarding the pickaxe durability using a specified formula, and input this to the proposer AI as input data for determining the range of the number of mountains to be issued. Note that the data indicating the pickaxe usage status is stored in the memory unit 220 and is updated as users use the pickaxe in the game (e.g., each time one user consumes a pickaxe).

Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the "number of mountains consumed" (in other words, data indicating the usage status of the pickaxe), the game control unit 212 may input data regarding the number of users as input data to the proposer AI, and have it determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued. Here, data regarding the number of users may indicate, for example, the number of active users within a specified period, the number of users registered with the service, or the number of users who performed a specified action in the game (e.g., acquiring a mountain) within a specified period.

In addition to, or instead of, the "number of mountains consumed" (in other words, data indicating the usage status of the pickaxe), the game control unit 212 may input data regarding the amount of time the user used the service (in other words, play time) as input data to the proposer AI, and have it determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued. Here, data regarding the amount of time the user used the service may indicate, for example, the total amount of play time of multiple users within a specified period, the average amount of play time, etc.

In other words, data showing the usage status of specific items, data regarding the number of users using the service, data regarding the amount of time users use the service, etc. can be used as data indicating how users are using the service, and by having AI determine the content of object issuance based on this data, the content of object issuance can be tailored to how the service is being used.

Next, as a second step, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to summarize the user's opinion. For example, the game control unit 212 causes a known generation AI acting as the proposer AI to summarize the user's opinion by inputting the user's opinion along with a prompt such as "Please summarize the user's opinion shown below."

The method for collecting opinions from users to be summarized is not particularly limited. In the game of this embodiment, users can post opinions (e.g., requests, etc.) about the game from their own terminal device 10. The game control unit 212 stores the opinions posted by users in the memory unit 220. Each user may or may not be able to view opinions posted by other users on their own terminal device 10. In other words, the game of this embodiment may be provided with a bulletin board or the like where posted opinions of each user can be viewed. User opinions may also be stored on an external server or the like. In other words, users may post opinions via an application related to the game of this embodiment, or may be posted from the game operator's website, a third-party website, or the like. Furthermore, opinions may be posted by users freely entering text or by selecting from multiple selectable options (e.g., options such as "I want more mountains" or "I want fewer mountains"). Note that user opinions may be extracted from posts made by each user on a social networking service (SNS). Furthermore, when an opinion is posted without being logged in to the game, identification information that can identify the user in the game may be sent from the terminal device 10 along with the opinion, so that it can be proven that the opinion is that of a user playing the game. The game control unit 212 may then determine, based on the identification information, whether or not to allow the posted opinion to be used in determining the content of object issuance by AI (in other words, whether or not to allow the opinion to be used as a target for summarization).

Next, as a third step, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to output an opinion on the number of mountains to be issued based on user opinions and real-world news. For example, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to output an opinion on the number of mountains to be issued by inputting the following instruction as a prompt to a known generation AI acting as the proposer AI. Specifically, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to output the number of mountains to be issued as the opinion, and the reason for proposing that number. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the game control unit 212 instructs the proposer AI to keep the number of mountains to be issued within the range determined in the first step. That is, the game control unit 212 causes the proposer AI to output an opinion on the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the user's usage of the service (specifically, the usage of the ice axe), user opinions, and real-world news.

(Example of a prompt)
You are the one who suggests the parameters of the game.
conditions:
・The game parameter is the number of mines that the user can select. ・Please propose the number of new mountains to provide based on the input data below. ・The number of mountains you propose should be within the range determined in the first step.
Input data:
・"Summary of user opinions"
・"Real-world news data"
output:
・Number of proposed mines:
Reasons for the number of mines proposed:

The "summary of user opinions" in this prompt refers to the summary of user opinions output by the proposer AI as a result of the second step. Furthermore, the "data related to real-world news" in this prompt may refer to any data related to news in the real world. In this embodiment, the game control unit 212 acquires world news topics using an API (Application Programming Interface) that provides real-world news information, and inputs this data to the proposer AI as input data (i.e., "data related to real-world news"). The proposer AI may also acquire the "data related to real-world news" directly using the API that provides real-world news information based on instructions in this prompt. Furthermore, the "range determined in the first step" in this prompt refers to the range of the number of piles to be issued determined by the proposer AI in the first step.

The game control unit 212 then causes the decider AI to determine the number of piles to issue based on the opinions on the number of piles to issue output by each of the multiple proposer AIs. For example, the game control unit 212 causes a known generation AI acting as the decider AI to determine the number of piles to issue by inputting the following instruction as a prompt:

(Example of a prompt)
You are the one who determines the parameters of the game.
conditions:
・The game parameter is the number of mines that the user can select. ・Please decide the number of new mountains to provide based on the opinions of Proposers 1 to 3 below. "Opinion of Proposer 1"
"Opinion of Proposer 2"
"Opinion of Proposer 3"

The "Opinion of Proposer 1," "Opinion of Proposer 2," and "Opinion of Proposer 3" in this prompt are the opinions of each of the multiple proposer AIs regarding the number of piles to be issued, which will be output as a result of the third step. In other words, the decision maker AI will determine the appropriate number of piles based on the number of piles proposed by each proposer AI and their reasons for proposing that number.

In this embodiment, the decider AI (in other words, the game control unit 212) decides the number of piles to issue based on opinions individually presented by multiple proposer AIs, but the decider AI may have multiple proposer AIs discuss with each other and decide the number of piles to issue based on the results of the discussion. The decider AI may also decide the number of piles to issue by dialogue with each proposer AI. The decider AI may also decide the number of piles to issue by adopting one of the opinions submitted by each of the multiple proposer AIs, or may reconsider and decide the number of piles to issue based on the opinions submitted by each of the multiple proposers.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the instructions to the proposer AI and the decider AI for determining the number of piles are described as being divided into four prompts, but the instructions to the proposer AI and the decider AI may be given by a single prompt, or may be divided into multiple prompts that are fewer or more than four.

In addition, some of the processes performed by AI in this embodiment may be performed without using AI. For example, the game control unit 212 may determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the usage status of the service (e.g., the usage status of the ice axe) in accordance with predetermined rules. Furthermore, the game control unit 212 may perform the process of summarizing opinions posted by multiple users (e.g., the process of extracting representative opinions) in accordance with predetermined rules.

Furthermore, a predetermined limit may be set regarding the determination of the content of the object issuance using the proposer AI and the decider AI. For example, an upper limit may be set on the number of mountains that can be issued (in other words, the number of mountains that can exist in the virtual space (in other words, within the game)). Specifically, an upper limit may be set on the number of mountains that can exist on the map. In other words, in this embodiment, the determination of the number of mountains to be issued using the proposer AI and the decider AI is performed repeatedly (specifically, periodically), and an upper limit may be set on the total number of mountains that are repeatedly determined (in other words, issued). The game control unit 212 may then control the proposer AI and the decider AI to determine the content of the mountain issuance so as not to violate the predetermined limit (e.g., not to exceed the upper limit on the number of mountains). For example, the predetermined limit may be an upper limit on the number of mountains that can exist on the map, set by the game operator, and stored in the memory unit 220. The game control unit 212 may then have the proposer AI and the decider AI determine the content of the mountains to be issued within a range that does not exceed the upper limit. Specifically, when the game control unit 212 has the proposer AI determine the range of the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the use of the ice axe, it may instruct the proposer AI to determine the range so that the upper limit is not exceeded. This instruction may be given each time, or may be given when the number of mountains existing on the map (in other words, the number of mountains already issued) reaches a predetermined number (in other words, when there are only a few mountains remaining until the upper limit is reached). Furthermore, after the proposer AI determines the range of the number of mountains to be issued based on data indicating the use of the ice axe, the game control unit 212 may modify the range so that the upper limit is not exceeded. Furthermore, after the decider AI determines the number of mountains to be issued, the game control unit 212 may reduce the number so that the upper limit is not exceeded.

As described above, the game control unit 212 causes the multiple proposer AIs to generate information regarding the issuance of virtual space objects based on data indicating user usage of the service, user opinions, and real-world information. The game control unit 212 then causes the decider AI to determine the content of the issuance of the object based on the information regarding the issuance of the virtual space object generated by each of the multiple proposer AIs. Furthermore, data indicating service usage includes, for example, data indicating item usage, such as data indicating pickaxe usage, data regarding the number of users using the service, and data regarding the amount of time users have used the service (in other words, play time). Furthermore, real-world information (e.g., news) includes, for example, information regarding real-world weather, information regarding real-world holidays, and information regarding events held in the real world (e.g., international competitions and festivals). Furthermore, the game control unit 212 may cause multiple proposer AIs to generate information regarding the issuance of objects in a virtual space based on data indicating the user's usage of the service, the user's opinions, and real-world information (specifically, current world news) without going through the first or second step. That is, for example, the game control unit 212 may cause the AIs to output opinions regarding the number of mountains to issue without going through the step of determining the range of the number of mountains to issue. Also, for example, when outputting opinions regarding the number of mountains to issue based on the user's opinions, the game control unit 212 may cause the AIs to output opinions regarding the number of mountains to issue without going through the step of summarizing the user's opinions.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the proposer AI generates information regarding the issuance of a specific object, and the decider AI determines the content of the issuance of the specific object. However, the specific object may be, for example, an item or character that the user can obtain. That is, for example, the proposer AI may output an opinion regarding the number of specific items, such as gems or pickaxes, to be issued in the game of this embodiment (specifically, the number to be present in the virtual space as objects that the user can obtain. For example, the number to be placed in the virtual space, the number to be sold in a store in the virtual space, etc.), and the decider AI may determine the number to be issued. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the proposer AI generates information regarding the number to be issued for the specific object, and the decider AI determines the number to be issued. However, for example, the proposer AI may generate information regarding the type to be issued, and the decider AI may determine the type to be issued. Specifically, the game control unit 212 may cause multiple proposer AIs to output opinions about the type of gem to be issued (for example, the type of gem to be placed in the mountain created that day; in other words, the type of gem to be newly placed in the virtual space) based on at least one of data indicating service usage status, user opinions, and real-world information. The game control unit 212 may then cause the decider AI to decide the type of gem to be issued based on the opinions of the multiple proposer AIs. In other words, the game control unit 212 may perform the task of determining any of the items to be determined in the above-mentioned item overview determination process, virtual space creation process, or item detail determination process by causing multiple proposer AIs to output opinions about the item to be determined, and having the decider AI make the decision based on the opinions of the multiple proposer AIs.

In this embodiment, the game control unit 212 (in other words, the virtual space management unit 231) causes the AI to determine the number of mountains to be generated based on information about the generation of mountains generated by each of the multiple AIs before or during the map creation process. In other words, the process of having the AI determine the number of mountains to be generated can be included in the map creation process. In other words, the game control unit 212 performs the process of determining the number of mountains to be generated every day. In other words, prompts related to instructions given to the proposer AI and the determiner AI for determining the number of mountains to be generated are stored in a predetermined storage unit such as the storage unit 220, and the game control unit 212 periodically performs (in other words, automatically and repeatedly performs) the process of having the AI determine the number of mountains to be generated using the prompts. Then, in the map creation process, the game control unit 212 places the determined number of mountains on the map. Then, for each mountain placed on the map, the game control unit 212 determines the overview and details of items that can be obtained through the item overview determination process, virtual space creation process, and item detail determination process. Mountains that have been placed on the map and whose details have been determined through the virtual space creation process are made public (in other words, published) to users, and can be acquired by each user.

In this embodiment, each mountain is created after the number to be issued is determined by AI. However, multiple mountains may be created in advance, and AI may determine how many of the multiple mountains to make public (in other words, issue). That is, for example, the game operator may create multiple dungeons or objects to be issued, such as items, in advance, and the game control unit 212 may use AI to determine how many of these objects will be made available to users (i.e., how many objects to issue) at a predetermined time (e.g., periodically). Furthermore, the generation of issued objects may be performed automatically as described above, or may be performed manually by the developer. Furthermore, when generating issued objects automatically, the game control unit 212 may generate the objects using the blockchain hash, or may generate them without using the hash.

The content of the object issuance decided by the decision maker AI will be notified to the user.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a television 80 is displayed on the home screen 42 as an object that notifies the user of the details of the issuance. The display control unit 114 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a notification screen 82, as shown in FIG. 9, based on an operation on the television 80 (for example, a click on the television 80 on the home screen 42). In other words, the television 80 displayed on the home screen 42 functions as a UI that accepts operations related to the display of the notification screen 82. The notification screen 82 is a screen that displays the details of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI.

The notification screen 82 displays a string of characters 84 indicating the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI. Furthermore, this string of characters 84 is the dialogue of a virtual announcer 83 (in other words, a character in the virtual space) displayed on the notification screen 82. That is, the notification screen 82 displays a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI. Furthermore, while the notification screen 82 is displayed, the control unit 110 causes the speaker (not shown) of the terminal device 10 to output the dialogue. That is, the control unit 110 causes a predetermined sound output unit to output a sound notifying the content of the issuance. In other words, the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI can be notified to the user by at least one of displaying an image or outputting a sound.

The mouth movements of the announcer 83 displayed on the notification screen 82 may vary depending on the content of the announcer's 83's lines (i.e., the content of the object issuance determined by the determiner AI, etc.). For example, when the determiner AI determines the content of the object issuance, the game control unit 212 determines the lines to notify the determined content (in other words, the text string 84). Specifically, a standard phrase such as "~ new mountains have been discovered" may be prepared in advance, and the game control unit 212 may determine the announcer's 83's lines by changing the "~" part in accordance with the determiner AI's decision. In other words, the announcer's lines may be a portion of the prepared standard phrase (e.g., the portion related to the number of objects to be issued) that has been changed in accordance with the determiner AI's decision (see Figure 9). The game control unit 212 may also determine the text output by the determiner AI as the announcer's 83's lines. Furthermore, once the lines have been determined, the game control unit 212 may cause a predetermined image generation AI to generate an image in which the announcer 83's mouth moves in accordance with the determined lines. The control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 may then display this image on the notification screen 82. This configuration can enhance the sense of immersion in the game. Note that methods for generating images in which the mouths of characters, etc., move in accordance with predetermined lines (in other words, techniques for lip-syncing the character image to match the lines) are well known, and an image in which the announcer 83's mouth moves in accordance with the determined lines can be generated using a well-known method.

The attributes of the announcer 83 displayed on the notification screen 82 (e.g., gender, appearance (including cases where the person themselves changes), clothing, etc.) may be changed at predetermined intervals (e.g., for each day of the week, or between morning, afternoon, and evening). The game control unit 212 may also have the image generation AI generate an image of the announcer 83 (in other words, the announcer 83 itself, in addition to or instead of the announcer 83's mouth movements). For example, the game control unit 212 may execute the generation of such an image of the announcer 83 by the image generation AI at predetermined intervals, and have the image generation AI generate images of multiple types of announcer 83 with different attributes as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the control unit 210 controls the display on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18) of a display notifying the content of the issuance of an object determined by the decision-maker AI (for example, a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the content of the issuance of an object). Specifically, the control unit 210 determines the text to be displayed on the notification screen 82 as the announcer 83's lines in accordance with the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decision-maker AI, and instructs the terminal device 10 to display the text on the notification screen 82. Based on the instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decision-maker AI. Furthermore, the control unit 210 determines the audio to be output as the announcer 83's lines in accordance with the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decision-maker AI, and instructs the terminal device 10 to output the audio from the sound output unit. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the sound output unit to output a sound in which the announcer 83 notifies the user of the details of the object issuance determined by the determiner AI. With this configuration, the details of the object issuance are notified to the user as lines spoken by a character in the virtual space, thereby improving the sense of immersion in the game.

The control unit 210 may also control the announcer 83 to display a display or the like notifying the user of real-world news on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18). The control unit 210 may also control the announcer 83 to output audio notifying the user of real-world news from a speaker or the like of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the control unit 210 determines the real-world news to notify the user of. For example, the control unit 210 extracts real-world news to notify the user of, using an API that provides real-world news information. The control unit 210 also determines, based on the extracted real-world news, a string of characters to be displayed on the notification screen 82 as the announcer 83's lines, and instructs the terminal device 10 to display the string of characters on the notification screen 82. Based on the instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a display notifying the user of the extracted real-world news by the announcer 83. The control unit 210 also determines the audio to be output as the announcer 83's lines based on the extracted real-world news, and instructs the terminal device 10 to output it from the sound output unit. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the sound output unit to output the audio of the announcer 83 notifying the extracted real-world news. With this configuration, by notifying the content of the object issuance determined by the decider AI and notifying the real-world news in the same format, the former notification can be presented as something that is actually happening in the real world, improving the sense of immersion in the game. Note that the control unit 210 may also cause the generation AI to extract real-world news to notify the user and determine the lines.

In addition to, or instead of, the content of the object issuance determined by the decision maker AI, the notification screen 82 may also be a screen that notifies users of information (specifically, news) related to actions taken by users using this service (in other words, the game). Below, we will explain the cases in which users are notified of the discovery of an object and of transactions that have been made, as information related to their actions.

For example, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of the discovery (in other words, acquisition) of a specific object, as shown in FIG. 10(a). Specifically, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of the discovery (in other words, acquisition) of a rare object among a specific type of object (e.g., gems). Specifically, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of the discovery of a gem with a high level of rarity among the gems discovered by each of multiple users using the service within a specified period (in other words, within the target period). For example, the notification screen 82 may notify users of the discovery of several rare gems (e.g., 1 to 3) among the gems discovered by each of multiple users on the day before the notification.

In other words, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of the discovery (or acquisition) of an object (e.g., a rare object) by another user. Furthermore, the other users may or may not include users (e.g., friends) other than the user (i.e., the user of the terminal device 10 on which the notification screen 82 is displayed) whose relationship with the user is registered in a predetermined storage unit. In other words, the other users may be users who have a specific relationship with the user, such as the user's friends. As described above, the notification screen 82 notifies users of the discovery of a rare gem among those discovered by multiple users using the service within a specified period of time. However, the multiple users may or may not include users who do not have a specific relationship with the user (e.g., users who are not friends). The multiple users may also include all users using the service. The multiple users may or may not include the user. The notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies the user of their own discovery of a rare gemstone, but does not notify the user of their own discovery of a rare gemstone by other users. In other words, the notification screen 82 may notify the user of at least one of their own discovery of a rare gemstone by other users and their own discovery of a rare gemstone.

The notification screen 82 notifying the user of the discovery of a rare object may display a display 60 informing the user of the discovery and a display 61 indicating the object's rarity (e.g., a display of carat weight, etc.). The display 60 informing the user of the acquisition may, for example, display the user's name or an image of the character used by the user. The display 61 indicating the object's rarity may be a display indicating the object's rank, such as "S rank," "A rank," "high quality," or "low quality," or may be a display of the price, the type of object (in this embodiment, diamond, aquamarine, red spinel, etc.), or a display of a parameter related to determining rarity (e.g., size). In other words, the display 61 indicating rarity may be such that a user viewing the display can recognize or infer that the object is rare.

On the notification screen 82, the discovery of a rare object (e.g., a display 60 notifying the user who made the discovery, a display 61 indicating the rarity of the object, etc.) may be displayed as a line spoken by the announcer 83. In other words, the notification screen 82 may display news about an event that occurred in the game, in which the announcer 83 notifies the user that another user has obtained a rare object. Furthermore, while the notification screen 82 is displayed, the control unit 110 causes the speaker (not shown) of the terminal device 10 to output the line. In other words, the control unit 110 causes a predetermined sound output unit to output sound notifying the user that another user has obtained a rare object. In other words, the discovery of a rare object may be notified to the user by at least one of displaying an image or outputting sound.

Note that a rare object (e.g., a gem) can also be considered an object that meets a predetermined criterion. In other words, the notification screen 82 can also be considered a screen that notifies users of the discovery (or acquisition) of an object that meets the predetermined criterion. In this embodiment, the predetermined criterion can be that the gem's rarity is within a predetermined number of gems (e.g., within the top three) among those acquired during the target period (e.g., the previous day). The predetermined criterion may also be that the object's rank is a predetermined rank or higher, or that the object's price or a predetermined parameter is above a predetermined value. The predetermined criterion may also be that the object's discovery probability (in other words, appearance probability) is below a predetermined probability. Note that multiple criteria may be set; for example, if the gem's rarity is within a predetermined number of gems and its predetermined parameter is above a predetermined value, it may be selected as the gem to be notified of on the notification screen 82.

Note that "discovery" of an object does not necessarily mean "obtaining" the object. For example, in a game in which one user discovers an item and then another user can obtain the discovered item, the "discovery" notified on the notification screen 82 may mean either the former or the latter, or both. Also, for example, in a game in which one user discovers an enemy character as a specific object and then another user can defeat the discovered enemy character, the discovery of an enemy character may also be included in the discoveries notified on the notification screen 82.

Also, for example, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of executed transactions, as shown in FIG. 10(b). Specifically, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of high-value transactions among those made by the user. Specifically, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of the highest transaction amounts among those made by multiple users using the service within a specified period (in other words, within the target period) (specifically, among those buying and selling gems on the marketplace). For example, the notification screen 82 may notify users of several transactions (e.g., one to three) with the highest transaction amounts among those made by multiple users on the day before the notification. Note that buying and selling gems on the marketplace can also be considered the acquisition of gems by users who purchase gems. In other words, a screen that notifies users of transactions made by users may be included in a screen that notifies users of the acquisition of objects.

In other words, the notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users about transactions made by other users. Furthermore, the other users may or may not include users (e.g., friends) other than the user himself/herself (in other words, the user of the terminal device 10 on which the notification screen 82 is displayed) whose relationship with the user himself/herself is registered in a predetermined storage unit. In other words, the other users may be users who have a specific relationship with the user himself/herself, such as his/her friends. That is, as described above, the notification screen 82 notifies users of the highest transaction amounts among transactions made by multiple users using the service within a specified period, but the multiple users may or may not include users who do not have a specific relationship with the user himself/herself (e.g., users who are not friends). The multiple users may also be all users using the service, etc. The multiple users may or may not include the user himself/herself. The notification screen 82 may be a screen that notifies users of large transaction amounts made by the user himself/herself, but does not notify users of large transaction amounts made by other users. That is, the notification screen 82 can display notifications about at least one of large transactions by other users and large transactions by the user.

The notification screen 82 notifying the user of a transaction may display a display 65 notifying the transaction amount, a display 66 notifying the user of the object traded, and a display of the date the transaction took place (which may be an in-game date or a real-life date). The display 66 notifying the user of the object traded may be a display of the type of object or a display indicating the rarity of the object. In other words, the display notifying the user of the object traded may be one that allows the user who sees the display to recognize what object was traded.

On the notification screen 82, the execution of a transaction with a large transaction amount (for example, a display 65 notifying the transaction amount, a display 66 notifying the user of the traded object, etc.) may be displayed as lines from the announcer 83. In other words, the notification screen 82 may display news about an event that occurred in the game, in which the announcer 83 notifies the user that another user has made a high-value transaction. Furthermore, while the notification screen 82 is displayed, the control unit 110 outputs the lines from a speaker (not shown) of the terminal device 10. In other words, the control unit 110 outputs audio from a specified sound output unit notifying the user that another user has made a high-value transaction. In other words, the user may be notified that a high-value transaction has been made by at least one of displaying an image or outputting audio.

Note that the transactions that users are notified about may be either transactions between users or transactions between users and game operators, or may include both.

The notification screen 82 may display a series of displays (i.e., a news series) including a display notifying the user of the details of the object issuance determined by the decision-maker AI, a display notifying the user of the discovery of a rare object (in other words, a display notifying the user of an object discovered by another user), and a display notifying the user of a high-value transaction (in other words, a display notifying the user of a transaction made by another user). In other words, the notification screen 82 may display a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the user of the details of the object issuance, the discovery of a rare object, and the high-value transaction as a news series. The notification screen 82 may also display a display notifying the user of real-world news as a series of displays (i.e., a news series) along with the various displays exemplified here. In other words, the notification screen 82 may notify the user of events occurring in the game (i.e., in the virtual world) and events occurring in the real world as a news series. A limit on the number of topics may be set for each notification category, such as the details of the object issuance, the discovery of a rare object, high-value transactions, and real-world news. Specifically, there may be restrictions such as limiting the number of topics related to real-world news to three, and limiting the number of topics related to the discovery of rare objects to one. This configuration can prevent bias in the content of notifications across a series of news stories.

The timing for updating the content of various notifications on the notification screen 82 may be set as appropriate. That is, for example, in this embodiment, the content of object issuance (e.g., the number of mountains to be issued, etc.) is determined daily, and the notification screen 82 notifies the most recently determined content of issuance. However, the timing for updating the notification content may be immediately after the content of object issuance is determined, immediately after an object is issued based on the determined content of object issuance, or after a predetermined period has passed since issuance, etc.

In addition, for example, in this embodiment, the notification screen 82 notifies users of events that occurred within a predetermined period (e.g., the discovery of an object within a predetermined period, or a transaction within a predetermined period), and the length of the predetermined period can be set as appropriate. For example, the predetermined period may be within a few hours, within 24 hours (in other words, one day), within a few days, within a week, within a few weeks, or within a few months. The starting point of the predetermined period may be the timing at which the notification screen 82 is displayed (in other words, the present), or may be a specific time within a day. In other words, if the various notifications on the notification screen 82 notify users of events that occurred within the most recent day, the most recent day may be, for example, the period from the present to 24 hours ago, or between midnight and midnight on the previous day.

Information for displaying and sound output related to various notifications is transmitted from the server 20 to the terminal device 10 at a predetermined timing. The control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 then uses this information to display and sound output related to the notifications. For example, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 may request the server 20 to transmit the information at a predetermined timing, such as when the user launches the game application or when the user operates the home button 90 or the television 80, and the control unit 210 of the server 20 may transmit the information to the terminal device 10 based on the request. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may determine the lines to be spoken by the announcer 83, etc., depending on the content of the notification, and instruct the terminal device 10 to display the determined lines on the notification screen 82, at a predetermined timing before the request is made.

The display control unit 114 may change the display format of the television 80 displayed on the home screen 42 depending on whether or not there is new information (in other words, information that has not yet been notified to the user) notifying the user of an event that has occurred in the game (in other words, in the virtual space). Specifically, the display control unit 114 may change the display format of the television 80 displayed on the home screen 42 depending on whether or not there is new information about the content of the issuance of an object determined by the decider AI. More specifically, the display control unit 114 may change the display format of the television 80 displayed on the home screen 42 depending on whether or not there is new information about at least one of the content of the issuance of an object determined by the decider AI, the discovery of a rare object, or a high-value transaction, and whether or not there is new information about any of these. Specifically, if there is no new information, the television 80 may be displayed on the display unit 18 in a first display mode indicating that there is no new information (for example, by making the screen of the television 80 completely black), and if there is new information, the television 80 may be displayed on the display unit 18 in a second display mode indicating that there is new information (for example, by displaying a specific image such as the word "NEWS" on the screen of the television 80 (see Figure 4)).

The above-described configuration can also be described as follows. That is, the game control unit 212 performs control to determine the influence on the game in which multiple users participate, based on the opinions of the multiple users. Then, the game control unit 212 performs control to impart the determined influence to the game. In other words, in this embodiment, the opinions of the multiple users are automatically reflected in the game. Note that the game control unit 212 may determine the influence on the game in which multiple users participate, based on the opinions of the multiple users, using AI (e.g., a proposer AI and a decider AI) as described above, or may do so without using AI.

For example, the game control unit 212 may acquire opinions from multiple users regarding the number of in-game objects to be issued, and based on the acquired opinions, perform control to determine the number of in-game objects to be issued in a game in which multiple users participate. Also, for example, the game control unit 212 may acquire opinions from multiple users regarding the difficulty of the game, and based on the acquired opinions, perform control to change the difficulty of the game in which multiple users participate. The method of changing the difficulty is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, by changing the strength of enemy characters, increasing or decreasing the number of enemy characters, changing the strength of player-side objects (e.g., player characters, equipment, etc.), or changing the game's progression speed or time limit.

Specifically, the game control unit 212 may determine the impact on the game based on the average or median of the opinions of multiple users. For example, each user may be asked to rate the game difficulty (or the number of in-game objects created, etc.) on a scale of 1 to 10 (note that the closer to 10, the more difficult the game is perceived), and if a large number of users rate the game at 10, the game difficulty may be uniformly lowered for all users. Furthermore, as described above, the game control unit 212 may have AI analyze the opinions of multiple users and determine an appropriate level (in other words, an appropriate value, etc.) for the game difficulty or the number of in-game objects created. The game control unit 212 may then make changes to the game according to the appropriate level determined by the AI.

Note that if the number of user opinions is insufficient (in other words, if it does not meet a predetermined number) at the time of determining the impact on the game (for example, at each of the periodic times when the impact on the game is determined periodically), the game control unit 212 may determine the impact on the game not based on user opinions (in other words, without using user opinions). Furthermore, if the number of user opinions is sufficient at the time of determining the impact on the game, the game control unit 212 may determine the impact on the game based on user opinions. While an insufficient number of user opinions could result in an extreme conclusion, this configuration can prevent the impact on the game from being biased toward the opinions of a particular user.

(Processing flow)
Next, an example of processing executed by the game system 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart. First, an example of processing related to the issuance of an object will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, the game control unit 212 has the proposer AI summarize the user's opinions (step S101).

Next, the game control unit 212 causes each of the multiple proposer AIs to generate information regarding the issuance of objects based on user opinions and real-world news (step S102). Specifically, the game control unit 212 causes each of the multiple proposer AIs to output an opinion regarding the number of mountains to be issued based on the summary of user opinions obtained in step S101 and data related to real-world news obtained using an API that provides real-world news information. More specifically, the game control unit 212 causes each of the multiple proposer AIs to generate information regarding the issuance of objects based on data indicating the user's game play status, user opinions, and real-world news.

Next, the game control unit 212 causes the decider AI to decide the content of the object issuance based on information regarding the issuance of objects generated by multiple proposer AIs (step S103). Specifically, the game control unit 212 causes the decider AI to decide the number of mountains to be issued based on opinions regarding the number of mountains to be issued output by multiple proposer AIs.

Next, the game control unit 212 obtains the hash generated at the end of the day from a specific blockchain (step S104). Next, the game control unit 212 performs calculations using the obtained hash as a seed (specifically, seed _hlast ) to create a map (step S105). Specifically, the game control unit 212 places the number of mountains determined in step S103 (specifically, the number to be issued) on the map (in other words, determines the positions of the mountains on the map based on the seeds), and assigns an object ID to each mountain on the map that enables the mountain to be identified.

Next, the game control unit 212 determines an outline of obtainable items for each mountain on the map created in step S105 (step S106). Specifically, the game control unit 212 performs calculations using the hash obtained in step S104 and the object ID of each mountain as seeds (specifically, seed _hlast , seed _mdid ), and determines the number of obtainable items for each mountain and an outline of the size of each item.

Next, the game control unit 212 creates mountains where the items whose outlines were determined in step S106 can be obtained (in other words, where the items are placed) (step S107). Specifically, the game control unit 212 performs calculations using the hash obtained in step S104 and the object ID of each mountain as seeds (specifically, seed _hlast , seed _mdid ) to create the mountains. More specifically, for each mountain whose position on the map was determined in step S105 (in other words, for each of the mountains whose number was determined in step S103), the game control unit 212 randomly determines the topography of the mountain (in other words, the shape of the mountain as a predetermined object), the location where each item is buried in the mountain, and the like, based on the hash obtained in step S104 and the object ID of each mountain. In other words, the game control unit 212 determines the details of each of the mountains whose number was determined in step S103. The game control unit 212 also controls the created mountain so that it can be acquired by the user. That is, the created mountain is published (in other words, made public to the user) and can be acquired by the user.

Next, the game control unit 212 acquires the first hash generated two days after the day the hash acquired in step S104 was generated (step S108). Next, the game control unit 212 determines reward details for each mountain on the map created in step S105 (step S109). Specifically, the game control unit 212 performs calculations using the hash acquired in step S108 and the object ID of each mountain as seeds (specifically, seed _hfirst , seed _mdid ), and determines the type, detailed size, shape, quality, etc. of item B as an item that can be acquired from each mountain.

Next, an example of the process for acquiring and using mountains will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 12.

As described above, each mountain created in step S107 is issued and available for acquisition by the user. The game control unit 212 transmits information on the number of mountains issued that day to the terminal device 10 at a predetermined trigger (for example, when the user launches the game application or when the user operates the home button 90 or the television 80). Furthermore, when the user performs a predetermined operation (for example, clicking the television 80 on the home screen 42), the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a notification screen 82 notifying the user of the number of mountains issued. In other words, the game control unit 212 transmits information indicating the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI to the terminal device 10 at a predetermined trigger. Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 uses this information to notify the user of the content of the issuance of the object determined by the decider AI.

The issued mountain will be displayed on the map 40 as an available mountain on the user's terminal device 10 (see Figure 3).

The control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 accepts an operation to select a mountain to acquire from among the multiple mountains on the map 40 (step S201). In other words, the control unit 110 accepts an operation to select a specific object from among the multiple issued objects.

When an operation to select a mountain to acquire is performed, the game control unit 212 grants the selected mountain to the user (step S202). In other words, the game control unit 212 grants the user the object selected by the user from the issued objects.

The control unit 110 also accepts an operation to instruct the user to start mining in the mountain that the user has acquired (step S203). In other words, the control unit 110 accepts an operation to instruct the user to start using the object that has been issued and acquired by the user.

The game control unit 212 also starts mining based on an operation by the user instructing the user to start mining in the mountain (step S204). In other words, the game control unit 212 starts using the issued and acquired object based on an operation by the user instructing the user to start using the object.

Next, the reward granting unit 233 grants a reward to the user based on the mining in the mountain (step S205). In other words, the reward granting unit 233 grants a reward to the user based on the use of the issued and acquired object. Specifically, the reward granting unit 233 grants gems or pyroxene to the user based on the mining in the mountain.

Next, an example of the notification processing on the notification screen 82 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 13.

When one of the multiple users using this service discovers (in other words, acquires) a gem, the control unit 210 performs a process of storing, in the memory unit 220, information indicating the user who discovered the gem and information regarding the date and time of discovery (in other words, information indicating when it was discovered) for the discovered gem (step S301). The memory unit 220 also stores information indicating the rarity of each gem. That is, for each gem discovered by a user, the memory unit 220 stores information about the gem, including information indicating the user who discovered it, information indicating when it was discovered, and information indicating its rarity.

The control unit 210 also performs a process of determining which gems are to be notified from among the gems discovered during the target period, based on the gem-related information for each gem stored in the memory unit 220 (step S302). For example, the control unit 210 extracts gems with a high level of rarity from among the gems discovered the previous day (in other words, gems that meet a predetermined standard, for example, gems with a rarity within a predetermined number of ranks) and determines them as gems to be notified.

The control unit 210 also performs processing to display on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18) that the gemstone to be notified has been discovered (step S303). Specifically, the control unit 210 performs processing to display on the notification screen 82 an indication of the user who discovered the gemstone to be notified, and an indication of its rarity. The notification screen 82 displays an indication of the user who discovered the gemstone, and an indication of its rarity, and users viewing the notification screen 82 are notified that a gemstone with a high rarity has been discovered, and the user who discovered the gemstone with a high rarity, etc.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the control unit 210 controls the display of a display notifying the user of the discovery of a rare object (for example, a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the user that a rare object has been discovered) on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18). Here, the control unit 210 determines, for example, the text to be displayed on the notification screen 82 as the announcer's 83's lines, depending on the gemstone determined as the notification target, and instructs the terminal device 10 to display the text on the notification screen 82. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a display in which the announcer 83 notifies the user of the discovery of the gemstone determined as the notification target. Furthermore, the control unit 210 determines the audio to be output as the announcer's 83's lines, depending on the gemstone determined as the notification target, and instructs the terminal device 10 to output the audio from the sound output unit. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the sound output unit to output a sound from the announcer 83 notifying the user of the discovery of the gem determined to be the subject of notification. With this configuration, the user is notified of the discovery of a rare object, thereby increasing the user's motivation. Note that the lines of the announcer 83 may be a portion of a pre-prepared standard phrase (for example, a portion relating to the name of the user who discovered the gem or a portion relating to the rarity of the discovered gem) that is changed depending on the gem determined to be the subject of notification (see FIG. 10(a)).

Next, an example of the notification processing on the notification screen 82 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 14.

When one of multiple users using the service executes a transaction for gems (for example, when buying or selling with another user on the marketplace), the control unit 210 stores in the memory unit 220 information about the executed transaction, including information about the gems traded, information indicating the transaction amount, and information about the date and time the transaction took place (in other words, information indicating when the transaction took place) (step S311). In other words, for each transaction executed by a user, the memory unit 220 stores information about the traded object, information indicating the transaction amount, and information indicating when the transaction took place as transaction-related information.

The control unit 210 also performs a process of determining which transactions are to be notified from among those executed within the target period, based on the transaction-related information stored in the memory unit 220 (step S312). For example, the control unit 210 extracts transactions executed the previous day that have a large transaction amount (e.g., transactions whose transaction amounts are within a predetermined number of the top transaction amounts). The control unit 210 also determines whether the transaction amount of each extracted transaction is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The control unit 210 then determines those transactions whose transaction amount is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined amount as transactions that are to be notified. Note that if there are no transactions whose transaction amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (in other words, if there are no transactions that meet the criteria required for notification), the control unit 210 may extend the target period (for example, by 24 hours) and perform the process of determining which transactions are to be notified again. For example, if a transaction with a large transaction amount extracted from transactions executed the previous day is less than a predetermined amount, the control unit 210 expands the target period and extracts transactions with a large transaction amount (e.g., transactions with a transaction amount within a predetermined number of transaction amounts) from transactions executed the previous day or the day before that. Then, the control unit 210 determines that the transaction amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount as the transaction to be notified. The control unit 210 may also expand the target period (e.g., by 24 hours) and repeat the process of determining the transaction to be notified until a predetermined number of transactions with a transaction amount equal to or greater than the predetermined amount are found. In this case, an upper limit may be set for the extent to which the target period is expanded. For example, the control unit 210 may expand the target period up to one week, and if no transaction with a transaction amount equal to or greater than the predetermined amount is still found, determine that there are no transactions to be notified. This process of expanding the target period until a notification target is found and determining the notification target may also be performed when determining the gemstone to be notified, as illustrated in FIG. 13.

The control unit 210 also performs processing to display on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18) that the transaction has been executed for the transaction to be notified (step S313). Specifically, the control unit 210 performs processing to display on the notification screen 82 a display indicating the transaction amount for the transaction to be notified. A display indicating the transaction amount is displayed on the notification screen 82, notifying the user that a high-value transaction has been made. Note that the control unit 210 may also display information about the gemstone traded for the transaction to be notified (e.g., information about the type, size, rarity, etc. of the gemstone) on the notification screen 82.

In this embodiment, the control unit 210 controls the display of a display notifying of a high-value transaction (e.g., a display in which the announcer 83 notifies that a high-value transaction has been made) on the notification screen 82 (in other words, the display unit 18). Here, the control unit 210 determines, for example, a string of characters to be displayed on the notification screen 82 as the announcer's 83's lines, depending on the transaction determined to be the subject of notification, and instructs the terminal device 10 to display the string on the notification screen 82. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the display unit 18 to display a display in which the announcer 83 notifies of the transaction determined to be the subject of notification. Furthermore, the control unit 210 determines, based on the transaction determined to be the subject of notification, the audio to be output as the announcer's 83's lines, and instructs the terminal device 10 to output the audio from the sound output unit. Based on this instruction, the control unit 110 of the terminal device 10 causes the sound output unit to output the audio in which the announcer 83 notifies of the transaction determined to be the subject of notification. With this configuration, the user is notified that a high-value transaction has been made, which can increase the user's motivation. Note that the announcer 83's lines may be a portion of a pre-prepared standard phrase (for example, the portion relating to the transaction amount or the gemstones traded) that is changed depending on the transaction selected for notification (see Figure 10(b)).

The configuration of this embodiment can also be described as follows. The control unit 210 (or control unit 110) acquires transaction information regarding a transaction of an item executed by a user in the virtual space (specifically, an item acquired by the user). Furthermore, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) controls a predetermined object (e.g., television 80) in the virtual space to display a message notifying the user of the item transaction executed by the user (in other words, to display the message at a predetermined location in the virtual space) based on the acquired transaction information. For example, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) controls the display unit 18 to generate, based on the acquired transaction information, a news image to be displayed on a predetermined object in the virtual space that notifies the user of the transaction related to the acquired transaction information. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) controls the display unit 18 to generate, based on the acquired transaction information, an image in which a character (e.g., announcer 83) in the virtual space notifies the user of the transaction related to the acquired transaction information (in other words, to determine the character's lines based on the acquired transaction information). The transaction information acquired (or extracted) by the control unit 210 may be transaction information related to transactions that satisfy a predetermined condition. The control unit 210 may randomly acquire transaction information from among multiple pieces of transaction information stored in the storage unit 220 (e.g., transaction information related to transactions within a predetermined period, etc.) (in other words, randomly determine the transaction to be notified). The control unit 210 may also acquire the most recent transaction information from among the multiple pieces of transaction information stored in the storage unit 220. The trigger for the control unit 210 to acquire (or extract) transaction information is not particularly limited. For example, the acquisition may be based on a predetermined operation by the user (e.g., an operation on the television 80) or may be performed at predetermined times (e.g., periodically). The object in the virtual space that displays the notification may be a device that displays images (e.g., a device that displays an image related to the notification), such as the television 80, a mobile device, a personal computer, or a street vision screen within the virtual space (in other words, within the game), or may be a newspaper, advertisement, sign, bulletin board, notice board, or the like within the virtual space.

The control unit 210 (or control unit 110) also acquires information about an item discovered by the user in the virtual space (in other words, information about the user's discovery of an item). Based on the acquired information about the item discovered by the user, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) controls a predetermined object (e.g., television 80) in the virtual space to display a message notifying the user of the user's discovery of the item (in other words, to display the message at a predetermined location in the virtual space). For example, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) generates, based on the acquired information, a news image to be displayed on a predetermined object in the virtual space notifying the user of the discovery of an item related to the acquired information, and controls the display unit 18 to display the image. Based on the acquired information, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) also generates, based on the acquired information, an image notifying the user of the discovery of an item related to the acquired information by a character (e.g., announcer 83) in the virtual space (in other words, determines the character's lines based on the acquired information), and controls the display unit 18 to display the image. The information acquired (in other words, extracted) by the control unit 210 may be information about an item discovered by the user and satisfying a predetermined condition. The control unit 210 may randomly acquire information from information about items acquired by the user stored in the storage unit 220 (e.g., information about items acquired within a predetermined period of time) (in other words, may randomly determine the item to be notified). The control unit 210 may also acquire the most recent information about items acquired by the user stored in the storage unit 220. The trigger for the control unit 210 to acquire (in other words, extract) information about items acquired by the user is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, based on a predetermined operation by the user (e.g., an operation on the television 80) or at predetermined times (e.g., periodically).

The control unit 210 (or control unit 110) also acquires news information related to real-world news. Based on the acquired news information, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) controls a predetermined object (e.g., television 80) in the virtual space to display a display notifying users of real-world news (in other words, to display the display at a predetermined location in the virtual space). For example, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) generates, based on the acquired news information, a news image to be displayed on a predetermined object in the virtual space that notifies users of real-world news related to the acquired news information, and controls the display unit 18 to display the image. Based on the acquired news information, the control unit 210 (or control unit 110) also controls a character in the virtual space (e.g., announcer 83) to generate, based on the acquired news information, an image notifying users of real-world news related to the acquired news information (in other words, to determine the character's lines based on the acquired news information), and controls the display unit 18 to display the image. The news information acquired (in other words, extracted) by the control unit 210 may be news information obtained using an API that provides news information. The trigger for the control unit 210 to acquire (in other words, extract) the news information is not particularly limited, but may be based on a predetermined operation by the user (for example, an operation on the television 80), or may be performed at predetermined times (for example, periodically).

In this embodiment, the items, tokens, and various logics (in other words, smart contracts) managed on the blockchain are managed on the same blockchain, but some may be managed on different blockchains. Existing blockchains such as Ethereum and Bitcoin may be used. NFTs corresponding to item A and item B (in other words, NFTed item A and item B) may be able to be bridged from the blockchain on which they were issued to another blockchain.

Note that each configuration according to this embodiment can also be applied to services (in other words, content) other than the game according to this embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Within the scope of the invention, the components can be freely combined, any component can be modified, any component can be replaced, any component can be omitted, or other components can be added. Furthermore, the processing flow described in this specification is merely an example, and the order and configuration of each process may be different. Furthermore, some processes described in this specification may not exist. In other words, the processing flow and specific determination processes may differ from those exemplified in this specification.

<Additional Notes>
The configuration of this embodiment may be used to, for example, improve the interest of a service. The matters described in the above embodiment may also be written as in the following supplementary notes.

(Appendix 1)
Computer,
A program that causes an AI to function as a control means (game control unit 212) that determines the content of the issuance of an object in a virtual space based on information regarding the issuance of the object generated by each of multiple AIs.
According to this configuration, the content of the object issuance is determined by AI, which makes it possible to prevent users from feeling that the service operator is controlling the issuance of the object, which would reduce the interest of the service. Furthermore, by using multiple AIs to determine the content of the object issuance, it is possible to bring about variation in the content to be determined compared to when a single AI is used to determine the content of the object issuance, and it is possible to prevent the content to be determined from becoming monotonous. Therefore, it is possible to improve the interest of the service.

(Appendix 2)
The program according to claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of AI models functions as each of the plurality of AIs.
This configuration can prevent a specific AI model from appearing too strongly when determining the content of the object to be issued. This can provide more variety in the content of the object to be issued, thereby improving the interest of the service.

(Appendix 3)
The program according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of different personalities set in a single AI model function as each of the plurality of AIs.
This configuration allows for a reduction in the number of AI models used when determining the content of an object to be issued. Furthermore, by setting the personality, it becomes possible to give a distinctive character to the content of the object to be issued.

(Appendix 4)
The program according to claim 1, wherein the control means causes an AI different from the plurality of AIs to determine the content of the issuance of the object based on the information generated by each of the plurality of AIs.
With this configuration, it is possible to bring more variation to the content of the object issuance that is decided, compared to when multiple AIs that generate information related to the issuance of objects are made to decide the content of the object issuance, thereby improving the interest of the service.

(Appendix 5)
The program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, wherein the control means causes the plurality of AIs to generate the information based on data indicating a usage status of a predetermined item by a user in a virtual space.
According to this configuration, the content of the object to be issued determined by the AI can be made to correspond to the user's usage of the service, thereby improving the interest of the service. Furthermore, for example, when the AI is made to determine the content of the object to be issued based on the user's opinions (for example, when the multiple AIs are made to generate the information based on the user's opinions), by determining the content of the object to be issued in combination with data related to the user's usage of the service, it is possible to prevent decisions unintended by the operator from being made due to prompt injection that exploits the collection of user opinions.

(Appendix 6)
The program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, wherein the control means causes the plurality of AIs to generate the information based on a user's opinion.
With this configuration, the content of the object to be issued, which is determined by AI, can reflect the user's opinions, thereby increasing the interest of the service.

(Appendix 7)
The program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, wherein the control means causes the plurality of AIs to generate the information based on real-world news.
With this configuration, real-world news information is also used to determine the content of object publication. Because real-world news changes daily, using news information can bring more variety to the content of object publications that are determined, preventing the determined content from becoming monotonous. This can improve the interest of the service.

(Appendix 8)
Computer,
The program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, wherein the program functions as a notification means (for example, the control unit 110) that notifies the user of the content of the determined issuance of the object.
With this configuration, the user can be informed of changes to the virtual space that occur as a result of decisions made by the AI.

(Appendix 9)
Computer,
an acquisition means (e.g., a control unit 210) for acquiring information regarding item transactions performed by a user in a virtual space and information regarding news in the real world;
A program that functions as a control means (e.g., a control unit 210) that performs control to display a display on a specified object in a virtual space notifying a user of an item transaction performed by the user based on information regarding the item transaction acquired by the acquisition means, and control to display a display on the specified object notifying the user of real-world news based on information regarding real-world news acquired by the acquisition means.
According to such a configuration, for example, by notifying the user of events in the real world and events in the virtual space in a similar format, the user who receives the notification can feel that the events in the virtual space are as if they were events in the real world, thereby increasing the user's sense of immersion in the service.

(Appendix 10)
Computer,
an acquisition means (e.g., the control unit 210) for acquiring information about transactions that satisfy predetermined conditions among item transactions executed by a user in a virtual space;
a notification means (e.g., the control unit 110) that notifies a user of a transaction that satisfies the predetermined condition related to the information acquired by the acquisition means;
A program that functions as a
With this configuration, even when a large number of transactions are carried out in the virtual space, it is possible to select which transactions to notify the user of, thereby improving convenience.

The problem-solving means constituted by the above-mentioned program (for example, the components described in the appendix) can be appropriately adapted for use in devices, systems, methods, media, etc.

1 Game System, 3 Blockchain System, 10 Terminal Device, 11 Processor, 12 Memory, 13 Storage, 14 Communication Interface, 15 Input/Output Interface, 17 Input Unit, 18 Display Unit, 20 Server, 21 Processor, 22 Memory, 23 Storage, 24 Communication Interface, 25 Input/Output Interface, 30 Node Device, 31 Processor, 32 Memory, 33 Storage, 34 Communication Interface, 35 Input/Output Interface, 110 Control Unit, 111 Operation Reception Unit, 112 Transmitting/Received Unit, 113 Terminal Processing Unit, 114 Display Control Unit, 120 Memory Unit, 210 Control Unit, 211 Transmitting/Received Unit, 212 Game Control Unit, 213 Asset Management Unit, 214 Market Management Unit, 220 Memory Unit, 231 Virtual Space Management Unit, 233 Reward Granting Unit, 310 Control Unit, 320 Memory Unit

Claims (2)

Computer,
A program that causes each of a plurality of AIs to generate information regarding the number of objects to be issued in the game that can be obtained by the plurality of users based on data indicating the game play status of the plurality of users, including users who are not currently logged in to the game, and causes the AI to function as a control means that determines the number of objects to be issued based on the information generated by each of the plurality of AIs. An information processing system comprising: a control means for causing each of a plurality of AIs to generate information regarding the number of objects to be issued in the game that can be obtained by the plurality of users based on data indicating the game play status of the plurality of users, including users who are not currently logged in to the game; and for causing the AI to determine the number of objects to be issued based on the information generated by each of the plurality of AIs.