Game System

Abstract

To optimize the revenue and expenditure balance of multiple game service providers. [Solution] The stores where the game machines are installed are associated with the play data that shows the progress of the game. When a player whose play data is associated with the first store instructs the system to associate the play data with the second store, the play data is associated with the second store. When the same player instructs the system to associate the play data from the second store back with the first store, the play data is associated with the first store again. A penalty is given to the player based on the comparison result between the first play data when the association was changed from the first store to the second store and the second play data when the association was changed from the second store back to the first store.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for managing players of computer games.

Background Art

[0002] Game arcades are visited by a large number of unspecified players. Many of the players are excellent players, but there are also a certain number of players who are not welcomed, for example, because they have caused problem behaviors in the past. Also, depending on the nature of the arcade game, players who have come from other stores may cause disadvantages to the management (details will be described later).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Depending on the game, there are those that include a period when it is difficult to be a revenue opportunity for the game arcade and a period when it is easy to be a revenue opportunity. When a user continuously plays the same game at multiple game arcades, the balance of income and expenditure for each game arcade may become unfair.

[0005] The present invention is an invention completed based on the above recognition of problems, and its main object is to provide a technology for optimizing the balance of income and expenditure of multiple game service providers.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A game system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a play data management unit that manages by associating store data corresponding to a store where a game machine is installed with play data indicating the progress of a player's game, and an evaluation unit. When the play data management unit receives instructions from a player whose play data is associated with the first store to associate the play data with the second store, it associates the play data with the second store, and when the player instructs it to associate the play data from the second store back with the first store, it associates the play data with the first store again. The evaluation unit imposes a penalty on the player based on the comparison result between the first play data when the mapping was changed from the first store to the second store and the second play data when the mapping was changed from the second store to the first store. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes easier to optimize the revenue and expenditure balance of multiple game service providers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the game mechanism in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of the server. [Figure 4] This is a data structure diagram of player compatibility information. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the penalty list. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram to explain the alert levels. [Figure 7] This is a data structure diagram of evaluation information. [Figure 8] This is a data structure diagram of the allowable setting information. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the process of transferring play data. [Figure 10] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the game mechanism in this embodiment. The game in this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "Game G") is an arcade game. Players borrow tokens, which serve as game currency, in exchange for legal tender at a game store equipped with an arcade game machine, and use the tokens to play Game G.

[0010] Game G is a game in which players breed and raise racehorses (characters) and enter them in races, competing against each other in their racehorse breeding skills. Game G has a "Breeding Mode" and a "Racing Mode". In Training Mode, players invest medals to raise racehorses. Specifically, players acquire racehorses with medals, feed them, and have them trained. In Training Mode, many medals tend to be invested, making it a profitable opportunity for game stores.

[0011] On the other hand, in racing mode, players enter racehorses into races. Depending on the race results, players can receive medals as prize money. Since medals are paid out in racing mode, it is a good opportunity for arcades to make money.

[0012] In this way, in Game G, players produce and train racehorses by investing medals in the training mode, and earn medals in the racing mode. By investing the earned medals again, they acquire and train new racehorses.

[0013] Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of game system 200. In the game system 200, multiple game shops 300a, 300b...300n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "game shops 300" when referring to them together or without distinction) are connected to the server 100 via the internet 102. An operation terminal 104, operated by the operator of the game system 200, is connected to the server 100.

[0014] A plurality of arcade game machines 302 are installed in the game store 300. The arcade game machines 302 are wired-connected to the Internet 102. The arcade game machines 302 may be wired-connected to the server 100. A player is identified by a player ID. The game store 300 is identified by a store ID. The player holds a player card registered with the player ID and reads the player ID from the player card to the arcade game machine 302 when playing the game G.

[0015] The game store 300 executes the game G in cooperation with the server 100. The server 100 executes various controls described later, such as player management.

[0016] The server 100 manages the play history information and play data of each player. The "play history information" is information indicating the player's action history during the play of an arcade game, such as the number of times the player has performed "transfer" described later, the number of error occurrences, and the play time. The "play data" is information indicating the progress status of the game G, such as the breeding status of racehorses held by the player.

[0017] For example, assume that a certain player PX1 only plays the game G at the game store 300a. If player PX1 enjoys both the breeding mode and the racing mode at the game store 300a, a certain profit can be expected from player PX1 for the game store 300a. The result of player PX1 playing the game G is transmitted from the arcade game machine 302 to the server 100, and the server 100 updates the play data.

[0018] On the other hand, if player PX1 focuses only on breeding racehorses at the game store 300b and only enjoys the racing mode at the game store 300a, the game store 300a may not be able to obtain a profit. Since medal investment occurs in the breeding mode, the game store 300b can expect a profit from player PX1. On the other hand, since prize payouts are likely to occur in the racing mode, the game store 300a may not be able to expect a profit from player PX1.

[0019] To prevent disadvantages from occurring at specific stores, in this embodiment, the server 100 associates players with one of the game stores 300 (hereinafter, the game store 300 associated with a player will be referred to as the "home store"). For example, when game store 300a is set as the home store for player PX1, as a rule, player PX1 can only play game G at game store 300a. In other words, the server 100 makes player PX1's play data available only at game store 300a. By setting a home store in this way, in other words, by associating the game store 300 with the play data, the aforementioned disadvantages to game store 300 are prevented.

[0020] However, fixing a player's home base can sometimes cause inconveniences for the player. For example, if a player who enjoys playing Game G at Game Store 300 (their home base) in Shizuoka Prefecture is transferred to Miyazaki Prefecture, this player will no longer be able to enjoy Game G in Miyazaki Prefecture. Similarly, if a player whose home base is in Osaka Prefecture returns to their hometown in Hiroshima Prefecture for summer vacation, they will no longer be able to play Game G in Hiroshima Prefecture. In addition, if Game Store 300 closes down, players who used that store as their home base will no longer be able to continue playing Game G. Taking these inconveniences into consideration, Game System 200 allows for "transfers" under certain conditions. A transfer means that a player changes their home base by linking their play data, which was associated with one Game Store 300a, to another Game Store 300b.

[0021] While the transfer function of Server 100 ensures convenience for players, as mentioned above, it may also cause disadvantages to some game stores 300. Therefore, Server 100 evaluates players based on their play history to help game stores 300 decide whether or not to accept new players.

[0022] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of server 100. Each component of server 100 is realized by hardware including arithmetic units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various coprocessors, memory and storage devices, and wired or wireless communication lines connecting them, as well as software stored in the storage devices that supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic units. The computer program may consist of device drivers, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs. The blocks described below represent functional units, not hardware units.

[0023] The server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a data processing unit 112, and a data storage unit 114. The communication unit 110 is responsible for processing communication with the game store 300 (arcade game machine 302) via the internet 102. The data storage unit 114 stores various types of data. The data processing unit 112 performs various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 110 and the data stored in the data storage unit 114. The data processing unit 112 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 110 and the data storage unit 114.

[0024] The communication unit 110 includes a transmitting unit 116 and a receiving unit 118. The transmitting unit 116 transmits various data to the arcade game machine 302, etc. The receiving unit 118 receives various data from the arcade game machine 302, etc.

[0025] The data storage unit 114 includes a play history storage unit 126, a play data storage unit 128, an evaluation storage unit 130, and an allowable setting storage unit 132. The play history storage unit 126 stores play history information. The play data storage unit 128 stores play data. The evaluation storage unit 130 stores evaluation information showing the evaluation value for each player (described later). The tolerance setting storage unit 132 stores tolerance setting information showing the acceptance criteria for players for each game store 300 (described later).

[0026] The data processing unit 112 includes an evaluation unit 120, a play data management unit 122, a play history management unit 134, and a setting unit 124. The evaluation unit 120 determines the player's evaluation value based on the play history information using the method described below. The evaluation value here is a collective term for penalty points and alert level. The evaluation value is a numerical representation of the level of alertness towards the player. Details will be described later. The play history management unit 134 manages the play history information. The arcade game machine 302 and the game store 300 report the player's actions to the server 100 as appropriate, and the play history management unit 134 updates the play history information based on this report.

[0027] The play data management unit 122 manages the play data. Each time a player plays game G on the arcade game machine 302, the play data management unit 122 updates the play data. The aforementioned transfer is also performed by the play data management unit 122. The setting unit 124 updates the permissible setting information according to instructions from the manager of the game store 300.

[0028] Figure 4 is a data structure diagram of player compatibility information 140. The player correspondence information 140 is stored in the play data storage unit 128. As described above, the play data is associated with the game store 300. The player correspondence information 140 shows the correspondence between the player and the game store 300, in other words, the correspondence between the play data and the game store 300 (home store).

[0029] For example, a player with player ID=P01 (hereinafter referred to as "player(P01)") is associated with game store 300(Q01). In other words, player(P01)'s home store is game store 300(Q01). In this case, since player(P01)'s play data (hereinafter referred to as "play data(P01)") is associated with game store 300(Q01), player(P01) can only play game G at game store 300(Q01).

[0030] If a player (P01) wants to play game G at a different game store 300 (Q02), or in other words, if they want to continue playing game G with the same account based on their existing play data, the player (P01) needs to apply for a transfer to server 100.

[0031] For example, suppose a player (P01) associated with game store 300 (Q01) wants to continue playing game G at game store 300 (Q02). In this case, the player (P01) applies for a transfer on the transfer application screen (not shown) of the arcade game machine 302 installed at game store 300 (Q02: destination). Whether or not this transfer application is approved is determined by the acceptance criteria of the destination game store 300 (Q02), but the details will be described later.

[0032] Figure 5 shows the penalty list of 150. The evaluation unit 120 evaluates players based on the penalty list 150. There are two types of player evaluations: "automatic evaluation" by the evaluation unit 120 and "manual evaluation" by the operator. The evaluation unit 120 calculates the cumulative value of penalty points for each player (hereinafter referred to as "cumulative points") based on the penalty list 150. Manual evaluation will be described later in relation to Figure 6.

[0033] Penalty List 150 links player misconduct to penalty points. "Misconduct" here refers to actions defined by the administrator as undesirable or presumably undesirable when a player is playing Game G.

[0034] For example, a player can set their machine 302 to temporarily leave their seat while playing game G, for reasons such as using the restroom. While the player is away from their seat, no one other than other players can play game G on the arcade game machine 302. In other words, setting the player to leave their seat ensures that the arcade game machine 302 remains occupied. The player can continue playing game G by canceling the "away from seat" setting by holding their player card over the arcade game machine 302.

[0035] If a player leaves the arcade 300 while still in the "away from seat" state, the arcade game machine 302 will remain occupied, resulting in a loss for the arcade 300. Therefore, in this embodiment, the arcade game machine 302 determines that an absence violation (a type of fraudulent activity) has occurred if the absence state lasts for a predetermined period of time, for example, one hour or more. When an absence violation occurs, the arcade game machine 302 sends an absence violation notification to the server 100 along with the player ID. When the play history management unit 134 receives the absence violation notification, it records the date and time of the absence violation in the player's play history information.

[0036] The evaluation unit 120 periodically calculates the cumulative points for each player, for example, once a week. At the time of evaluation, the cumulative points are reset, and the cumulative points are recalculated based on any fraudulent activity that occurred during the past month from the time of evaluation (hereinafter, this period will be referred to as the "verification period").

[0037] For example, if a player (P01) has committed four or more "away-from-table violations" during the verification period (past month), the evaluation unit 120 adds 10 penalty points to the player's (P01) cumulative points. If there are three away-from-table violations, 3 penalty points are added to the cumulative points, and no penalty points are added if there are two or fewer violations.

[0038] While transferring teams is a right granted to players, excessive transfers may be considered fraudulent. The evaluation unit 120 adds 3 points to the player's (P01) cumulative points if the player has transferred teams four or more times during the verification period.

[0039] Let's assume an error occurred on arcade game machine 302 while playing game G. Possible errors include game G freezing, resetting (restarting), failure to read player ID, or data overflow. While errors are usually not the player's fault, if errors occur frequently for one player, it is highly likely that this player is engaging in some kind of cheating.

[0040] The evaluation unit 120 adds 10 points to the cumulative points of player (P01) if five or more errors occur during the verification period. Similarly, if the number of errors is between three and four, 2 points are added to the cumulative points of player (P01).

[0041] The same applies when the power goes out (power outage) during gameplay. Power outages are usually not the player's fault, but if a particular player experiences frequent power outages, it is highly likely that some kind of cheating is taking place, such as intentionally turning off the power. The evaluation unit 120 adds 10 points to the cumulative points if 10 or more power outages occur during the verification period. If the number of power outages is between 5 and 9, 5 points are added to the cumulative points.

[0042] In addition, the evaluation unit 120 also adds cumulative points if a transfer of employees that could cause losses to the game store 300 (hereinafter referred to as "fraudulent transfer") occurs during the verification period.

[0043] For example, suppose Player (P01) uses Game Shop 300 (Q01) as their home base and raises the training level of their racehorses from "0" to "10". Next, suppose Player (P01) transfers to Game Shop 300 (Q02) and raises the training level of their racehorses from "10" to "50". Furthermore, suppose Player (P01) transfers back from Game Shop 300 (Q02) to their original Game Shop 300 (Q01).

[0044] In the above example, at game shop 300 (Q02), the racehorses are properly trained, so the player's (P01) actions do not pose any particular problem for game shop 300 (Q02). On the other hand, at game shop 300 (Q01), the racehorse that was transferred out at training level "10" has returned at training level "50," meaning that the shop did not receive the profit equivalent to training level "40 (=50-10)."

[0045] In such cases, the evaluation unit 120 adds a penalty point of 40 to the cumulative points of the player (P01) at game store 300 (Q01), which is the difference between the training level of "50" at the time of transfer and the training level of "10" at the time of transfer. Since the transfer of the player (P01) into and out (return) is a nuisance for game store 300 (Q01), the evaluation unit 120 imposes a penalty on the player (P01) based on the degree of the nuisance.

[0046] As mentioned above, the type of misconduct and the magnitude of the penalty points in the penalty list 150 can be arbitrarily set by the operator. The evaluation unit 120 periodically refers to the play history of all players during the verification period and calculates the cumulative points as penalty points accumulated during each player's verification period.

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the alert levels. The evaluation unit 120 sets a warning level for each player based on their cumulative points. A warning level of "0" indicates a so-called "white player," and the game store 300 cannot refuse entry to a player with a warning level of "0." The evaluation unit 120 sets the warning level of players with cumulative points of 100 or less to "0."

[0048] Players with a cumulative total of 101 points or more will be assigned to one of three alert levels: "1" through "3". Game shop 300 may refuse entry to players with alert levels "1" or "2". Furthermore, entry to players with alert level "3" will not be permitted at all.

[0049] The evaluation unit 120 calculates cumulative points based on the penalty list 150 and play history, and sets the player's alert level to "0" or "1" through automatic evaluation. Meanwhile, the operator manually evaluates the player's alert level based on reports from each game store 300. Through manual evaluation, the player's alert level is set to "2" or "3".

[0050] For example, suppose player (P02) is banned from entering game store 300 (Q01). The owner of game store 300 (Q01) reports the banned player's (P02) player ID to the operation terminal 104. The ban is likely due to player (P02) having committed some kind of fraudulent or disruptive act at game store 300 (Q01). At this time, the operator accesses server 100 from operation terminal 104 and sets player (P02)'s alert level to "2". If it is discovered that player (P03) has made a fraudulent payment, the operator sets player (P03)'s alert level to "3".

[0051] In summary, with only automatic evaluation by the evaluation unit 120, players are set to alert level "0" or "1". In the case of manual evaluation, the operator can set the player's alert level to "2" or "3". For example, even if a player has an alert level of "0", if particularly malicious behavior (e.g., fraudulent payment) is detected, the operator can immediately set this player's alert level to "3". Particularly malicious fraudulent behavior as judged by the operator is called "malicious behavior". The operator has established evaluation criteria that associate various malicious behaviors with alert levels in advance, and manually evaluates the player's alert level based on reports from the game store 300.

[0052] Even if penalty points accumulate due to the automatic evaluation by the evaluation unit 120, the player's alert level will only rise to "1". The alert level will only reach "2" or "3" when a manual evaluation is performed by the operator.

[0053] Game store 300 can set its own acceptable threshold for alert levels (evaluation values). For example, suppose a certain game store 300 has set its acceptable threshold to "1". In this case, players with alert levels "0" and "1" can enter this game store 300, but players with alert levels "2" and "3" cannot.

[0054] Let's say another game store, 300, sets its tolerance threshold to "2". In this case, only players with a warning level of "3" will be denied entry to this game store 300, while players with warning levels of "0", "1", and "2" will be allowed to enter.

[0055] Figure 7 is a data structure diagram of evaluation information 160. The evaluation information 160 is stored in the evaluation storage unit 130. As described above, the evaluation unit 120 periodically calculates the player's cumulative points. In addition, the operator of the game system 200 manually sets the alert level for each player based on reports from the game store 300.

[0056] According to the evaluation information 160 shown in Figure 7, the cumulative points of player (P01) are "27", and the alert level is "0". This means that although some cheating was detected by player (P01) during the verification period, no malicious activity was observed.

[0057] Player (P02) has a total of 114 points, and their alert level is 1. Although Player (P02) has engaged in fraudulent activity totaling 101 points or more, they have not committed any serious offenses, hence their alert level is 1. The same applies to Player (P03).

[0058] Despite player (P03) having a relatively low cumulative points total of "17," their alert level has been set to the worst possible level, "3." Although player (P03) has not engaged in many fraudulent activities, serious malicious acts such as fraudulent payments and violations of the terms of service have been observed, leading the operator to set a high alert level for them.

[0059] Player (P04) has a very high cumulative points total of "425," but their alert level is "2." This is because, although Player (P02) engages in a lot of cheating, they haven't committed any particularly serious or malicious acts.

[0060] Figure 8 is a data structure diagram of the allowable setting information 170. The permissible setting information 170 is stored in the permissible setting storage unit 132. The permissible setting information 170 defines the permissible threshold for each game store 300. The owner of the game store 300 selects one of "0", "1", or "2" as the permissible threshold. The setting unit 124 sets the permissible threshold in the permissible setting information 170 according to the setting instructions from the game store 300, which include the store ID and the permissible threshold.

[0061] For example, since the acceptable threshold for game store 300 (Q01) is "1", game store 300 (Q01) will accept players with alert levels "0" and "1", but will not accept players with alert levels "2" or higher. Since the acceptable threshold for game store 300 (Q03) is "2", game store 300 (Q02) will only refuse entry to players with alert level "3". On the other hand, game store 300 (Q04) will only accept entry to players with alert level "0".

[0062] Setting a high tolerance threshold would make it easier for Game Shop 300 to expand its customer base, but it would also increase the risk of accepting problematic players. On the other hand, setting a low tolerance threshold would make it harder to attract new players, but it would make it easier to improve the quality of the customer base. The owner of Game Shop 300 should set the tolerance threshold according to their own business policy.

[0063] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process of transferring play data. This explanation assumes that a player (P06) is transferring from game store 300 (Q01) to game store 300 (Q02). First, the player (P06) goes to the new game store 300 (Q02), enters their player ID into arcade game machine 302, and then displays the transfer application screen (not shown) on arcade game machine 302.

[0064] When a transfer request is entered on the transfer request screen, the arcade game machine 302 sends the player ID and store ID of the player (P06) to the server 100. The play data management unit 122 of the server 100 refers to the evaluation information 160 and the acceptable setting information 170 and determines whether or not the transfer of the player (P06) is permitted based on the acceptable threshold of the game store 300 (Q02) (S10).

[0065] If the player's (P06) alert level is below the acceptable threshold (Y in S10), the play data management unit 122 instructs the arcade game machine 302 at game store 300 (Q02) to grant permission for transfer and updates the player correspondence information 140 (S12). As a result, the destination of the player's (P06) play data changes from game store 300 (Q01) to game store 300 (Q02).

[0066] After the transfer of play data is complete, the transmission unit 116 of the server 100 sends permission to start game G to the arcade game machine 302 (S14). After this, the player (P06) can play game G at the game store 300 (Q02). In addition, the play data management unit 122 updates the play history in response to the transfer of play data.

[0067] On the other hand, if the transfer of the player (P06) is not permitted (N in S10), the transmitter 116 sends a denial notice to the arcade game machine 302 (S16). At this time, the transfer application screen of the arcade game machine 302 displays "Transfer of play data was not permitted."

[0068] [Summary] The game system 200 has been described above based on the embodiments. Server 100 aggregates various player behaviors at each game store 300 as play history information, and the evaluation unit 120 automatically and appropriately evaluates the players. Therefore, when accepting new players at a game store 300, high-risk players can be effectively filtered out.

[0069] The operators of Game Shop 300 can freely set the level of caution they will accept, while considering the balance between attracting customers and maintaining credibility. Furthermore, particularly troublesome players, such as those with caution level "3," can be forcibly removed by the operators, preventing troublesome players from causing damage to many Game Shop 300 locations.

[0070] The evaluation unit 120 also adds penalty points to players who make an unusually high number of errors. Even if it's not clear cheating, adding penalty points to suspicious players allows for a reasonable assessment of the level of caution required for players in the gray area.

[0071] The evaluation unit 120 calculates cumulative points for fraudulent activities during the verification period. Therefore, even players who have accumulated a large number of points can regain credibility over time. Similarly, the evaluation unit 120 may lower the alert level by one level after a certain period of time has elapsed, even if the evaluation is based on manual assessment results. This control method allows players to have an opportunity to reflect on their actions by temporarily imposing penalties for fraudulent or malicious behavior, while also preventing the excessive exclusion of players based on past actions.

[0072] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and the components can be modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments and modifications described above. In addition, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments and modifications described above.

[0073] Although the game system 200 is described as being composed of multiple arcade game machines 302 and one server 100, some of the functions of the arcade game machines 302 may be implemented by the server 100, and some of the functions of the server 100 may be assigned to the arcade game machines 302. Furthermore, a third device other than the arcade game machines 302 and server 100 may perform some of the functions of the server 100 or the arcade game machines 302. The collection of the operation terminal 104, arcade game machines 302 and game server 100 described in Figure 2 can also be viewed as a single "information processing device (game device)" in a broad sense. How to distribute the multiple functions necessary to realize the present invention to one or more hardware components should be determined in consideration of the processing capabilities of each hardware component and the specifications required for the game system 200.

[0074] [Differentiation] In this embodiment, the system was described as determining whether a player is allowed to enter based on the alert level, but the present invention can be applied not only to determining whether a player is allowed to enter but also to determining whether a player is allowed to enter the store. For example, the server 100 may be equipped with a "credit assessment unit". When a player enters the game store 300, they may hold their player card over an authentication terminal. The authentication terminal reads the player ID from the player card and transmits the player ID to the server 100, and the credit assessment unit of the server 100 determines whether a player is allowed to enter based on the acceptable threshold and the alert level. If entry is refused, the authentication terminal displays "We regret to inform you that we will have to refuse your entry for the time being."

[0075] Based on the player's alert level, the arcade game machine 302 may determine whether or not play is permitted. The player holds their player card over the arcade game machine 302, allowing the machine to read their player ID. The transmission unit (not shown) of the arcade game machine 302 sends the player ID to the server 100 and requests a credit check. The credit determination unit of the server 100 compares the acceptable threshold of the game store 300 with the player's alert level and notifies the arcade game machine 302 whether or not play is permitted. The arcade game machine 302 starts game G on the condition that play is permitted by the server 100. This control method effectively prevents players who should be under suspicion from entering the game store 300.

[0076] A player may check their security level (trustworthiness) by accessing the server 100 from a user terminal such as a smartphone. Alternatively, a player may specify a game store 300 as a potential destination and check whether their play data can be transferred or whether they can enter the store. For example, suppose a player (P01) wants to transfer to game store 300 (Q05). In this case, the player specifies player ID=P01 and store ID=Q05 and sends a transfer confirmation to the server 100 from the user terminal. The play data management unit 122 of the server 100 may determine whether player (P01) can be transferred to game store 300 (Q05) based on the player ID and store ID and notify the user terminal.

[0077] In this embodiment, we have described the use of both automatic and manual evaluation, but the player's alert level may also be managed based solely on automatic evaluation, or solely on manual evaluation.

[0078] Figure 10 is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system 220 in a modified example. The trust management method described in this embodiment can also be applied to so-called network games. Figure 10 shows a game system 220 that includes a game server 230A (premium) that only trustworthy (low-alert) players (hereinafter referred to as "premium players") can participate in, and a game server 230B (standard) that can be accessed by players who are not necessarily trustworthy (high-alert) (hereinafter referred to as "regular players"). Both game servers 230A and 230B provide multiplayer network games to user terminals 222 such as smartphones.

[0079] Assume that player (P01) has an alert level of "0", player (P02) has an alert level of "1", and players (P03) and (P04) have an alert level of "2". Assume that the acceptable threshold for game server 230A (premium) is "1", and the acceptable threshold for game server 230B (standard) is "2". In other words, players (P01) and (P02) are excellent players, and players (P03) and (P04) are average players.

[0080] In this case, the user terminal 222a of a premium player (P01) can access both game server 230A and game server 230B. The user terminal 222b of a premium player (P02) can also access both game server 230A and game server 230B. On the other hand, the user terminals 222c of a regular player (P03) and 222d of a regular player (P04) can only access game server 230B.

[0081] With this control method, only high-quality players can participate in the game space provided by game server 230A (premium), allowing each player to enjoy multiplayer network games with peace of mind. On the other hand, game server 230B (standard) accepts many players, allowing a large number of players to participate in multiplayer network games.

[0082] Players may be evaluated not only based on their alert level, but also on their proficiency in the game. For example, the game space (community) on game server 230A (premium) may be limited to advanced players, i.e., players whose player level, indicating their proficiency, is above a certain level, while the game space on game server 230B (standard) may be open to intermediate and lower-level players as well.

[0083] With this control method, in the game space of game server 230A (premium), advanced players can enjoy a high-level gaming experience without being bothered by intermediate and beginner players. On the other hand, in game server 230B (standard), intermediate and beginner players can enjoy a gaming experience with players of their own skill level without feeling pressured by advanced players. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 100 Server, 102 Internet, 104 Operation terminal, 110 Communication unit, 112 Data processing unit, 114 Data storage unit, 116 Transmission unit, 118 Receiving unit, 120 Evaluation unit, 122 Play data management unit, 124 Settings unit, 126 Play history storage unit, 128 Play data storage unit, 130 Evaluation storage unit, 132 Allowable settings storage unit, 134 Play history management unit, 140 Player correspondence information, 150 Penalty list, 160 Evaluation information, 170 Allowable settings information, 200 Game system, 220 Game system, 222 User terminal, 230A Game server, 230B Game server, 300 Game store, 302 Arcade game machine

Claims

1. A play data management unit manages store data corresponding to the stores where game machines are installed, and play data indicating the player's game progress. It includes an evaluation unit, The aforementioned play data management unit is: When a player whose play data is associated with the first store instructs the system to associate the play data with the second store, the system associates the play data with the second store. When the player instructs the system to reassociate the play data from the second store back to the first store, the system reassociates the play data back to the first store. The evaluation unit described above, A game system that imposes a penalty on the player based on the result of comparing the first play data obtained when the mapping is changed from the first store to the second store with the second play data obtained when the mapping is changed from the second store to the first store.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit changes the evaluation value managed for each player based on the difference between the first play data and the second play data as the penalty.

3. A tolerance threshold is set for the game machines installed in the first store. The game system according to claim 2, wherein the game machine in the first store, after the association of play data has been changed from the second store to the first store, compares the changed evaluation value of the player with the acceptable threshold to determine whether or not to provide the player with an opportunity to play the game.

4. The game machines installed in the second store are set to an acceptable threshold. The game system according to claim 2, wherein the game machine in the second store determines whether or not to provide the player with an opportunity to play the game based on the player's evaluation value when the association of the play data is changed from the first store to the second store and an acceptable threshold set in the game machine in the second store.

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