Game Progress Administration Method and Its System

Abstract

A game system according to the present invention is provided with a CPU 361 including a winner determining section 361c for determining a winner advancing to the second round every time a competition game of each combination constituting the first round finishes, a combination determining section 361d for fitting the winner determined by the winner determining section 361c in a selected combination of a competition game constituting the second round, and a competition starting section 361e for instructing the start of the combination game of the second round to client terminal units 1 included in the selected combination ST if the selected combination is filled up with the competitors as a result of the additional winner fitted in the selected combination. In this way, the combinations of the next rounds can be determined in a tournament game.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY[0001]The present invention relates to a game progress administration method according to which game terminal units to be operated by players and adapted to display game screens are so connected via communication lines as to be able to communicate operation signals necessary for the progress of a game, and the progress of a tournament game comprised of a plurality of rounds in each of which a specified number of combinations of competition games are set, the respective competition games in at least one round having indefinite competition times, are administered, and also to a system implementing such a method.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY[0002]Various video game systems playable among a plurality of players have been conventionally proposed or already used. There is also known a video game system in which a plurality of video game apparatuses (game terminal units) of the same type are installed for arcade games and connected via a network (and a server) such as a LAN or I...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]With this arrangement, the watch means causes the game screen of the ongoing competition game constituting the one round to be displayed on the competition waiting terminal unit, which is the game terminal unit included in the one combination, until this combination is filled up with the competitors after the winner is fitted in this combination. Accordingly, the game terminal unit (competition waiting terminal unit) enters a standby state for the next round until the one combination is filled up with the competitors after the winner is fitted in the one combination by the combination determining means. However, since the game screen of the ongoing competition game is displayed on this game terminal unit, the player playing this game terminal unit can watch the game, thereby suppressing a drop in the interest caused by the occurrence of the competition standby state.

[0015]With this arrangement, the combination determining means preferentially fits the winner determined by the winner determining means in the one combination, in which at least one winner is already fitted, out of the combinations constituting the next round. Accordingly, the winner determined by the winner determining means is preferentially fitted in the combination, in which at least one winner is already fitted, out of the combinations constituting the next round. Thus, the combination can be efficiently filled up with the competitors, thereby suppressing the occurrence of waiting times until the start of the next round.

Problems solved by technology

In the case where strangers compete with each other in this way, since abilities of the competitors concerning the competition game cannot be known, the competition game can become unpredictable and interesting in a specific manner as compared to ordinary competition games played using stand-alone video game apparatuses as competitors.

In the case of playing such time-limit free competition games (e.g. mahjong games simulating mahjong) in a tournament, there is a problem that, even if competitions in the first round of the tournament are started at the same time, competition ending times differ depending on the combinations of players constituting the tournament (competition times differ).

Further, different competition times result in waiting times until the start of the next round, thereby creating a problem of making the game less interesting.

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