Game system, information communication terminal, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to a game system, an information communication terminal, and a recording medium. The present invention can easily grasp the characters to be cultivated. The game system of the present invention is configured to include: a game device that provides a game related to cultivating characters evolved through a plurality of evolution stages; and an information communication terminal that is configured to be able to communicate with the game device and causes an evolution process of a group of characters that can be derived and evolved from at least one character to be displayed on a display mechanism; for each character that can be cultivated in the game device, category information that can uniquely specify the type and evolution state of the character is determined, and at least a part of the characters are displayed in an unrecognizable form in the initial state in the evolution process, and the evolution process is configured to be able to recognize the number of types of characters in each evolution stage for the corresponding group of characters. The information communication terminal includes: a first acquisition mechanism that acquires category information related to the characters cultivated in the game device; and a display control mechanism that causes the evolution process of the characters related to the category information acquired by the first acquisition mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism in such a way that the cultivated characters are changed from an unrecognizable form to a recognizable form.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a game system, an information communication terminal, and a recording medium, and more particularly to an electronic game having a character cultivation function. Background Art

[0002] There is a technique for easily grasping the collection status of characters related to a game, and a picture book page is configured to comprehensively identify logged-in characters logged in by a user and unlogged characters (Patent Document 1).

[0003] [Prior Art Documents]

[0004] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-027343 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] However, in the picture book page described in Patent Document 1, although logged-in characters and unlogged characters can be grasped, specific guidelines on how the user should advance the game to complete the picture book are not presented.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a game system, an information communication terminal, and a program that can easily grasp characters to be cultivated.

[0009] [Technical Means for Solving the Problems]

[0010] The game system of the present invention is configured to include: a game device that provides a game related to character cultivation that evolves through a plurality of evolution stages; and an information communication terminal that is configured to be able to communicate with the game device and causes an evolution process of a group of characters that can be derived and evolved from at least one character to be displayed on a display mechanism; for each character that can be cultivated in the game device, category information that can uniquely specify the type and evolution state of the character is determined, at least a part of the characters are displayed in a form that cannot be recognized in the initial state in the evolution process, and for the corresponding group of characters, the number of types of characters in each evolution stage is configured to be recognizable, and the information communication terminal includes: a first acquisition mechanism that acquires category information related to characters cultivated in the game device; and a display control mechanism that causes the evolution process of the characters related to the category information acquired by the first acquisition mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism in such a way that the cultivated characters are changed from an unrecognizable form to a recognizable form.

[0011] [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily grasp characters to be cultivated. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the configuration of a game system that illustrates an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the server 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing the screen of the breeding game displayed on the game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 (a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining the display states related to the characters being bred in the breeding game according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the evolution conditions of the characters in the breeding game according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8 (a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining the evolution process displayed on the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 9 (a) and (b) are another diagrams for explaining the evolution process displayed on the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 10 (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the detailed information of the characters displayed on the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing the screen of the egg species list display displayed on the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 12 It is a flowchart of the state control process executed on the game device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 13 It is a flowchart of the display process executed on the smartphone 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 14(a) to (e) are diagrams illustrating the data configurations of various types of information used in the game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiment

[0027] [Embodiment]

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention of the claims, and furthermore, the combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily all essential for the invention. Two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments can also be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0029] An example of an embodiment described below will illustrate an example of applying the present invention to a game system, which is configured to include: a game device that can provide a game related to character cultivation evolving through multiple evolution stages as an example of a game device, and a smartphone that can cooperate with the game device as an example of an information communication terminal. However, the present invention can be applied to any system configured to include: any machine that can provide a game related to the cultivation of a character evolving through multiple evolution stages, and any other machine that can display information based on the information obtained from the machine.

[0030] In addition, in this specification, the state in which the wearer of the game device "is active" is not limited to the state in which the wearer performs a prescribed body movement. For example, it also includes a state in which a prescribed change occurs in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, the "wearer" refers to a user who is in a state of wearing the game device 100, but does not exclude a user who is temporarily in a non-wearing state. In addition, it is not necessary to wear the game device 100 when using the game system. Therefore, in the following description of the embodiments, the "wearer" is referred to as the "user" who uses the game system as needed.

[0031] "Configuration of the Game System"

[0032] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the game system according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the game system according to the present embodiment is configured to include: a game device 100 having various sensors capable of detecting and measuring the activity state of the wearer in a wearing state; a smartphone 200 configured to be able to communicate information with the game device 100; and a server 300 configured to be able to communicate with the smartphone 200.

[0033] The game device 100 is configured, for example, in the shape of a bracelet that can be worn on the wrist of a wearer, and can measure various items related to the activity state of the wearer in the worn state. In the present embodiment, it is described that the wearing part of the game device 100 is the wrist in order to allow the wearer to easily confirm the display content of the following display unit 110 provided in the game device 100, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto. The wearing part of the game device 100 can also be any part of the wearer's body such as a finger, upper arm, waist, or leg.

[0034] The game device 100 is configured to be able to execute an electronic game (cultivation game) related to the cultivation of characters, and during startup, controls the progress of the cultivation game according to the measurement results of the activity state. Here, in the executed cultivation game, the user can cultivate 1 character at a time, and realizes the cultivation expression by configuring the character and its appearance to evolve through multiple evolution stages. In addition, the cultivation game is configured to be able to restart under the condition of meeting a specified condition, and the user can repeatedly explore the character cultivation of various evolution processes.

[0035] In addition, in order to ensure fairness among users, for the cultivation expression of characters, the types of characters that can evolve are determined in advance. The details will be described below. For each evolution stage, at least 1 character that can be derived and evolved from the initial character (or the egg that gave birth to the initial character) is determined in advance, and the diversity and interest of the cultivation game are improved by defining branches in such a way that multiple characters can evolve in at least a part of the evolution stages. In the following description, a group of characters that can be derived and evolved from the at least 1 initial character is expressed as a group of characters belonging to (1) egg species.

[0036] In addition, the smart phone 200 is a general information communication terminal such as a mobile phone or a smart phone. The smart phone 200 can provide various displays and GUI (Graphical User Interface) states related to the use of the game system by executing a dedicated application related to the use of the game system.

[0037] The game device 100 and the smart phone 200 are configured to be able to connect through short-range wireless communication, and establish a communication connection after an operation input related to the start of communication is executed in the cultivation game and the dedicated application. When the game device 100 and the smart phone 200 are in a communication connection state, the game device 100 transmits information indicating the progress of the executed cultivation game to the smart phone 200, and transmits update information set or acquired via the dedicated application to the game device 100.

[0038] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the server 300 is provided as a component machine that provides services related to the game system, but the server 300 is not an essential component for the implementation of the present invention. In this embodiment, the smartphone 200 and the server 300 establish a communication connection via the network 400.

[0039] <Configuration of the Game Device>

[0040] Here, with reference to Figure 2 the block diagram, the functional configuration of the game device 100 of the game system according to this embodiment will be described.

[0041] The control unit 101 is, for example, a microcomputer that controls the operations of the respective blocks of the game device 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 controls the operations of the respective blocks by reading out the operation programs of the respective blocks recorded in the recording medium 102, expanding them in the memory 103, and executing them.

[0042] The recording medium 102 is, for example, a recording device such as a non-volatile memory that can permanently store data. In addition to recording the operation programs of the respective blocks of the game device 100, the recording medium 102 also records parameters required for the operations of the respective blocks, information indicating the progress of the breeding game (breeding information), and the like. The memory 103 is, for example, a storage device such as a volatile memory for temporarily storing data. The memory 103 is used not only as an expansion area for the operation programs of the respective blocks but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operations of the respective blocks.

[0043] The detection unit 104 detects various information indicating the activity state of the wearer and outputs the detection results. In this embodiment, the detection unit 104 includes an acceleration sensor and a heart rate sensor, and respectively detects the movement generated by the game device 100 and the heart rate of the wearer. Although the detailed description of the acceleration sensor and the heart rate sensor is omitted, the detection results of the detection unit 104 are output at a predetermined time interval and include information on the number of steps and heart rate detected after the most recent output.

[0044] The acquisition unit 105 acquires various pieces of information of the breeding game from a memory card (not shown) attached to the game device 100. The game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to execute a breeding game related to a group of characters belonging to at least one egg type (initial egg type) in the factory shipment state. By the acquisition unit 105 acquiring information from a memory card (egg type card) capable of cultivating other egg types at a specific point in time, a breeding game related to a group of characters belonging to a new egg type (other than the initial egg type) can be executed. In addition, as will be described in detail below, the game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to use a memory card for a battle game (battle card) as a method for implementing a battle game using the characters in the breeding. When the battle card stores information related to any character, the acquisition unit 105 acquires the information. Thus, a battle game is executed in the game device 100 in which the information has been acquired, and the information of the battle result is stored. Moreover, in the game device 100 that stores the information related to the character, when the battle card is installed again, the acquisition unit 105 acquires the information of the battle result.

[0045] The display control unit 106 manages the control of information display in the game device 100. The display control unit 106 uses the display information recorded on the recording medium 102 regarding the character in the breeding to form various screens of the breeding game displayed on the display unit 110 such as an LCD (liquid crystal display).

[0046] The operation input unit 107 is a user interface of the game device 100 such as a physical operation component (button). When the operation input unit 107 detects that an operation input has been made to the operation component, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101.

[0047] The communication unit 108 is a communication interface with the smart phone 200 included in the game device 100. The communication unit 108 is configured as described above to change to a state where communication connection is possible in response to an operation input of selecting an item related to starting communication from the menu of the breeding game or the like, rather than always being in a state of making a communication connection. In addition, the communication unit 108 also serves as a communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication with a specified device. The short-range wireless communication makes a communication connection based on detecting proximity to the specified device and cuts off the communication connection after acquiring the required information.

[0048] <Configuration of the Smart Phone>

[0049] Next, with reference to Figure 3The block diagram illustrates the functional configuration of the smartphone 200 related to the game system of the present embodiment. The various functional configurations of the smartphone 200 described below include configurations related to the inherent configuration of the smartphone 200 and configurations implemented by executing dedicated applications. In addition, in the following description, for the configurations that achieve the same functions as the game device 100, a prefix text "terminal" is added for strict distinction.

[0050] The terminal control unit 201 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the operations of the respective blocks of the smartphone 200. Specifically, the terminal control unit 201, for example, reads the operation programs of the respective blocks recorded in the terminal recording medium 202 or the prompting application program including the display function of the measurement results, expands and executes them in the terminal memory 203 to control the operations of the respective blocks.

[0051] The terminal recording medium 202 is, for example, a recording device such as a non-volatile memory or an HDD (hard disk drive) that can permanently store data. In addition to recording the operation programs or dedicated application programs of the respective blocks of the smartphone 200, the terminal recording medium 202 also records parameters required for the operations of the respective blocks, display information, and the like. The terminal memory 203 is, for example, a storage device such as a volatile memory for temporarily storing data. The terminal memory 203 is used not only as an expansion area for the operation programs of the respective blocks but also as a storage area for temporarily storing the data output during the operations of the respective blocks.

[0052] The egg species DB 204 is a database that manages information (egg species information) on the egg species that can be cultivated in the breeding game related to the game system of the present embodiment. The egg species information can be configured, for example, as Figure 14 shown in (a), and is associated with the egg species ID (Identification) 1401 that uniquely identifies the egg species and includes: the affiliated character information 1402, indicating the character group to which the egg species belongs; and the evolution condition information 1403, indicating the evolution conditions of the respective evolution stages of the character cultivation related to the egg species. Here, the affiliated character information 1402 can be configured for each character belonging to the corresponding egg species. For example, as Figure 14As shown in (b), it includes, in association with the character ID 1411 that uniquely specifies the character: an evolution stage ID 1412 that specifies the evolution stage of the character corresponding to the appropriate egg type; and detailed information 1413 that represents various information related to the character. The detailed information 1413 related to each character may be configured to include: the name 1421 of the character; display information 1422 for displaying the character on the smartphone 200; acquisition information 1423 that represents the release conditions (the egg type cards that should be acquired) for cultivating the character in the game device 100; the in-game distribution 1424 specified for the character; skill information 1425 that represents the special skills that can be activated in the following battle game; and property information 1426 that describes the update method of the situation of the character in the cultivation game. In addition, the evolution condition information 1403 related to the egg type may be configured, for each character belonging to the egg type, for example, as Figure 14 As shown in (c), it includes: an evolution target character ID 1431 that specifies each character that can evolve from this character in the next evolution stage; a necessary evolution score 1432 that represents the threshold of the evolution score required to evolve into these characters; a necessary record 1433 that represents the record (such as the winning rate) of the battle game that is also required; and a necessary task completion number 1434 that represents the number of tasks that are also required to be completed. In addition, the modalities, evolution scores, details of the battle game, and task content shown here will be described in detail below.

[0053] The terminal display control unit 205 manages the information display in the smartphone 200. The terminal display control unit 205 includes, for example, a drawing device such as a drawing chip, and performs prescribed drawing processing when generating a screen to be displayed on the terminal display unit 210 that should be, for example, an LCD. In the smartphone 200 of the present embodiment, by executing a dedicated application, various elements that expand the interesting experience of the cultivation game performed in the game device 100 can be provided to the user through information display.

[0054] The terminal operation input unit 206 is, for example, a user interface of the smartphone 200 such as an operation component or various sensors. When the terminal operation input unit 206 detects an operation input to the operation component or various sensors, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the terminal control unit 201. In the present embodiment, the terminal operation input unit 206 includes, in addition to physical operation components, for example, a touch input detection sensor that detects a touch input performed on the screen of the terminal display unit 210.

[0055] The terminal communication unit 207 is a communication interface with an external device of the smart phone 200. In the present embodiment, the terminal communication unit 207 performs short-range wireless communication with the game device 100, and can receive cultivation information related to the cultivation game performed in the game device 100. In addition, the terminal communication unit 207 is configured to be connected to the server 300 via the network 400, and can realize the sending and receiving of information.

[0056] <Configuration of Server>

[0057] Next, with reference to Figure 4 the block diagram, the functional configuration of the server 300 of the game system of the present embodiment will be described. In addition, in the description of the functional configuration of the server 300, in order to strictly distinguish it from the configuration that realizes the same functions as those of the game device 100 and the smart phone 200, a prefix text "server" is used for indication.

[0058] The server control unit 301 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operations of the respective blocks of the server 300. Specifically, the server control unit 301 controls the operations of the respective blocks by, for example, reading out the operation programs of the respective blocks recorded in the server recording medium 302, expanding them in the server memory 303, and executing them.

[0059] The server recording medium 302 is, for example, a recording device such as a non-volatile memory or an HDD that can permanently store data. In addition to storing the operation programs of the respective blocks of the server 300, the server recording medium 302 also stores information such as parameters required for the operations of the respective blocks. The server memory 303 is, for example, a storage device such as a volatile memory for temporarily storing data. The server memory 303 is used not only as an expansion area for the operation programs of the respective blocks, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operations of the respective blocks.

[0060] The user DB 304 is a database that manages various information (user information) for each user who uses the game system. The user information managed for one user can be configured to include, for example, as shown in Figure 14 (d), in association with the user ID 1441 that uniquely identifies the user: the used character ID 1442 that identifies the character being cultivated in the game device 100 used by the user or the character used in the battle game; and the record information 1443 of the battle game performed via the following network 400.

[0061] The server egg type DB 305 is a database that manages egg type information used for reference in the processing or statistical processing of the battle game performed in the server 300. In the present embodiment, in order to easily understand the invention, it is described that the egg type information has the same configuration as the egg type information managed in the egg type DB 204.

[0062] The execution unit 306 executes a battle game in which roles related to each user battle against other roles via the network 400. The battle game implemented via the network 400 includes a so-called raid battle in which multiple users respectively make their roles participate against a common enemy, or a VS (Versus) battle in which users battle against each other's roles.

[0063] The statistics unit 307 statistically counts the amount of points accumulated based on the results of the battle game executed by the execution unit 306, and constructs a user ranking list based on the total number of points. The user ranking list is constructed for each of the raid battle and the VS battle, and is provided in a timely manner so as to be browsable on each smart phone 200. The user ranking list can be configured to include, for example, information such as the user name, points, and the role used for each ranked user.

[0064] The server communication unit 308 is a communication interface of the server 300 for communicating with other devices. The server communication unit 308 is connected to each smart phone 200 via the network 400 by a prescribed communication method, whether wired or wireless, and performs data transmission and reception.

[0065] "Character Cultivation"

[0066] Next, an outline of the character cultivation elements realized by the cultivation game executed in the game device 100 of the game system of the present embodiment will be described.

[0067] In the execution of the cultivation game, for example, as Figure 5 shown, basically, one character to be cultivated (the character being cultivated) is displayed on the display unit 110, and the wearer of the game device 100 can thereby grasp the situation of the character. The character displayed on the display unit 110 grows as the cultivation game progresses and changes into a character with a different appearance.

[0068] In the game device 100, for example, it is configured as Figure 14The training information shown in (e) manages the progress of the training game. As shown in the figure, the training information can be configured to include, in association with the character ID 1451 that uniquely identifies the character in training: evolution process information 1452, which represents each character in the evolution stage that the character in training has gone through in the currently executed training game; record information 1453, which represents the record (number of battles, wins and losses) of the battle game in which the character in training participates; activity amount information 1454, which represents the activity amount of the character in training; mood information 1455, which represents the mood state of the character in training; display state 1456, which represents the appearance of the character in training; evolution score 1457, which is referred to determine the evolution goal of the next evolution stage; set task information 1458, which represents the task currently set for the character in training; and completed task information 1459, which represents the tasks that the character in training has completed.

[0069] Regarding the training game being executed in the game device 100, the recording medium 102 stores egg type information including at least the character in training among the character group. Using the character ID 1451 and the corresponding egg type information, it is possible to specify which character group and which one of the egg types the character in training belongs to, and it is also possible to specify which evolution stage it is in.

[0070] The training game is carried out while updating various states of the character in training and accumulating evolution scores according to the activity state of the wearer wearing the game device 100. In addition, based on the accumulated amount of the evolution score at the end of the measurement period related to one evolution stage, it is determined whether evolution is possible and the evolution goal (the character of the next evolution stage). Hereinafter, various parameters updated during the progress of the training game will be described. In addition, in the training game of the present embodiment, the following various parameters updated during the progress of the training game are managed during the measurement period determined for each growth stage, reset once after the end of this period, and updated again from the initial value in the next growth stage (or when the same growth stage is restarted).

[0071] <Activity amount>

[0072] In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, based on the detection result output by the detection unit 104, the information on various activity amounts (activity amount information 1454), which is the first parameter of the present invention, is updated. That is, since the wearer performs activities such as walking, running, and muscle strength training while wearing the game device 100, the output of the detection result changes, and based on this output, the activity amount information 1454 representing the activity state of the wearer is updated.

[0073] As described above, the detection unit 104 of the present embodiment is configured to detect the number of steps and the heart rate, so the activity is managed separately for these two types. The activity related to the number of steps stores the total value (total number of steps) of the number of steps detected during the measurement period determined for the growth stage of the character being developed. On the other hand, the activity related to the heart rate stores the value of the detected heart rate. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, regarding the number of steps, the detection unit 104 outputs a detection result of "number of steps + 1" corresponding to the detection of the movement amount equivalent to 1 step, so the former activity is not updated when in a stationary state. In contrast, regarding the heart rate, the detection unit 104 detects at a specified time interval of, for example, 5 minutes, and outputs "average heart rate per minute" as the detection result, so the latter activity is updated at the same interval.

[0074] That is, in the development game of this embodiment, the activity state of the wearer is reflected by the activity amount of the character being developed. The more active the wearer's activity state is, the greater the value of the activity amount of the character being developed is. This can give the wearer a sense of unity with the character being developed, and can make the wearer attached to the character being developed, thereby increasing the wearer's interest in development and desire for exercise.

[0075] <Modality>

[0076] In the game device 100 of this embodiment, in order to improve the fun of the development game, the concept of the second parameter of the present invention is set for the character. The mood expresses the psychological state of the character, and is managed in three stages, such as "good", "normal", and "bad". The mood of the character being developed changes according to the activity state of the wearer, and the condition of this change is defined as the property of each character by the property information 1426.

[0077] The character's properties are classified into any of a plurality of types according to the type of exercise or resting method preferred by the character. For example, a character with a stoic property has a preference for intense exercise such as a high heart rate increase and a tendency to stay in a non-exercise state, so the property information 1426 describes the following method for updating the state: the longer the state of high activity lasts, the better it will develop into a state, and the longer the state of low activity lasts, the worse it will develop into a state. On the contrary, for example, a character with a lazy property has a tendency to stay in a non-exercise state because he is tired of intense exercise such as a high heart rate increase, so the property information 1426 describes the following method for updating the state: the longer the state of high activity lasts, the worse it will develop into a state, and the longer the state of low activity lasts, the better it will develop into a state.

[0078] In this way, for the mood of the character in the process of growth, the update of the parameter (mood information 1455) is carried out by referring not only to the detection result of the activity state of the wearer, but also to the property information 1426 inherently determined by the character. Therefore, the present invention is not a monotonous growth game that grows according to the activity amount of the wearer, but can realize a more interesting growth game with an expanded attack range, such as appropriately growing a character that combines character personality for movement. In addition, in the description of this embodiment, regarding the combination of the character's properties and the method of updating the mood, two examples at two extremes are listed for illustration, but it is easy to understand that the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of combinations can also be set.

[0079] <Display state>

[0080] The form of the appearance of the character in the process of growth displayed on the display unit 110 is controlled according to the display state. For one character, multiple display states are set, and any one type of display state is determined according to the activity amount information 1454 and mood information 1455 related to the character in the process of growth, and the display state 1456 is updated.

[0081] In order to present a sense of unity by linking with the wearer, the determination of the display state is basically controlled in a way that the appearance reflects the activity state of the wearer. More specifically, according to the activity amount related to the number of steps of the character in the process of growth and the activity amount related to the heart rate, the activity state of the wearer is classified into, for example Figure 6 the six types of "running", "special training", "walking", "normal", "rest", and "not worn" shown in (a), and the display state 1456 of the character in the process of growth is updated in a way that the appearance reflects the activity state. Here, regarding the state of "not worn" in which neither the activity amount related to the number of steps nor the activity amount related to the heart rate is detected, strictly speaking, it does not conform to the activity state of the wearer, but in the following description, for the sake of easy understanding of the invention, it is described as one form of the activity state of the wearer.

[0082] As Figure 6 shown in (a), in the game device 100 of this embodiment, the activity state of the wearer is classified into the above six types according to whether movement (walking) is performed and the degree to which the heart rate rises from the basal heart rate (compared with two-stage thresholds). In the legend, for example, in the state where the difference between the heart rate and the basal heart rate exceeds the higher threshold (the state of "high" heart rate), it is divided into the activity state of "running" or the activity state of "special training" according to whether movement is performed. Here, the so-called basal heart rate refers to the average heart rate of the wearer measured at a specified time point when the wearer is in a normal state without exercise. In addition, the activity state of "rest" is determined on the condition that the "normal" activity state lasts for a specified time or more.

[0083] In addition, regarding the state where the difference between the heart rate and the basal heart rate is lower than the lower threshold (the state of "low" heart rate) and the "normal" activity state where there is no movement, it is presumed that the wearer is in a state where they can calmly confirm the character in the process of cultivation. Therefore, for example, as Figure 6 shown in (b), it is set to a display state that further reflects the modal information 1455. That is, when the activity state of the wearer is classified as "normal", it is determined to be the display state corresponding to the modality ("good", "normal", "poor") of the character in the process of cultivation.

[0084] By reflecting the display of the character in the process of cultivation with this modality, the wearer can confirm whether the exercise being performed is suitable for the cultivation of the character and use it as a reference for the exercise to be performed in the future.

[0085] <Evolution Score>

[0086] In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, an evolution score is set as one criterion for determining the evolution goal of the character in the process of cultivation. The evolution score is a parameter accumulated for each event that occurs to the character in the process of cultivation during the measurement period related to one evolution stage. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the cumulative amount of the evolution score is derived for the following three types of events, and the evolution score 1457 is updated.

[0087] · Change in the activity state of the wearer

[0088] · Battle result of the battle game

[0089] · Continuation of the non-wearing state

[0090] The cumulative amount of the evolution score corresponding to the change in the activity state of the wearer is determined as follows. That is, according to the modality of the character in the process of cultivation at the derivation time point, the primary scores derived for the activity amount related to the number of steps and the activity amount related to the heart rate are corrected. The accumulation of the evolution score related to the number of steps is performed each time the total number of steps exceeds a multiple of, for example, 50, and a fixed value is set as the primary score. On the other hand, the accumulation of the evolution score related to the heart rate is performed each time the heart rate is measured, and a value proportional to the difference between the heart rate and the basal heart rate (the amount by which the heart rate rises from the basal heart rate) is derived as the primary score. In addition, the correction corresponding to the modality can be multiplying the primary score by a prescribed coefficient. For example, in the case of "good", the primary score is multiplied by 2, in the case of "normal", the primary score is multiplied by 1, and in the case of "poor", the primary score is multiplied by 0.5, thereby determining the cumulative amount of the evolution score.

[0091] That is, the more active the wearer's activity state is, the greater the cumulative amount of the evolution score corresponding to the change in the wearer's activity state (the cumulative frequency increases, or the cumulative amount increases). In addition, the cumulative amount of the evolution score is controlled so that even if the score is the same value at one time, it will vary depending on the situation.

[0092] The cumulative evolution score corresponding to the battle result of the battle game should be carried out at the time of obtaining the battle result related to the battle game. The cumulative amount is basically determined to be a positive value (accumulation) in the case of winning the battle game and a negative value (subtraction) in the case of losing. Here, since there is an advantageous or disadvantageous relationship due to the difference in the evolution stage between the wearer's character and the opponent's character, the cumulative amount of the evolution score corresponding to the battle result of the battle game will change according to the evolution stage of the character being cultivated and the evolution stage of the opponent's character.

[0093] In addition, the cumulative amount of the evolution score corresponding to the continuation of the non-wearing state can basically be a negative value. In one form, it is to avoid the continuation of the state of neglecting the cultivation of the character and to encourage the user to play more actively, so the evolution score is subtracted. In another form, it is to maintain the user's interesting experience of the character aiming to open the following evolution process, and the excessively accumulated evolution score can be used as a remedy to adjust the value to meet the conditions for evolving to the desired evolution goal.

[0094] In addition, the measurement period is set to 1 hour to 48 hours, etc., and it is also considered that the user does not want to wear it when taking a bath or sleeping. In addition, in the case of school-age children, etc., it is also considered to keep them in a state where they are not allowed to wear it all the time. Based on this situation, the subtraction of the evolution score corresponding to the continuation of the non-wearing state may reduce people's interest in the cultivation game. Therefore, when the game device 100 is in a power-off state, it can be controlled to stop the timing related to the measurement of the measurement period. In addition, in a situation where it may cause the wearer to perform excessive continuous exercise, or in a situation where it may cause an adverse situation during the game, such as making a character in an injured state in a battle game move, it can also be controlled in such a way that the character becomes a dormant state and the timing related to the measurement of the measurement period is forcibly stopped. In this case, the wearer can be notified of this information via the display unit 110.

[0095] <Battle Game>

[0096] As described above, in the game system of this embodiment, each user can play a battle game in which the characters in cultivation participate. For example, the battle game can be set up as follows: a game using the game device 100 triggered by short-range wireless communication that approaches a specified machine through the game device 100; a game using the game device 100 triggered by obtaining information from a battle card storing information of characters cultivated by other users; a game using another game device 100 triggered by storing the information of the character in cultivation in a battle card and inserting the battle card into another game device 100; a game using the server 300 triggered by sending the information of the character in cultivation to the server 300 via a dedicated application. Regardless of the form of the battle game, ultimately, the information of the battle result can be obtained in the game device 100, thereby updating the record information 1453 and the evolution score 1457.

[0097] In order to reduce the computing load in the game device 100, for example, for each character participating in the battle game, the physical strength can be determined based on the evolution score 1457, the attack power can be determined based on the mood information 1455, the success probability of the attack can be determined based on the evolution stage or the character type, and the lottery of whether the attacks of the two characters are successful can be repeatedly executed for a specified number of rounds. Ultimately, the character that depletes the opponent's physical strength wins in a simple way to determine the victory or defeat.

[0098] In addition, when the battle game is executed on other machines, control is performed in such a way that the content that the cultivation game is not performed until the battle result is obtained is notified, and the character in cultivation is stopped from being displayed on the display unit 110, so that there is no difference between the game devices 100 or between the statistical results of the server 300.

[0099] <Mission>

[0100] In addition, in order to appropriately perform the cultivation game, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, it is configured to be able to set (subscribe to) a mission that prompts the wearer to exercise spontaneously. The mission sets a target for achieving a specific sports event, and awards a achievement reward point (trophy) to the character in cultivation on the condition that the achievement target is achieved.

[0101] The types of tasks can be diverse, such as the following tasks: daily tasks that are automatically ordered after daily updates in a way that enables continuous wearing of the game device 100; difficult tasks with an upper limit set on the number of daily orders; special tasks that are ordered at any time corresponding to selections made in a dedicated application. In addition, as the sports items targeted by the tasks, for example, in addition to items that make achievement judgments based on activity amount information 1454 such as the cumulative amount of total steps or evolution scores since the task order, there are also items that make achievement judgments based on the detection results of the detection unit 104 for squats or abdominal muscles, etc. Furthermore, it can also include sports items related to the execution of battle games.

[0102] The information on the orderable tasks and the information on the achievement judgment method are pre-stored in the recording medium 102. As long as the appropriate task is selected according to the date change or selection operation, or the information acquisition from the smartphone 200, and the required information is expanded in the memory 103.

[0103] <Evolution>

[0104] In the cultivation game of this embodiment, on the condition that the measurement period for the cultivating character has elapsed, the character to be the evolution target is determined. The information on the characters that can evolve from the cultivating character is determined as the evolution condition information 1403 for the corresponding egg type, and any one of them is determined as the character to be the evolution target. The evolution condition information 1403 defines the evolution conditions set for each character that can evolve. In this embodiment, the evolution conditions are, for example, as Figure 7 shown, the values to be satisfied can be respectively specified for at least any one of the cumulative amount of evolution scores during the measurement period, the winning rate of the battle game, and the number of task achievements (trophy awards).

[0105] After the measurement period has elapsed, the achieved evolution conditions are specified, and the character to be the evolution target is determined. At this time, when there are multiple achieved evolution conditions, for example, based on the most difficult-to-achieve evolution condition among them or any one of the evolution conditions selected by lottery, the character to be the evolution target is determined.

[0106] After determining the character to be the evolution target, it is notified in the game device 100 that it can evolve into this character. This notification includes selection items related to confirming whether the user wants to evolve. In the state of making this notification, it is controlled in such a way that no measurement related to the measurement period is performed on any character until the user makes an operation input for the notification.

[0107] Moreover, when the selection operation of a project aiming to evolve into a character that is the evolution target is accepted, after the display of the evolution performance, the evolution from the character in cultivation to the character that is the evolution target is completed. That is, after this evolution, the character that is the evolution target is set as the new character in cultivation, and the measurement related to the new measurement period starts. More specifically, regarding the cultivation information related to the executed cultivation game, the change of character ID 1451, the update of the evolution process information 1452 (appending the information of the character that is the evolution target), the initialization of the battle record information 1453, the activity amount information 1454, the mood information 1455, the evolution score 1457, and the achievement task information 1459, and the change of the display state 1456 based on the initialized activity amount information 1454 and mood information 1455 are performed.

[0108] In addition, when the selection operation of a project accepting the intention of not evolving into the character that is the evolution target is accepted, the processing related to evolution is not performed, the character in cultivation continues to be the cultivation object, and after initializing the measurement period, the measurement of the measurement period related to the same evolution stage starts again. At this time, for the cultivation information, only the initialization of the battle record information 1453, the activity amount information 1454, the mood information 1455, and the evolution score 1457, and the change of the display state 1456 based on the initialized activity amount information 1454 and mood information 1455 are performed. Since it is possible to select not to evolve like this, for example, when the desired evolution target is not achieved or when not wanting to evolve from a favorite character, etc., a game suitable for the user can be ensured.

[0109] In addition, in the case where none of the evolution conditions are achieved after the measurement period, it is also possible to control in such a way that the above content is notified and the measurement of the same evolution stage is performed again.

[0110] 《Dedicated Application》

[0111] Next, in the game system of this embodiment, the functions provided by the dedicated application executed by the smart phone 200 are described. The dedicated application of this embodiment is configured to be able to perform a battle game via the server 300, be able to browse the user ranking statistics in the server 300, be able to browse the ordering procedures of special tasks, and the evolution process related to the egg species that can be cultivated in the cultivation game.

[0112] <Game of Battle Game and Browsing of User Ranking>

[0113] As described above, in the game system of the present embodiment, the user can participate in the battle game executed in the server 300 with the character being nurtured and play the game. The progress of the battle game is provided on the condition that the user communicatively connects the game device 100 used with the smartphone 200 and reflects the nurturing information related to the nurturing game being executed in the dedicated application. The battle game carried out via the dedicated application determines the victory or defeat through the same processing as the battle game executed in the game device 100. Even so, a different gaming experience from that of the game device 100 can still be provided.

[0114] In addition, the battle game carried out in the server 300 constitutes a user leaderboard based on the battle results, and is configured such that by obtaining the information of the user leaderboard, the information of the users ranked within a specified range can be browsed in the dedicated application. Browsing of the user leaderboard is configured such that at least for the users who have performed the operation input related to the selection, the information of the character used by the user during the battle game can be browsed.

[0115] <Special task ordering procedure>

[0116] For the special tasks among the tasks that can be set in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the user can perform the ordering procedure via the dedicated application. The ordering procedure includes presenting the tasks that can be ordered and selecting to accept the set tasks on the dedicated application; and sending the information of the selected task from the smartphone 200 to the game device 100.

[0117] <Viewing of the evolution process>

[0118] The nurturing game executed in the game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to present to the user the situation where the egg species that can be nurtured evolves into any character belonging to the egg species through the evolution branch. In this form of game, the interesting experience of evolving into a character of an unknown form can be provided to the user. On the contrary, the user may never know that there are characters that can evolve, resulting in a decrease in the user's interest in the nurturing game. Therefore, the dedicated application of the present embodiment is configured to be able to view the evolution process of the character group belonging to the egg species for the egg species for which the nurturing game can be realized in the game device 100, so that the user can know.

[0119] The evolution process related to the egg species is configured to be able to at least, for example, as Figure 8 (a) shows, for the character group belonging to the egg species, identify the number of types of characters at each evolution stage, that is, the number of characters that can evolve at each evolution stage. Figure 8(a) is a diagram showing the evolution process displayed in the initial state where the breeding game of the characters of the egg type is not executed in the game device 100 corresponding to the dedicated application. It is configured such that all characters are represented by icons in an unrecognizable form (shown as "?"), but the number of types of evolvable characters can be grasped based on the number of icons arranged at each evolution stage. In addition, after starting the breeding game in the corresponding game device 100, on the condition that the smartphone 200 is communicatively connected to the game device 100 to obtain the breeding information, as Figure 8 (b) shows, the evolved characters are changed to a recognizable form and the evolution process is displayed. The information of the evolved characters is included in the evolution history information 1452 of the obtained breeding information, and the display control of the evolution process is performed by updating the display information of the evolution process based on this information.

[0120] In addition, as Figure 8 (b) shows, regarding the characters being bred, the lines connecting the characters that match in the evolution process are displayed in a colored manner so that the characters in the evolution stages passed before evolving into the current character can be specified. The breeding game of this embodiment is a game assuming repeated execution of breeding starting from the initial characters. In particular, considering the state where the number of characters that change to a recognizable form in the evolution process increases, it is difficult to determine the growth process until evolving into the characters being bred. Therefore, for example, when obtaining the breeding information by communicatively connecting regarding the display of the evolution process, for the currently executing breeding game, it can also be configured to perform the display of the evolution process along with the performance of specifying the characters in the evolution stages passed before evolving into the characters being bred step by step.

[0121] In addition, regarding the characters displayed in a recognizable form in the evolution process, on the condition that a long press operation on the display of the character is received, for example, the display as shown in Figure 9 (a) is performed to specify the characters in the next evolution stage that can evolve from the character being operated on. In the legend, when a long press operation on the character 901 is received, it is shown that evolution is possible by displaying the line connecting the characters 902 and 903 that define the evolution conditions for the character 901 in a colored manner. As Figure 9 (b) shows, this display is configured to be executed even if all the characters that match in the next evolution stage are in an unbred state, and can guide the user to play the game repeatedly.

[0122] In addition, regarding the characters displayed in a recognizable form in the evolution process, on the condition that a selection operation on the display of the character is received, the detailed information of the character is displayed. The detailed information is the information determined by the detailed information 1413 of the character's affiliated character information. For example, as Figure 10As shown in (a), items that may include the character name 1001, character image 1002, distribution 1003, skills 1004 that can be used, character nature 1005, and product information 1006 that can be obtained for the character.

[0123] However, from the perspective of increasing users' interest in the breeding game, the change of the character in the evolution process to a recognizable form does not need to be conditional on the completion of breeding in the corresponding game device 100. For example, it is also possible to use the information of other users' used characters obtained in the user ranking list or the information of the characters of the opponents in the battle game as conditions for this change. That is, the change of the character in the evolution process to a recognizable form can also be performed from an external device different from the game device, such as the server 300 or a machine that is an object of short-range wireless communication, based on the information of the specifically identified character.

[0124] On the other hand, for example, if it is by browsing the information of other users' used characters and becoming the same state as when breeding the character, the fairness between users cannot be ensured. Therefore, it is controlled in such a way that the recognizable form changed based on the information obtained from the external device is different from the form changed based on the breeding information obtained from the corresponding game device 100. The difference in the recognizable form of the character can be shown, for example, in the following ways: the former is displayed as a single-color and dull image, while in contrast, the latter is displayed as a color and vivid image. In addition, regarding the display that takes the operation input of the display of the character displayed in the recognizable form in the evolution process as a condition, for example, the display of the information of the next-stage character is notified as not being referable, and the detailed display items can be only the character name 1001, character image 1002, and product information 1006 ( Figure 10 (b)) and other forms different from the case based on the breeding information. That is, the display change of the character in the evolution process is controlled in a way that is different depending on whether the character has been bred.

[0125] In addition, in this embodiment, it is described that in the evolution process of the initial state, all characters are in an unrecognizable form, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, as long as at least a part is in an unrecognizable form. In addition, the evolution process can also be configured to include a secret character that does not display an icon in the unrecognizable form in the initial state. Regarding this secret character, even if it is obtained as the information of other users' used characters in the user ranking list, it is controlled not to be displayed in the evolution process on this condition, and can be controlled to be displayed only when it is included in the breeding information received from the corresponding game device 100.

[0126] In addition, the evolution process can be configured for each character group belonging to the egg type, and can be viewed at any time when the cultivation information from the corresponding game device 100 has not been obtained. For example, as a display before the viewing of the evolution process, as long as a screen for displaying a list of multiple egg types as shown in Figure 11 is set, and on the condition that an operation of selecting any egg type in this screen is accepted, the display of the evolution process related to the corresponding egg type can be performed. In addition, as shown in the figure, in the list display screen of the egg types, the egg type to which the character currently being cultivated in the corresponding game device 100 belongs, that is, the egg type to which the character related to the most recently obtained cultivation information belongs, can be discriminated by marking the identifier 1101. In addition, in Figure 11 In the example of the list display screen, for each egg type, information 1102 indicating the state in which the characters included in the evolution process of the egg type change to recognizable forms (for example, the ratio of characters in a form in which all detailed information can be confirmed) is shown.

[0127] In addition, the egg types that can be cultivated in the cultivation game can be configured to be added, for example, when a new egg type card is sold or when download content is purchased, etc., by receiving necessary information from an external device such as the server 300 or a machine that is an object of short-range wireless communication.

[0128] "Status Control Processing"

[0129] Hereinafter, regarding the status control processing executed in the game device 100 of the game system of the present embodiment to control the display status of the character being cultivated, the flowchart of Figure 12 is used to explain the specific processing. The processing corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading, for example, the corresponding processing program stored in the recording medium 102, expanding it in the memory 103, and executing it. In addition, it is explained that this status control processing starts, for example, when the power of the game device 100 is turned on.

[0130] In S1201, the control unit 101 acquires the information of the detection result of the detection unit 104 regarding the activity state of the wearer.

[0131] In S1202, the control unit 101 updates the activity amount related to the character being cultivated based on the information of the detection result obtained in S1202. More specifically, the control unit 101 derives the activity amount related to the number of steps and the activity amount related to the heart rate based on the information of the detection result, and updates the activity amount information 1454 of the cultivation information.

[0132] In S1203, the control unit 101 updates the mood related to the character being nurtured based on the property information 1426 related to the character being nurtured and the information on the detection result. More specifically, the control unit 101 grasps the properties of the character being nurtured by referring to the property information 1426 of the egg type information stored in the recording medium 102, specifies the mood that changes according to the detection result of the wearer's activity state, and updates the mood information 1455 of the nurturing information.

[0133] In S1204, the control unit 101 updates the display state of the character being nurtured based on the updated activity amount information 1454 and mood information 1455. More specifically, the control unit 101 classifies the wearer's activity state according to the updated activity amount information 1454, and if the activity state is classified as a state other than "normal", it updates the display state 1456 of the nurturing information based on this classification. In addition, if the wearer's activity state is classified as "normal", the control unit 101 updates the display state 1456 of the nurturing information based on the updated mood information 1455.

[0134] In S1205, the control unit 101 performs processing related to the accumulation of the evolution score of the character being nurtured based on the updated activity amount information 1454 and mood information 1455. More specifically, the control unit 101 derives a primary score based on the updated activity amount information 1454, and derives the accumulated amount of the evolution score by multiplying this primary score by a coefficient corresponding to the updated mood information 1455, and updates the evolution score 1457 of the nurturing information (changed to the value obtained by adding the accumulated amounts).

[0135] In S1206, the control unit 101 determines whether to obtain information on the battle result of the battle game for the character being nurtured. When the control unit 101 determines that the information on the battle result has been obtained, it transfers the processing to S1207, and when it determines that the information on the battle result has not been obtained, it transfers the processing to S1208.

[0136] In S1207, the control unit 101 performs processing related to the accumulation of the evolution score of the character being nurtured based on the information on the battle result. More specifically, the control unit 101 derives the accumulated amount of the evolution score based on the win / loss information included in the information on the battle result and the evolution stage information of the character being nurtured and the opponent character in the battle, and updates the evolution score 1457 of the nurturing information. In addition, the control unit 101 updates the battle record information 1453 of the nurturing information based on the win / loss information of the battle result.

[0137] In S1208, the control unit 101 determines whether the achievement conditions for the tasks in the settings are met. The determination in this step is based on the information of the tasks included in the set task information 1458 and the information matching the cultivation information. When the control unit 101 determines that the achievement conditions for the tasks in the settings are met, it transfers the process to S1209. When it determines that the achievement conditions for the tasks in the settings are not met, it transfers the process to S1210.

[0138] In S1209, the control unit 101 deletes the information of the tasks that have been achieved from the set task information 1458, and adds the information related to the achievement information of the matching tasks and the awarding of reward points to the achieved task information 1459.

[0139] In S1210, the control unit 101 determines whether the measurement period related to the evolution stage of the character being cultivated has passed. When the control unit 101 determines that the measurement period has passed, it transfers the process to S1211. When it determines that the measurement period has not passed, it transfers the process to S1215.

[0140] In S1211, the control unit 101 determines whether any of the evolution conditions for the characters that can evolve from the character being cultivated are met based on the battle record information 1453, evolution score 1457, and achieved task information 1459 of the cultivation information. When the control unit 101 determines that any of the evolution conditions for the characters that can evolve are met, it determines the character to be the evolution target and transfers the process to S1212. Additionally, when the control unit 101 determines that none of the evolution conditions are met, it transfers the process to S1214.

[0141] In S1212, the control unit 101 controls the display control unit 106 so that a notification of whether to evolve is displayed on the display unit 110, and determines whether a selection operation for evolution has been performed for this notification. When the control unit 101 determines that a selection operation for evolution has been performed, it transfers the process to S1213. When a selection operation for not evolving has been performed, it transfers the process to S1214.

[0142] In S1213, the control unit 101 causes the display control unit 106 to perform the evolution of the character being developed to the character as the evolution target, and updates the development information, and then transfers the process to S1215. This update includes changing the character ID 1451 to the character ID of the character as the evolution target, adding the character ID of the character as the evolution target to the evolution history information 1452, initializing the record information 1453, the activity information 1454, the mood information 1455, the evolution score 1457, and the mission achievement information 1459, and changing the display state 1456 based on the initialized activity information 1454 and the mood information 1455. In addition, the control unit 101 starts measuring the measurement period related to the evolution stage of the evolution target character.

[0143] On the other hand, if the character has not evolved even though the measurement period has passed, the control unit 101 causes the display control unit 106 to notify the character that the character will continue the development game at the same growth stage without evolving, and updates the development information, and transfers the process to S1215. The update performed in this step may be the same as the update performed in S1213, except that the character ID 1451 and the evolutionary history information 1452 are not changed. In addition, the control unit 101 initializes the measurement of the measurement period related to the evolutionary stage of the character being developed, and restarts the measurement.

[0144] In S1215, the display control unit 106, under the control of the control unit 101, performs processing to display the character being developed on the display unit 110 in a form based on the updated display state 1456, and returns the processing to S1201.

[0145] In this way, according to the game device of this embodiment, it is possible to realize the execution of a development game that stimulates the wearer's desire for exercise and increases the diversity and fun of development.

[0146] Display Processing

[0147] Next, regarding the display processing performed in the smartphone 200 of the game system of the present embodiment to display the evolution process based on the development information received from the corresponding game device 100, the display processing is performed using Figure 13 The processing corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the terminal control unit 201 reading a dedicated application stored in the terminal recording medium 202, for example, and developing and executing it in the terminal memory 203.

[0148] In addition, it is explained that this display process starts, for example, when receiving cultivation information from the corresponding game device 100. Additionally, before executing this display process, information on the cultivated characters (released character information) based on the received cultivation information and information on characters that are not cultivated obtained through browsing the user leaderboard, etc. (restricted release character information) are stored in the terminal recording medium 202. Further, regarding the evolution process of the display object, for characters whose information (release status information) was set to a recognizable form during past displays, information on whether to set it to a recognizable form is associated and managed in the terminal recording medium 202 based on either the released character information or the restricted release character information.

[0149] In S1301, the terminal control unit 201 specifies the egg type information included in the character being cultivated based on the received cultivation information. More specifically, the terminal control unit 201 specifies the egg type information that includes the same character ID as the character ID 1451 of the cultivation information in the affiliated character information 1402.

[0150] In S1302, the terminal control unit 201 updates the released character information stored in the terminal recording medium 202 based on the evolution history information 1452 of the received cultivation information. Additionally, when the information on the character included in the restricted release character information is included in the evolution history information 1452, the terminal control unit 201 deletes the information related to that character from the restricted release character information.

[0151] In S1303, under the control of the terminal control unit 201, the terminal display control unit 205 causes the evolution process specified in S1301 to be displayed on the terminal display unit 210. At this time, when the terminal display control unit 205 refers to the release status information to display the current evolution process, it specifies the characters whose display forms have changed and performs the process of changing the display forms of those characters. Specifically, the terminal display control unit 205 maintains the unrecognizable display form for characters that are not included in any of the release status information, released character information, and restricted release character information. Additionally, the terminal display control unit 205 performs the process of changing from an unrecognizable display form to a recognizable display form for characters that are not included in the release status information but are included in the released character information or the restricted release character information. At this time, for characters included in the restricted release character information, the appearance is changed to a form using a single color and a dull image, and for characters included in the released character information, the appearance is changed to a form using a colorful and vivid image. Further, for characters included in the release status information and whose forms become recognizable based on the restricted release character information, if they are included in the released character information, the form of displaying the appearance of the character is changed to a form using a colorful and vivid image.

[0152] In S1304, under the control of the terminal control unit 201, the terminal display control unit 205 causes the performance display of the character being nurtured and the character at the evolution stage that has passed before evolving into the character being nurtured, which is specified step by step, to be overlapped and displayed with the evolution process displayed in S1303.

[0153] In this way, with the information communication terminal according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily grasp the character to be nurtured.

[0154] [Other Embodiments]

[0155] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the game system of the present invention can also be implemented by a program that causes one or more computers to function as each device of the game system. This program can be provided / distributed by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, or provided / distributed via an electric communication line.

[0156] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0157] 100 Game device

[0158] 101 Control unit

[0159] 102 Recording medium

[0160] 103 Memory

[0161] 104 Detection unit

[0162] 105 Acquisition unit

[0163] 106 Display control unit

[0164] 107 Operation input unit

[0165] 108 Communication unit

[0166] 110 Display unit

[0167] 200 Smart phone

[0168] 201 Terminal control unit

[0169] 202 Terminal recording medium

[0170] 203 Terminal memory

[0171] 204 Egg type DB

[0172] 205 Terminal display control unit

[0173] 206 Terminal operation input unit

[0174] 207 Terminal communication unit

[0175] 210 Terminal display unit

[0176] 300 Server

[0177] 301 Server control unit

[0178] 302 Server recording medium

[0179] 303 Server memory

[0180] 304 User DB

[0181] 305 Server egg species DB

[0182] 306 Execution unit

[0183] 307 Statistics unit

[0184] 308 Server communication unit

[0185] 400 Network

Claims

1. A game system configured to include: a game device that provides a game related to character cultivation that evolves through multiple evolution stages; and an information communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with the game device and to display on a display mechanism an evolution process of a group of characters that can be derived and evolved from at least one character; For each character that can be cultivated in the game device, category information that can uniquely specify the type and evolution state of the character is determined; The evolution process is configured to display at least a part of the characters in an unrecognizable form in the initial state, and the number of types of characters at each evolution stage can be recognized for the corresponding group of characters; The information communication terminal includes: A first acquisition mechanism that acquires from the game device the category information related to the characters cultivated in the game device and the first character information related to the characters appearing in the game executed in the game device; A second acquisition mechanism that acquires from an external device different from the game device the second character information related to the characters appearing in the game executed in the game device; and A display control mechanism that causes the evolution process including the characters related to the category information acquired by the first acquisition mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism in such a way that the cultivated characters are changed from an unrecognizable form to a recognizable form, and causes the first character information and the second character information to be displayed on the display mechanism; The information displayed on the display mechanism for a character includes first information and second information. The first information is displayed for both the character corresponding to the first character information and the character corresponding to the second character information, and the second information is displayed for the character corresponding to the first character information but not for the character corresponding to the second character information.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein The information communication terminal further includes a second acquisition mechanism that acquires the category information from an external device different from the game device; When the display control mechanism further causes the evolution process including the characters related to the category information acquired from the external device to be displayed on the display mechanism, it changes the character to a recognizable form.

3. The game system according to claim 2, wherein The evolution process includes characters not displayed in the initial state; The display control mechanism does not display the characters not displayed in the initial state based on the category information acquired from the external device, and only displays them after changing them to a recognizable form based on the category information related to the cultivated characters.

4. The game system according to claim 3, wherein the category information acquired from the external device represents characters cultivated in a game device different from the game device.

5. The game system according to claim 4, wherein the external device includes: An execution mechanism that executes a battle game in which a character related to the user of the information communication terminal battles with other characters; and A constitution mechanism that constitutes a user ranking based on the result of the battle game executed by the execution mechanism; When the second acquisition mechanism browses the user ranking list in the information communication terminal, it acquires the category information representing the roles related to other users.

6. The game system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein when the display control mechanism displays the evolution process after changing the character into a recognizable form, the display form of the cultivated character is different from that of the character related to the category information acquired from the external device.

7. The game system according to claim 6, wherein The information communication terminal further includes a first acceptance mechanism that accepts a selection of a character displayed in a recognizable form in the evolution process, The display control mechanism further causes the detailed information of the character accepted for selection by the first acceptance mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism.

8. The game system according to claim 7, wherein the composition of the displayed information is different depending on whether the character accepted for selection by the first acceptance mechanism is the cultivated character or the character related to the category information acquired from the external device.

9. The game system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the first acquisition mechanism acquires the category information related to the cultivated character, the display control mechanism displays a performance of the character that stages the evolution stages passed before evolving into the cultivated character in the evolution process.

10. The game system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The information communication terminal further includes a second acceptance mechanism that accepts a specified operation input regarding a character displayed in a recognizable form in the evolution process, When the second acceptance mechanism accepts the specified operation input, the display control mechanism further causes information of the next-stage character that can evolve from the character for which the specified operation input has been made to be displayed on the display mechanism in the evolution process.

11. The game system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein There are multiple groups of the group of characters that can be derived and evolved, The display control mechanism causes a list of character groups capable of displaying the evolution process to be displayed on the display mechanism, The information communication terminal further includes a third acceptance mechanism that accepts a selection of the character group for which the evolution process is to be displayed, The display control mechanism further causes the evolution process related to the character group accepted for selection by the third acceptance mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism.

12. The game system according to claim 11, wherein The information communication terminal further includes a third acquisition mechanism that acquires information on the character group capable of displaying the evolution process, The third acceptance mechanism changes the character group that can be accepted for selection according to the information on the character group capable of displaying the evolution process acquired by the third acquisition mechanism.

13. The game system according to claim 11, wherein in the list display capable of displaying the group of characters in the evolution process, the display control mechanism further displays the state of change to a recognizable form in each evolution process.

14. The game system according to claim 11, wherein in the list display capable of displaying the group of characters in the evolution process, the display control mechanism discriminately displays the group of characters including the nurtured characters for which the category information was most recently obtained by the first acquisition mechanism.

15. The game system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second information includes information for causing a character to appear in the game.

16. The game system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the game is a game for nurturing characters, the second information includes information regarding the nurturing tendency of characters.

17. An information communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with a game device that provides a game related to nurturing characters that evolve through multiple evolution stages, and to display on a display mechanism an evolution process of a group of characters that can be derived and evolved from at least one character, determines category information that can uniquely specify the type and evolution state of each character that can be nurtured in the game device, the evolution process is configured to display at least a part of the characters in a form that cannot be recognized in the initial state, and the number of types of characters in each evolution stage can be recognized for the corresponding group of characters, the information communication terminal includes: a first acquisition mechanism that acquires the category information of the characters nurtured in the game device and first character information related to the characters that appear in the game implemented in the game device from the game device; a second acquisition mechanism that acquires second character information related to the characters that appear in the game implemented in the game device from an external device different from the game device; and a display control mechanism that causes the evolution process including the characters related to the category information acquired by the first acquisition mechanism to be displayed on the display mechanism in such a way that the nurtured characters are changed from a form that cannot be recognized to a form that can be recognized, and causes the first character information and the second character information to be displayed on the display mechanism, the information displayed on the display mechanism for a character includes first information and second information, the first information is displayed for both the character corresponding to the first character information and the character corresponding to the second character information, and the second information is displayed for the character corresponding to the first character information and not for the character corresponding to the second character information.

18. The information communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein the second information includes information for causing a character to appear in the game.

19. The information communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein the game is a game for nurturing characters, the second information includes information regarding the nurturing tendency of characters.

20. A recording medium that records a program that causes a computer to function as an information communication terminal of the game system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

Images