Program, information processor, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a program, an information processor, and an information processing method capable of preventing a user for which a predetermined relationship with a specific player is set from overlooking a play animation of a game competition in which the specific player appears.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A program allows a processor to execute a notification process for reporting distribution of a play animation of a game competition in which a specific player appears according to timing when the specific player appears in a predetermined schedule to a user for which a predetermined relationship with the specific player is set in execution of a game competition based on the predetermined schedule.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, an information processing device, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known systems that distribute gameplay videos of players (athletes) participating in game tournaments such as e-sports to users (viewers), allowing the users to watch the gameplay videos. Some systems also allow players and users to interact with each other. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that acquires specific information that identifies the destination of a player playing a game and feedback information on the player's gameplay, and transmits the acquired feedback information to the player's destination based on the specific information, thereby allowing users watching video content to transmit feedback information on the player's gameplay to the player. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-118656 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a system such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if a user's favorite player is participating in a match, there is a risk that the user may miss the distribution of the play video of the match.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to prevent users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete from missing gameplay videos of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a processor to execute a notification process that, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, notifies a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete of the distribution of a game play video of the game competition in which the specific athlete is participating, depending on the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete can be prevented from missing gameplay videos of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a game tournament. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a player terminal and a user terminal. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating functions of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of game tournament information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of competitor information. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of user information. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating functions of an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. That is, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0010] Furthermore, the examples of screens described in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration and design, content of the displayed information, and GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc. can be freely designed according to the system design specifications and user preferences, and can also be changed as appropriate.

[0011] <Games to which the present invention is applied> The communication system shown in Fig. 1 (hereinafter referred to as information processing system S) is a communication system including an information processing device (hereinafter referred to as server 10) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system S is a computer system that handles all operations related to the implementation of a game competition (hereinafter simply referred to as a game), and provides the game and other game-related services to competitors (individuals or teams) who compete (participate) in the game as players, and to users who watch (spectate) the gameplay of the competitors. Specifically, the information processing system S provides the competitors with an environment for playing the game, and the user with an environment for watching the game.

[0012] A game is a competition, such as a computer game or sport, in which players compete against each other according to certain rules to determine the superiority of their skills or abilities, and includes a game tournament in which one or more matches are scheduled. When multiple matches are scheduled, the method for determining the winner or ranking may be a tournament (knockout), a league (round-robin), a combination of the tournament and league formats, or a derivative format, or other method. When multiple matches are scheduled, the game is not limited to multiple matches of a single event, but may also combine multiple events of different events. A game may also consist of a final tournament and qualifying rounds (qualifying tournaments) for selecting participants for the final tournament. In games, players are usually awarded rewards based on the game results, such as final rankings, the results of each match, or the content of each match.

[0013] In this embodiment, an e-sports (electronic sports) tournament, which is a competitive computer game in which players compete against each other, will be described as an example of a game. The game genre of e-sports is not particularly limited and may be any game genre. For example, it may be a fighting game, a sports game, a shooting game, a racing game, a puzzle game, a word game, a card game, a board game, a role-playing game, or a simulation game. Furthermore, e-sports may be an individual or team competition. Furthermore, it may be a competition between humans as players, or a competition between a human and a computer (for example, an AI or a robot).

[0014] The e-sports of this embodiment is an online game provided using the information processing system S. Specifically, when a competitor, such as a professional gamer, who participates in the game as a player performs game play operations on the player terminal 11, the player terminal 11 receives data for game progression distributed from a server computer (hereinafter referred to as server 10) of the game provider. The player terminal 11 outputs video and audio corresponding to the received data, and the competitor progresses through the game while checking the output video and audio. The player terminal 11 also transmits data indicating the player's operations, such as game play operations, to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits game progression data corresponding to the competitor's operations to the player terminal 11. Such data transmission and reception between the server 10 and the player terminal 11 is repeated until the competitor finishes playing the game (match) or until the game tournament ends.

[0015] On the other hand, users who are viewers (spectators) of the game do not participate in a game tournament and actually play the game like competitors do. Instead, they watch and watch on the user terminal 12 videos (gameplay videos) showing the competitors playing the game. Specifically, the user terminal 12 receives data for game progression distributed from the server 10. The user terminal 12 outputs video and audio corresponding to the received data, and the user watches the output video and audio. The user terminal 12 also transmits data indicating user operations, such as an athlete designation operation for designating an athlete to support and a game selection operation for selecting a game (match) to watch, to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits game progression data corresponding to the user operations to the user terminal 12. This type of data transmission and reception between the server 10 and the user terminal 12 is repeated until the competitors finish playing the game (match) or until the game tournament ends.

[0016] In this embodiment, a game tournament is taken as an example, in which multiple competitors compete in a competitive game, with multiple matches held according to a predetermined schedule. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the game tournament is a competition in which 32 competitors (P01 to P32) participate, and is composed of a preliminary round (preliminary league) and a final round (final tournament). The top competitor in each preliminary round block advances to the final round, and the competitor who survives by winning three tournament matches in the final round becomes the winner. Matches are held according to a predetermined schedule, with each competitor playing a round-robin preliminary round having three matches, six matches per block, for a total of 48 preliminary round matches. The knockout final tournament has six matches, including a first round, semifinals, and final. Furthermore, matches are held at multiple venues (four venues: X, Y, Z, and W), and multiple matches may be held simultaneously at the same time.

[0017] In this embodiment, because multiple matches are held according to a predetermined schedule, gameplay videos of the entire game tournament are not constantly distributed, but rather, gameplay videos of matches in which a specific athlete is participating are pinpointedly distributed to users. Therefore, to prevent users from missing a desired match, users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete are notified that distribution of gameplay videos of a match in which the specific athlete with whom they have established a predetermined relationship will begin at the time the specific athlete with whom they have established a predetermined relationship will participate (for example, a predetermined time before the start of the specific athlete's match, which may be 5 minutes or 120 seconds before the start of the match).

[0018] Specifically, as the start time of a match of a specific athlete with whom a predetermined relationship has been established approaches and just before the match begins, a notification banner such as a toast notifies the user that the match of the specific athlete with whom a predetermined relationship has been established will soon begin. For example, a notification screen G as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed as a notification banner on the screen of the user terminal 12. A link to a location where gameplay video of the match in which the athlete is participating can be set on the notification screen G. A user who receives the start notification can switch the screen to the athlete's gameplay screen (match video) by tapping the notification screen G, for example, and can watch the gameplay video of the athlete's match. Note that the notification format is not limited to the above, and may be a message only (without a link), or the gameplay video itself may be displayed.

[0019] Furthermore, the notification mode is not uniform, and the notification mode such as highlighting (size, design), display time (constant, flashing), presence or absence of sound, volume, etc. changes based on the priority of the athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been set or the priority of the match. For example, if there are a large number of athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been set, they will be displayed in an emphasized manner.

[0020] It should be noted that the notification may be such that, if a specific athlete with a predetermined relationship has remaining playable matches, i.e., has won, the user will be notified of the distribution of gameplay videos, but if there are no remaining playable matches for the specific athlete, i.e., if the specific athlete has already been eliminated, the user will not be notified of the distribution of gameplay videos. Furthermore, whether or not to notify may be set depending on the importance of the match. For example, the notification may be set to only be for the finals, and not for the preliminary matches.

[0021] The predetermined relationship includes, for example, the following relationships. Note that the number of specific athletes with whom a predetermined relationship is set is not limited to one per user. Furthermore, if there are multiple specific athletes with whom a predetermined relationship is set, the user may set a priority order for each specific athlete at their own discretion, or the priority order may be set automatically depending on the strength of the relationship. Note that the priority order is set for each user. (a) The relationship between the user and the athletes registered as favorites by the user (b) A mutually recognized relationship between the user and the competitor (so-called friends) (c) Relationships between users and athletes who belong to the same group (chat group, etc.) (d) Relationships automatically established based on common attributes (such as gameplay history or support history)

[0022] In this embodiment, since the match is a competitive game, multiple (two) competitors participate in one match. Therefore, users who have a predetermined relationship with at least one of the multiple competitors are notified that distribution of gameplay videos will begin. Note that users who have a predetermined relationship with both competitors may also be notified that distribution of gameplay videos will begin.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since multiple matches may be held simultaneously, there may be cases where matches involving athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been established for the user overlap. In such cases, the match to be notified preferentially (the match with the highest priority) is determined based on the rules exemplified below. Methods of notifying preferentially include notifying only about high-priority matches, notifying by prominently displaying high-priority matches above low-priority matches, and notifying high-priority matches more frequently. (a) If the number of players (e.g., two) among the multiple players in the first competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user is greater than the number of players (e.g., one) among the multiple players in the second competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user, the user is notified of the distribution of gameplay video A of the first competitive game in priority over the distribution of gameplay video B of the second competitive game. (b) If the priority set for a first competitor among multiple competitors with a specified relationship is higher than the priority set for a second competitor, the distribution of gameplay video A of a match in which the first competitor participates is notified with priority over the distribution of gameplay video B of a match in which the second competitor participates.

[0024] Specifically, under the above conditions, when the time comes to start distributing gameplay video A, if the user is not watching any gameplay videos (including gameplay video A), the distribution of gameplay video A will be notified. Also, if the user is watching gameplay video B or another gameplay video, the distribution of gameplay video A will be notified. Note that if the user is watching gameplay video A, the distribution of gameplay video A will not be notified. On the other hand, when the time comes to start distributing gameplay video B, if the user is watching gameplay video A, the distribution of gameplay video B will not be notified.

[0025] In addition, when multiple users (a first user and a second user) are watching a gameplay video together on a large monitor or the like, the priority of a competitor who has a specified relationship established with both the first user and the second user will be higher than the priority of a competitor who has a specified relationship established with either the first user or the second user.

[0026] In addition, if a predetermined relationship such as a friend relationship has been established with a specific athlete in a predetermined game other than a game competition, the user will be notified of the distribution of gameplay video on the play screen of the predetermined game while playing the game.

[0027] The predetermined game is content that a user plays by operating the user terminal 12 while viewing a game screen on the user terminal 12 for gameplay. In this embodiment, the predetermined game is an online game (electronic game) provided using the information processing system S. Online games include browser games using a web browser, social games provided on SNS (Social Networking Service), games that can be played by downloading dedicated application software such as mobile games, and regularly updated online games such as play-by-web (PBW). The genre (classification) of the predetermined game is not particularly limited. It may be the same as the game played by competitors in a game competition, or it may be a game of an entirely different genre, including a game provided by a different operator or a game distributed from a source other than the server 10.

[0028] Furthermore, in a given game, a user may be able to play alone, but so-called multiplay (hereinafter referred to as cooperative play) is also possible, in which multiple users, such as friends, operate their respective user terminals 12 to simultaneously play a common quest or the like. Cooperative play is performed through the communication function of each user's user terminal 12, and when a cooperative relationship is formed, the progress of play is synchronized between users playing cooperatively. Cooperative play may be of either type, such as a cooperative play game in which multiple users cooperate, or a competitive game in which players compete against each other.

[0029] <Regarding the first embodiment of the present invention> Next, the configurations of an information processing device and various terminals according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to this embodiment is configured by a computer for distributing game data, specifically a server computer (hereinafter referred to as a server 10). The server 10 is an example of a computer, and as shown in FIG. 1, is communicatively connected to a plurality of player terminals 11 and user terminals 12 via a network 14, and together with the player terminals 11 and user terminals 12, forms an information processing system S. The network 14 is a communication network consisting of, for example, the Internet or a mobile communication network, and may include a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), an intranet, etc.

[0030] In the information processing system S of this embodiment, with the above configuration, the server 10, the player terminal 11, and the user terminal 12 cooperate to progress a game or a game tournament. Specifically, part of the game progress processing is performed on the server 10 side, and part of the graphics processing and the like is executed on the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12. For example, the server 10 side executes a program including certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 side synchronize with the server 10 and progress the game according to the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 10. Note that hereinafter, the term "game" includes a predetermined game unless otherwise specified.

[0031] The server 10 is an example of an "information processing device" of the present invention, and is a computer that executes various information processing related to the progress of the game, such as generating and transmitting and receiving data necessary for the progress of the game. More specifically, in this embodiment, the server 10 is an SNS server. The server 10 may be configured with a single computer or multiple computers distributed in parallel. The server 10 may also be a server computer for an ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, a series of information processing steps related to the progress of the game (excluding input and display of information) are executed by the server 10, and therefore, the player terminals 11 and the user terminals 12 only need to input information to be transferred to the server 10 and display information distributed from the server 10.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the server 10 has, as hardware devices, a processor 21, a memory 22, a communication interface 23, and a storage 24, which are electrically connected via a bus 25. The server 10 also has installed thereon, as software, an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program for processing information related to the game. These programs correspond to the "program" of the present invention. When the processor 21 operates in accordance with the program, the server 10 functions as the information processing device of the present invention and executes a series of processes related to the progress of the game. The program of the present invention may be acquired by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or may be acquired (downloaded) via a network 14 such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0033] The processor 21 may be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0034] The memory 22 may be configured by semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0035] The communication interface 23 may be configured by, for example, a network interface card, a communication interface board, etc. The standard of data communication by the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication by a wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication by a 3G to 5G or later generation mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0036] The storage 24 may be configured with a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), or the like. The storage 24 may be built into the server 10 or may be attached to the server main body in an external format. The storage 24 may also be configured with an external computer (e.g., a database server) communicably connected to the server main body. Note that a distributed ledger technology such as a blockchain may be used as a technology for recording various data in order to avoid unauthorized data tampering, etc.

[0037] The server 10 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each competitor and each user, and also collects and stores information from each competitor and each user. The information stored by the server 10 includes information about the game tournament, information about each competitor, information about each user, etc. The server 10 also performs various other information processing related to the progress of the game.

[0038] The player terminal 11 is a client terminal operated by a competitor to play a game. The user terminal 12 is a client terminal operated by a user to watch a game or play a predetermined game. The player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 are configured, for example, by a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a television set capable of inputting information, a wearable terminal, or the like. Note that, for convenience of illustration, FIG. 1 shows two player terminals 11 and three user terminals 12, but of course, in reality, there are as many player terminals 11 and user terminals 12 as there are competitors and users.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 5, the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 each have, as hardware devices, a processor 31, a memory 32, a communication interface 33, a storage 34, an input device 35, and an output device 36, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 37. In addition, the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 each have, as software, an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program (app) for processing information related to the game installed therein. The processor 31, memory 32, communication interface 33, and storage 34 have generally the same configuration as the processor 21, memory 22, communication interface 23, and storage 24 of the server 10.

[0040] The input device 35 is a device that accepts game operations by a player or user, and may be composed of operation buttons, a touch panel, and a sound pickup microphone provided on the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12, as well as a keyboard, a mouse, a controller, etc. connected to the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12.

[0041] The output device 36 is a device that displays the game play screen and plays back audio, and includes a display, a speaker, and the like provided on the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12. The output device 26 may be integrated with the input device 35, such as a touch panel display. The display may be connected to the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 in a wired or wireless manner, and a head-mounted display or the like can be used as a display connected in a wireless manner.

[0042] The player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 configured as described above receive data for game progression from the server 10, and display images (video) indicated by the data on the display of the player terminal 11 or the user terminal 12 or on a display device such as a TV connected to the player terminal 11 or the user terminal 12, and output audio from a speaker or the like. That is, in this embodiment, the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 function as a display unit and an audio output unit. For example, the player terminal 11 displays a game play screen (not shown), etc. Furthermore, the user terminal 12 displays a notification screen G ( FIG. 3 ) and the like in addition to the game play screen (not shown).

[0043] Furthermore, the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12 accept operations performed by the athlete or user while playing the game, and transmit information corresponding to the operation content to the server 10. For example, the athlete performs game play operations and the like to play the game on the player terminal 11, and transmits information based on these operations to the server 10. Meanwhile, the user performs an athlete designation operation to designate the athlete to support, a game selection operation to select a game (match) to watch, and a predetermined game play operation to play a predetermined game on the user terminal 12, and transmits information based on these operations to the server 10. In addition to the above operations, the athlete and the user appropriately perform operations on the player terminal 11 or the user terminal 12 that are necessary to enjoy the services provided by the information processing system S of this embodiment.

[0044] The configurations of the server 10 and the user terminal 12, which are information processing devices according to this embodiment, will be explained again from the functional standpoint.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 6, the server 10 has a memory unit 40, an information acquisition unit 41, a display control unit 42, a setting unit 43, a notification unit 44, and a game control unit 45. Of these, the memory unit 40 is realized by the memory 22 or the storage 24, and the other functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices constituting the server 10 and programs installed on the server 10. Note that when the server 10 is made up of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0046] (Storage part) The storage unit 40 stores various types of information necessary for playing the game. Specifically, it stores information about the game tournament, information about the players, information about the users, etc. It also stores various other types of information.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7 , information related to game tournaments (game tournament information) is stored for each game tournament, with various types of information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID) that identifies each game tournament. For example, game tournament information items include information indicating the name (title), duration, schedule (match schedule), prize money, game content, competitors, and game tournament results. Information indicating the match schedule includes all information related to the schedule, such as match pairings and the dates, times, and locations of matches. Information indicating game content includes information for identifying the games to be played in the game tournament. Information indicating competitors includes information for identifying the competitors participating in the game tournament. Information indicating results includes information such as the winner of the game tournament, the winners and losers of each match, and the scores of each match (including progress).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8 , information about athletes (athlete information) is stored for each athlete, with various information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID or a game account name) that identifies each athlete. For example, the athlete information items include information indicating the athlete's name, athlete's rank, attributes such as affiliation, game play history, and users with whom a predetermined relationship has been established. Information indicating game play history includes information indicating past achievements such as the number of tournaments participated in, the number of matches, tournament results, match results, and game media usage history. Information indicating users with whom a predetermined relationship has been established includes information for identifying the athlete and the users with whom a predetermined relationship has been established. Note that the athlete information may also include information other than the above, such as personal information about the athlete such as contact information, characters used in the game, groups to which the athlete belongs, and other friendships.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 9 , information about users (user information) is stored for each user, with various information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID or a game account name) that identifies each user. For example, items in the user information include information indicating athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been established, viewing history, predetermined games, and friends. Information indicating athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been established includes information for identifying athletes with whom a predetermined relationship has been established. Information indicating viewing history includes information indicating the number of times a game tournament or game (match) has been viewed, the viewing date and time, and the viewing duration. Information indicating predetermined games includes play history of the predetermined games, such as identification information for the predetermined games, and information indicating whether or not each predetermined game has been played, the play date and time, the play duration, the number of times it has been played, the number of times it has been cleared, and the number of times the game medium has been used. Information indicating friends includes information for identifying other users with a friend relationship. Note that the user information may also include information other than the above, such as personal information about the user, such as contact information, and a billing history indicating the number of times and amounts of charges for games.

[0050] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 41 acquires information (data) based on operations performed by players and users on the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12 by communicating with the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41 includes, for example, information based on game play operations, information based on player designation operations, information based on game selection operations, and information based on predetermined game play operations. In addition to the above information, the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41 also includes information based on various selections, designations, instructions, requests, commands, permission or denial, registration, and other input operations performed by players or users at various scenes during the game.

[0051] (Display control unit) The display control unit 42 controls the player terminal 11 or the user terminal 12 to display information for game progress on the screen of the player terminal 11 or the user terminal 12. Specifically, the display control unit 42 generates display data for displaying results of information processing by the setting unit 43, notification unit 44, game control unit 45, etc., which will be described later, and transmits the generated display data to the user terminal 12 via the network 14. For example, the display control unit 42 distributes game play screens (including game play videos of players) that reflect the results of information processing by the game control unit 45, and displays them on the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12.

[0052] (Settings section) The setting unit 43 sets a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and a user. Specifically, the setting unit 43 sets a predetermined relationship between the athlete and the user who designated the athlete through the athlete designation operation by associating the athlete with the user and storing the association in the storage unit 40. Furthermore, the setting unit 43 sets a predetermined relationship between the athlete and the user by automatically pairing the athlete and the user based on the attributes of the athlete and the user, associating them with each other, and storing the association in the storage unit 40.

[0053] (Notification Department) The notification unit 44 notifies a user who has established a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete that distribution of gameplay video of a match in which the specific athlete with whom the specific relationship has been established will begin, according to the timing of the specific athlete's appearance in a predetermined schedule, by communicating with the user terminal 12. Specifically, the notification unit 44 generates notification data including a link to a location where gameplay video of a match in which the specific athlete is appearing can be viewed, and transmits the generated notification data via the network 14 to the user terminal 12 of the user with whom the specific relationship has been established.

[0054] The notification unit 44 controls the gameplay video to be notified to users when there are games remaining in the game competition in which the specific athlete can play, and does not notify users of the distribution of the gameplay video when there are no games remaining in the game competition in which the specific athlete can play. In other words, until the athlete is eliminated and there are no more playable games, notification data related to the athlete is generated and notifications are sent to users with whom a predetermined relationship is set as the notification target.

[0055] When the game competition is a competitive game between multiple competitors, the notification unit 44 notifies at least one of the multiple competitors or a user who has a predetermined relationship with multiple competitors of the distribution of gameplay videos. In this case, if the number of competitors in the first competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user is greater than the number of competitors in the second competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user, the notification unit 44 notifies the user of the distribution of gameplay videos of the first competitive game in priority over the distribution of gameplay videos of the second competitive game. For example, the notification unit 44 may notify only the first competitive game, notify the user by prominently displaying the first competitive game above the second competitive game, or notify the user more frequently about the first competitive game.

[0056] The notification unit 44 notifies users who are not watching gameplay videos of the distribution of gameplay videos, and if priority is set for gameplay videos based on the relationship with the athlete, the notification unit 44 performs notification according to the priority. Specifically, if the specific athlete includes a first athlete and a second athlete, and the priority of the first athlete is higher than the priority of the second athlete, when a user is watching the gameplay video of the second athlete, the notification unit 44 notifies the user of the distribution of the gameplay video of the first athlete, but does not notify the user of the distribution of the gameplay video of the second athlete when the user is watching the gameplay video of the first athlete. Furthermore, when both a first user and a second user watch gameplay videos, the priority of an athlete who has a predetermined relationship with both the first user and the second user is set higher than the priority of an athlete who has a predetermined relationship with either the first user or the second user.

[0057] The notification unit 44 determines the notification mode, such as size, design, display time, presence or absence of sound or volume, depending on the number of players who have a predetermined relationship with the user among the multiple players.The notification mode is also determined depending on the priority of the players.Furthermore, the notification unit 44 notifies the user while the user is playing a predetermined game by displaying a notification on the play screen of the predetermined game or emitting a notification sound.

[0058] (Game control unit) The game control unit 45 executes information processing necessary for the game to progress, and progresses the game or a predetermined game in accordance with various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41. Specifically, it executes effects in accordance with operations, such as progressing the game in accordance with operations performed by the athlete or user. It also changes the settings of various parameters in accordance with the progress of the game, etc. For example, in the case of a competitive fighting game, it controls the character operated by the athlete to move or attack other characters based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41. When an attack by one character hits another character, it reduces parameters such as stamina associated with the other character based on parameters such as the character's attack power and the other character's defense power.

[0059] 6, the user terminal 12 has a storage unit 50, an operation reception unit 51, an information acquisition unit 52, and a display playback unit 53. Of these, the storage unit 50 is realized by the memory 32 or the storage 34, and the other functional units are realized by the cooperation of the hardware devices constituting the user terminal 12 and the programs installed in the user terminal 12. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0060] (Storage part) The storage unit 50 stores various data necessary for the game to progress, and also temporarily stores distributed gameplay videos.

[0061] (Operation reception section) The operation acceptance unit 51 accepts various operations performed by the user through the user terminal 12. The user operations accepted by the operation acceptance unit 51 include an athlete designation operation for designating an athlete to support, a game selection operation for selecting a game (match) to watch, and a predetermined game play operation for playing a predetermined game.

[0062] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 52 acquires various information (data) distributed from the server 10 by communicating with the server 10. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 52 includes, for example, information related to gameplay videos, information related to notifications, and the like.

[0063] (Display playback section) The display playback unit 53 displays game play videos on the display and plays audio or background music from a speaker. It also displays a notification screen G on the display and plays notification sounds from a speaker.

[0064] The above has described the configurations of the server 10, the player terminal 11, and the user terminal 12. Generally, the server 10, the player terminal 11, and the user terminal 12 have various functions other than those described above, but here, only the characteristic functions that produce the effects in the information processing system S of the present invention will be described, and illustrations and descriptions of other known functions will be omitted.

[0065] <Information processing flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention> Next, with reference to Figure 10, we will explain the flow of information processing (hereinafter referred to as information processing flow) executed in the information processing system S according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The information processing flow employs the information processing method of the present invention and is realized by using the information processing system S functioning as a computer system. In other words, each step in the information processing flow corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention. Note that the information processing flow described below is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order in which steps are performed may be changed, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0066] (Information processing flow) This information processing flow is the core information processing of the present invention, including notification processing for notifying users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete of distribution of gameplay videos of a game competition in which the specific athlete participates, in accordance with the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule, when the game is held according to a predetermined schedule, and progresses, for example, along the flow shown in Fig. 10. Note that each step of the information processing flow according to the first embodiment is executed by processor 21 of server 10.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 10, first, the server 10, which is a computer, associates a specific athlete with a user, thereby establishing a predetermined relationship between the specific athlete and the user (S101).

[0068] Next, the server 10 determines that, as a result of the progress of the game tournament according to the predetermined schedule, the start time of a game (match) in which a specific athlete with whom a predetermined relationship has been established is participating is approaching (S102: YES), and further determines that a user with whom a predetermined relationship has been established has not watched a gameplay video in which the specific athlete is participating (S103: YES), and further determines that, for a user with whom a predetermined relationship has been established, the priority of the specific athlete or a match in which the specific athlete is participating, i.e., the priority of the gameplay video, is higher than the priority of other gameplay videos. If so (S104: YES), the notification mode is determined based on the number of specific athletes with whom a specified relationship has been established among the multiple athletes participating in the match (S105), and then specified information including a link to a location (site, etc.) where the gameplay video can be viewed is displayed, notification data is generated to notify the user that distribution of gameplay video of the match in which the specific athlete is participating will begin, and the generated notification data is sent to the user terminal 12 of the user with whom a specified relationship has been established with the specific athlete, thereby notifying the user terminal 12 of the distribution of gameplay video of the game competition in which the specific athlete is participating (S106).

[0069] Then, when the server 10 determines that the user who received the notification has performed an operation to access the above link (game selection operation) and accepted the video distribution instruction (S107: YES), it causes the user terminal 12 to display the gameplay video of the specific athlete on the user terminal 12 by sending (distributing) distribution data of the gameplay video of the match in which the specific athlete, with whom the specified relationship has been set, is participating (S108), and ends the processing.

[0070] On the other hand, if the server 10 determines that the start time of a game (match) in which a specific athlete is participating is not approaching (S102: NO), if it determines that a user who has established a specified relationship with a specific athlete is watching a gameplay video in which that specific athlete is participating (S103: NO), if it determines that the gameplay video is not a high priority for the user who has established a specified relationship with that specific athlete, i.e., if there is another gameplay video with a higher priority (S104: NO), or if it determines that a video distribution instruction has not been accepted (S107: NO), it will terminate the processing. The above is an example of the information processing flow in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] <Second embodiment of the present invention> In the first embodiment described above, the server 10 constitutes the information processing device of the present invention, but this is not limited to this, and a configuration in which each user's user terminal 12 constitutes the information processing device of the present invention is also conceivable. Such a configuration is the second embodiment of the present invention, and will be described below with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0072] In the following, the second embodiment will be mainly described with respect to the differences from the first embodiment, and the description of the common parts with the first embodiment will be simplified or omitted. In addition, in Fig. 5, the common functional parts with the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in Fig. 5.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the user terminal 12 of each user constitutes an information processing device. Specifically, by executing a game program (app) installed in the user terminal 12 of each user, each user terminal 12 functions as the information processing device of the present invention described above. Specifically, some or all of the processes of the setting unit 43, notification unit 44, and game control unit 45 that were executed in the server 10 are executed on the user terminal 12 side.

[0074] In the second embodiment, the user terminal 12 has a memory unit 60, an operation reception unit 61, an information acquisition unit 62, a display playback unit 63, a setting unit 64, a notification unit 65, and a game progression unit 66, as shown in FIG. 11 . Of these, the memory unit 50 is realized by the memory 32 or the storage 34, and the other functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices constituting the user terminal 12 and programs installed in the user terminal 12. Of the functional units possessed by the user terminal 12, the setting unit 64, the notification unit 65, and the game progression unit 66 will be described below. Note that the functions of the memory unit 60, the operation reception unit 61, the information acquisition unit 62, and the display playback unit 63 are substantially similar to those of the memory unit 50, the operation reception unit 51, the information acquisition unit 52, and the display playback unit 53 of the first embodiment, respectively, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] (Settings section) The setting unit 64 sets a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and a user. Specifically, the predetermined relationship between the athlete and the user is set by associating the athlete with the user who designated the athlete through the athlete designation operation and storing the association in the storage unit 60. Furthermore, the predetermined relationship between the athlete and the user is set by automatically pairing the athlete and the user based on the attributes of the athlete and the user, associating them with each other, and storing the association in the storage unit 40.

[0076] (Notification Department) The notification unit 65 communicates with the server 10 to recognize the timing when a specific athlete with whom a specific relationship is established in a specific schedule will compete, and notifies the server 10 that distribution of gameplay videos of matches in which the specific athlete with whom the specific relationship is established will begin according to that timing. Specifically, the notification unit 65 generates notification data including a link to a location where gameplay videos of matches in which the specific athlete is competing can be viewed, and the generated notification data is displayed and played back by the display / playback unit 63. Note that other notification conditions, notification contents, etc. are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] (Game Progression Department) The game progression unit 66 executes information processing necessary for the progression of a predetermined game, and progresses the predetermined game in accordance with user operations received by the operation reception unit 61. Specifically, it makes selections in accordance with user operations, changes the settings of various parameters in accordance with the progress of the game, etc. Note that the predetermined game may also be progressed by communicating with a game server (not shown) other than the server 10.

[0078] <Information processing flow according to the second embodiment of the present invention>

[0079] Next, an information processing flow according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The information processing flow according to the second embodiment also employs the information processing method of the present invention, and each step in the information processing flow shown in Fig. 12 corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention.

[0080] (Information processing flow) This information processing flow is the core information processing of the present invention, including notification processing for notifying users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete of distribution of gameplay videos of a game competition in which the specific athlete participates, in accordance with the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule, when the game is held according to a predetermined schedule, and progresses, for example, along the flow shown in Fig. 12. Note that each step of the information processing flow according to the second embodiment is executed by processor 31 of user terminal 12.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 12, first, the user terminal 12, which is a computer, associates a specific athlete with the user, thereby establishing a predetermined relationship between the specific athlete and the user (S201).

[0082] Next, through communication with the server 10, the user terminal 12 determines that, as a result of the game tournament progressing according to a predetermined schedule, the start time of a game (match) in which a specific athlete with whom a predetermined relationship has been established is approaching (S202: YES), and further determines that the user has not watched any gameplay videos in which the specific athlete is participating (S203: YES). If the user terminal 12 further determines that the priority of the specific athlete or the match in which the specific athlete is participating is higher than the priority of other gameplay videos (S204: YES), the user terminal 12 determines a notification mode based on, for example, the number of specific athlete with whom a predetermined relationship has been established among the multiple athlete participating in the match (S205), and generates notification data to notify the user that distribution of gameplay videos of the match in which the specific athlete is participating will begin by displaying predetermined information including a link to a location (site, etc.) where the gameplay videos can be viewed, and displays and plays the generated notification data to notify the user of the distribution of gameplay videos of the game tournament in which the specific athlete is participating (S206).

[0083] Then, when the user performs an operation to access the above link (game selection operation) and determines that a video distribution instruction has been received (S207: YES), the user terminal 12 transmits a video distribution instruction based on the above operation to the server 10 through communication with the server 10 (S208). As a result, the user terminal 12 receives distribution data of game play video of a match in which the specific athlete, for whom the specified relationship has been set, is participating from the server 10 (S209), displays and plays back the received game play video of the specific athlete (S210), and terminates the processing.

[0084] On the other hand, if the user terminal 12 determines that the start time of a game (match) in which a specific athlete is participating is not approaching (S202: NO), if it determines that the user is watching a gameplay video in which that specific athlete is participating (S203: NO), if it determines that the gameplay video is not a high priority for the user, i.e., if there is another gameplay video with a higher priority (S204: NO), or if it determines that a video distribution instruction has not been accepted (S207: NO), it will terminate the processing. The above is an example of the information processing flow in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] <Other embodiments> Up to this point, we have explained the program, information processing device, and information processing method of the present invention using specific examples, but the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and other embodiments may also be considered.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the game tournament information, athlete information, user information, etc. are stored on the server 10, but it is also possible to provide a separate database server (not shown) and store all of the information in that database server, or to store the information on the user terminal 12 side.

[0087] In the above embodiment, users can generally enjoy all functions free of charge. However, some functions may be limited and available by paying a specified usage fee. Furthermore, gameplay videos may be available to paying users who have paid a specified viewing fee, and various other conditions may be set to give paying users who have paid a specified usage fee an advantage when viewing gameplay videos. For example, paying users may be able to view gameplay videos shot from special angles or specially edited, depending on the amount of their fees. The usage fee may be a pay-as-you-go system, or it may be a subscription-like system where a one-time payment is valid for the user for a certain period of time (e.g., one month or one year).

[0088] <Summary> The main features of the program, information processing device, and information processing method according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[0089] [1] The program of this embodiment causes a processor to execute a notification process that, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, notifies a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete of the distribution of gameplay video of the game competition in which the specific athlete is participating, depending on the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule. According to the above program, a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete can be prevented from missing a gameplay video of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating.

[0090] [2] In the above program, the notification process controls the gameplay video to be notified to the user if there are games remaining in the game competition that a specific athlete can play, and does not notify the user of the gameplay video distribution if there are no games remaining in the game competition that a specific athlete can play. This makes it possible to suppress notifications of game play videos for game competitions for users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete when there are no remaining matches in which the specific athlete will participate, thereby enabling efficient notification of game play videos for game competitions in which the specific athlete will participate.

[0091] [3] In the above program, if the game competition is a competitive game between multiple players, the notification process notifies users who have a predetermined relationship with at least one of the multiple players of the distribution of gameplay videos. This makes it possible to prevent users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete from missing gameplay footage of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating, even in the case of a competitive game involving multiple athletes.

[0092] [4] In the above program, when the game competition is a competitive game between multiple competitors, if the number of competitors in the first competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user is greater than the number of competitors in the second competitive game who have a predetermined relationship with the user, the notification process notifies the user of the distribution of gameplay videos of the first competitive game in priority over the distribution of gameplay videos of the second competitive game. This allows the distribution of gameplay videos of competitive games to be promoted according to the importance of the games to the user, even when multiple competitive games are being held with multiple competitors.

[0093] [5] In the above program, the notification process determines the notification mode depending on the number of athletes who have a predetermined relationship with the user among the multiple athletes. This allows users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete to be prevented from missing gameplay videos of game competitions in which the specific athlete is participating, and also allows users to be guided to the distribution of gameplay videos of competitive games in a way that allows them to distinguish between high and low importance to the user.

[0094] [6] In the above program, the notification process notifies the user of the distribution of a gameplay video if the user is not watching the gameplay video. This allows users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete to be notified of the distribution of gameplay videos of game competitions in which the specific athlete is participating, at a time that does not interfere with the user's viewing of the gameplay videos.

[0095] [7] In the above program, the specific athletes include a first athlete and a second athlete, and if the priority of the first athlete is higher than the priority of the second athlete, the notification process notifies the user of the distribution of the first athlete's gameplay video when the user is watching the second athlete's gameplay video, and does not notify the user of the distribution of the second athlete's gameplay video when the user is watching the first athlete's gameplay video. This allows the user to be guided to watch the play video of a competitive game that is more important to the user than the competitive game they are currently watching when that game is available, and to suppress guidance to watch the play video of a competitive game that is less important to the user when that game is available, thereby efficiently preventing the user from missing the broadcast of a competitive game that is more important to the user.

[0096] [8] In the above program, when a first user and a second user both watch a gameplay video, the priority of a player who has a predetermined relationship with both the first user and the second user is higher than the priority of a player who has a predetermined relationship with either the first user or the second user. This allows users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete to be prevented from missing gameplay videos of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating, even when multiple users are watching gameplay videos together, and allows for more efficient notification, preventing users from missing gameplay videos of highly important competitive games that they would not want to miss.

[0097] [9] In the above program, if a predetermined relationship is established with a specific athlete in a predetermined game other than a game competition, the notification process notifies the distribution of a gameplay video within the predetermined game. This prevents a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete from missing a gameplay video of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating, even if the user is playing a specific game.

[0098]

[10] The information processing device of this embodiment has a notification unit that, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, notifies a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete of the distribution of a game play video of the game competition in which the specific athlete participates, depending on the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule. According to the information processing device described above, it is possible to prevent a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete from missing a gameplay video of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating.

[0099]

[11] In the information processing method of this embodiment, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, a processor executes a notification process to notify a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete that a game play video of the game competition in which the specific athlete is participating will be distributed, depending on the timing of the specific athlete's participation in the predetermined schedule. According to the above information processing method, it is possible to prevent a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete from missing a gameplay video of a game competition in which the specific athlete is participating. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10 Servers 11 Player terminal 12 User terminal 14 Network 21 processors 22 Memory 23 Communication Interface 24 Storage 25 Bus 31 processors 32 memory 33 Communication Interface 34 Storage 35 Input Devices 36 Output Devices 37 Bus 40 Storage section 41 Information Acquisition Department 42 Display control unit 43 Setting section 44 Notification Department 45 Game control unit 50 Storage section 51 Operation reception section 52 Information Acquisition Department 53 Display playback section 60 Storage section 61 Operation reception section 62 Information Acquisition Department 63 Display playback section 64 Settings 65 Notification Department 66 Game Progression Department G Notification screen S Information Processing System

Claims

1. Associating a specific athlete with the user to set a predetermined relationship; When a game competition is held in which a plurality of players compete against each other, before the start of the game competition in which the particular player participates as at least one of the plurality of players, notification data is sent to the user's terminal to notify that distribution of a game play video of the game competition in which the particular player participates will begin; changing a notification mode based on the notification data in accordance with a priority of the game; Information processing device.

2. A processor associates a specific athlete with a user to set a predetermined relationship; When a game competition is conducted in which a plurality of players compete against each other, the processor transmits, to the user's terminal, notification data for notifying the user that distribution of a game play video of the game competition in which the particular player participates will begin before the start of the game competition in which the particular player participates as at least one of the plurality of players; A processor changes a notification mode of the notification data according to a priority of the game play. Information processing methods.

3. a process for receiving notification data for notifying a user that distribution of a game play video of a game competition in which a specific player, who has a predetermined relationship with the user, participates as at least one of the multiple players, will begin before the start of the game competition in which the specific player participates, when the game competition is a competitive game between a plurality of players, is carried out; A notification mode based on the notification data is changed according to the priority of the game. program.

4. A system comprising a server and a terminal, The server, Associating a specific athlete with the user to set a predetermined relationship; When a game competition is held in which a plurality of players compete against each other, before the start of the game competition in which the particular player participates as at least one of the plurality of players, notification data is sent to the user's terminal to notify that distribution of a game play video of the game competition in which the particular player participates will begin; changing a notification mode based on the notification data in accordance with a priority of the game; system.

Images