Information processing device, program, and game system

Abstract

To provide play experience of a highly amusing game.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: acquisition means for acquiring character information pertaining to a character grown in a game device; determination means for determining whether an impartation condition of a game element to an object character pertaining to character information is satisfied on the basis of the character information acquired by the acquisition means; and imparting means for imparting a game element to an object character when determining that an impartation condition of a game element is satisfied by the determination means. The game device executes a growing game in which a character grows through multiple growing stages, and an impartation condition of a game element at least includes a change in a growing stage of an object character in the growing game.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a program, and a game system, and more particularly to an electronic game having a character development function. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is a game system including a game device that executes an electronic game having a function of raising a character according to a user's activity state (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-088274 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the game system of Patent Document 1, information on characters being developed in a game device is transmitted to a server via a dedicated application, and a battle game in which characters developed by each user battle each other is executed on the server. However, in the battle game of Patent Document 1, some game control elements such as the success rate of attacking actions are determined according to the type of character, so that the development (progress) of the game may be limited when specific characters battle each other. As a result, the battle game may become less interesting and users may lose interest.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide an information processing device, a program, and a game system that provide a highly entertaining game playing experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention comprises an acquisition means for acquiring character information relating to a character raised in a game device, a judgment means for judging whether a condition for imparting a game element to a target character relating to the character information acquired by the acquisition means is satisfied based on the character information acquired by the acquisition means, and an assignment means for assigning a game element to the target character when the judgment means judges that the condition for imparting the game element is satisfied, wherein the game device executes a training game in which a character grows through a number of training stages, and the conditions for imparting the game element include at least a change in the training stage of the target character in the training game. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly entertaining game playing experience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a management server 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a game device 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a smartphone 300 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data configuration of various data used in the game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a lottery table according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 shows an example of displaying abilities on a smartphone 300 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 shows an example of how abilities are displayed on the game device 200 according to the embodiment and modified examples of the present invention. [Figure 9]1 is a flowchart illustrating a storage process executed in the management server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] In the embodiment described below, an example of a game system will be described in which the present invention is applied to a system including a game device that is worn by a user and can execute an electronic game in which the user develops a character, a communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with the game device, and an information processing device configured to be able to communicate with the communication terminal. However, the present invention can be applied to any device that can receive information about a character developed in the game device and impart game elements to the character.

[0011] Game System Configuration 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a game system according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in the figure, the game system according to the present embodiment includes a game device 200, a smartphone 300 which is a communication terminal configured to be able to directly communicate with the game device 200, and a management server 100 which is an information processing device configured to be able to communicate with the smartphone 300. The management server 100 and the smartphone 300 can be communicatively connected via a network 400. Therefore, the management server 100 can obtain information related to the game device 200 and transmit information to the game device 200 via the smartphone 300.

[0012] The game device 200 is a toy configured in the shape of a bracelet that can be worn on the wrist of a user, for example. The game device 200 is equipped with various sensors that can detect and measure the activity state of the user when worn, and can measure various items. In this embodiment, the game device 200 is described as being worn on the wrist in order to make it easier for the user to check the display contents of a display unit 220 (described later) equipped in the game device 200. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the game device 200 may be worn on any part of the user's body, such as a finger, upper arm, waist, or leg.

[0013] The game device 200 is configured to be able to execute an electronic game (a training game) relating to the training of a character. During its operation, the game device 200 controls the progress of the training game in accordance with the measurement results of the activity state. Details of the training game will be described later, but it goes without saying that in the practice of the present invention, the input for training a character is not limited to the measurement results of the activity state. Also, the form of the game device 200 and the elements for progressing through the training game shown in this embodiment are merely examples.

[0014] On the other hand, the management server 100 is configured to be able to execute an electronic game (battling game) in which a character trained in the game device 200 appears and battles against a character trained by another user. That is, in order to execute the battle game in the management server 100, information on the character to be caused to appear in the battle game (hereinafter referred to as character information) needs to be transmitted from the game device 200 to the management server 100. For this reason, in the game system of this embodiment, a dedicated application for acquiring character information from the game device 200 and transmitting the character information to the management server 100 is executed in the smartphone 300.

[0015] The smartphone 300 is an example of a general-purpose information communication terminal. In another embodiment, a PC, a tablet terminal, or the like may be used. The smartphone 300 executes a dedicated application program, thereby becoming capable of presenting various displays and GUIs relating to the use of the game system.

[0016] The game device 200 and the smartphone 300 are configured to be connectable by, for example, short-range wireless communication, and a communication connection is established in response to an operation input related to starting communication in the training game and the dedicated application. When the game device 200 and the smartphone 300 are in a communication-connected state, character information reflecting the progress of the training game being executed on the game device 200 is transferred to the smartphone 300, and character information to which information has been added by the management server 100 is transferred to the game device 200.

[0017] Management Server Configuration Here, the functional configuration of the management server 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0018] The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the management server 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 reads out the operation program of each block stored in, for example, the storage device 102, expands it in the memory 103, and executes it to control the operation of each block.

[0019] The storage device 102 is a device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory or a HDD. The storage device 102 stores information such as parameters required for the operation of each block, in addition to the operation programs of each block held by the management server 100. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output in the operation of each block.

[0020] The user DB 104 is a database that manages various information (user information) for each user who uses the game system. In the game system of this embodiment, user information for each user is generated and managed in the user DB 104 so that each user can hold information on characters (characters whose training has been completed or characters in the middle of training) that have been trained in the game device 200. The user information managed for one user may be configured to include, for example, stored character information 502 having various information on one or more characters trained by the user, and battle record information 503 indicating the battle record of a battle game played by the user, in association with a user ID 501 that uniquely identifies the user, as shown in FIG. 5(a). Here, the stored character information 502 stores trained character information indicating the training status for each character trained by the user.

[0021] Character DB 105 manages information (character information) of each type of character that can be trained in the training game of this embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 5(b), character information managed for one type of character includes basic parameter information 512 indicating parameters (basic parameters) for a fighting game determined by default for the character, associated with a character ID 511 that uniquely identifies the type of the character, and a table ID 513 that uniquely identifies a lottery table used in a lottery process that determines game elements to be given to the character.

[0022] Although details will be described later, the training game of this embodiment is configured such that a plurality of training stages are provided to indicate the degree of progress of each character's training, and the training stages progress sequentially when a predetermined growth condition is satisfied. When the training stage progresses, the form of the character is changed to one of the forms predetermined for the subsequent training stage. In addition, the basic parameters of the character are set to increase (change in a direction that favors the progress of the battle game) as the training stage progresses, and the basic parameters for each form of the training stage are specified in the basic parameter information 512. More specifically, in the basic parameter information 512, for each training stage, the basic parameters 523 of the corresponding character at the corresponding training stage are determined in association with a combination of a stage ID 521 that uniquely identifies the training stage and a form ID 522 that uniquely identifies the form of the character.

[0023] The ability DB 106 manages information (ability information) on "abilities," which are game elements that are provided to a character trained by a user when a predetermined condition for providing the ability is satisfied. Although details will be described later, in the game system of this embodiment, when information (trained character information) on a character trained in a training game on the game device 200 is transmitted to the management server 100, the character is provided with an ability determined by a lottery process. For this reason, the ability information managed in the ability DB 106 for each ability, as shown in FIG. 5(c), for example, manages rarity 532 indicating the rarity of the ability in the battle game, effect information 533 indicating the effect generated in the battle game by the ability, and effect amount 534 indicating the degree of the generated effect in association with an ability ID 531 that uniquely identifies the ability.

[0024] The lottery table DB107 manages information on a lottery table (lottery table information) that defines the winning probability of each ability, which is referenced in a lottery process executed in relation to ability granting. The lottery table managed for each lottery table is configured to include lottery table information 542 that describes the contents of the lottery table in association with a table ID 541 that uniquely identifies the lottery table, as shown in FIG. 5(d), for example. Here, in the game system of this embodiment, the abilities granted to a character are determined differently for each character's development stage. For this reason, the lottery table information 542 defines a lottery table 552 that, for each development stage, determines the winning probability of each ability that can be granted to a character at that development stage in association with a stage ID 551 that uniquely identifies the development stage.

[0025] The communication unit 108 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices included in the management server 100. The communication unit 108 connects to each smartphone 300 via the network 400 using a predetermined communication method, whether wired or wireless, and transmits and receives data.

[0026] <Configuration of the Game Device> Next, the functional configuration of the game device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the description of the functional configuration of the game device 200, the configuration that realizes the same functions as the configuration of the management server 100 is indicated with the prefix "toy" to clearly distinguish it from these configurations.

[0027] The toy control unit 201 is, for example, a microcomputer, and controls the operation of each block of the game device 200. Specifically, the toy control unit 201 reads out the operation program of each block recorded in the toy storage device 202, expands it in the toy memory 203, and executes it to control the operation of each block.

[0028] The toy storage device 202 is a device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory. The toy storage device 202 stores parameters and the like required for the operation of each block in addition to the operation programs of each block possessed by the game device 200. The storage device 202 also includes an area for retaining various information such as the character currently being trained in the training game and the characters that can be trained in the game device 200. The toy memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The toy memory 203 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data and the like output in the operation of each block.

[0029] The detection unit 204 detects various information indicating the user's activity state using the sensor 210, and outputs the detection results. The sensor 210 may be, for example, an acceleration sensor or a heart rate sensor, and detects information on the movement occurring in the game device 200 and the user's heart rate as information on the activity state. The sensor 210 is configured to output the detection results at predetermined time intervals, and may output, at each output timing, information such as the number of steps and heart rate detected after the most recent output.

[0030] The acquisition unit 205 acquires various information related to the raising game from a memory card (not shown) attached to the game device 200. The game device 200 of this embodiment is configured to be capable of raising a plurality of types of characters. The game device 200 has information on some types of characters stored in advance in the toy storage device 202, and the characters can be selected as characters to be raised, or can be selected as characters to be raised when conditions are met and a raising game can be started. Meanwhile, information on the remaining types of characters is configured to be acquireable via the acquisition unit 205 by attaching a memory card in order to expand the fun factor.

[0031] The display control unit 206 is responsible for controlling the display of information in the game device 200. The display control unit 206 uses display information recorded in the toy storage device 202 for the character being raised to configure various screens related to the raising game to be displayed on the display unit 220, which may be, for example, an LCD.

[0032] The operation input unit 207 is a user interface such as a physical operation member (button) that the game device 200 has. When the operation input unit 207 detects that an operation input has been made to the operation member, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101.

[0033] The toy communication unit 208 is a communication interface for communicating information with an external device provided in the game device 200. The toy communication unit 208 does not need to be in a state of constant communication connection, but may be configured to transition to a state of communication connection in some modes that are transitioned to in the course of the training game or in response to a menu selection by the user, etc. The communication method of the toy communication unit 208 may include, for example, short-distance wireless communication and proximity wireless communication.

[0034] Smartphone configuration Next, the functional configuration of the smartphone 300 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the description of the functional configuration of the smartphone 300, the configuration that realizes the same functions as those of the management server 100 and the game device 200 will be indicated with the prefix "terminal" for clear distinction.

[0035] The terminal control unit 301 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the smartphone 300. Specifically, the terminal control unit 301 reads out, for example, an operation program for each block recorded in the terminal storage device 302 or a program for a dedicated application related to the above-mentioned game system, and loads it into the terminal memory 303 and executes it to control the operation of each block.

[0036] The terminal storage device 302 is a device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory. The terminal storage device 302 records the operation programs of each block of the smartphone 300 and programs related to dedicated applications, as well as parameters and display information required for the operation of each block. The terminal memory 303 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The terminal memory 303 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output in the operation of each block.

[0037] The terminal display control unit 304 is responsible for displaying information on the smartphone 300. The terminal display control unit 304 includes a drawing device such as a drawing chip, and performs a predetermined drawing process when generating a screen to be displayed on the terminal display unit 310, which may be, for example, an LCD. In the smartphone 300 of this embodiment, by executing a dedicated application, at least various functions related to the use of the game system are provided to the user. Here, the various functions include a character storage function (stopping the development and managing the information in the management server 100) realized by acquiring development character information related to a character being developed in the game device 200 and transmitting the development character information to the management server 100. The various functions also include a character development restart function (restarting the character development game with the parameters at the time of storage inherited) realized by acquiring development character information related to a character stored in the management server 100 and transmitting the information to the game device 200.

[0038] The terminal operation input unit 305 is a user interface of the smartphone 300, such as an operation member or various sensors. When the terminal operation input unit 305 detects that an operation input has been made to an operation member or various sensors, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the terminal control unit 301. In this embodiment, the terminal operation input unit 305 includes, in addition to a physical operation member, a touch input detection sensor that detects, for example, a touch input made on the screen of the terminal display unit 310.

[0039] The terminal communication unit 306 is a communication interface with an external device that the smartphone 300 has. In this embodiment, the terminal communication unit 306 performs short-distance wireless communication with the game device 200 and can receive development character information related to a character being developed in the game device 200. The terminal communication unit 306 is also connected to the management server 100 via the network 400 and is configured to be able to transmit and receive information.

[0040] Overview of the training game First, an overview of the training game executed on the game device 200 of this embodiment will be given.

[0041] In the game device 200, a plurality of types of characters can be selected as the character to be raised. The user can set one of the characters as the character to be raised and raise the character. That is, the raising game executed in the game device 200 is configured so that one character can be set as the character to be raised at a time.

[0042] The character to be developed may be selected, for example, from among selectable characters by a lottery process, or based on a condition that is satisfied during use of the game device 200. Alternatively, the character to be developed may be selected in response to an operational input by the user, or in response to the acquisition unit 205 acquiring relevant information from a memory card.

[0043] The character is basically raised according to the activity state of the user wearing the game device 200. In the raising game of this embodiment, in order to express the character growth, a plurality of raising stages are provided for each character, and the character progresses through the raising stages sequentially as a predetermined growth condition is satisfied. In other words, the raising game for one character is configured to progress through a plurality of raising stages, and progress to the next raising stage when a predetermined growth condition is satisfied in each raising stage.

[0044] For each character, multiple types of appearances (forms) are defined at least in some of the development stages, and which of these appearances the character will have is determined depending on the transition of the user's activity state in the previous development stages. In other words, the development game presents the user with an expression of "character evolution" by changing the appearance of the character as the development stages progress. In this way, the development game can provide an interesting experience of character development that is not fixed by changing the mode of character evolution depending on the activity performed by the user wearing the game device 200 as the multiple development stages progress.

[0045] The multiple types of forms defined in the development stage are not only different in appearance, but also have different basic parameters that are referenced when determining parameters (battle parameters) used when participating in a battle game described below. Here, the battle parameters may be, for example, physical strength, attacking power, defensive power (or evasive abilities such as agility), etc., and are referenced when determining the progress of the battle game. Therefore, a user who wishes to advance advantageously in the battle game can wear the game device 200 and carry out planned activities so as to grow the character into a form with more advantageous basic parameters.

[0046] Which form the character will evolve into as the development stage progresses is determined based on the transition of daily activities performed by the user while wearing the game device 200. In the game device 200 of this embodiment, the detection unit 204 acquires information on the number of steps and heart rate of the user, and the form to which the character will evolve is determined according to the amount of points (scores) accumulated by measuring the number of steps and heart rate over a predetermined period of time. Here, the method of score evaluation and the score required for evolution to each form may be determined for each character being developed or the current form of the character.

[0047] Furthermore, the acquired information on the activity state (activity information) can also be used to control in real time the state of the character displayed on the display unit 220 of the game device 200. For example, the activity information is also used to determine the condition (condition) of the character in the training game, and the display control unit 206 controls the image of the character to be displayed on the display unit 220 in a manner that reflects the condition.

[0048] <Competitive games> Next, the competitive game executed in the management server 100 will be described.

[0049] As described above, a battle game is a game in which a user participates in a character (hereinafter referred to as the user's own character) that has been trained in the game device 200. In other words, a user can not only enjoy watching the appearance and actions of the user's own character trained in the training game, but also enjoy playing a game in which the character participates in a battle game and battles against a character trained by another user (hereinafter referred to as an opponent character) that is an opponent.

[0050] A user can enter the opponent matching process by, for example, selecting a menu related to a fighting game in a dedicated application executed on the smartphone 300 and determining a character (own character) to fight from among characters whose training character information is managed in the management server 100. The matching process may be performed by any method, but the matching process matches the user with other users who have entered at the same time (or with an NPC (Non-Player Character) if no user exists).

[0051] In a battle game, the player's character and the opponent character take turns fighting, and the character who first reduces the opponent character's vitality to 0 wins, or the character with the most remaining vitality after a certain number of turns has passed wins. Note that the content of the battle game is not limited to such a turn-based game, and can be changed as appropriate to other battle-style games.

[0052] The progress of the battle game is determined by referring to the battle parameters of the player's character and the battle parameters of the opponent character. The battle parameters of each character may be derived, for example, by adding basic parameters determined according to the character's training stage and form, and additional parameters determined individually based on the history of the exercises performed by the user while training the character.

[0053] In the game system of this embodiment, in order for a user to have a player's own character trained to participate in a fighting game, the trained character information of the player's character needs to be stored in the management server 100. That is, the trained character information of the player's own character needs to be acquired from the game device 200 by a dedicated application executed on the smartphone 300, transmitted to the management server 100, and included in the user information related to the user.

[0054] In the game system of this embodiment, in order to allow the user to intuitively recognize the existence of a character being trained in the training game, the location of the character is either the game device 200 or the management server 100, and the character is not present in both at the same time. In other words, the character trained by the user is controlled so that it is either in a state where it can be trained in the game device 200, or in a state where it can participate in a fighting game in the management server 100.

[0055] That is, when the dedicated application acquires the development character information for a character that has been developed in the game device 200, the character is put into a state in which no development character information exists in the game device 200, and the character is controlled so that it cannot be developed. On the other hand, when the acquired development character information is transmitted to the management server 100 by the dedicated application, the character is put into a state in which the development character information is stored in the management server 100, and the character is controlled so that it can be selected as a player's character in the dedicated application.

[0056] In the training game of this embodiment, all characters are provided with six training stages, and the fighting game is available from the third training stage. That is, the user cannot play the fighting game by having the character participate in the fighting game until the character reaches the second training stage. On the other hand, after the character reaches the third or subsequent training stages, the character's training character information is transferred to the management server 100 and supplemented, making it possible to play the fighting game with the character participating.

[0057] 《Ability Granting》 In a training game, if a user has an attachment to a character with a specific form, such as because the user likes the character's appearance, the user can intentionally choose not to evolve the character even if a certain growth condition is met, that is, not to advance the training stage. On the other hand, when the battle parameters of a character are determined by the above-mentioned method, a character with a higher basic parameter and a more advanced training stage is more likely to advance in the battle game advantageously. In other words, the progress tendency of the battle game can be determined to some extent according to the progress of the training stage of the player's character and the opponent character who will participate in the battle game at the time when they are determined.

[0058] In the game system of this embodiment, in order to avoid such a bias in the progress and to increase the interest of the battle game, when a predetermined condition for granting is met, one "ability" which is a game element that produces an effect that affects the progress of the battle game is selected by lottery processing, and is granted to a character in a training stage that can use the battle game. Note that, since the ability is an element for increasing the interest of the battle game in this embodiment, it will be described as not producing an effect that affects the progress of the training game.

[0059] <Conditions for grant> In this embodiment, the conditions for granting an ability are determined in relation to the progress of the training game. More specifically, the ability is granted on the condition that the character's training stage changes in the training game executed by the game device 200, and the character is stored for the first time after the change. In other words, the control unit 101 grants the ability when the character indicated by the training character information received in relation to storage is a character that has evolved to the third or later training stage and is the first character whose state is stored after the evolution.

[0060] In order to determine whether the condition for providing has been satisfied, the training character information is held in the toy memory 203 to indicate the progress of the training game during its execution, and is transmitted from the game device 200 to the smartphone 300 at the time of storage, and is configured, for example, in a data structure as shown in Fig. 5(e). In the example shown in the figure, the training character information of the character to be stored is configured to include, in association with a training ID 561 that uniquely identifies the character among the characters raised by the user, a character ID 562 that uniquely identifies the type of the character, a stage ID 563 that identifies the training stage of the character, a form ID 564 that identifies the form of the character, additional parameters 565 related to the character, and growth information 566 that indicates whether training character information related to the same form of the character has been stored after a change in the training stage.

[0061] However, if the ability selected by the lottery process is given only once, the user's interest in the training game or the battle game may decrease if the lottery result is not favorable. Therefore, it is preferable to set the giving condition so that it can be satisfied multiple times. In the game system of this embodiment, in order to ensure fairness in the opportunity to give an ability to one character, the opportunity to give an ability is basically set to one time for one training stage. In addition, if a character given an ability of high rarity is allowed to proceed through the training stage while retaining the ability, the character given a high rarity in the previous training stage will have an absolute advantage, so the period during which the given ability is effective is limited to the period during which the character is in the training stage at the time of the ability being given. In other words, the ability given to the character is deleted when the training of the character is resumed in the game device 200 and the training stage changes.

[0062] Therefore, in the game system of this embodiment, using such a mechanism for ensuring fairness, the growth information 566 is configured as information that stores an ability ID that uniquely identifies the ability that is given to the character. As a result, if the third development stage has not been reached and the ability has not been given, or if the ability has been given but has been deleted due to a change in the development stage, the growth information 566 does not indicate significant information (for example, null is stored), so in combination with the stage ID 563, it can be specified that the development character information of the form ID 564 has not been stored after the development stage has changed, that is, the development character information is the first one received after the development stage has changed. On the other hand, if the ability has already been given, the growth information 566 indicates the ability ID of the ability, so it can be specified that the development character information of the same form has been stored after the development stage has changed, that is, the development character information is the second or subsequent time received after the development stage has changed.

[0063] Ability Selection When the conditions for granting are met, a lottery process is executed in the management server 100 to select an ability to be granted to the character. The lottery process is executed based on a lottery table that predetermines abilities to be selected and their winning probabilities. In the game system of this embodiment, a lottery table is provided for each type of character, and is managed by lottery table information in the lottery table DB 107, so that users will be interested in developing various characters. In other words, the abilities included as items to be selected in the lottery table are configured to be at least partially different between different types of characters.

[0064] For example, a lottery table provided for one character is configured as shown in Fig. 6. As shown in the figure, the lottery table defines abilities with a probability of winning of 10%, 5%, 3%, and 1% for each of the four stages from the third training stage to the sixth training stage at which the fighting game becomes available. Note that the abilities defined in the lottery table are normally defined by an ability ID since it is sufficient to identify any of the ability information managed in the ability DB 106, but in the example of Fig. 6, for the sake of explanation, each ability is indicated by "its effect and amount of effect (rarity)".

[0065] As shown in the figure, the selection table for one character has at least a partial difference in the lineup of abilities included in the selection for each development stage. Also, the later the development stage, the more rare the abilities included in the selection. The effect of the ability is determined to be greater the higher the rarity (the greater the effect on progress, the greater the advantage in the progress of the battle game).

[0066] When an ability to be granted to a character is selected through a lottery process using such a lottery table, the control unit 101 updates the value of the growth information 566 of the training character information received for storage to the ability ID of the selected ability, and stores it in the stored character information 502 of the user information related to the user.

[0067] <Indication of granted status> The abilities granted to the character are presented to the user in the dedicated application by displaying a notification screen at the time of grant, a screen for viewing stored characters, a screen at the start of a fighting game, etc. More specifically, when the dedicated application is executed on the smartphone 300 and a sequence for displaying these screens is reached, various information including information on the granted abilities is supplied from the management server 100 as display information for the screen, and the terminal display control unit 304 generates a screen to be displayed on the terminal display unit 310.

[0068] FIG. 7(a) illustrates an example of a screen (start screen) displayed on the terminal display unit 310 at the start of a battle game. In the example shown in the figure, in addition to an image 701 of the player's character and an image 703 of the opponent character participating in the battle game, a display 702 of the abilities given to the player's character and a display 704 of the abilities given to the opponent character are arranged on the start screen. Here, the displays 702 and 704 are composed of text that abbreviates the abilities, but when a user performs a selection operation on the display, a detailed display of the abilities given to the characters may be displayed, as in the display 711 shown in FIG. 7(b). In the example of FIG. 7(b), a detailed display 711 is shown when a selection operation is performed on the display 702.

[0069] Furthermore, whether or not a character has an ability is not limited to being displayed on a dedicated application.

[0070] When a character for which training is to be resumed is selected in the dedicated application, a request for returning training character information of the character is transmitted from the smartphone 300 to the management server 100, and the management server 100, upon receiving the request, acquires the corresponding training character information from the stored character information 502 of the user information and transmits it back to the smartphone 300. Thereafter, the smartphone 300 and the game device 200 are connected for communication, so that the training character information is transmitted to the game device 200, and the training game of the character is resumed based on the information. At this time, if an ability has been given to the character by the management server 100, the ability ID is stored in the growth information 566 of the training character information transmitted to the game device 200, so that the game device 200 can also identify whether the ability has been given and present the corresponding information.

[0071] For example, in a training game being executed on the game device 200, a display that enables the user to determine whether or not an ability has been imparted can be presented on a screen (status screen) that is displayed when a request is made to display various statuses of a character being trained. In a status screen in a state in which no ability has been imparted to a character, for example, configured as shown in Fig. 8(a), when an ability has been imparted, a status screen can be configured and presented in which an icon 801 indicating the rarity of the imparted ability is additionally arranged, as shown in Fig. 8(b).

[0072] Storage Processing 9, a detailed description will be given of the storage process executed when a storage request for the developed character information is received in the management server 100 of this embodiment. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the storage device 102, for example, and executing the program by expanding it in the memory 103. It should be noted that this storage process is started when the development character information is received together with the storage request from the smartphone 300, for example.

[0073] In S901, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the development stage of the character (hereinafter referred to as the target character) indicated by the received development character information is a development stage at which a fighting game can be used. The judgment in this step is made based on the stage ID 563 of the received development character information. If the control unit 101 judges that the development stage of the target character is a development stage at which a fighting game can be used, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S902, and if it judges that the development stage is not a development stage at which a fighting game can be used, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S905.

[0074] In S902, the control unit 101 judges whether or not this is the first storage request since the target character's development stage has changed. The judgment in this step is made based on whether or not significant information is included in the growth information 566 of the received development character information. If the control unit 101 judges that this is the first storage request since the target character's development stage has changed, the process proceeds to S903, and if it judges that this is the second or subsequent storage request since the development stage has changed, the process proceeds to S905.

[0075] In S903, the control unit 101 executes a lottery process to select an ability to be imparted to the target character. More specifically, the control unit 101 first refers to the table ID 513 of the character information managed in the character DB 105 in association with the character ID 562 of the received training character information, and acquires the table ID of the lottery table to be used in the lottery process. Next, the control unit 101 acquires a lottery table associated with the stage ID 563 of the received training character information from the lottery table information 542 of the lottery table information managed in the lottery table DB 107 in association with the acquired table ID. The control unit 101 then executes a lottery process based on the lottery table, and acquires the ability ID selected as the lottery result.

[0076] In S904, the control unit 101 updates the growth information 566 of the received development character information with the ability ID selected in S903, adds the updated development character information to the stored character information 502 of the corresponding user information, and completes this storage process.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined in S901 that the character is not at a training stage where a competitive game can be used, or if it is determined in S902 that this is not the first storage request since the training stage changed, then in S905 the control unit 101 adds the received training character information to the stored character information 502 of the corresponding user information without updating it, and completes this storage process.

[0078] As described above, according to the information processing device of this embodiment, an ability is granted to a character when the granting condition is met, thereby providing a highly entertaining playing experience of a fighting game.

[0079] In the method of the present embodiment, the training game is configured to delete the granted ability when the character's training stage changes during the execution of the training game of the character to which the ability is granted. On the other hand, for example, when a high rarity ability is granted, there are cases where the user desires to maintain the ability rather than evolve the training stage. For this reason, in order to avoid the deletion of an ability unintended by the user, for example, when training is resumed or a growth condition is satisfied, the display unit 220 or the terminal display unit 310 may be controlled to notify the user that the ability will be deleted when the training stage changes.

[0080] In this embodiment, an aspect in which an ability is granted as a game element that produces an effect that influences the progress of a competitive game has been described, but it goes without saying that the game element in question may be a game element other than an ability.

[0081] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, a method for determining whether or not the storage request is the first one after the change in the character's development stage is described based on the growth information 566 included in the development character information, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a mode in which the development character information of the character is held in the management server 100 even after the character development is resumed, when the development character information is received together with the storage request, it may be determined whether or not the storage request is the first one after the change in the development stage depending on whether or not development character information having the same development ID, character ID, and stage ID as the character indicated by the development character information is held. More specifically, if development character information having the same development ID, character ID, and stage ID as the received development character information is not held, it is determined that the storage request is the first one after the change in the development stage, and if it is held, it is determined that the storage request is the second or subsequent storage request after the change in the development stage.

[0082] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the lottery table determined for an arbitrary character is described as being configured so that the later the development stage, the rarer the abilities are included in the lottery. However, in order to further increase the interest of both the fighting game and the development game, the abilities to be included in the lottery at each development stage may be controlled according to the degree of their effect. Some abilities may be controlled so that they are included in the lottery only at a specific development stage. For example, some abilities that have a small effect on the fighting game may be controlled so that they are included in the lottery only at the third development stage when the fighting game becomes available, while some abilities that have a large effect on the fighting game may be controlled so that they are included in the lottery only at the sixth development stage, which is the last stage. In this way, the effect of the abilities newly granted after deletion can be compensated to some extent for users who choose to evolve the development stage.

[0083] Alternatively, in order to favor users who have progressed through the training game to the final training stage, the highest rarity ability that is the subject of the lottery for the sixth training stage may be controlled so that it is not included in the lottery in the lottery tables for training stages prior to that stage.

[0084] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, the battle game is played one-on-one, and the assigned abilities are described as simply providing an effect of enhancing elements referenced in the progress of the battle game for each character, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the battle game may be one in which teams including multiple characters compete against each other, such as two-on-two, and in this case, the abilities assigned to a character may be configured so that their effects or magnitudes change depending on the combination with the abilities assigned to other characters belonging to the team.

[0085] [Variation 4] In the above embodiment, the fighting game has been described as being executed by the management server 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. A fighting game in which a user-raised character participates may include a game executed on the game device 200 due to an event occurring during the raising game, for example.

[0086] Since such events may occur randomly, unlike the above-mentioned human-versus-human battle game, the opponent character is an NPC. That is, information related to the opponent character is stored in advance in the toy storage device 202 of the game device 200 and is retained without being transmitted to the management server 100, so that the act of granting an ability does not occur.

[0087] Therefore, in a fighting game executed on the game device 200, if the effect of the ability given to the player's character being trained is realized, the development of the fighting game may become unilaterally advantageous to the user. For this reason, the effect of the ability given to the character is realized only in a fighting game against a character to which the ability can be given, that is, in a fighting game executed by the management server 100, and is controlled so that the effect is not realized in a fighting game against a character to which the ability cannot be given, that is, in a fighting game executed by the game device 200.

[0088] [Variation 5] In the above-mentioned embodiment, it has been described that a lottery table is provided for each type of character. On the other hand, in consideration of keeping the user's interest in the game device 200, it is assumed that information on new types of characters can be acquired by inserting a memory card into the acquisition unit 205 as described above, and that such memory cards will be sold as products. However, in a mode in which information on only one type of character is provided per memory card, the user may be given the impression that the amount of content added to the product and the level of difficulty in the training game are poor. For this reason, memory cards that are additionally sold as products to expand the interest factor are provided with information stored therein that enables training of multiple related types of characters.

[0089] Therefore, the selection table may be provided for each memory card that is the information source so that abilities with similar tendencies are imparted to multiple types of related characters. In other words, the selection table may be different for each memory card that is the information source, and a common selection table may be used for characters based on the same memory card.

[0090] [Variation 6] In the above embodiment, the ability given to the character is described as having no effect that affects the progress of the training game. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the character may be given a game element that has an effect that affects the progress of the training game.

[0091] [Summary of the embodiment] The above embodiments disclose at least the following information processing device, program, and game system.

[0092] (1) an acquisition means for acquiring character information relating to a character developed in a game device; a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for providing a game element to a target character related to the character information acquired by the acquisition means is satisfied based on the character information acquired by the acquisition means; an assigning means for assigning a game element to the target character when the determining means determines that the condition for assigning the game element is satisfied; Equipped with the game device executes a training game in which a character grows through a plurality of training stages; An information processing device, wherein the condition for imparting the game element includes at least a change in the development stage of the target character in the development game.

[0093] (2) The information processing device according to (1), wherein the condition for imparting the game element includes that the character information relating to the target character is obtained for the first time after a change in the development stage of the target character in the development game.

[0094] (3) the character information includes growth information whose state changes according to a change in a development stage; The information processing device described in (2), wherein the determination means determines whether or not the character information relating to the target character has been acquired for the first time after a change in the development stage of the target character based on the growth information contained in the character information acquired by the acquisition means.

[0095] (4) the character information includes identification information that uniquely identifies a character raised in the game device; The information processing device further includes a management unit that manages the character information acquired by the acquisition unit, The information processing device described in (2), wherein the judgment means judges whether or not the character information relating to the target character has been acquired for the first time after a change in the development stage of the target character, based on the character information acquired by the acquisition means and the character information managed by the management means, which includes the same identification information as the character information.

[0096] (5) An information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4), further comprising a notification means for notifying that the game element assigned to the target character will be deleted when the development stage of the target character changes.

[0097] (6) An execution unit for executing a fighting game in which a character related to the character information acquired by the acquisition unit appears, The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the game element granted by the granting means is an element that produces an effect that influences the progress of the competitive game.

[0098] (7) The information processing device according to (6), wherein the game element imparted by the imparting means is an element that does not produce any effect that affects the progress of the training game.

[0099] (8) An information processing device as described in (6) or (7), further comprising an output means for outputting, when the competitive game is being played, information on the characters appearing in the competitive game and the game elements assigned to the characters as display information.

[0100] (9) The information processing device according to any one of (6) to (8), further comprising a lottery means for selecting the game element to be imparted to the target character by the imparting means.

[0101] (10) The character information includes information for identifying a type of character related to the character information, The information processing device described in (9), wherein the lottery means selects the game element to be assigned to the target character using a lottery table that is predetermined for the type of the target character and includes multiple of the game elements as lottery targets.

[0102] (11) The information processing device according to (10), wherein the lottery table includes at least a portion of the plurality of game elements included as the lottery objects that differ for each development stage of the corresponding character.

[0103] (12) The information processing device according to (11), in which the lottery table includes game elements of higher rarity as the game elements to be selected in the later development stage.

[0104] (13) Each of the game elements is classified into one of a plurality of types according to an effect that the game element has on the fighting game; The information processing device according to (12), wherein the higher the rarity of the game elements of the same type, the greater the effect they have on the competitive game.

[0105] (14) The information processing device according to any one of (10) to (13), wherein at least a portion of the plurality of game elements included as the selection targets in the selection table differs between characters of different types.

[0106] (15) An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (14), further comprising an update means for updating the character information relating to the target character to a state in which the game element has been assigned to the target character by the assignment means.

[0107] (16) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (15).

[0108] (17) A game system including: a game device that executes a training game in which a character grows through a plurality of training stages; a communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with the game device; and an information processing device configured to be able to communicate with the communication terminal, The communication terminal includes: an acquisition means for acquiring character information relating to a character developed in the game device; a first transmission means for transmitting the character information acquired by the acquisition means to the information processing device; Equipped with The information processing device includes: a receiving means for receiving the character information from the communication terminal; a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for providing a game element to a target character related to the character information received by the receiving means is satisfied based on the character information received by the receiving means; an assigning means for assigning a game element to the target character when the determining means determines that the condition for assigning the game element is satisfied; Equipped with A game system in which the condition for imparting the game element includes at least a change in the development stage of the target character in the development game.

[0109] (18) The game system described in (17) further includes an update means for updating the character information relating to the target character to a state in which the game element has been assigned to the target character by the assignment means.

[0110] (19) The information processing device further includes a return means for returning the character information received by the receiving means to the communication terminal based on a predetermined return request, The game system described in (18), wherein the return means returns the character information relating to the target character updated by the update means to the communication terminal when the game element is granted to the target character by the granting means.

[0111] (20) The communication terminal further includes a second transmission means for transmitting the character information to the game device; the game device includes a display means for receiving the character information transmitted by the second transmission means, and displaying a character related to the character information; The display means, when the received character information is in a state in which the game element is assigned, displays the assigned game element together with the character related to the character information.

[0112] [Other embodiments] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100: Management server, 101: Control unit, 102: Storage device, 103: Memory, 104: User DB, 105: Character DB, 106: Ability DB, 107: Lottery table DB, 108: Communication unit, 200: Game device, 201: Toy control unit, 202: Toy storage device, 203: Toy memory, 204: Detection unit, 210: Sensor, 205: Acquisition unit, 206: Display control unit, 220: Display unit, 207: Operation input unit, 208: Toy communication unit, 300: Smartphone, 301: Terminal control unit, 302: Terminal storage device, 303: Terminal memory, 304: Terminal display control unit, 310: Terminal display unit, 305: Terminal operation input unit, 306: Terminal communication unit, 400: Network

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring character information relating to a character developed in the game device; a determination means for determining whether a condition for granting a game element to a target character related to the character information acquired by the acquisition means is satisfied based on the character information acquired by the acquisition means; an assigning means for assigning the game element to the target character when the determining means determines that the condition for assigning the game element is satisfied; an execution means for executing a fighting game in which a character related to the character information acquired by the acquisition means appears; Equipped with An information processing device, wherein the game element imparted by the imparting means is an element that produces an effect that influences the progress of the competitive game.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the game element imparted by the imparting means is an element that does not produce an effect that affects the development of the target character.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an output unit that outputs, when the fighting game is being played, information about characters appearing in the fighting game and the game elements assigned to the characters as display information.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising lottery means for selecting the game element to be given to the target character by the giving means.

5. the character information includes information specifying a type of character related to the character information, The lottery means selects the game element to be assigned to the target character using a lottery table that is predetermined for the type of the target character and includes a plurality of game elements as items to be selected. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. The game device executes a character development game in which a character grows through a plurality of development stages, The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein at least some of the plurality of game elements included as the lottery targets in the lottery table differ for each development stage of the corresponding character.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the lottery table includes game elements of higher rarity as the development stage progresses.

8. each of the game elements is classified into one of a plurality of types according to the effect that it has on the fighting game; The higher the rarity of the game elements of the same type, the greater the effect they have on the battle game. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein at least some of the plurality of game elements included as the lottery objects in the lottery table differ between different types of characters.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an update means for, when the game element is assigned to the target character by the assignment means, updating the character information relating to the target character to a state in which the game element has been assigned.

11. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A game system including a game device, a communication terminal configured to be able to communicate with said game device, and an information processing device configured to be able to communicate with said communication terminal, The communication terminal an acquisition means for acquiring character information relating to a character that has been developed in the game device; a first transmitting means for transmitting the character information acquired by the acquiring means to the information processing device; Equipped with The information processing device includes: receiving means for receiving the character information from the communication terminal; a determination means for determining whether a condition for granting a game element to a target character related to the character information received by the receiving means is satisfied based on the character information received by the receiving means; an assigning means for assigning the game element to the target character when the determining means determines that the condition for assigning the game element is satisfied; an execution means for executing a fighting game in which a character related to the character information received by the receiving means appears; Equipped with A game system, wherein the game element granted by the granting means is an element that produces an effect that influences the progress of the competitive game.

13. The game system according to claim 12, further comprising an update means for, when the game element is assigned to the target character by the assignment means, updating the character information relating to the target character to a state in which the game element has been assigned.

14. the information processing device further comprises a return means for returning the character information received by the receiving means to the communication terminal based on a predetermined return request; The returning means returns the character information related to the target character updated by the updating means to the communication terminal when the game element is assigned to the target character by the assigning means. The game system of claim 13.

15. the communication terminal further comprises second transmission means for transmitting the character information to the game device; the game device includes a display means for receiving the character information transmitted by the second transmission means and displaying a character related to the character information; When the received character information is in a state in which the game element is assigned, the display means displays the assigned game element together with the character related to the character information. The game system of claim 14.

Images