Information system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To promote the viewing of game videos by a large number of users.SOLUTION: An information system 100 includes a video distribution unit 111 that transmits video data for displaying a distribution video including a game image showing the status of a game played by one or more players P to a plurality of terminal devices 30, a condition setting unit 112 that sets setting conditions for the game in response to an instruction from a user U of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices 30, a game control unit 211 that controls the game, a condition determination unit 212 that determines whether or not the setting conditions in the game are satisfied, and a reward imparting unit 213 that imparts a reward to a user who has specified the setting conditions among the plurality of users U when a reward condition including the satisfaction of the setting conditions is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for distributing video related to games. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a game system that executes a game in which multiple users can participate. Any one of the multiple users can give instructions regarding an operation target to the other users. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6214027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, a technology has been proposed for distributing a video showing the state of a game in which multiple players compete against each other to multiple terminal devices. However, in the conventional technology, the users of the terminal devices only passively watch the video showing the state of the game, so there is a limit to promoting video viewing by a large number of users. In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to promote video viewing by a large number of users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, an information system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a video distribution unit that distributes a streaming video including game images showing the status of a game being played by one or more players to a plurality of terminal devices, a condition setting unit that sets setting conditions for the game in response to instructions from users of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices, a game control unit that controls the game, and a condition determination unit that determines whether the setting conditions in the game are met.

[0006] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention distributes a streaming video including game images representing the status of a game being played by one or more players to a plurality of terminal devices, while setting setting conditions for the game in response to instructions from users of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices, controlling the game, and determining whether the setting conditions in the game are met.

[0007] A program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer system to function as a video distribution unit that distributes a streaming video including game images representing the status of a game being played by one or more players to a plurality of terminal devices, a condition setting unit that sets setting conditions for the game in response to instructions from a user of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices, a game control unit that controls the game, and a condition determination unit that determines whether the setting conditions in the game are met. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a game system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information system and a terminal device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a distributed video. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an instruction acceptance screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a video distribution system. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a process for setting a setting condition. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a control process. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a distribution process. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information system and a terminal device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a control process in the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a distribution video in the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an instruction acceptance screen in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below include various technically suitable limitations. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments exemplified below.

[0010] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information system 100 according to a first embodiment. The information system 100 is a computer system for distributing a distribution video Vb (see FIG. 6) showing the status of a competitive game played by a player P1 and a player P2 to a plurality of terminal devices 30. For example, in an event (esports) in which many contestants participate, a player P1 and a player P2 compete in a competitive game (specifically, a fighting game). The distribution video Vb is a content including images and sounds, and is distributed (i.e., live-distributed) to each terminal device 30 in real time in parallel with the progress of the competitive game. In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the player P1 and the player P2, they will be simply referred to as "player P". The same applies to other reference numerals.

[0011] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the information system 100 includes a video distribution system 10 and a game system 20. Each of the multiple terminal devices 30 and the video distribution system 10 can communicate with each other via a communication network 200 such as the Internet. Similarly, the video distribution system 10 and the game system 20 can communicate with each other via the communication network 200. The game system 20 is a computer system that provides a competitive game. The video distribution system 10 is a computer system that distributes a distribution video Vb representing the status of the competitive game provided by the game system 20 to the multiple terminal devices 30. Note that the video distribution system 10 and the game system 20 may be realized by a single device.

[0012] Each of the multiple terminal devices 30 is an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. Any device capable of acquiring and displaying the distributed video Vb, such as a television receiver connected to the communication network 200, is used as the terminal device 30. The terminal device 30 may be either a portable type or a stationary type. A user U of each terminal device 30 watches the distributed video Vb distributed from the information system 100 to the terminal device 30. That is, the user U can watch the distributed video Vb showing the status of the competitive game in real time in parallel with the progress of the competitive game.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the game system 20. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the game system 20 includes a control device 21, a storage device 22, a communication device 23, and a plurality of game units G (G1, G2). Note that the game system 20 may be realized as a single device, or may be realized as a plurality of devices configured separately from each other.

[0014] The control device 21 is composed of, for example, a single or multiple processors that control each element of the game system 20. Specifically, the control device 21 is composed of one or more types of processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0015] The storage device 22 is one or more memories that store programs executed by the control device 21 and various data used by the control device 21. For example, a known recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium, or a combination of multiple types of recording media, is used as the storage device 22. The communication device 23 communicates with the video distribution system 10 via the communication network 200.

[0016] Each game unit G (G1, G2) is a user interface used by a player P to play a game. Player P1 uses game unit G1, and player P2 uses game unit G2. In addition to devices dedicated to competitive games, information terminals such as smartphones, tablet terminals, and personal computers can also be used as game units G.

[0017] Each game unit G includes an operation device 24 and a display device 25. The operation device 24 is an input device that accepts operations by each player P. The operation device 24 is, for example, a plurality of operators operated by the player P, or a touch panel that detects contact by the player P. The plurality of game units G may be configured separately from the game system 20. For example, a configuration in which each of the plurality of game units G communicates with the game system 20 (game server) that includes a control device 21, a storage device 22, and a communication device 23 via a communication network 200 is also conceivable.

[0018] The display device 25 is composed of a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) panel, and displays various images under the control of the control device 21. Specifically, the display device 25 displays a play video Va of FIG. 3 that shows the situation of the competitive game. The player P1 plays the competitive game by operating the operation device 24 of the game unit G1 while watching the play video Va displayed by the display device 25 of the game unit G1. Similarly, the player P2 plays the competitive game by operating the operation device 24 of the game unit G2 while watching the play video Va displayed by the display device 25 of the game unit G2. There is no need to consider the difference between the play video Va displayed by the display device 25 of the game unit G1 and the play video Va displayed by the display device 25 of the game unit G2. Note that one display device 25 may be shared by the players P1 and P2. Also, each game unit G may be equipped with a sound emitting device (e.g., a speaker) that reproduces various sound effects according to the situation of the competitive game.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a gameplay video Va. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the gameplay video Va is an image including a battle game image Va1 and a reference image Va2. The battle game image Va1 is a video showing the situation of a battle game, and includes a character O1 and a character O2 arranged in a virtual space. The character O1 is an object operated by the player P1, and the character O2 is an object operated by the player P2. The player P1 can make the character O1 perform any of a plurality of actions including an attack and a defense against the character O2 by operating the operation device 24 of the game unit G1. Similarly, the player P2 can make the character O2 perform any of a plurality of actions including an attack and a defense against the character O1 by operating the operation device 24 of the game unit G2.

[0020] The reference image Va2 is an image related to a condition (hereinafter referred to as a "set condition") Cb set for the fighting game. In the first embodiment, the set condition Cb is that the character O (O1, O2) executes a specific action (hereinafter referred to as a "condition action") in the fighting game. In other words, the set condition Cb is established when the character O executes the condition action. The set condition Cb is set according to an instruction from a user U of a plurality of terminal devices 30. The setting of the set condition Cb will be described later.

[0021] The reference image Va2 includes the number of times N1 and N2 of occurrences of the set condition Cb. The number of times N1 of occurrences of the set condition Cb is the number of times that the set condition Cb is satisfied for the player P1. In other words, the number of times N1 of occurrences of the set condition Cb is the number of times that the character O1 executes the condition action in response to an instruction from the player P1. Similarly, the number of times N2 of occurrences of the set condition Cb is the number of times that the set condition Cb is satisfied for the player P2. In other words, the number of times N2 of occurrences of the set condition Cb is the number of times that the character O2 executes the condition action in response to an instruction from the player P2. In the above description, the play video Va includes the battle game image Va1 and the reference image Va2 as an integral part, but the battle game image Va1 and the reference image Va2 may be displayed as separate images. According to the configuration in which the reference image Va2 is displayed as an image separate from the battle game image Va1, there is an advantage that each player P can easily check the situation of the battle game.

[0022] Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the information system 100 and the terminal device 30. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the control device 21 of the game system 20 executes a program stored in the storage device 22 to realize a plurality of functions (a game control unit 211, a condition determination unit 212, a reward granting unit 213, and a display control unit 214).

[0023] The game control unit 211 controls the progress of the battle game to which the setting condition Cb is applied. Specifically, the game control unit 211 controls the character O1 to execute the action instructed by the player P1 and controls the character O2 to execute the action instructed by the player P2, thereby causing the character O1 to battle against the character O2. Then, the game control unit 211 determines whether the player P1 and the player P2 win or lose according to the progress of the battle between the character O1 and the character O2.

[0024] The condition determination unit 212 determines whether the set condition Cb is satisfied in parallel with the progress of the competitive game. Specifically, the condition determination unit 212 receives condition data Qb representing the set condition Cb from the video distribution system 10, and determines whether the set condition Cb represented by the condition data Qb is satisfied. The condition determination unit 212 of the first embodiment determines whether the set condition Cb is satisfied for each of the player P1 and the player P2 individually. Then, the condition determination unit 212 counts the number of times N1 the set condition Cb related to the player P1 is satisfied and the number of times N2 the set condition Cb related to the player P2 is satisfied. The function of the condition determination unit 212 may be realized by the game control unit 211. That is, the condition determination unit 212 may be included in the game control unit 211.

[0025] The reward granting unit 213 grants a reward to the player P when a predetermined condition (hereinafter referred to as the "reward condition") is met. The reward condition is a condition that includes the fulfillment of the set condition Cb. Specifically, an example of the reward condition is that the number of times N (N1, N2) that the set condition Cb is fulfilled reaches a predetermined target value Z. That is, the reward granting unit 213 counts the number of times that the condition determination unit 212 determines that the set condition Cb is fulfilled as the number of times that the condition is fulfilled N (N1, N2), and determines whether or not the number of times that the condition is fulfilled N has reached the target value Z. Note that the condition determination unit 212 may be included in the reward granting unit 213.

[0026] For example, the reward granting unit 213 grants a reward to the player P1 when the number of times N1 is achieved reaches a target value Z. That is, when the number of times the character O1 executes the condition action in the fighting game (that is, the number of times N1 of the set condition Cb is achieved) is equal to or greater than the target value Z, a reward is granted to the player P1. Similarly, the reward granting unit 213 grants a reward to the player P2 when the number of times N2 is achieved reaches the target value Z. The content of the reward is arbitrary, but for example, a predetermined amount of points that can be used in the fighting game is granted to the player P as a reward. The points are, for example, a value consumed to play the fighting game or to acquire an item in the fighting game. The reward granting unit 213 may determine the type or quantity of reward granted to each player P. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the target value Z related to the reward condition is displayed on the reference image Va2 together with the number of times N (N1, N2). The type or quantity of reward granted to each player P may be displayed on the reference image Va2. By displaying the reward in the gameplay video Va, an incentive to aim for the establishment of the set condition Cb (specifically, an incentive to have the character O execute the condition action) can be given to each player P.

[0027] 2, the storage device 22 stores the amount of points owned by each of a plurality of registered users who have been registered in advance as the number of owned points M (M1, M2, ...). The plurality of registered users includes, for example, a player P or a user U. In other words, it is possible for a specific registered user among the plurality of registered users to play as a player P, and each registered user to watch the distributed video Vb as a user U.

[0028] The reward granting unit 213 in FIG. 4 grants a reward to a player P for whom the reward condition is satisfied by adding a predetermined value to the number of points M held by the player P. The reward granting unit 213 in the first embodiment also grants a reward to each of the multiple users U. For example, when the reward condition is satisfied, the reward granting unit 213 grants a reward to one or more users U who, among the multiple users U, have specified the setting condition Cb(Ca) that is actually applied to the competitive game. Specifically, the reward granting unit 213 adds a predetermined value to the number of points M held by each user U who has specified the setting condition Cb. The above configuration has the advantage that an incentive to participate in the competitive game can be given to many users U. It should be noted that a configuration in which a reward is granted to all users U who have specified the setting condition Cb, regardless of whether the reward condition is satisfied, is also envisioned.

[0029] Each user U may specify the reward to be granted to the player P when the reward condition is met. Specifically, the reward granting unit 213 determines the type or amount of reward to be granted to the player P when the reward condition is met, in response to instructions from multiple users U. For example, a configuration in which the type of reward is determined by majority vote of the multiple users U, or a configuration in which a representative value (e.g., average value) of the quantities specified by the multiple users U is determined as the amount of reward, may be assumed. Also, the reward to be granted to each user U may be specified by each user U, similar to the reward for each player P.

[0030] The display control unit 214 in FIG. 4 causes each display device 25 to display a play video Va showing the progress of the competitive game. Specifically, the display control unit 214 causes the display device 25 to display the play video Va by supplying video data Da representing the play video Va to the display device 25. Note that a configuration in which a control device 21 is installed for each game unit G (each display device 25) is also envisioned. In the above configuration, the display control unit 214 realized by each control device 21 causes the display device 25 corresponding to that control device 21 to display the play video Va.

[0031] Moreover, the display control unit 214 of the first embodiment transmits the video data Da to be supplied to the display device 25 from the communication device 23 to the video distribution system 10. The display control unit 214 may transmit the video data Da, which is obtained by performing various image processing such as compression processing on the video data Da to be supplied to the display device 25, from the communication device 23 to the video distribution system 10. The transmission of the video data Da to the video distribution system 10 is repeated periodically during the period in which the competitive game is executed. That is, the video data Da is sequentially transmitted (streamed) to the video distribution system 10 in parallel with the progress of the competitive game. As can be understood from the above explanation, the format of the video data Da supplied to the display device 25 and the format of the video data Da transmitted to the video distribution system 10 may be the same or different. The video data Da transmitted to the video distribution system 10 is generated in any format suitable for processing in the video distribution system 10.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of each of the multiple terminal devices 30. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the terminal device 30 includes a control device 31, a storage device 32, a communication device 33, a display device 34, and an operation device 35. The terminal device 30 may be realized as a single device, or may be realized as multiple devices configured separately from each other.

[0033] The control device 31 is configured, for example, by one or more processors that control each element of the terminal device 30. Specifically, the control device 31 is configured by one or more types of processors such as a CPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC.

[0034] The storage device 32 is one or more memories that store the programs executed by the control device 31 and various data used by the control device 31. For example, a known recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium, or a combination of multiple types of recording media, is used as the storage device 32.

[0035] The communication device 33 communicates with the moving image distribution system 10 via the communication network 200. Specifically, the communication device 33 receives moving image data Db transmitted from the moving image distribution system 10, via the communication network 200. The moving image data Db is data representing a distributed moving image Vb.

[0036] The display device 34 is composed of a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays an image under the control of the control device 31. Specifically, the display device 34 displays the distributed video Vb represented by the video data Db received by the communication device 33. In parallel with the display of the distributed video Vb, various sound effects according to the status of the competitive game may be reproduced from a sound emitting device (e.g., a speaker) of the terminal device 30.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a distribution video Vb. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the distribution video Vb includes a play video Va and a related video Vc. As described above with reference to FIG. 3, the play video Va includes a competitive game image Va1 that represents the situation of the competitive game, and a reference image Va2 related to the setting condition Cb. The related video Vc is various images related to the competitive game. Specifically, the related video Vc includes a video Vc1 of a player P1 playing a competitive game, and a video Vc2 of a player P2 similarly playing a competitive game. For example, the related video Vc may include a video of the venue where the players P1 and P2 are playing the competitive game.

[0038] The operation device 35 in Fig. 5 is an input device that accepts instructions from the user U. The operation device 35 is, for example, a plurality of operators operated by the user U, or a touch panel that is integrated with the display device 34. The user U can specify a desired condition (hereinafter referred to as a "specified condition") Ca related to the fighting game by operating the operation device 35. Specifically, any one of a plurality of actions that can be executed by a character O appearing in the fighting game is specified as the specified condition Ca.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an image (hereinafter referred to as an "instruction receiving screen") R1 displayed on the display device 34 so that the user U can instruct the instruction condition Ca. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the instruction receiving screen R1 has a plurality of options r1 that the user U can select. Each of the plurality of options r1 represents an action that the character O can execute in the fighting game (i.e., an action that the player P can instruct). The user U can select any one of the plurality of options r1 by operating the operation device 35. The selection of one option r1 by the user U corresponds to instructing the action corresponding to the option r1 as the instruction condition Ca. The instruction receiving screen R1 is displayed on the display device 34 in parallel with the distribution video Vb, for example. Therefore, the user U can instruct the instruction condition Ca while watching the distribution video Vb. In addition, a configuration in which the display / non-display of the instruction receiving screen R1 is switched according to an instruction from the user U is also assumed.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the control device 31 of the terminal device 30 executes a program stored in the storage device 32 to realize a plurality of functions (a display control unit 311, an instruction receiving unit 312, and an instruction transmitting unit 313).

[0041] The display control unit 311 causes the display device 34 to display the distribution video Vb represented by the video data Db received by the communication device 33. The user U can watch the distribution video Vb representing the status of the competitive game in real time in parallel with the progress of the competitive game. The instruction acceptance unit 312 accepts an instruction of the instruction condition Ca by the user U. The instruction transmission unit 313 transmits instruction data Qa representing the instruction condition Ca accepted by the instruction acceptance unit 312 from the communication device 33 to the video distribution system 10. The instruction data Qa is transmitted to the video distribution system 10 from each of the multiple terminal devices 30 to which the distribution video Vb is distributed. Note that the instruction data Qa may be transmitted from a terminal device 30 separate from the terminal device 30 that displays the distribution video Vb. In other words, the terminal device 30 in which the display control unit 311 is mounted and the terminal device 30 in which the instruction acceptance unit 312 and the instruction transmission unit 313 are mounted may be separate devices.

[0042] Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a video distribution system 10. As illustrated in Fig. 8, the video distribution system 10 includes a control device 11, a storage device 12, and a communication device 13. Note that the video distribution system 10 may be realized as a single device, or may be realized as a plurality of devices configured separately from each other.

[0043] The control device 11 is composed of, for example, a single or multiple processors that control each element of the video distribution system 10. Specifically, the control device 11 is composed of, for example, one or more types of processors such as a CPU, a GPU, a DSP, an FPGA, or an ASIC.

[0044] The storage device 12 is one or more memories that store the programs executed by the control device 11 and various data used by the control device 11. For example, a known recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium, or a combination of multiple types of recording media, is used as the storage device 12.

[0045] The communication device 13 communicates with the game system 20 via the communication network 200. Specifically, the communication device 13 receives video data Da representing a play video Va from the game system 20, and transmits condition data Qb representing setting conditions Cb applied to a fighting game to the game system 20. The communication device 13 also communicates with each of the multiple terminal devices 30 via the communication network 200. Specifically, the communication device 13 transmits video data Db representing a distribution video Vb to the multiple terminal devices 30, and receives instruction data Qa representing instruction conditions Ca from the multiple terminal devices 30.

[0046] 4, the control device 11 of the video distribution system 10 realizes a plurality of functions (a video distribution unit 111, a condition setting unit 112, and a condition notification unit 113) by executing a program stored in the storage device 12. A device including the video distribution unit 111 and a device including the condition setting unit 112 and the condition notification unit 113 may be configured as separate entities.

[0047] The video distribution unit 111 distributes the distribution video Vb to the multiple terminal devices 30. Specifically, the video distribution unit 111 generates video data Db representing the distribution video Vb, and transmits the video data Db from the communication device 13 to each of the multiple terminal devices 30. The video distribution unit 111 generates video data Db of the distribution video Vb including the gameplay video Va represented by the video data Da received by the communication device 13 from the game system 20 and the related video Vc recorded by a recording system (not shown). The recording system captures, for example, a video Vc1 of a player P1 and a video Vc2 of a player P2.

[0048] The condition setting unit 112 sets the setting condition Cb to be applied to the competitive game according to the instruction data Qa received by the communication device 13 from the multiple terminal devices 30. Specifically, the condition setting unit 112 sets the setting condition Cb according to the result of tallying up the instruction data Qa (i.e., instructions from the user U) received from the multiple terminal devices 30. For example, the condition setting unit 112 sets the action that has the largest total number of instructions from the user U among multiple actions that the character O in the competitive game can execute as the setting condition Cb. That is, the setting condition Cb is set by majority vote of the multiple users U. As can be understood from the above explanation, the condition setting unit 112 sets the setting condition Cb for the competitive game according to instructions from the users U of the multiple terminal devices 30. The condition notification unit 113 notifies the game system 20 of the setting condition Cb set by the condition setting unit 112. Specifically, the condition notification unit 113 transmits condition data Qb representing the setting condition Cb from the communication device 13 to the game system 20.

[0049] 9 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of the operations for setting the setting condition Cb executed by the information system 100 and the terminal device 30. Before the game system 20 starts a competitive game, the processing in FIG.

[0050] The instruction accepting unit 312 of the terminal device 30 displays the instruction accepting screen R1 on the display device 34 (Sa1), and accepts an instruction from the user U on the instruction accepting screen R1 (Sa2). Specifically, the instruction accepting unit 312 accepts the selection of option r1 by the user U (i.e., selection of the instruction condition Ca). The instruction transmitting unit 313 transmits instruction data Qa representing the instruction condition Ca accepted by the instruction accepting unit 312 from the communication device 33 to the video distribution system 10 (Sa3). The above operations are executed in each of the multiple terminal devices 30.

[0051] The condition setting unit 112 of the video distribution system 10 receives instruction data Qa transmitted from a plurality of terminal devices 30 via the communication device 13 (Sb1). The condition setting unit 112 sets setting conditions Cb from the plurality of instruction data Qa (Sb2). That is, the setting conditions Cb are set according to instructions from a plurality of users U. The condition notification unit 113 transmits condition data Qb representing the setting conditions Cb set by the condition setting unit 112 from the communication device 13 to the game system 20 (Sb3).

[0052] The condition determination unit 212 of the game system 20 receives the condition data Qb transmitted from the video distribution system 10 by the communication device 23 (Sc1). The condition determination unit 212 stores the setting condition Cb represented by the condition data Qb in the storage device 22 (Sc2). The operation related to setting the setting condition Cb is as described above.

[0053] Fig. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a specific procedure of a process (hereinafter referred to as "control process") Sd executed by the control device 21 of the game system 20 for a competitive game. After the setting conditions Cb are set by the process illustrated in Fig. 9, the control process Sd of Fig. 10 is started, for example, in response to an instruction from the administrator of the competitive game. When the control process Sd is started, the control device 21 (condition determination unit 212) acquires the setting conditions Cb from the storage device 22 (Sd11).

[0054] The control device 21 (game control unit 211) progresses the competitive game in response to an instruction from the player P1 or the player P2 (Sd12). The control device 21 (condition determination unit 212) determines whether the set condition Cb is satisfied for each of the players P1 and P2 (Sd13). If the set condition Cb is satisfied (Sd13: YES), the control device 21 (condition determination unit 212) updates the number of times N (N1, N2) that the set condition Cb is satisfied (Sd14). Specifically, the control device 21 increases the number of times N1 that the set condition Cb is satisfied for the player P1, and increases the number of times N2 that the set condition Cb is satisfied for the player P2. If the set condition Cb is not satisfied for either the player P1 or the player P2 (Sd13: NO), the number of times N that the set condition is satisfied is not updated.

[0055] The control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) judges whether the reward condition is met for each of the players P1 and P2 (Sd15). Specifically, the control device 21 judges whether the number of times N that the condition is met has reached a target value Z. The control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) grants a reward to the player P for whom the reward condition is met (Sd16). The control device 21 of the first embodiment also grants a reward to a user U who satisfies a specific condition among a plurality of users U. For example, a reward is granted to each user U who has specified the set condition Cb. If the reward condition is not met (Sd15: NO), the granting of a reward is not executed. By granting a reward to the users U who watch the distribution video Vb as described above, an incentive to participate in a competitive game (for example, an incentive to cheer on the player P, or an incentive for each user U to play a competitive game) can be given to many users U.

[0056] The control device 21 (display control unit 214) causes the display device 25 of each game unit G to display a play video Va reflecting the current state of the competitive game (Sd17). Specifically, the control device 21 generates video data Da of the current play video Va and supplies the video data Da to the display device 25. The control device 21 (display control unit 214) transmits the video data Da representing the play video Va displayed on the display device 25 from the communication device 23 to the video distribution system 10 (Sd18).

[0057] The control device 21 determines whether the competitive game has ended (Sd19). If the competitive game has not ended (Sd19: NO), the control device 21 shifts the process to step Sd12. That is, the processes from step Sd12 to step Sd19 are repeated until the competitive game ends. If the competitive game has ended (Sd19: YES), the control device 21 ends the control process Sd.

[0058] Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of a process (hereinafter referred to as a "distribution process") Se executed by the control device 11 of the video distribution system 10 for distributing a distribution video Vb. For example, the distribution process Se in Fig. 11 is started in response to an instruction from the operator of the video distribution system 10. The distribution process Se is executed in parallel with the progress of the competitive game (control process Sd).

[0059] When the distribution process Se is started, the control device 11 receives the video data Da transmitted from the game system 20 via the communication device 13 (Se1). The control device 11 (video distribution unit 111) generates a distribution video Vb by combining a gameplay video Va represented by the video data Da with a related video Vc separately acquired from a recording system (Se2). The control device 11 (video distribution unit 111) transmits video data Db representing the distribution video Vb from the communication device 13 to the multiple terminal devices 30 (Se3). The control device 31 of each terminal device 30 causes the display device 34 to display the distribution video Vb using the video data Db received by the communication device 33 from the video distribution system 10.

[0060] The control device 11 of the video distribution system 10 determines whether or not to end the distribution process Se (Se4). If the distribution process Se is not to be ended (Se4: NO), the control device 11 moves the process to step Se1. That is, the transmission of the video data Db to each terminal device 30 (Se1 to Se3) is repeated. On the other hand, for example, when the transmission of the video data Da by the game system 20 is ended, or when an instruction to end is received from the operator of the video distribution system 10, the control device 11 ends the distribution process Se (Se4: YES).

[0061] As described above, in the first embodiment, the user U of the terminal device 30 not only passively watches the distributed video Vb but also can participate in setting the setting conditions Cb applied to the competitive game. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the user U of each terminal device 30 only watches the distributed video Vb, it is possible to promote viewing of the distributed video Vb by a large number of users U.

[0062] In the first embodiment, the distributed video Vb including the reference image Va2 is displayed on the terminal device 30 of each user U. That is, the user U watching the distributed video Vb can check the reference image Va2 related to the success or failure of the set condition Cb in the competitive game together with the competitive game image Va1. Therefore, the effect of encouraging many users U to watch the distributed video Vb is particularly remarkable. In addition, the reference image Va2 includes the number of times N (N1, N2) that the set condition Cb is met. Since the number of times N is met is updated in conjunction with the progress of the competitive game, there is also the advantage that an incentive to continue watching the distributed video Vb can be given to many users U.

[0063] Also, a fighting game image Va1 showing the situation of the fighting game and a reference image Va2 related to the result of the determination related to the set condition Cb are displayed to the players P (P1, P2) of the fighting game. Therefore, an incentive to play the fighting game so that the set condition Cb is satisfied can be given to the players P. In particular, in the first embodiment, since the set condition Cb is set so that the character O operated by the player P in the fighting game executes the condition action, an incentive to operate the character O so as to execute the condition action related to the set condition Cb can be given to the players P.

[0064] In the first embodiment, when a reward condition including the set condition Cb is satisfied, a reward is given to the player P. Therefore, an incentive to play the fighting game so that the set condition Cb is satisfied can be given to the player P.

[0065] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that, in each of the following exemplary embodiments, for elements whose functions are similar to those of the first embodiment, the reference numerals used in the description of the first embodiment will be used and detailed descriptions of each will be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video Va displayed on the display device 25 of each game unit G in the game system 20 of the second embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 12, the gameplay video Va of the second embodiment is composed of the battle game image Va1 exemplified in the first embodiment. In other words, the gameplay video Va does not include a reference image Va2.

[0067] Fig. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the information system 100 in the second embodiment. The display control unit 214 of the game system 20 supplies video data Da representing the gameplay video Va of Fig. 12 to each display device 25, thereby causing the display device 25 to display the gameplay video Va. The display control unit 214 also transmits the video data Da and judgment data X to the video distribution system 10 via the communication device 23. The judgment data X is data related to the result of the condition judgment unit 212 judging the set condition Cb. Specifically, the judgment data X represents the number of times N (N1, N2) that the set condition Cb is met.

[0068] In the distribution process Se, the control device 11 (movie distribution unit 111) receives the video data Da and the judgment data X transmitted from the game system 20 (Se1). Then, the control device 11 (movie distribution unit 111) generates a distribution video Vb by synthesizing the play video Va represented by the video data Da, a reference image Va2 according to the judgment data X, and a related video Vc acquired from the recording system (Se2). Specifically, the control device 11 generates a reference image Va2 including a setting condition Cb set according to instructions from multiple users U, the number of times N (N1, N2) that is met represented by the judgment data X, and a predetermined target value Z. The video data Db representing the distribution video Vb generated in the above procedure is transmitted from the communication device 13 to each terminal device 30 (Se3).

[0069] As can be understood from the above description, the distribution video Vb displayed on the display device 34 of each terminal device 30 includes the reference image Va2 together with the competitive game image Va1, as in the first embodiment. That is, a user U watching the distribution video Vb can check the success or failure of the setting condition Cb in the competitive game together with the competitive game image Va1. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to promote viewing of the distribution video Vb by a large number of users U. On the other hand, the display device 25 of the game system 20 displays the play video Va (competitive game image Va1) that does not include the reference image Va2. This has the advantage that each player P can concentrate on playing the competitive game.

[0070] [Third embodiment] In the first and second embodiments, an item whose success or failure is not determined in the fighting game (specifically, the character O performing a condition action) is exemplified as the setting condition Cb. The setting condition Cb in the third embodiment is an item that restricts the progress of the fighting game (i.e., a constraint condition). Specifically, the setting condition Cb in the third embodiment is to limit the actions of each character O in the fighting game to a specific condition action. Note that prohibiting a condition action may also be set as the setting condition Cb.

[0071] Fig. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information system 100 and the terminal device 30 in the third embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 14, the functional configuration of the terminal device 30 and the video distribution system 10 is similar to that in the first embodiment. The control device 21 of the game system 20 in the third embodiment realizes a game control unit 211, a reward granting unit 213, and a display control unit 214. That is, the condition determination unit 212 in the first embodiment is omitted in the third embodiment.

[0072] The operation for setting the setting condition Cb is similar to that of the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 9. Specifically, the instruction receiving unit 312 of each terminal device 30 receives from the user U a selection of one of a plurality of options r1 displayed on the instruction receiving screen R1 (Sa1, Sa2). The selection of the option r1 by the user U corresponds to instructing the action corresponding to the option r1 as an instruction condition Ca (condition action). The instruction sending unit 313 sends instruction data Qa representing the instruction condition Ca received from the user U from the communication device 33 to the video distribution system 10 (Sa3).

[0073] The condition setting unit 112 of the video distribution system 10 receives instruction data Qa transmitted from a plurality of terminal devices 30 via the communication device 13 (Sb1). The condition setting unit 112 sets a set condition Cb from the plurality of instruction data Qa (Sb2). For example, the condition setting unit 112 sets, as the set condition Cb (condition action), an action that has the greatest total number of instructions from the user U, among a plurality of actions that a character O in a fighting game can execute. The condition notification unit 113 transmits condition data Qb representing the set condition Cb set by the condition setting unit 112 from the communication device 13 to the game system 20 (Sb3).

[0074] The game control unit 211 of the game system 20 receives the condition data Qb transmitted from the video distribution system 10 via the communication device 23 (Sc1). The game control unit 211 stores the setting condition Cb represented by the condition data Qb in the storage device 22 (Sc2). The operation related to setting the setting condition Cb is as described above.

[0075] 15 is a flowchart illustrating a specific procedure of the control process Sd in the third embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the control process Sd is started after the setting condition Cb is set. When the control process Sd is started, the control device 21 (condition determination unit 212) acquires the setting condition Cb from the storage device 22 (Sd21).

[0076] The control device 21 (game control unit 211) progresses the fighting game in response to an instruction from the player P1 or the player P2 (Sd22). The control device 21 of the third embodiment progresses the fighting game under the set condition Cb. That is, the character O is prohibited from performing an action other than the condition action. Specifically, when the player P instructs a condition action, the control device 21 causes the character O to perform the condition action, whereas when the player P instructs an action other than the condition action, the control device 21 ignores the instruction.

[0077] The control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) judges whether the reward condition is met for each of the player P1 and the player P2 (Sd23). The reward condition in the third embodiment is a predetermined condition premised on the set condition Cb. Specifically, the reward condition is set to be a victory over an opponent under the set condition Cb in a competitive game. If any of the players P wins the competitive game proceeding under the set condition Cb, the judgment result of step Sd23 becomes positive. The control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) grants a reward to the player P for whom the reward condition is met (Sd24). For example, a predetermined amount of points is granted to the player P. On the other hand, if the reward condition is not met (Sd23: NO), the granting of the reward is not executed.

[0078] The control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) also grants rewards to each of the multiple users U, as in the first embodiment. For example, when the reward condition is met, the reward granting unit 213 grants rewards to one or more users U who have specified the set condition Cb among the multiple users U. Specifically, a predetermined value is added to the number of points M held by each user U who has specified the set condition Cb. The above configuration has the advantage that an incentive to participate in a competitive game can be given to many users U. A configuration is also envisioned in which rewards are granted to all users U who have specified the set condition Cb, regardless of whether the reward condition is met.

[0079] As in the first embodiment, each user U may specify the reward to be granted to the player P when the reward condition is met. Specifically, the reward granting unit 213 determines the type or amount of reward to be granted to the player P when the reward condition is met, in response to instructions from multiple users U. For example, a configuration in which the type of reward is determined by majority vote of the multiple users U, or a configuration in which a representative value (e.g., average value) of the quantities specified by the multiple users U is determined as the amount of reward, is assumed. Furthermore, the reward to be granted to each user U may be determined in response to instructions from multiple users U, similar to the reward for each player P.

[0080] The control device 21 (display control unit 214) causes each display device 25 to display a play video Va reflecting the current state of the competitive game (Sd25). Specifically, the control device 21 generates video data Da of the current play video Va and supplies the video data Da to the display device 25.

[0081] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a gameplay video Va in the third embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the gameplay video Va in the third embodiment is an image including a battle game image Va1 and a reference image Va2. The battle game image Va1 is a video showing the situation of the battle game, similar to the first embodiment, and includes the character O1 and the character O2 arranged in the virtual space. On the other hand, the reference image Va2 is an image related to the set condition Cb. Specifically, the reward condition including the set condition Cb (condition action) according to the instruction from the user U is displayed on the display device 25 as the reference image Va2. As illustrated above, the display control unit 214 in the third embodiment displays the battle game image Va1 showing the situation of the battle game and the reference image Va2 showing the set condition Cb (constraint condition) for each player P. Note that the configuration of the second embodiment in which the gameplay video Va does not include the reference image Va2 may be applied to the third embodiment. In addition, the type or quantity of rewards given to each player P may be displayed on the reference image Va2. By displaying the reward in the gameplay video Va, each player P can be given an incentive to aim for good results even under the constraints related to the set conditions Cb.

[0082] The control device 21 (display control unit 214) transmits video data Da representing the play video Va displayed by the display device 25 from the communication device 23 to the video distribution system 10 (Sd26). That is, the video data Da of the play video Va including the competitive game image Va1 and the reference image Va2 is transmitted to the video distribution system 10. The control device 21 determines whether the competitive game has ended (Sd27). If the competitive game has not ended (Sd27: NO), the control device 21 shifts the process to step Sd22. That is, the processes from step Sd22 to step Sd27 are repeated until the competitive game ends. If the competitive game has ended (Sd27: YES), the control device 21 ends the control process Sd.

[0083] The delivery process Se executed by the video distribution system 10 has the same procedure as the delivery process Se of the first embodiment described above with reference to Fig. 11. That is, video data Db of a delivery video Vb including a play video Va and an associated video Vc is transmitted from the video distribution system 10 to each terminal device 30. The control device 31 of each terminal device 30 uses the video data Db received by the communication device 33 from the video distribution system 10 to cause the display device 34 to display the delivery video Vb.

[0084] Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of a distribution video Vb in the third embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 17, the distribution video Vb in the third embodiment includes a gameplay video Va and an associated video Vc. As illustrated in Fig. 16, the gameplay video Va includes a battle game image Va1 representing the situation of the battle game and a reference image Va2 representing the setting condition Cb (constraint condition). The associated video Vc is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0085] As described above, in the third embodiment, the user U of the terminal device 30 not only passively watches the distributed video Vb but also can participate in setting the setting conditions Cb applied to the competitive game. Therefore, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to promote viewing of the distributed video Vb by a large number of users U.

[0086] In the third embodiment, the distribution video Vb including the reference image Va2 is displayed on the terminal device 30 of each user U. That is, the user U who watches the distribution video Vb can check the constraints (reference image Va2) in the competitive game together with the competitive game image Va1. Therefore, the effect of promoting viewing of the distribution video Vb by many users U is particularly remarkable.

[0087] Also, a competitive game image Va1 showing the competitive game situation and a reference image Va2 showing the set conditions Cb are displayed to the players P (P1, P2) of the competitive game. Therefore, each player P can check the set conditions Cb (constraint conditions) according to the instructions from the user U while playing the competitive game. Also, in the third embodiment, a reward is given to the player P when the reward conditions based on the set conditions Cb are met. Therefore, an incentive to play the competitive game under the set conditions Cb can be given to the player P.

[0088] [Fourth embodiment] In each of the above-described embodiments, when the reward condition is met (Sd15: YES, Sd23: YES), the reward granting unit 213 grants a predetermined amount of points as a reward to the player P. The reward granting unit 213 of the fourth embodiment grants rewards to the player P according to instructions from multiple users U. Specifically, a quantity of points according to instructions from the users U (hereinafter referred to as "reward amount") is granted to the player P.

[0089] The operation in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The instruction receiving unit 312 of the terminal device 30 causes the display device 34 to display an image (hereinafter referred to as "instruction receiving screen") R2 for the user U to indicate the amount of reward, in addition to the instruction receiving screen R1 similar to that in the first embodiment (Sa1).

[0090] As illustrated in FIG. 18, the instruction receiving screen R2 has a plurality of options r2 corresponding to different reward amounts arranged thereon. The user U can select one of the plurality of options r2 by operating the operation device 35. The instruction receiving unit 312 receives the selection of option r1 (i.e., selection of the instruction condition Ca) and the selection of option r2 (instruction of the reward amount) by the user U (Sa2). The instruction transmitting unit 313 transmits instruction data Qa representing the instruction condition Ca and the reward amount received by the instruction receiving unit 312 from the communication device 33 to the video distribution system 10 (Sa3). Note that a configuration in which the user U can specify the reward amount numerically is also envisioned.

[0091] The condition setting unit 112 of the video distribution system 10 receives the instruction data Qa transmitted from the multiple terminal devices 30 through the communication device 13 (Sb1). The condition setting unit 112 sets the setting condition Cb and the reward amount using the multiple instruction data Qa (Sb2). The method of setting the setting condition Cb is the same as that of the first embodiment. The condition setting unit 112 sets the reward amount to be actually applied to the competitive game according to the result of tallying up the reward amounts instructed by each user U. Specifically, the condition setting unit 112 determines the reward amount with the maximum total number of instructions by the user U as the reward amount to be actually applied to the competitive game. That is, the reward amount is set by majority vote of the multiple users U. The condition notification unit 113 notifies the game system 20 of the setting condition Cb and the reward amount set by the condition setting unit 112 (Sb3). Specifically, the condition notification unit 113 transmits the condition data Qb representing the setting condition Cb and the reward amount from the communication device 13 to the game system 20. The condition data Qb is received by the communication device 23 (Sc1), and the set condition Cb and the reward amount represented by the condition data Qb are stored in the storage device 22 (Sc2).

[0092] When the reward condition is met (Sd15: YES, Sd23: YES) in the control process Sd (FIGS. 10 and 15), the control device 21 (reward granting unit 213) grants the player P the reward amount of points stored in the storage device 22 (Sd16, Sd24). That is, the reward granting unit 213 grants the player P rewards according to instructions from multiple users U.

[0093] The fourth embodiment also achieves the same effects as the first or third embodiment. Moreover, in the fourth embodiment, the user U of the terminal device 30 can be involved in setting the reward to be given to the player P. Therefore, the effect of encouraging many users U to watch the distribution video Vb is particularly remarkable.

[0094] [Variations] Each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be modified in various ways. Specific modified embodiments that can be applied to each of the above-mentioned embodiments are exemplified below. Two or more embodiments selected from the following examples may be combined to the extent that they are not mutually contradictory.

[0095] (1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the setting condition Cb is set by majority vote of multiple users U, but the specific method of setting the setting condition Cb in response to an instruction from a user U is not limited to the above examples. For example, the setting condition Cb may be set in response to an instruction from one or more users U selected from the multiple users U according to a predetermined rule or randomly. The setting condition Cb may also be set in response to an instruction from one or more users U who satisfy a predetermined condition from the multiple users U. The video distribution system 10 may notify the terminal device 30 of each user U of the name of the user U selected as the setter of the setting condition Cb (i.e., the representative of the multiple users U).

[0096] (2) The method by which the reward granting unit 213 determines the reward to be granted to each player P or each user U in response to instructions from multiple users U may be arbitrary. For example, a configuration may be assumed in which the type or amount of reward is determined in response to an instruction from the earliest user U among the multiple users U, or a configuration may be assumed in which the cumulative value of the amounts instructed by the multiple users U is determined as the amount of reward.

[0097] (3) In the first embodiment, the set condition Cb related to one type of condition action is exemplified, but the set condition Cb may include a plurality of condition actions. That is, the set condition Cb is set such that the character O executes any one of a plurality of condition actions in the fighting game. The condition determination unit 212 determines whether each of the plurality of condition actions related to the set condition Cb is successful. The condition setting unit 112 may set a plurality of set conditions Cb corresponding to different condition actions. The condition determination unit 212 determines whether each of the plurality of set conditions Cb is successful.

[0098] Similarly, in the third embodiment, the set condition Cb may include a plurality of condition actions. The game control unit 211 progresses the fighting game under the set condition Cb in which the actions of each character O are limited to a plurality of condition actions. The condition setting unit 112 may set a plurality of set conditions Cb corresponding to different condition actions. The game control unit 211 progresses the fighting game under a plurality of set conditions Cb. Also, in the third embodiment, an example is shown in which actions other than the condition action are prohibited. However, a configuration in which actions other than the condition action are permitted and, when an action other than the condition action is executed, the reward granting unit 213 may determine that the reward condition is not satisfied.

[0099] (4) In the above-described embodiments, a common setting condition Cb is set for the player P1 and the player P2, but a separate setting condition Cb may be set for each of the player P1 and the player P2. That is, the setting condition Cb for the player P1 may be different from the setting condition Cb for the player P2. Each user U instructs the instruction condition Ca for each of the player P1 and the player P2.

[0100] (5) In each of the above-described embodiments, the number of times N1 the set condition is satisfied by the player P1 and the number of times N2 the set condition is satisfied by the player P2 are counted separately, but the number of times the set condition Cb is satisfied by either the player P1 or the player P2 may be counted as the number of times N the set condition is satisfied. In other words, the number of times N the set condition is satisfied is the sum of the number of times N1 the set condition is satisfied by the player P1 and the number of times N2 the set condition is satisfied by the player P2.

[0101] (6) In the first embodiment, a special effect may be output when the setting condition Cb is satisfied. For example, when the setting condition Cb is satisfied, the control device 21 of the game system 20 causes the display device 25 to display a specific effect image E, as illustrated in FIG. 19. The effect image E is an image representing the awarding of a reward (points) to the player P. Furthermore, the control device 21 may cause the sound emitting device to reproduce a specific sound effect when the setting condition Cb is satisfied. Similarly, the control device 31 of the terminal device 30 causes the display device 34 to display a predetermined effect image and the sound emitting device to reproduce a predetermined sound effect when the setting condition Cb is satisfied.

[0102] (7) In each of the above embodiments, the gameplay video Va displayed on the game system 20 and the distribution video Vb displayed on the terminal device 30 are different from each other. However, the gameplay video Va may be displayed as the distribution video Vb on the terminal device 30. In other words, the gameplay video Va and the distribution video Vb may be the same.

[0103] (8) A reward may be given to the player P when the reward condition is met in exchange for the consumption of a predetermined amount of a value medium owned by each user U. The value medium may be, for example, currency (e.g., electronic money) or points. The points may include, for example, prepaid points that the user U acquires in advance by consuming currency or the like. The instruction condition Ca and the instruction of the reward amount are permitted on the condition that the user U performs a settlement process in which the user U consumes a predetermined amount of currency or points. In other words, the reward for the player P may be realized as a tip (donation or support) from each user U.

[0104] (9) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, points are exemplified as the reward given to each player P, but the type of reward is not limited to the above examples. For example, an item that can be used in a competitive game or a right to participate in a specific event in a competitive game may be given to the player P as a reward when the reward condition is met. In the fourth embodiment, the quantity of reward (reward amount) given to the player P when the reward condition is met is set according to an instruction from each user U, but the items set according to an instruction from each user U are not limited to the reward amount. For example, the type of reward may be set according to an instruction from the user U of each terminal device 30.

[0105] (10) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the video distribution system 10 includes the video distribution unit 111, the condition setting unit 112, and the condition notification unit 113, and the game system 20 includes the game control unit 211, the condition determination unit 212, the reward granting unit 213, and the display control unit 214. However, the locations where each element is installed are not limited to the above examples. For example, a configuration in which the condition setting unit 112 is mounted on the game system 20, or a configuration in which the condition determination unit 212 or the reward granting unit 213 is mounted on the video distribution system 10 may also be envisioned.

[0106] (11) In the above-mentioned embodiments, a battle game in which a player P1 and a player P2 battle each other is exemplified, but the type of game in the present invention is arbitrary. For example, the present invention is applicable to any game, such as a lottery game in which a lottery process such as a physical lottery or an electronic lottery is executed, a competitive game in which multiple players P compete in, for example, sports or board games, a music game in which a player P moves in time with music, an action game in which a player P achieves various objectives by controlling a character O, and a search game in which a player P explores various places by controlling a character O. As can be understood from the above examples, the number of players P in the game to which the present invention is applied is arbitrary. That is, the present invention is applicable to a game played by one player P, in addition to a game in which multiple players P battle or cooperate with each other.

[0107] (12) In the first embodiment, the character O executes a condition action as an example of the set condition Cb, but the contents of the set condition Cb are not limited to the above example and are appropriately selected according to the type or content of the game. For example, any matter whose success or failure is not determined in the game (i.e., matters whose success or failure changes according to the progress of the game) is set as the set condition Cb, such as winning a specific prize in a lottery game, the occurrence of a specific event (e.g., a score) in a competitive game, the perfect matching of the player P's actions at a specific time in a music game, the character O executing a specific action in an action game, the appearance of a specific character or item in a search game, the player P selecting a specific option from among multiple options, etc. As can be understood from the above examples, it is not essential that the set condition Cb is a condition related to the character O.

[0108] (13) In the third embodiment, the setting condition Cb (constraint condition) is exemplified as limiting the motion of the character O to a specific condition motion, but the contents of the setting condition Cb are not limited to the above examples and are appropriately selected according to the type or content of the game. For example, any matter that restricts the progress of the game is set as the setting condition Cb, such as limiting the number of lottery processes in a lottery game, limiting the virtual environment (e.g., the competition place) in which the game is developed in a competitive game, limiting the music played in a music game, limiting the time required to achieve a predetermined objective in an action game, limiting items that can be used in a search game, and limiting the selection of a specific option among multiple options. For example, the setting condition Cb is exemplified as limiting the type of pitch that a pitcher can throw in a baseball game to a specific type of pitch (e.g., a straight pitch). As can be understood from the above examples, it is not essential that the setting condition Cb is a condition related to the character O.

[0109] (14) In each of the above-described embodiments, the setting condition Cb is set in response to an instruction from the user U of each terminal device 30. However, for example, the setting condition Cb may be set in response to an instruction from an administrator who manages a competitive game event. Similarly, the reward to be granted to the player P may be set in response to an instruction from the administrator instead of the user U. In a configuration in which the administrator sets the reward, when the reward condition is met, the reward granting unit 213 may grant a reward to the user U in addition to the player P.

[0110] (15) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the video data Db representing the distribution video Vb is transmitted from the video distribution system 10 to the terminal device 30, but the contents of the video data Db are not limited to the above examples. For example, the video data Db (so-called replay data) representing the contents of the operation by each player P may be transmitted from the video distribution system 10 to the terminal device 30. The control device 31 of the terminal device 30 reproduces the play video Va by a process similar to the game control (Sd12, Sd22) executed by the control device 21 of the game system 20, and displays the distribution video Vb including the play video Va on the display device 34. As can be understood from the above examples, the distribution of the distribution video Vb means a process in which the terminal device 30 transmits video data Db capable of displaying the distribution video Vb to the terminal device 30, and the format of the video data Db is arbitrary. That is, in addition to the data directly representing the play video Va as in the examples of the above-mentioned embodiments, the concept of the video data Db also includes replay data representing the contents of the operation by the player P.

[0111] A configuration is also envisaged in which the video data Db represents elements constituting the distributed video Vb or the position of each element. The display control unit 311 of the terminal device 30 generates the distributed video Vb using the video data Db, and causes the display device 34 to display the distributed video Vb. A part of the distributed video Vb may also be stored in the storage device 32 of the terminal device 30. The display control unit 311 generates the distributed video Vb by adding an image stored in the storage device 32 to the video represented by the video data Db, and causes the display device 34 to display the distributed video Vb.

[0112] As can be understood from the above explanation, the video data Db (Da) is collectively expressed as data for displaying the distribution video Vb on the display device 34. That is, in addition to data representing the distribution video Vb itself, the concept of the video data Db also encompasses data used in the process for displaying the distribution video Vb (e.g., data used to generate the distribution video Vb).

[0113] (16) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, a configuration is also assumed in which each player P can reject the application of the setting condition Cb set in response to an instruction from each user U to the game. Each player P can select whether to accept or reject the setting condition Cb by operating the operation device 24. If the player P rejects the setting condition Cb, the game control unit 211 proceeds with the game in a state in which the setting condition Cb is invalidated. That is, in the first embodiment, the determination of whether the setting condition Cb is satisfied or not is not executed, and in the third embodiment, the game proceeds without any constraints due to the setting condition Cb. In addition, when the player P accepts the setting condition Cb, the reward granting unit 213 grants a reward to the player P when the reward condition is satisfied, and when the player P rejects the setting condition Cb, the reward granting unit 213 does not grant a reward to the player P even when the reward condition is satisfied. According to the above configuration, it is possible to generate a bargain between the user U involved in the setting of the setting condition Cb and the player P who aims to acquire a reward.

[0114] (17) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, a reward is given to both the player P and the user U, but a configuration in which a reward is given to only one of the player P and the user U is also assumed. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, a reward (points) of the same type is given to the player P and the user U, but the type of reward given to the player P may be different from the type of reward given to the user U. For example, points consumed for playing a competitive game or acquiring an item in a competitive game are given to the player P, and points consumed for watching videos distributed by the video distribution system 10 are given to the user U. The points given to the user U are consumed, for example, for watching a specific video, purchasing an item related to the video, or providing the points to the performers of the video (so-called tips).

[0115] (18) The functions of the information system 100 according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments are realized by the cooperation of one or more processors (control device 11, control device 21) and a program. The programs according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable recording medium and installed in a computer. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and a good example is an optical recording medium (optical disk) such as a CD-ROM, but also includes any known type of recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium. Note that the non-transitory recording medium includes any recording medium except for a transient, propagating signal, and does not exclude volatile recording media. In addition, in a configuration in which a distribution device distributes a program via a communication network, a storage device that stores the program in the distribution device corresponds to the above-mentioned non-transitory recording medium.

[0116] [Note] From the above description, for example, preferred embodiments of the present invention can be understood as follows. In order to facilitate understanding of each embodiment, reference numerals in the drawings are written in parentheses for convenience, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.

[0117] [Appendix A1] An information system (100) according to one aspect (Supplementary Note 1) of the present invention includes a video distribution unit (111) that distributes a distribution video (Vb) including a game image (Va1) showing the status of a game played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), a condition setting unit (112) that sets a setting condition (Cb) for the game in response to an instruction from a user (U) of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices (30), a game control unit (211) that controls the game, and a condition determination unit (212) that determines whether the setting condition (Cb) in the game is satisfied. According to the above configuration, the user (U) of the terminal device (30) can not only watch the distribution video (Vb) of the game, but also participate in setting the setting condition (Cb) applied to the game. Therefore, it is possible to promote viewing of the distribution video (Vb) by a large number of users (U) compared to a configuration in which the users (U) of each terminal device (30) only watch the distribution video (Vb).

[0118] The type of "game" is arbitrary. For example, the present invention is applicable to any type of game, regardless of the number or relationships of the players (P), such as a game in which multiple players (P) compete against each other, a game in which multiple players (P) aim to achieve a common objective, or a game in which one player (P) aims to achieve a predetermined objective.

[0119] The "distributed video (Vb)" is any image that allows a user (U) viewing the video to understand the game situation. Typically, a distributed video (Vb) similar to the gameplay video (Va) viewed by the player (P) is distributed to the terminal device (30), but the gameplay video (Va) viewed by the player (P) does not need to match the distributed video (Vb) distributed to the terminal device (30).

[0120] "Setting conditions (Cb)" include matters whose success or failure is not determined in the game (i.e. matters whose success or failure changes as the game progresses) and matters that restrict the progress of the game (i.e. constraint conditions). The former setting conditions (Cb) are, for example, the occurrence of a specific event in the game. A specific event is, for example, a character (O) appearing in the game performing a specific action (e.g. a special move), or the occurrence of a specific situation as the game progresses. The latter setting conditions (Cb) are, for example, constraints on the actions of a character (O) appearing in the game, constraints on items used in the game, or time constraints on the progress of the game (e.g. a time limit for achieving a specific objective).

[0121] The specific method of setting the setting condition (Cb) in response to an instruction from a user (U) of the terminal device (30) is arbitrary. For example, the condition setting unit (112) sets the setting condition (Cb) in response to a result of tallying up instructions from a plurality of users (U). For example, it is assumed that, from among a plurality of conditions prepared in advance, the condition that is specified by the greatest number of users (U) is selected as the setting condition (Cb) (i.e., majority vote). In addition, the setting condition (Cb) may be set in response to an instruction from one or more users (U) who satisfy a specific condition among the plurality of users (U).

[0122] The "information system (100)" may be composed of one or more devices. For example, the information system (100) includes a video distribution system (10) and a game system (20). The video distribution system (10) includes a video distribution unit (111) and a condition setting unit (112), and the game system (20) includes a game control unit (211) and a condition determination unit (212). However, functional distinction between the video distribution system (10) and the game system (20) is not essential. For example, the information system (100) may be composed of a single device. Also, a configuration in which the game system (20) includes the condition setting unit (112), or a configuration in which the video distribution system (10) includes the condition determination unit (212) may be assumed.

[0123] [Appendix A2] In a specific example (Appendix A2) of Appendix A1, the distributed video (Vb) includes a reference image (Va2) related to the result of the judgment by the condition judgment unit (212). According to the above configuration, a user (U) who uses a terminal device (30) to watch the distributed video (Vb) can check the reference image (Va2) related to the success or failure of the set condition (Cb) together with the game image (Va1). Therefore, the effect of promoting the viewing of the distributed video (Vb) by a large number of users (U) is particularly remarkable.

[0124] The "reference image (Va2)" is any image that changes depending on the result of determining whether the set condition (Cb) is satisfied, such as an image that directly indicates whether the set condition (Cb) is satisfied or not, or an image that indicates the number of times the set condition (Cb) is satisfied. The determination of whether the set condition (Cb) is satisfied is typically performed by the game system (20), but may be performed by the video distribution system (10) or another computer system.

[0125] [Appendix A3] In a specific example (Supplementary note A3) of Appendix A2, the reference image (Va2) includes the number of times the set condition (Cb) is satisfied. According to the above configuration, the reference image (Va2) including the number of times the set condition (Cb) is satisfied is displayed on the terminal device (30). Therefore, an incentive to continue watching the distributed video (Vb) can be given to many users (U).

[0126] [Appendix A4] An information system (100) according to any one of specific examples (Appendix A4) of Appendix A1 to Appendix A3 includes a display control unit (214) that displays a game image (Va1) showing the state of the game and a reference image (Va2) related to the result of the determination by the condition determination unit (212) to the one or more players (P). With the above configuration, the player (P) can check the success or failure of the set condition (Cb) set according to an instruction from the user (U) while playing the game. Therefore, an incentive to play the game so that the set condition (Cb) is satisfied can be given to the player (P).

[0127] [Appendix A5] In a specific example (Appendix A5) of any of Appendices A1 to A4, the set condition (Cb) is that a character (O) operated by one or more players (P) in the game executes a specific action. With the above configuration, an incentive can be given to the player (P) to operate the character (O) so as to execute the specific action related to the set condition (Cb).

[0128] [Appendix A6] The information system (100) according to any one of the specific examples (Appendix A6) of Appendix A1 to Appendix A5 includes a reward granting unit (213) that grants a reward to the one or more players (P) when the reward condition including the satisfaction of the set condition (Cb) is satisfied for the player (P). According to the above configuration, a reward is granted to the player (P) for whom the reward condition is satisfied. Therefore, an incentive to play the game so that the set condition (Cb) is satisfied can be given to the player (P).

[0129] [Appendix A7] In the specific example of Appendix A6 (Appendix A7), the reward granting unit (213) grants the reward set in response to an instruction from a user (U) of one or more of the terminal devices (30). With the above configuration, the user (U) of the terminal device (30) can be involved in setting the reward to be granted to the player (P). Therefore, the effect of encouraging a large number of users (U) to watch the distributed video (Vb) is particularly remarkable.

[0130] [Appendix A8] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention (Appendix A8) includes distributing a distribution video (Vb) including game images (Va1) representing the status of a game being played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), while setting setting conditions (Cb) related to the game in response to instructions from a user (U) of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices (30), controlling the game, and determining whether the setting conditions (Cb) in the game are met.

[0131] [Appendix A9] A program according to one aspect of the present invention (Appendix A9) causes a computer system to function as a video distribution unit (111) that distributes a distribution video (Vb) including a game image (Va1) representing the status of a game being played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), a condition setting unit (112) that sets setting conditions (Cb) related to the game in response to instructions from a user (U) of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices (30), a game control unit (211) that controls the game, and a condition determination unit (212) that determines whether the setting conditions (Cb) in the game are met.

[0132] [Appendix A10] A video distribution system (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention (Appendix A10) includes a video distribution unit (111) that distributes a distribution video (Vb) including a game image (Va1) representing the status of a game played by one or more players (P) through a game system (20) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), a condition setting unit (112) that sets setting conditions (Cb) related to the game in response to instructions from a user (U) of one or more terminal devices (30) among the plurality of terminal devices (30), and a condition notification unit (113) that notifies the game system (20) of the setting conditions (Cb).

[0133] [Appendix B1] An information system (100) according to one aspect (Appendix B1) of the present invention includes a video distribution unit (111) that distributes a distribution video (Vb) including a game image (Va1) showing the status of a game played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), a condition setting unit (112) that sets a constraint condition (Cb) for the game in response to an instruction from a user (U) of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices (30), and a game control unit (211) that progresses the game under the constraint condition (Cb). According to the above configuration, the user (U) of the terminal device (30) can not only watch the distribution video (Vb) of the game, but also participate in setting the constraint condition (Cb) applied to the game. Therefore, it is possible to promote viewing of the distribution video (Vb) by a large number of users (U) compared to a configuration in which the users (U) of each terminal device (30) only watch the distribution video (Vb).

[0134] A "constraint (Cb)" is something that restricts the progress of a game. For example, restrictions on the actions of the characters (O) appearing in the game, restrictions on items used in the game, or time restrictions on the progress of the game (for example, a time limit for achieving a specific objective) are specific examples of constraints (Cb).

[0135] The specific method of setting the constraint condition (Cb) in response to an instruction from a user (U) of the terminal device (30) is arbitrary. For example, the condition setting unit (112) sets the constraint condition (Cb) in response to a result of tallying up instructions from a plurality of users (U). For example, it is assumed that, among a plurality of conditions prepared in advance, the condition with the largest total number of instructions from the users (U) is selected as the constraint condition (Cb) (i.e., majority vote). In addition, the constraint condition (Cb) may be set in response to an instruction from one or more users (U) who satisfy a specific condition among the plurality of users (U).

[0136] "Under the constraint (Cb)" means that occurrence of matters (e.g., actions or states) that contradict the constraint (Cb) is prohibited in the game. For example, if a constraint (Cb) is set for a character (O) appearing in a game in which multiple players (P) compete against each other, that character (O) will be prohibited from performing any actions other than the specific actions permitted by the constraint (Cb) as the game progresses.

[0137] The "information system (100)" may be composed of one or more systems. For example, the information system (100) includes a video distribution system (10) and a game system (20). The video distribution system (10) includes a video distribution unit (111) and a condition setting unit (112), and the game system (20) includes a game control unit (211). However, functional distinction between the video distribution system (10) and the game system (20) is not essential. For example, the information system (100) may be composed of a single device. It is also possible that the game system (20) includes the condition setting unit (112).

[0138] [Appendix B2] In a specific example (Appendix B2) of Appendix B1, the distributed video (Vb) includes a reference image (Va2) that represents the constraint condition (Cb). With the above configuration, a user (U) who watches the distributed video (Vb) using a terminal device (30) can check the constraint condition (Cb) together with the game image (Va1).

[0139] [Appendix B3] An information system (100) according to a specific example (Appendix B3) of Appendix B1 or Appendix B2 includes a display control unit (214) that displays a game image (Va1) representing the game situation and a reference image (Va2) representing the constraint condition (Cb) to the one or more players (P). With the above configuration, the player (P) can check the constraint condition (Cb) set in response to an instruction from the user (U) while playing the game.

[0140] [Appendix B4] The information system (100) according to any one of the specific examples (Appendix B4) of Appendix B1 to Appendix B3 includes a reward granting unit (213) that grants a reward to the one or more players (P) when a predetermined reward condition is satisfied under the constraint condition (Cb) for the one or more players (P). According to the above configuration, a reward is granted to the player (P) for whom the reward condition is satisfied under the constraint condition (Cb). Therefore, an incentive to play the game under the constraint condition (Cb) can be given to the player (P).

[0141] [Appendix B5] In a specific example (Supplementary Note B5) of Appendix B4, the reward granting unit (213) grants the reward set in response to an instruction from a user (U) of one or more of the terminal devices (30). With the above configuration, the user (U) of the terminal device (30) can be involved in setting the reward to be granted to the player (P). Therefore, the effect of encouraging a large number of users (U) to watch the distributed video (Vb) is particularly remarkable.

[0142] [Appendix B6] An information processing method according to one embodiment (Appendix B6) of the present invention distributes a distribution video (Vb) including game images (Va1) representing the status of a game being played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), while setting constraint conditions (Cb) relating to the game in response to instructions from a user (U) of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices (30), and progressing the game under the constraint conditions (Cb).

[0143] [Appendix B7] A program according to one embodiment of the present invention (Appendix B7) causes a computer system to function as a video distribution unit (111) that distributes a distribution video (Vb) including a game image (Va1) showing the status of a game being played by one or more players (P) to a plurality of terminal devices (30), a condition setting unit (112) that sets constraint conditions (Cb) regarding the game in response to instructions from a user (U) of one or more terminal devices (30) among the plurality of terminal devices (30), and a game control unit (211) that progresses the game under the constraint conditions (Cb). [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 100...information system, 200...communication network, 10...video distribution system, 11, 21, 31...control device, 12, 22, 32...storage device, 13, 23, 33...communication device, 20...game system, 24, 35...operation device, 25, 34...display device, G (G1, G2)...game unit, 30...terminal device, 111...video distribution unit, 112...condition setting unit, 113...condition notification unit, 211...game control unit, 212...condition determination unit, 213...reward granting unit, 214...display control unit, 311...display control unit, 312...instruction receiving unit, 313...instruction sending unit.

Claims

1. a video distribution unit that transmits video data for displaying a distribution video including game images showing a situation of a game played by one or more players to a plurality of terminal devices; a condition setting unit that sets a setting condition for the game in response to an instruction from a user of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices; A game control unit that controls the game; a condition determination unit that determines whether the set condition in the game is fulfilled; a reward granting unit that grants a reward to a user who has specified the setting condition among a plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of terminal devices when a reward condition including the satisfaction of the setting condition is satisfied; An information system having the above.

2. Transmitting video data for displaying a distribution video including game images showing a situation of a game being played by one or more players to a plurality of terminal devices, setting a setting condition for the game in response to an instruction from a user of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices; Controlling the game; determining whether the set condition in the game is met; When a reward condition including the establishment of the setting condition is established, a reward is given to a user who has designated the setting condition among a plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of terminal devices. An information processing method implemented by a computer system.

3. a video distribution unit that transmits to a plurality of terminal devices video data for displaying a distribution video including game images that represent a situation of a game being played by one or more players; a condition setting unit that sets a setting condition for the game in response to an instruction from a user of one or more of the plurality of terminal devices; A game control unit that controls the game; a condition determination unit that determines whether the set condition in the game is fulfilled; and a reward granting unit that grants a reward to a user who has specified the setting condition among a plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of terminal devices when a reward condition including the setting condition is satisfied. A program that causes a computer system to function as a

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