Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of meeting a plurality of needs regarding a mode for participating in an event when a plurality of players plays a game event.SOLUTION: An information processing device acquires position information for showing a current position of a target player, receives participation in an event from a target player for an event having same contents that a plurality of players can play jointly, executes processing for allowing the target player to jointly play an event having the same contents with another player as a guest when receiving participation in an event from the target player, notifies a target player of recruitment of participation in an event when a current position is within first distance from a specific spot and there is another player who is recruited for participation in the event, and receives participation in an event to be played jointly with another player who is recruited for participation in the event from a target player when a current position is within second distance from a specific spot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, games that progress based on the player's current location information (location information games) have been provided. One example is the game described in Non-Patent Document 1. In the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, the player's current location is displayed on a map displayed on a play screen, and when a condition is satisfied, such as the player's current location reaching the vicinity of a specified spot (point), an event within the game can be played.

[0003] In addition, in the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, if there are multiple players whose current locations satisfy the conditions at the same time, the multiple players can cooperate to play an event (referred to as a "raid battle" in Non-Patent Document 1). This event can be played when a player approaches a location on the map where a specific object has appeared, and as described above, multiple players can cooperate to play at the same time. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] "If you're looking for a smartphone game, check out Famitsu App [Start Pokemon GO Now] Part 5: Work together with others to defeat strong enemies! How to play raid battles", [online], December 14, 2018, KADOKAWA Game Linkage, [Retrieved November 6, 2019], Internet<URL: https: / / app.famitsu.com / 20181214_1393801 / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, when multiple players are to play the above-mentioned event together, each player waits until the event start time arrives, and the event is played by the number of players who have gathered at the event start time. In other words, in the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, multiple players who play the event together will each take part in the event on the same footing (i.e., the players will have the same participation form in the event).

[0006] On the other hand, there are various needs regarding the manner of participating in an event. For example, there may be a need to participate in an event by recruiting co-players, or a need to respond to a recruitment request from another player and participate in the event as a co-player.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can meet a variety of needs regarding the mode of participation in an event when multiple players play the event in a game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating a current location of a target player; a reception unit that accepts from the target player a request to participate in an event in which multiple players can play together in a game and which has the same content; a processing unit that executes processing for playing an event of the same content together with other players when the request to participate in the event is accepted from the target player; and a recruitment notification unit that notifies the target player of an invitation to participate in the event by other players, wherein the recruitment notification unit notifies the target player of an invitation to participate in the event when the current location is within a first distance from a specific point associated with the event and there are other players inviting players to participate in the event, and accepts from the target player a request to participate in the event to be played together with other players inviting participants in the event when the current location is within a second distance from the specific point that is shorter than the first distance. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a player playing a game can freely choose between participating as a guest or as a host in an event that allows collaborative play, and can enjoy playing the event according to the participation mode selected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates multiple players playing a game in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which a map is displayed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which an object appears on a map. [Figure 4] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a gaming communication system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of each of a terminal and an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a process flow for participating in an event. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen regarding a mode of participation in an event. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a flow of a first process. [Figure 11A] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the screen transitions when participating in an event as a host (part 1). [Figure 11B] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the screen transitions when participating in an event as a host (part 2). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a second processing flow. [Figure 13A] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the screen when participating in an event as a guest (part 1). [Figure 13B] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the screen when participating in an event as a guest (part 2). [Figure 14] FIG. 13 shows a map displayed in a situation where other players are recruiting guests. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is merely one of the specific examples given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, the screen examples shown in each of the figures referenced in the following description are merely examples, and examples of screen configurations, displayed information, and specific contents of the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed and changed according to design specifications and user preferences.

[0012] [About the game according to this embodiment] Before describing the information processing device according to this embodiment, a game that can be played through the information processing device according to this embodiment (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "game") will be described.

[0013] The game is game content that can be played by a player P operating a game terminal, and more specifically, is an online game that uses data communication. Here, online games may include, for example, social games that can be used with only a web browser and an SNS (Social Networking Service) account.

[0014] Furthermore, within the game, events also called "quests" are held, and the player can play the currently held event. An event is an occurrence within the game in which the player can participate and play, for example, challenging a stage for an event. A stage is a component unit of the game, and usually each stage has a set time limit, and is played with the objective of clearing it (satisfying the achievement conditions) within the time limit. In the following description, "playing an event" and "participating in an event" are synonymous.

[0015] Furthermore, the game provides multiple events with different contents. The contents of an event characterize the event, and specifically include the attributes of the stage for the event (e.g., difficulty level), enemy characters that appear in the stage, rewards obtained by clearing the stage, and conditions for participating in the event.

[0016] In addition, in this embodiment, multiple players can participate in an event (quest) at the same time. That is, in this embodiment, multiple players can operate their own terminals to play the same event together and at the same time. More specifically, multiple players who wish to participate in an event can play the event together at a specific location in real space, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram related to a game according to this embodiment, and shows a state in which multiple players P gather at a specific location to play the event.

[0017] Incidentally, the cooperative play of an event can be realized by a known communication technology. Specifically, when one player invites participants to an event and other players accept the invitation (i.e., apply to participate in the event), a communication path for the cooperative play is established, and thereafter, data communication required for the cooperative play is performed according to a known communication method.

[0018] The game is a so-called "location-based game," and the current location information of the player P is acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like, and the game progresses using the acquired location information. To be more specific, when the player P moves within the real space while carrying the game terminal, effects are produced in the game according to the current location of the player P.

[0019] To explain by way of example, when a player P performs a predetermined terminal operation while playing a game, a game map as shown in Fig. 2 is displayed on the display screen of the terminal. Fig. 2 shows an example of a screen on which the game map is displayed. A game map (hereinafter simply referred to as a "map") is an image of a map of an area including the current location of player P, and may be, for example, a real map of the area (specifically, a satellite photo, etc.) or a virtual reality (VR) map on which objects corresponding to the geographical elements (specifically, roads, buildings, railways, etc.) included in the real map are depicted. The map may be a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image.

[0020] On the map, a specific icon (in FIG. 2, a circular icon Ip) is displayed at a point corresponding to the current location of player P. The display position of this icon Ip on the map changes as player P moves in real space. In addition, when player P moves beyond the area shown on the map, the displayed map of the area is updated.

[0021] Furthermore, predetermined points within the area shown by the map are set as bonus-awarding points, and an icon indicating that the bonus-awarding point is a bonus-awarding point (a triangular icon It in FIG. 2) is displayed at the bonus-awarding point on the map. The number and positions of the bonus-awarding points can be determined arbitrarily and may be fixed or variable. Moreover, bonus-awarding points are set on a regular or irregular basis.

[0022] The player P moves toward a point in real space that corresponds to the bonus point, and when the player P's current location is within a predetermined distance from the bonus point (specifically, within a distance of several meters to several tens of meters), the player P is given a set bonus. The bonus is an item and character (hereinafter, "item") that can be used in the game, or a value that can be exchanged for an item (for example, virtual currency that can be used in the game, or an item required to conduct a lottery for an item in the game). In addition, a function that can be temporarily enjoyed during the game progress (for example, an effect of increasing a character's status value, etc.) may be given as a bonus. In addition, a coupon that can be used at an actual store may be given as a bonus. The type of bonus awarded may vary depending on which bonus award point Player P's current location is within a specified distance from, or may vary depending on the time (date and time) when Player P's current location becomes within a specified distance from the bonus award point.

[0023] Here, "granting a benefit" means providing data to the player P for using the benefit during the game or at an actual store or the like. For example, when granting an item, value exchangeable for an item, or efficacy as a benefit, data for playing the game after obtaining the benefit is provided. When granting a coupon or the like as a benefit, data (image data) for presenting the obtained coupon or the like at the store is provided.

[0024] Furthermore, when the period during which the above-mentioned event can be played (hereinafter referred to as the "event period" for convenience) arrives, an object associated with the event (a gate-shaped object in FIG. 3, hereinafter referred to as Gate GT) is displayed at a specific point on the map, as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen on which Gate GT appears on the map. The specific point is a point that has been set in advance to guide Player P who wishes to play the event. In order to play the event, Player P moves toward a location in real space that corresponds to the specific point (i.e., a location that corresponds to the appearance point of Gate GT).

[0025] Then, when the current location of the player P satisfies a predetermined location condition in relation to the appearance point of the gate GT (i.e., a specific point), the player P can participate in an event associated with the gate GT by performing an operation such as tapping on the gate GT. In addition, when multiple players P who satisfy the above-mentioned location conditions gather together, they can play an event together.

[0026] The position condition is a condition determined according to a specific point where the gate GT appears, and in this embodiment, the current position of the player P is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a distance of several meters to several tens of meters) from the specific point. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the position condition may be, for example, that the current position of the player P is away from the specific point by a predetermined distance (specifically, a distance of several meters to several tens of meters) or more.

[0027] Incidentally, while FIG. 3 shows a case where Gate GT appears in only one place, typically, multiple Gates GT appear at the same time. In other words, in this embodiment, multiple appearance points (specific points) of Gate GT exist on the map, and when participating in an event, Player P moves toward the appearance time of one of the Gates GTs. However, the number of Gates GTs that appear at the same time (in other words, the number of appearance points of Gate GT) can be determined to any number.

[0028] Furthermore, the gate GT is displayed at a specific point on the map for a predetermined period of time. In this embodiment, the display period of the gate GT is set in advance, and when the set display period ends, the gate GT disappears from the map. In this embodiment, the display period of the gate GT is about 30 minutes, but the display period can be determined arbitrarily. For example, the display period of the gate GT may be several minutes to several tens of minutes, one hour to 24 hours, one day to several days, one week to several weeks, or one month to several months. Here, the display period of the gate GT is not limited to a fixed period, but may be a period that varies according to a set rule, for example, it may change according to the contents of the event. Furthermore, the display period of the gate GT is not limited to a finite period, but may be a substantially permanent period without a set end date.

[0029] Furthermore, the display and disappearance of the gate GT may be repeated multiple times during the event period. In this case, the appearance position of the gate GT (i.e., the specific point on the map) may be the same each time, or may be different each time.

[0030] In addition, the content of an event that can be played by satisfying a location condition according to the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT is determined in association with the appearance point of the gate GT for that event. In other words, the content of the event in which the player P participates changes according to the appearance time of the gate GT (strictly speaking, the place corresponding to the appearance time) where the player P is heading to play that event.

[0031] When participating in an event, player P selects a participation mode for the event. In this embodiment, the participation modes for the event include host and guest. The host is a participation mode in which the host invites other players to become guests and plays the event together with the guests. Here, "recruiting guests" means waiting until another player applies to become a guest for an event for which guests are being invited.

[0032] In this embodiment, the host player P has the authority to issue a command to start playing a joint play of the event that he / she is participating in, and can start playing the event at his / her own will. The host player P also has the authority to limit other players who can become guests to those who satisfy certain conditions, and can only accept other players who satisfy the conditions as guests.

[0033] A guest is a participant who applies for a recruitment from another player who is a host, and plays the event together with the host. Here, "applying for a recruitment from a host" means applying to be a guest to the other player who is the host (strictly speaking, operating a terminal for application, which will be described later).

[0034] In this embodiment, the player P who is a guest can play an event together with the host at the timing when the other player who is a host gives an instruction to start playing the event. In addition, when there are multiple other players who are hosts, the player P who is a guest can select one of the hosts and participate as a guest in an event for which the selected host is recruiting guests.

[0035] In this embodiment, the player P who will be the guest can confirm the location of the other player (i.e., the host) who is recruiting guests on the map. For example, when the other player who is the host is recruiting guests at the appearance position of the gate GT, an icon Is is displayed around the gate GT or at a position overlapping with the gate GT (see FIG. 14). The player P who will be the guest can confirm the location of the host who is recruiting guests through the icon Is.

[0036] As described above, when participating in an event, player P selects the participation form for the event and plays the event together in the selected participation form. In other words, when player P selects the participation form as a host, he or she can play the event together with another player who will be a guest upon receiving an application from that other player. On the other hand, when player P selects the participation form as a guest, he or she can play the event together with that other player by applying to become a guest to the other player who is the host.

[0037] In this embodiment, the participation forms include at least guests and hosts, but may include other participation forms; for example, it may be possible to select a form in which a player plays an event alone without participating in cooperative play.

[0038] [Gaming communication system] Next, a gaming communication system (hereinafter, gaming system S) including the information processing device according to this embodiment will be described. The gaming system S is constructed so that a player P can play a game, and utilizes a communication network such as the Internet and a mobile communication network. As shown in FIG. 4, the gaming system S is configured by connecting a player's terminal 10 and a server 12 to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 14. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of the gaming system S.

[0039] The terminal 10 is a device operated by the player P when playing the game. The server 12 is an example of an information processing device, which provides data for game progress to the terminal 10 of the player P, and manages the account information and game progress status of the player P. In addition, when multiple players P play an event together, the server 12 communicates with the terminal 10 of each player P and mediates the joint play of the event.

[0040] Incidentally, in FIG. 4, for convenience of illustration, three terminals 10 are shown, but the number of terminals 10 constituting the gaming system S is not particularly limited, and at least two or more terminals are required if an event is to be played collaboratively.

[0041] The communication network 14 is a communication line network between the player terminal 10 and the server 12, and mainly consists of the Internet and a mobile communication network, and may also include a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), an intranet, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, the server 12 is configured by one computer, but is not limited to this and may be configured by a plurality of computers.

[0043] [Player terminal and server configuration] Next, the configuration of each of the terminal 10 and the server 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows the configuration of each of the terminal 10 and the server 12. For convenience of illustration, only one terminal 10 is shown in the figure.

[0044] The terminal 10 is a gaming terminal that the player P can carry around, and specifically, is configured as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a dedicated gaming device with a communication function.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 10 has a processor 21, a memory 22, a communication interface 23, a storage 24, an input device 25, an output device 26, and a GPS sensor 30 as hardware devices, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 27. The terminal 10 also has a display 28 as the output device 26. The display 28 corresponds to the "display unit" of the present invention. A touch panel 29 as the input device 25 is superimposed on the surface of the display 28 of the terminal 10. The current position of the terminal 10 represents the current position of the player P, and is measured at regular intervals by the GPS sensor 30, and the measurement results (positioning information) are successively sent to the server 12 via the communication interface 23.

[0046] Furthermore, a program for an operating system (OS) and an application program for a game are installed as software in the terminal 10. The processor 21 executes these programs, allowing the player P to play the game through the terminal 10. To be more specific, while playing the game, the player P can proceed through the game by operating the input device 25 such as the touch panel 29 while watching images and the like displayed on the display screen of the display 28.

[0047] The server 12 is a server computer for data distribution, and is configured, for example, by a server computer for a social game (specifically, an SNS server). As shown in FIG. 5, the server 12 has, as hardware devices, a processor 101, a memory 102, a communication interface 103, a storage 104, an input device 105, and an output device 106, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 107.

[0048] Furthermore, a program for the OS and an information processing program for the game are installed as software in the server 12. These programs correspond to the "programs" of the present invention and are read by the processor 101 of the server 12. When the processor 101 executes the above programs, the server 12 functions as an information processing device and executes various information processing (data processing) related to the game, such as communicating with the terminal 10 and distributing data for the game.

[0049] The processors 21 and 101 may be configured with a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processing unit (MPU), a micro controller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like. The memories 22 and 102 may be configured with semiconductor memories such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) and a Random Access Memory (RAM).

[0050] The communication interfaces 23, 103 may be configured by, for example, a network interface card or a communication interface board. The standard for data communication via the communication interfaces 23, 103 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication via wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication via a 3G, 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0051] The storage 24, 104 may be composed of a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), etc.

[0052] The input devices 25, 105 may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel display. The output devices 26 and 106 may be constituted by, for example, a display and a speaker.

[0053] [Device features] Next, the configuration of the terminal 10 will be described again from a functional perspective with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of the terminal 10. 6, the terminal 10 has a terminal operation reception unit 31, a positioning unit 32, a terminal transmission unit 33, a terminal reception unit 34, a terminal storage unit 35, and a display processing unit 36. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the above-mentioned hardware devices of the terminal 10 and various programs as software installed in the terminal 10. Each functional unit will be described below.

[0054] The terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts various operations performed by the player while playing the game. For example, when an image or operation screen for accepting operations is displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10 based on data sent from the server 12 during the game, the player P operates the touch panel 29 on the image or operation screen. In this way, the terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts the operations performed by the player P.

[0055] The operations accepted by the terminal-side operation accepting unit 31 include operations for progressing the game (including operations performed during collaborative play of an event), as well as screen switching operations, selection operations, application operations, operations to instruct the player to start playing, and operations for setting / releasing restrictions. The screen switching operation is an operation for switching the screen displayed on the display 28 during game play from the first screen to the second screen. Here, the first screen corresponds to, for example, the home screen of the game (or, more simply, the menu screen), and the second screen is the screen on which the above-mentioned map is displayed. The selection operation is an operation for selecting a mode of participation in the event. The application operation is an operation for applying to the host of an event that is recruiting guests to become a guest at that event. The play start instruction operation is an operation for instructing the start of play of an event (strictly speaking, joint play) when player P is the host of the event. The restriction setting / removal operation is an operation for setting restrictions on applications from other players to become guests when player P is the host of an event, or for removing the restrictions that have been set.

[0056] The positioning unit 32 measures the position of the terminal 10 using the GPS sensor 30. Note that the method of measuring the position of the terminal 10 is not limited to using the GPS sensor 30, and may be, for example, a method of detecting the position of the terminal 10 based on the intensity of radio waves received from a mobile phone base station or an access point of Wi-Fi communication.

[0057] The terminal-side transmitting unit 33 transmits information (data) indicating the current progress status of the game, etc., to the server 12 via the communication network 14. The information transmitted by the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 includes information according to the content of the operation accepted by the terminal-side operation accepting unit 31, and position information of the terminal 10 measured by the positioning unit 32 (in other words, information indicating the current position of the player P).

[0058] The terminal side receiving unit 34 receives various information (data) sent from the server 12 via the communication network 14. The information (data) sent from the server 12 includes data for progressing the game, as well as data for displaying a map, data related to other players participating in the event, and data for using a benefit granted to the player P. The terminal-side storage unit 35 stores information (data) that the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives from the server 12, information that the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 transmits to the server 12, and the like.

[0059] During game play, the display processing unit 36 ​​expands the data received by the terminal-side receiving unit 34 from the server 12 and displays it on the display 28. The information displayed by the display processing unit 36 ​​includes images that change in conjunction with game play, as well as an operation reception screen, a map (including icons Ip, Is, It and gates GT on the map), information on other players participating in the event, and information notified from the server 12 during the event. Furthermore, when the terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts a screen switching operation during game play, the display processing unit 36 ​​switches the screen displayed on the display 28 from the first screen (e.g., the home screen) to a second screen displaying a map.

[0060] [Server Functions] Next, the configuration of the server 12 will be described again from a functional perspective with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of the server 12. 7, the server 12 has a location information acquisition unit 111, a display command unit 112, a benefit granting unit 113, a selection receiving unit 114, a recruitment notification unit 115, a first processing unit 116, and a second processing unit 117. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the server 12 and various programs as software installed in the server 12. Each functional unit will be described below.

[0061] In the following, we will focus on one player P (hereinafter referred to as the "target player") and refer to the other players P as "other players", and explain the functions and operations of the server 12 in relation to the target player and the other players.

[0062] The position information acquisition unit 111 acquires position information indicating the current position of the target player by receiving the position information (positioning information) of the terminal 10 transmitted from the terminal side transmission unit 33 of the terminal 10 of the target player. While the target player is playing the game, the position information (positioning information) of the terminal 10 is transmitted at regular time intervals (for example, at intervals of one second to several seconds), so that the position information acquisition unit 111 acquires the position information of the target player at regular time intervals accordingly.

[0063] The display command unit 112 displays videos and images corresponding to the playing situation, etc., on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player while the target player is playing the game. For example, the display command unit 112 generates data for displaying a map of an area including the current position of the target player (hereinafter, map display data), and transmits it to the terminal 10 of the target player. When the map display data is received by the terminal 10 of the target player, the map of the above-mentioned area is displayed on the display 28 of that terminal 10. The display command unit 112 can incorporate the display data of the icons Ip and It into the map display data, thereby displaying the icons Ip and It at the current position of the target player and the bonus point on the map. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 can incorporate display data for the gate GT into the map display data, thereby displaying the gate GT at a specific point on the map for a predetermined period of time on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player. Furthermore, when certain conditions are met, the display command unit 112 can incorporate display data for the event icon Is into the map display data, thereby displaying the icon Is near the gate GT on the map or at a location overlapping with the gate GT.

[0064] The bonus granting unit 113 determines whether the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance from the bonus granting point, and grants the set bonus to the target player if the current location of the target player is within the predetermined distance from the bonus granting point. Note that the bonus granting unit 113 determines the bonus to be granted to the target player depending on which bonus granting point the current location of the target player is within the predetermined distance from and at what point in time the current location of the target player became within the predetermined distance.

[0065] When the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance (e.g., a distance of several meters to several tens of meters) from the appearance point (specific point) of gate GT, the selection receiving unit 114 cooperates with the terminal 10 of the target player to receive a selection of a participation form for the event from the target player. More specifically, when the target player's current location satisfies the above-mentioned positional conditions and the target player performs a selection operation, the terminal-side operation receiving unit 31 receives the selection operation, and the terminal-side transmission unit 33 transmits information according to the selection operation. The selection receiving unit 114 receives the information sent from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 to receive a selection of a participation form for the event from the target player.

[0066] When there is another player participating in the event as a host, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the target player who satisfies the notification condition that the other player who is the host is recruiting guests. In this embodiment, the notification condition is that the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance, specifically, within a distance of several meters to several tens of meters, from the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT. The method of notifying guests of the recruitment is not particularly limited, but for example, a string of text notifying guests of the recruitment, such as "Guests Wanted!", may be displayed superimposed on the map near the appearance point of Gate GT on the map.

[0067] When the target player selects host as the participation mode of the event, the first processing unit 116 executes a first process for allowing the target player and another player who is a guest to play the event together. The first process includes a guest notification process, a start instruction process, a restriction process, and a restriction release process. The guest notification process is a process for notifying the target player of other players who have applied to be guests at an event in which the target player is the host. The start instruction process is a process of accepting an instruction from the target player to start cooperative play of an event in which the target player is the host. The restriction process is a process for restricting applications from other players to become guests for an event hosted by the target player. The restriction release process is a process for releasing the restrictions on applications from other players that were set in the restriction process.

[0068] When the target player selects guest participation as the event participation mode, the second processing unit 117 executes a second process for allowing the target player and another player who is the host to play the event together. The second process includes a search process, a host notification process, and an application process. The search process is a process of searching for another player who is the host of an event in which the target player can participate as a guest. The host notification process is a process for notifying the target player of another player who is the host found in the search process. The application process is a process of sending (applying for) an application to become a guest of the event to a host selected by the target player from among the hosts notified in the host notification process.

[0069] [Information processing flow according to this embodiment] Next, the information processing flow by the gaming system S will be described, particularly the processing flow for participating in an event. The processing flow for participating in an event described below employs the information processing method of the present invention, in other words, each step in the flow described below corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention.

[0070] In the following description, the current time is during the event period, and in particular, during the display period of the gate GT, and the gate GT is displayed at each of the specific points present on the map. One of the gates GT is called the first gate, and in the case described below, the target player moves toward a location in real space that corresponds to the appearance point of the first gate. In other words, the process flow described below is a flow for the target player to participate in an event associated with the first gate.

[0071] The process flow for participating in an event according to this embodiment is implemented through communication between the computer, which is the server 12, and the terminal 10 of the target player and each of the other players. In the following, the communication process performed between the server 12 and the terminal 10 of the target player will be mainly described.

[0072] The process flow for participating in an event starts in conjunction with the target player starting to play the game by operating the terminal 10. When the game starts, the first screen (home screen) is usually displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10. In the process flow for participating in an event, each step shown in Fig. 8 is carried out according to the flow shown in the same figure. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of the process flow for participating in an event.

[0073] To explain the specific flow of the process, first, the positioning unit 32 of the terminal 10 measures the current position, and the terminal side transmitting unit 33 transmits position information indicating the positioning result (S001). The position information acquiring unit 111 of the server 12 acquires (receives) the position information via the communication network 14 (S002).

[0074] On the other hand, when the target player performs a screen switching operation to switch from the first screen to the second screen (a screen for displaying a map), the terminal-side operation receiving unit 31 receives the operation, and the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 transmits information that the screen switching operation has been performed (S003). When the display command unit 112 of the server 12 receives the information sent from the terminal side transmission unit 33, it sends a command to the terminal 10 to display a map including the current position of the target player on the display 28 (S004). More specifically, the display command unit 112 generates map display data for displaying the above map, and transmits it to the terminal 10. At this time, display data for the icons Ip, It is incorporated into the map display data. As a result, the display command unit 112 displays the icons Ip, It indicating the current position of the target player on the map and the bonus point on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player.

[0075] Furthermore, display data for the gate GT is incorporated into the map display data. As a result, the display command unit 112 displays the gate GT at a specific point on the map for a predetermined time on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player. At this time, the display command unit 112 displays the gate GT, which appears at a specific point on the map different from the bonus point, on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player. That is, in this embodiment, the gate GT is displayed at a specific point on the map away from the bonus point (see FIG. 3).

[0076] In response to a command to display a map or the like, the server 12 determines whether the current position of the target player satisfies a predetermined position condition in relation to the gate GT (strictly speaking, the first gate), more specifically, whether the current position is within a first distance from the first gate (S005). Here, the first distance is a relatively short distance, for example, a distance of about several meters to several tens of meters. Then, when the current location of the target player is within the first distance from the first gate, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the target player that another player is currently recruiting guests as an event host at the first gate (S006). Specifically, data for displaying guest recruitment notification information near the appearance point of the first gate on the map is incorporated into the map display data and transmitted together with the map display data.

[0077] When the terminal side receiving unit 34 receives the map display data, the screen displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10 switches from the first screen to the second screen, and the display processing unit 36 ​​displays a map of the area including the current location of the target player on the second screen (S007). Also, on the map, icons Ip, It are displayed at the current location of the target player and the bonus point, and a gate GT is displayed at the specific point. From the displayed map, the target player can ascertain the positional relationship between his / her current location and the gate GT (strictly speaking, the first gate).

[0078] Furthermore, when the current position of the target player is within the first distance from the first gate, notification information of guest recruitment is displayed. Thus, in this embodiment, when the screen displayed on the display 28 switches from the first screen to the second screen, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the target player that another player is recruiting guests. This allows the target player to notice that another player is recruiting guests at the appearance point of the gate GT (first gate) that the target player is approaching at the timing when the map is displayed.

[0079] Furthermore, if the current location of the target player is within a first distance from the first gate, map display data incorporating display data for the icon Is is transmitted. The icon Is shown in FIG. 14 is displayed around the first gate on the map or at a location overlapping with the first gate. The target player can ascertain the locations of other players who are recruiting guests from the display position of the icon Is on the map.

[0080] Thereafter, the terminal 10 periodically repeats measuring the current position of the target player and transmitting the position information (S008, S009), and the server 12 successively acquires the position information and causes the display 28 of the terminal 10 to display a map reflecting the position information as needed. As a result, the display position of the icon Ip on the map or the area displayed on the map is updated as needed in response to changes in the current position of the target player.

[0081] Then, the server 12 determines whether the current position of the target player on the map is within a second distance from the appearance point of the first gate (S010). Here, the second distance is shorter than the above-mentioned first distance, and is a distance of about several meters to several tens of meters. Then, when the current position of the target player is within the second distance from the appearance point of the first gate, the selection receiving unit 114 of the server 12 transmits selection screen data to the terminal 10 of the target player (S011). When the terminal side receiving unit 34 receives the selection screen data, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays the selection screen shown in Fig. 9 on the display 28. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the selection screen.

[0082] The selection screen is an operation screen displayed to receive a selection operation performed by the target player for the event associated with the first gate. The target player selects either host or guest as the participation mode, and touches the button corresponding to the selected participation mode among the two buttons Bt1, Bt2 displayed on the selection screen (selection operation) (S012). The terminal-side operation receiving unit 31 receives the above selection operation, and the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 transmits information indicating the operation content. The selection receiving unit 114 of the server 12 receives the information sent from the terminal-side transmitting unit 33, thereby receiving from the target player a selection of the participation form for the event whose content is associated with the first gate (S013).

[0083] The subsequent steps vary depending on the accepted selection of the participation mode (S014). Specifically, if the target player selects host, the first processing unit 116 of the server 12 executes a first process (S015). On the other hand, if the target player selects guest, the second processing unit 117 of the server 12 executes a second process (S016).

[0084] Thereafter, the target player participates in the event in the participation mode selected by him / her and plays together. Then, when the joint play ends, the process flow for participating in the event ends (S017).

[0085] The procedure for executing the first process in step S015 and the procedure for executing the second process in step S016 will be described in detail below.

[0086] (First process) The first process is a process for a target player to recruit guests as an event host, and in the first process, each step shown in FIG. 10 is performed according to the flow shown in the same figure. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the first process. In addition, in the first process, the screen displayed on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10 transitions in the order of FIG. 11A, and FIG. 11B. FIGS. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams regarding the screen transition when the target player participates in an event as a host.

[0087] In the first process, first, the first processing unit 116 transmits standby screen display data to the terminal 10 of the target player (S021). When the terminal side receiving unit 34 receives the standby screen display data, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays a standby screen for the host on the display 28 (S022). If there is no application from another player to become a guest at this point, the standby screen will be as shown in FIG. 11A. In other words, if there is no application from another player guest in response to the target player's call for guests, other players who will become guests will not be displayed on the standby screen, and text information "Guests Wanted" will be displayed as shown in FIG. 11A.

[0088] With the standby screen displayed, the target player can perform a restriction setting operation to set a restriction on applications from other players to become guests (S023). Specifically, the restriction setting operation is performed by touching the Restriction / Release button Bt3 displayed on the standby screen. When this restriction setting operation is performed, the terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts the operation, and information that the restriction setting operation has been performed is transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33.

[0089] When the first processing unit 116 receives the information that the restriction setting operation has been performed, it executes a restriction process (S024). When the current location of the target player is within the second distance from the emergence point (specific point) of the first gate, in the restriction process, the first processing unit 116 restricts applications other than those from other players who are within the second distance from the emergence point of the first gate. In simple terms, by executing the restriction process, applications from guests recruited by the target player are limited to those from other players who are in the vicinity of the target player (strictly speaking, other players who are in the vicinity of the location corresponding to the emergence point of the first gate).

[0090] When the target player touches the limit / release button again to perform a limit release operation, the first processing unit 116 executes a limit release process in response to the operation, and releases the limit on the application that was set in the limit process.

[0091] When another player applies to become a guest in response to the recruitment of the target player (S025), the first processing unit 116 judges whether or not the application falls under a restricted application (S026). If the application from the other player does not fall under a restricted application, the first processing unit 116 executes a guest notification process (S027) to notify the target player of the other player who has made the application.

[0092] In this step S027, the first processing unit 116 transmits data indicating information about the other players who have applied to become guests to the terminal 10 of the target player. When the terminal side receiving unit 34 receives the data sent from the first processing unit 116, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays information about the other players who have applied to become guests on the display 28 of the terminal 10 (S028). As a result, the standby screen transitions to the screen shown in FIG. 11B, and information about the other players who have applied (in FIG. 11B, this corresponds to "player AAA" and "player BBB") is displayed on this screen.

[0093] In step S026, if the application made by another player corresponds to a restricted application, information on that other player is excluded from the notification targets in the guest notification process.

[0094] Then, when one or more other players who have applied to become guests have been notified in the guest notification process (i.e., when information about one or more other players is displayed on the waiting screen as shown in FIG. 11B), the target player can start playing the event together. Specifically, when one or more other players are notified in the guest notification process, a play start instruction button Bt4 is displayed in an operable state on the standby screen, as shown in Fig. 11B. When the target player touches this button Bt4, a play start instruction operation is performed, the terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts the operation, and information to the effect that a play start instruction operation has been performed is transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 (S029).

[0095] When the first processing unit 116 receives information that a play start instruction operation has been performed, it executes a start instruction process and accepts an instruction from the target player to start joint play of the event (S030). In this way, the first processing unit 116 executes the start instruction process only when one or more other players who have applied have been notified in the guest notification process. In this way, when the target player participates in an event as a host, it is possible to instruct the start of joint play of the event on the condition that one or more other players apply to become guests. In other words, the target player can start joint play of the event at the stage when information on at least one other player who has applied is displayed.

[0096] (Second Processing) The second process is a process for a target player to apply for a guest invitation by another player who is the host of the event and participate in the event as a guest, and in the second process, each step shown in FIG. 12 is performed according to the flow shown in the same figure. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the second process. In addition, in the second process, the screen displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10 of the target player is either FIG. 13A or FIG. 13B. FIGS. 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams of the screen when the target player participates in an event as a guest.

[0097] In the second process, first, the second processing unit 117 executes a search process (S041). When the current position of the target player is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a second distance) from the appearance point of the first gate, in the search process, the second processing unit 117 searches for other players who meet the following first condition: First condition: Another player is the host, and is within a specified distance (specifically, the second distance) from the first location. Here, the first location corresponds to the appearance point of the first gate among the appearance points (specific points) of a plurality of gates GT included on the map.

[0098] On the other hand, if there is no other player who satisfies the first condition (S042), the second processing unit 117 further searches for other players who satisfy the following second condition in the search process (S043). Second condition: Another player who is a host of an event with the same content as the event associated with the first location and is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a second distance) from the second location. Here, the second point is a point (specific point) different from the first point among the appearance points (specific points) of multiple gates GT included on the map, for example, an appearance point of another gate GT within a predetermined distance (for example, a distance of several hundred meters to several kilometers) from the first point. Hereinafter, the gate GT appearing at the second point will be referred to as the second gate.

[0099] As described above, when a target player attempts to participate in an event as a guest, a search is performed for another player who is the host in the vicinity of the appearance point of the first gate that the target player approaches, and if the host is not found within that area, the search range is expanded and the search is performed again.

[0100] When another player who satisfies the second condition is found in the search process, an icon Is shown in Fig. 14 appears on the map displayed on the terminal 10 of the target player near the appearance point of the second gate where the other player is recruiting guests, or at a location overlapping with the second gate. At this time, whether or not the icon Is is displayed is determined depending on whether or not the other player who satisfies the second condition has restricted guest applications. When applications are restricted, the icon Is is not displayed, and when there is no restriction or the restriction has been lifted, the icon Is is displayed. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a map displayed in a situation where another player (strictly speaking, another player who meets the second condition) is recruiting guests.

[0101] After the search process is completed, the second processing unit 117 executes a host notification process to notify the target player of the other player who is the host searched for in the search process (S044). Specifically, when the search process finds another player who meets the first condition, the second processing unit 117 transmits data indicating information about the other player who meets the first condition to the terminal 10 of the target player. On the other hand, when the search process finds no other player who meets the first condition and finds another player who meets the second condition, the second processing unit 117 transmits data indicating information about the other player who meets the second condition to the terminal 10 of the target player.

[0102] When the terminal side receiving unit 34 receives the data sent from the second processing unit 117, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays information about the other player who is the searched host on the display 28 of the terminal 10 (S045). As a result, an application screen such as that shown in FIG. 13A or 13B is drawn on the display 28. Incidentally, Fig. 13A shows an application screen that displays information about other players who meet the first condition (in Fig. 13A, "Player CCC" applies). Fig. 13B shows an application screen that displays information about other players who meet the second condition (in Fig. 13B, "Player DDD" and "Player EEE" apply).

[0103] The target player then decides which of the hosts (other players) whose information is displayed on the application screen he / she wishes to participate in an event of, and submits an application to that host to be a guest in the event. More specifically, on the application screen, an application button Bt5 is provided at the right end of a field displaying information about other players who are hosts of the event. The target player applies by touching the application button Bt5 in the field displaying information about other players who are hosts of the event in which the target player wishes to participate. When the terminal-side operation acceptance unit 31 accepts the application, information that the application has been performed is transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 (S046).

[0104] When the second processing unit 117 receives the information that the application operation has been performed, it executes the application process and sends an application to become a guest of the event to the host selected by the target player (S047). After that, it waits until it receives a play start instruction from the other player who is the host selected by the target player (S048), and when it receives the play start instruction from the other player, it triggers the start of joint play of the event (S049).

[0105] [summary] The server 12 as an information processing device according to this embodiment has a location information acquisition unit 111, a display command unit 112, a selection reception unit 114, a first processing unit 116, and a second processing unit 117. The location information acquisition unit 111 acquires location information indicating the current location of the target player. The display command unit 112 causes a map of an area including the current location to be displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10. The selection reception unit 114 receives a selection of a participation form including a guest or a host of an event from the target player for an event in which multiple players can play together in a game. When the target player selects a host, the first processing unit 116 executes a first process for the target player to play an event together with another player who is the guest. When the target player selects a guest, the second processing unit 117 executes a second process for the target player to play an event together with another player who is the host. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 causes an object (in this embodiment, a gate GT) that appears at a specific point on the map and is associated with the event to be displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10. Furthermore, when the current position of the target player satisfies a position condition determined according to the specific point, the selection receiving unit 114 receives a selection of a participation form from the target player.

[0106] As described above, in this embodiment, the target player can freely select the participation form for the joint play of the event, and can enjoy the joint play of the event according to the selected form. Specifically, when the target player selects host as the participation form for the event, he / she can participate in the event by recruiting co-players. On the other hand, when the target player selects guest as the participation form for the event, he / she can apply for the recruitment from another player who is the host and participate in the event as a co-player.

[0107] In this embodiment, the display command unit 112 may display the object, gate GT, on the display 28 of the terminal 10 for a predetermined period of time. This allows a plurality of players, including the target player, to move toward a location corresponding to the appearance point of the gate GT during the display period of the gate GT and to play an event together at that location.

[0108] Moreover, the server 12 according to the present embodiment has a bonus granting unit 113, which grants a set bonus to a target player when the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance from a bonus granting point in the area. In this configuration, the display command unit 112 may display, on the display 28 of the terminal 10, an object (gate GT) that appears at a specific point on the map different from the bonus granting point. As described above, since the bonus point and the appearance point of Gate GT are separated from each other on the map, it is not necessary to simultaneously process information for bonus award when approaching the bonus point and information for event participation when approaching the appearance point of Gate GT, which makes it possible to avoid complication of information processing. However, without being limited to this, the bonus point may become an appearance point of a Gate GT at irregular intervals, and during that period, a Gate GT may appear at or near the bonus point on the map.

[0109] In addition, the server 12 according to the present embodiment may further include a recruitment notification unit 115, and when the target player satisfies the notification condition, the recruitment notification unit 115 may notify the target player of the recruitment of guests by another player who is the host. This allows the target player who is the guest to be informed of the recruitment of guests by another player, and provides an opportunity for the target player to participate in joint play of the event. Here, the notification condition may be that the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a first distance) from the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT. In this case, when the target player heads to the appearance point of the gate GT to play the event together, the target player is notified of the guest invitation from other players on the condition that the target player is in the vicinity of that point. This makes it possible to efficiently notify the target player who will become a guest of the guest invitation. However, this is not limited to the above, and if the target player is registered as an approved player (so-called friend) approved by another player who is the host, the target player may be notified of a guest invitation from the other player.

[0110] More preferably, in the above configuration, when the screen displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10 during game play switches from the first screen (home screen) to the second screen displaying a map, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the target player of the recruitment of guests by other players. In this case, the target player can be notified of the recruitment of guests by other players at the timing when the target player checks the appearance point of the gate GT on the map. This allows the target player who will become a guest to be efficiently notified of the guest recruitment (in other words, invited to participate in the event).

[0111] Furthermore, the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT may include a first point and a second point that are different from each other. In this case, the second process may include a search process for searching for another player who is a host, and a host notification process for notifying the target player of the searched other player who is a host. Furthermore, when the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance from the first point, in the search process, the second processing unit 117 may search for another player who meets the above-mentioned first condition, and when there is no other player who meets the first condition, the second processing unit 117 may search for another player who meets the above-mentioned second condition. In this case, even if there is no other host player near the first location that the target player is approaching, the target player can search for a host player near another location (second location). This allows the target player to participate in an event as a guest, and even if there is no host in the target player's vicinity, the target player can search for a host in another location, allowing the event to be played appropriately together. Here, it is preferable that the distance between the first point and the second point is less than a set distance (for example, a distance of about several hundred meters to several kilometers).

[0112] Furthermore, with regard to the above configuration, it is more preferable that the content of the event is determined in association with the appearance point (specific point) of Gate GT, and the second condition includes another player who is the host of an event having the same content as the event associated with the first point. In this case, if there is no other player who is a host near the first location that the target player approaches, the system searches for other players who are hosts of an event with the same content as the event associated with the first location near the second location. This allows the target player to find other players who are hosts of an event with the desired content and enjoy playing the event together, even if there is no host in his or her vicinity.

[0113] In this embodiment, the first process may include a limiting process for limiting applications from other players to become a guest. When the current location of the target player is within a predetermined distance from the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT, in the limiting process, the first processing unit 116 may limit applications other than those from other players who are within a predetermined distance from the appearance point. In this case, the target player who will be the host of the event can limit the guests to players in the vicinity, so that the target player does not need to search widely for guests. Furthermore, by limiting guest applications, it is possible to avoid a situation where there are too many applications.

[0114] In this embodiment, the first process may include a guest notification process for notifying the target player of other players who have applied to become guests, and a start instruction process for accepting an instruction from the target player to start playing the event. Then, the first processing unit 116 may execute the start instruction process when one or more other players who have applied are notified in the guest notification process. In this case, the target player who is the host of the event can instruct the start of joint play of the event only if one or more players have applied to become guests. This ensures that joint play of the event begins with an application to become a guest, and the target player can play the event together with the other players who have applied.

[0115] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example of an information processing method using the information processing device of the present invention has been described, but the present invention may also be an information processing method in which a computer acquires location information indicating a current location of a target player, the computer displays a map of an area including the current location on a display unit (e.g., display 28 of terminal 10), the computer accepts a selection of a participation form including a guest of an event or a host recruiting guests from the target player for an event in which multiple players can play together in a game, and when the target player selects host, the computer executes a first process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are guests, and when the target player selects guest, the computer executes a second process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are hosts, the computer displays an object that appears at a specific point on the map and is associated with the event on the display unit, and when the current location satisfies a location condition determined according to the specific point, the computer accepts the selection from the target player. The above method can meet multiple needs regarding the mode of participation in a game event that allows multiple players to play together.

[0116] The information processing method according to the present embodiment is realized by the server 12 alone, or by a combination of the terminal 10 and the server 12. Here, the server 12 may be a server computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, a series of information processes related to participation in the event (excluding input and display of information) are executed by the server 12, so that the terminal 10 only needs to perform operations for proceeding with the event and display images, etc.

[0117] In addition, in this embodiment, a program that causes a computer that is the server 12 to function as an information processing device has been described. This program is a program that is readable by a computer, and operates a computer to obtain location information indicating the current location of a target player, display a map of an area including the current location on a display unit (display 28 of terminal 10), accept a selection of a participation form from the target player including a guest for an event or a host that recruits guests for an event in which multiple players can play together in a game, and if the target player selects host, execute a first process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are guests, and if the target player selects guest, execute a second process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are hosts, display an object that appears at a specific point on the map and is associated with the event on the display unit, and if the current location satisfies a location condition determined according to the specific point, accept a selection from the target player. By executing this program on a computer processor, it is possible to meet a variety of needs regarding the mode of participation in a game event that allows cooperative play by multiple players.

[0118] The above-mentioned program may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or may be obtained by receiving (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0119] <<Other embodiments>> Up to this point, the information processing device, the information processing method, and the program of the present invention have been described using specific examples. However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and other embodiments are also possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the server 12 functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some or all of the functions of the server 12 as the information processing device may be provided in the terminal 10.

[0120] In the above embodiment, if the current location of the player P is within a predetermined distance from the appearance point (specific point) of the gate GT, the player P can participate in an event associated with the appearance point and enjoy playing the event together with other players. However, this is not limited to this, and other conditions for playing an event together are also possible. For example, a condition for playing the event together may be that the player P, who is within a predetermined distance from the appearance point of the gate GT associated with a certain event, uses a predetermined item (an item for releasing the event) in the game. In this case, the player P who uses the item can participate in the released event as a host.

[0121] In addition, the following participation restriction conditions may be imposed on a player P who wishes to participate in a cooperative play of an event, and participation in the cooperative play may be restricted if any of the participation restriction conditions is satisfied. First participation restriction condition: The number of characters currently owned by Player P in the game has reached the upper limit permitted for Player P. Second participation restriction condition: The number of items currently owned by Player P in the game has reached the upper limit of the number allowed for Player P to own. The "number of characters" in the first participation restriction condition refers to the number of characters that are operated by the player P and act or exhibit abilities in the game, and that the player P has acquired through the game. If the player P who meets the first participation restriction condition can increase the upper limit on the number of characters he or she owns or reduce the number of characters he or she owns by selling, discarding, consuming, or the like, he or she can remove the first participation restriction condition and thereby be able to participate in cooperative play in the event. The "number of items" in the second participation condition refers to, for example, the number of items that can be exchanged for other items or characters in the game that player P has acquired through the game. If player P who meets the second participation condition is no longer subject to the second participation condition by reducing the number of items he possesses through consumption or discarding, etc., player P will be able to participate in cooperative play in the event. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 10 Terminal 12 Server (information processing device) 14 Communication Networks 21 Processors 22 Memory 23 Communication Interface 24. Storage 25 Input Devices 26 Output Devices 27 Bus 28 Display 29 Touch Panel 30 GPS Sensor 31 Terminal side operation reception section 32 Positioning unit 33 Terminal side transmitter 34 Terminal side receiving section 35 Terminal side memory unit 36 Display processing section 101 Processor 102 Memory 103 Communication Interface 104 Storage 105 Input Device 106 Output Device 107 Bus 111 Location information acquisition unit 112 Display command section 113 Benefits Granting Department 114 Selection reception unit (reception unit) 115 Recruitment Notification Department 116 First processing section (processing section) 117 Second Processing Section (Processing Section) Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5 buttons GT Gate (Object) Ip, Is, It Icons P Player S Gaming System

Claims

[Claim 1] a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a current position of a target player; a reception unit that receives, from the target player, a participation in an event that can be played jointly by a plurality of players in a game and has the same content; a processing unit that, when accepting participation in the event from the target player, executes a process for playing the event having the same content together with other players; a recruitment notification unit that notifies the target player of a recruitment by other players to participate in the event, the recruitment notification unit notifies the target player of the recruitment to participate in the event when the current location is within a first distance from a specific point associated with the event and there are other players recruiting players to participate in the event; An information processing device that accepts, when the current location is within a second distance from the specific point that is shorter than the first distance, from the target player to participate in the event in which the target player will play together with other players who are also recruiting participants in the event.

Images