Information processing method, information processing system, and program

Abstract

To provide, for example, a more excellent technique.SOLUTION: There is provided an information processing method executed by an information processing system. A transfer destination includes next steps. In an acquisition step, information regarding a first game as a transfer source and a play history of the first game by a user are acquired. In an impartation step, first privilege information that is a transfer destination from a transfer source and can be utilized when a second game started to be provided before the first game is purchased or played is imparted to a user on the basis of at least the play history of the first game and reference information. The reference information includes a correspondence between the first game and the second game. The second game is configured such that initial content included in the content of the second game can be at least played according to purchase processing regarding the purchase of the second game. The first privilege information is imparted to a user before execution of purchase processing and is configured so as to become effective in the second game.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an incentive granting method, a client terminal, and an incentive granting program that are capable of granting incentives between different applications.

[0003] A client terminal relating to the technology, when a predetermined operation related to a second application is performed on the client terminal, sends an incentive request to a server, including a second user identifier that identifies a user in the second application, and receives from the server, based on the incentive request, an incentive in the first application for a user identified by a first user identifier that identifies a user in the first application and corresponds to the second user identifier. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-148552 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is still room for improvement in the above techniques.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide, for example, a superior technique. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing method executed by an information processing system is provided. This customer sending destination includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, information about a first game that is a customer sending source and a play history of the first game by a user are acquired. In the granting step, first bonus information that can be used when purchasing or playing a second game that is a customer sending destination from a customer sending source and that was started to be provided before the first game is granted to the user based at least on the play history of the first game and the reference information. The reference information includes a correspondence relationship between the first game and the second game. The second game is configured to make at least initial content included in the content of the second game playable in response to a purchase process related to the purchase of the second game. The first bonus information is configured to be granted to the user before the purchase process is executed and to be valid in the second game.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a more interesting experience to the user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an activity diagram showing an overview of information processing executed by the information processing system 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen IM1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game progression screen IM2. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a first series screen IM3. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second series screen IM4. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an item screen IM5 for displaying a first series screen IM3 or the like in response to a user operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0011] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be provided so as to be downloadable from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0012] In this embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, this embodiment handles various information, which may be represented by, for example, physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation may be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0013] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, and a memory, etc. In other words, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0014] 1. Game Description Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. In the information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1, an information processing device 2 and a plurality of game devices 3 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network 11, and a game is executed on the game devices 3. That is, the information processing system 1 is composed of at least one device.

[0015] The game according to this embodiment is an online game executed by the information processing system 1. In this game, a user of the game device 3 causes one or more player characters to act in a virtual game space, and causes the player characters to fight against enemy characters that are non-player characters. The characters are an example of objects.

[0016] The above-mentioned games are played using a game device 3, which is an electronic device such as a home game console such as PlayStation (registered trademark), a portable game console such as Nintendo Switch (registered trademark), or a personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc.

[0017] 2. Overview of Information Processing System 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 is composed of an information processing device 2 and a plurality of game devices 3. The information processing device 2 stores game programs and game data, and manages the game data of the game devices 3 (for each account information described below). The information processing device 2 is composed of, for example, a server. Each of the plurality of game devices 3 has the same configuration. Note that in this embodiment, a system is composed of one or more devices or components. Therefore, for example, the information processing device 2 or game device 3 described below alone can be an example of the information processing system 1.

[0018] The game device 3 executes a predetermined game based on the user's operation. To this end, the game device 3 receives (specifically, downloads and installs) a game program and game data from the information processing device 2 via the communication network 11. Each user is assigned account information including identification information and a password in association with the game device 3. This account information is transmitted from the game device 3 to the information processing device 2 at the time of login, and is used for user authentication in the information processing device 2.

[0019] After user authentication, mutual communication between the information processing device 2 and the game device 3 becomes possible. After logging in, the game device 3 receives data required for game progress (data related to the game progress status) from the information processing device 2, and progresses the game while outputting game images and sounds to the display 4a and the speaker 4b based on the user's operation.

[0020] 2.1 Hardware Configuration Hereinafter, each hardware component of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] <Information processing device 2> 1, the information processing device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. The communication unit 21 and the storage unit 22 are electrically connected to the control unit 23 via a communication bus 20.

[0022] The communication unit 21 is a so-called network interface that is communicatively connected to each game device 3 via a communication network 11 such as the Internet and a LAN. Main information that the information processing device 2 receives via the communication unit 21 includes download request information for a game program, a request for a gacha lottery in response to a user's operation, a request for executing a quest, a request for executing / ending autoplay, account information, game data, etc. Main information that the information processing device 2 transmits via the communication unit 21 includes information for confirming that the game device 3 has received the game program, information on the game media obtained by the gacha, etc.

[0023] The storage unit 22 is composed of a hard disk drive (HDD), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage unit 22 stores various programs including a part of the game program according to this embodiment, various data related to the game, etc.

[0024] Specifically, for example, the storage unit 22 stores a user DB, a lottery list, and the like. In the user DB, for each identification number of a user who plays a game, information such as a user name, a user rank, information on the status of a player character operated by the user, the amount of consumable media usable in the virtual game space, information on parameters, and the like are stored in association with each other. The lottery list is used for a lottery process generally called gacha, and includes a plurality of pieces of information on game media to be selected. In the lottery list, information on the game media (such as name, ability parameters, rarity, and level) is associated with a selection ratio by lottery. Furthermore, the ability parameters include, for example, fighting power, HP, attack power, defense power, intelligence, speed, and the like when the game media is a player character.

[0025] The control unit 23 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and a semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the information processing device 2, which is its own device. In particular, the control unit 23 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 2, which is its own device, by reading out a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 22. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, so that each functional unit described below can be executed. Note that the control unit 23 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 23 for each function. Also, a combination of these may be used.

[0026] Examples of information processing executed by the control unit 23 include a charge settlement process, a user account authentication process, and a gacha lottery selection process. The charge settlement process is executed, for example, based on a request for a charge required to restore a predetermined amount of parameters during the game. The user account authentication process is executed, for example, using the user's identification information received from the game device 3. The gacha lottery selection process is a process in which, in response to a gacha lottery request, one or more game media are selected by lottery from a lottery list based on the selection probability for each game medium. According to the gacha lottery selection process, information on the selected game media and the identification information of the user who performed the operation that is the source of the lottery request are associated in the user DB, and the user is thereby granted the game media that he or she won as a result of drawing the gacha.

[0027] Here, to further supplement the above, the "game medium" is electronic data representing elements related to the game, including the name of the character used as the player character, items (weapons, armor, tools) used by the player character in the virtual game space, etc. The user can obtain the game medium by a lottery method called gacha, in addition to direct purchase by charging or clearing a quest. The obtained game medium is stored and managed in the user DB in association with the identification information of the user who has come to own the game medium. Furthermore, "gacha" is a method in which an arbitrary game medium is selected by lottery from a lottery list based on a predetermined selection ratio in the information processing device 2. The arbitrary selected game medium is provided to the game device 3 of the user. "Providing the game medium selected by gacha to the user / the user owns it" is synonymous with "associating / being associated with the game medium selected by the lottery process with the identification information indicating the user."

[0028] <Game device 3> A display 4a, a speaker 4b, and an input device 4c are externally connected or built into the game device 3. The game device 3 also has a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, a graphics processing unit 34a, an audio processing unit 34b, and an operation unit 34c. The communication unit 31, the storage unit 32, the graphics processing unit 34a, the audio processing unit 34b, and the operation unit 34c are electrically connected to the control unit 33 via a communication bus 30.

[0029] The communication unit 31 is a so-called network interface that is communicatively connected to the communication network 11 in order to transmit and receive various data between the game device 3 and the information processing device 2. Main information that the game device 3 receives via the communication unit 31 includes account information, download request information for new game data, a gacha execution request, a quest execution request, etc. Main information that the game device 3 transmits via the communication unit 31 includes new game data sent from the information processing device 2 in response to download request information, information on the game media selected by lottery processing, etc.

[0030] The storage unit 32 is composed of an HDD, SSD, RAM, ROM, etc. The storage unit 32 stores game data downloaded from the information processing device 2, various programs including a part of the game program, account information of the game device 3 which is the device itself, user information, etc. The user information is at least a part of the information in a user DB stored in the storage unit 22 of the information processing device 2. The user DB manages a master of the user information, and at least a part of the information in the master is distributed from the information processing device 2 to the storage unit 32 of the game device 3 and stored therein.

[0031] The control unit 33 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and a semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the game device 3, which is the device itself. In particular, the control unit 33 realizes various functions related to the game device 3, which is the device itself, by reading out a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 32. That is, information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically realized by the control unit 33, which is an example of hardware, so that each functional unit described below can be executed. Note that the control unit 33 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 33 for each function. Also, a combination of these may be used.

[0032] In particular, the control unit 33 is configured to execute a game in accordance with the operation of the input device 4c by the user of the game device 3, which is the own device. Specifically, the control unit 33 reads data such as virtual game space objects and textures included in the game data from the storage unit 32, or generates two-dimensional or three-dimensional game image information using data received from the information processing device 2. The game image information is processed by the graphics processing unit 34a, and the processed game images are sequentially displayed on the display 4a. In other words, the control unit 33 is configured to perform display control of the display 4a and audio output control of the speaker 4b in accordance with the operation of the user of the game device 3, which is the own device, when executing a game.

[0033] The graphics processing unit 34a renders game images including characters and various objects related to the virtual game space in a moving image format according to game image information output from the control unit 33. The graphics processing unit 34a is connected to the display 4a, which is, for example, a liquid crystal type, and the game images rendered in a moving image format are displayed on the display 4a as a game screen. The audio processing unit 34b is connected to the speaker 4b, and reproduces and synthesizes game sounds according to instructions from the control unit 33, and outputs the sounds from the speaker 4b. The operation unit 34c is connected to the input device 4c, and transmits and receives data related to operation inputs between the input device 4c and the input device 4c. The user inputs operation signals to the game apparatus 3 by operating the input device 4c. The input device 4c is a general term for a touch panel integrated with the display 4a, an external game pad, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like.

[0034] 2.2 Functional Configuration Next, the functional configuration of the information processing device 2 of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0035] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information processing device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 23 (processor) executes various programs stored in the storage unit 22 to include an acquisition unit 231, a game progression unit 232, an assignment unit 233, and a display processing unit 234. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 23.

[0036] The acquisition unit 231 is configured to acquire various information and inputs as an acquisition step. For example, the acquisition unit 231 acquires information such as user information and an input of a participation request from a user from the storage unit 22 of the information processing device 2, or acquires the information from the game device 3 or another external device via the communication network 11. In this embodiment, the various information accepted by the acquisition unit 231 is described as being stored in the storage unit 22.

[0037] The game progression unit 232 is configured to control the progress of the game on the game device 3 based on user operations, etc.

[0038] The granting unit 233 is configured to grant, as a granting step, benefit information IF1 relating to various games.

[0039] As a display processing step, the display processing unit 234 displays various information stored in the storage unit 22 or the storage unit 32 or a screen including the information on the display 4a of the game device 3 in a visible manner. Specifically, the display processing unit 234 may generate visual information itself generated in a human-visible manner, such as a screen, an image (e.g., a still image or a video), an icon, text, etc., or may generate rendering information for displaying the visual information on the display 4a and transmit the rendering information to the game device 3 via the communication network 11.

[0040] 3. Explanation of various information and terms In this section, various information and terms handled by the information processing system 1 will be explained.

[0041] <Contents> Contents are elements that make up a game. Contents include various pieces of information that make up the substance of a game. For example, content may include elements such as a story that defines the main flow of the game, characters that appear in the story, relationships between the characters, and quests that define how the game progresses. The content of a certain game may include common content and difference content.

[0042] <Common Content> Common content is content that is common to other games. Whether or not it is common content may be determined based on the presence or absence of similarities and differences in the story. The commonalities and differences in the story may be determined based on a comparison of elements related to the content between a part of the content of a game and a part of the content of another game. Examples of such elements include the story title, the name of the setting, the timeline, the characters that appear, the amount of text information, and the amount of graphic information. Note that the presence or absence of differences in the story may be set in advance by the creator of the content. Examples of common content include content in which the content of a game is a remake of the content of a game provided in the past (a so-called past game), and almost no changes are made to the content of the past game.

[0043] <Difference content> Differential content is content that is not included in the other game, such as downloadable content (DLC) or content that can be provided for the first time as a bonus for a certain game. Differential content refers to content that is a remake of content from a game provided in the past (a so-called past game) and that is newly added to the content of the past game. Examples of differential content include story-related content that is further added to the past game, and content related to a special mode that allows the content of the past game to be played in a different game mode (for example, a game mode with a higher difficulty level or a strong new game, etc.).

[0044] <element content> The content can also be defined as a collection of element contents. The element contents are associated with element information about objects included in the element contents. The element contents are defined, for example, by chapters in a story. The objects included in the element contents can include, for example, characters appearing in the element contents and objects related to the story in which the characters appear.

[0045] <Special offer information> The privilege information IF1 is information including privileges that can be used when purchasing or playing a certain game. The privileges are configured to give the user an advantage when purchasing or playing the game, for example, by making it possible to provide differential content related to the game, by providing new items (e.g., equipment, character skins, consumables, etc.), by reducing the price required for the purchase process of the game, by increasing the amount of points given as currency obtained by purchasing the game, etc.

[0046] 4. Overview of Information Processing In this section, an overview of the flow of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is an activity diagram showing an overview of the information processing executed by the information processing system 1. The results of the processing in each activity included in the information processing described below can be output in a manner that can be recognized by the user using the display 4a or the like as appropriate. The information processing can include any exception processing not shown. Exception processing includes the interruption of the information processing and the omission of each process. Selection or input performed in the information processing can be based on a user operation or can be performed automatically without relying on a user operation.

[0047] [Activity A1] First, in activity A1, the acquisition unit 231 accepts a login process from a user and acquires user information. The login process is performed by accepting input of a user ID, a password, etc. from the user. The user information may include the user's purchase history of various games, play history, granted privilege information IF1, used privilege information IF1, etc.

[0048] [Activity A2] Next, the processing proceeds to activity A2, where the acquisition unit 231 accepts a request to play a game from the logged-in user. As a result, the acquisition unit 231 acquires information about the first game, and the game progression unit 232 starts the game for which the play request has been accepted, on the game device 3. For ease of explanation, the game for which the play request has been accepted in activity A2 will be referred to as the first game.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first game is in a so-called RPG format, in which the story can progress by, for example, moving a character object in response to a user's operation. The story is divided into chapters as elemental content, and is configured to progress when the user achieves a clear condition set for each chapter. In other words, the first game is configured to progress when the user plays at least one elemental content. Note that the format of the game to which this information processing is applied is not limited to this and is arbitrary, and may be a single-player game or a multiplayer game, a cooperative game or a competitive game, an online game or an offline game.

[0050] [Activity A3] When the acquisition unit 231 accepts a request to play the first game in activity A2, the process proceeds to activity A3, and the game progression unit 232 progresses the first game based on the user's operation on the game device 3. This progresses the story included in the content of the first game, and chapters as elemental content are cleared sequentially. The play history of the first game is updated according to the progress of the first game. The play history may include, for example, the play time, the date and time of the last play, the progress status of the game, etc. The progress status of the game can be expressed by the number of chapters that have been cleared, the degree of completion of quests included in the game, etc.

[0051] [Activity A4] Next, the process proceeds to activity A4, where the acquisition section 231 acquires the play history of the first game played by the user in accordance with the progress of the first game.

[0052] [Activity A5] Next, the process proceeds to activity A5, where the control unit 23 identifies a satisfied judgment condition based on the play history acquired in activity A4. The judgment condition is one of the conditions for determining whether or not to grant the bonus information IF1 to the user information playing the first game. For example, the judgment condition is configured to be satisfied when the progress of the game indicates that a specific chapter, which is one of the element contents, is to be cleared.

[0053] [Activity A6] Next, the process proceeds to activity A6, and the control unit 23 identifies the second game based on the judgment condition satisfied in activity A5 and the reference information. The second game is a game that is a customer destination for the first game that is a customer source. In other words, the first game is the first game that is a customer source for the second game. In this embodiment, the second game is configured to include content that was started to be provided before the first game. The second game is configured to make at least initial content included in the content of the second game playable in response to a purchase process related to the purchase of the second game. The initial content is content that can be played without performing any additional purchase process other than the purchase process related to the purchase of the second game. In other words, the initial content is content that can be played by performing a purchase process for the second game. Details of the purchase process will be described later.

[0054] The reference information indicates a correspondence relationship between a game (e.g., a first game) that is a customer source and a game (e.g., a second game) that is a customer destination. The reference information is configured so that, when there are multiple candidates for the second game that is a customer destination for the first game that is a customer source, the control unit 23 can narrow down the candidates for the second game that is a customer destination according to the judgment condition that is satisfied. The reference information may include information about the start date of the game as information for narrowing down the candidates for the second game. In this case, the content included in the second game that is a customer destination may be configured so that it can be provided before the content of the first game that is a customer source is started to be provided. In other words, the reference information may be configured so that the second game that is a customer destination is older than the first game that is a customer source. The reference information may include a correspondence relationship between the first game and the second game based on settings related to at least one of the game title, setting, characters, and timeline. The correspondence relationship means that the first game and the second game are suitable as a customer destination and a customer source when a certain number or more of these settings are in common. According to this configuration, by encouraging the purchase of the second game having a worldview related to the first game, it is possible to increase the profitability of the second game while further increasing the interest of the first game. Furthermore, when the second game includes an identifier indicating that the first game and the second game are a series, the reference information may indicate the correspondence between the first game and the second game based on the identifier. According to this configuration, the first bonus information IF1a described later is given to the user who played the first game, and the first bonus information IF1a can encourage the purchase of the second game, which is a past series. Therefore, it is possible to encourage the purchase of the second game while increasing the interest of the first game. Note that the identifier may be included in at least one of the first game and the second game, and the control unit 23 may be configured to be able to identify that the first game and the second game are a series. Note that the format of the identifier may be expressed by information indicating the worldview of the game, such as the title and the setting, or may be expressed by any character string or the like.

[0055] [Activity A7] Next, the process proceeds to activity A7, and the granting unit 233 grants the user bonus information IF1 related to the identified game (here, the first game) that is the source of customer referrals. In other words, the granting unit 233 grants the user bonus information IF1 that can be used when purchasing or playing the second game, based at least on the play history and reference information of the first game. The bonus information IF1 is granted to the user before the purchase process of the second game that is the destination of customer referrals is executed, and is configured to be valid in the second game. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the bonus information IF1 granted for the second game based at least on the play history of the first game in this embodiment may be referred to as first bonus information IF1a.

[0056] [Activity A8] When the above-mentioned judgment condition is satisfied and first benefit information IF1a is granted, processing proceeds to activity A9, and the game progression unit 232 stops the progress of the first game. For ease of explanation, the period during which the progress of the first game is (temporarily) stopped will be referred to as a stop period. In other words, the first game is configured such that when the progress of the element content satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, a judgment condition), the progress of the first game is stopped during a predetermined stop period.

[0057] [Activity A9] Next, the process proceeds to activity A9, and the display processing unit 234 displays the presentation information IF2 related to the identified second game on the display 4a. The presentation information IF2 is configured to be capable of presenting information related to a game (such as the second game) related to the first game. The presentation information IF2 includes a purchase operation unit capable of generating an instruction related to a purchase process of the second game. The purchase operation unit is configured, for example, by a button-type UI. In other words, the display processing unit 234 displays the presentation information IF2 related to the second game related to the first game in relation to the element information at least when the progress of the element content satisfies a predetermined condition (for example, the above-mentioned judgment condition). With this configuration, it is possible to encourage the purchase of a second game having an appropriate correspondence in accordance with the progress of the element content of the first game. Therefore, it is possible to further stimulate the desire to purchase the second game.

[0058] In this embodiment, the progress of the first game is stopped in activity A8, and the display processing unit 234 displays the presentation information IF2 during the stop period. In other words, the display processing unit 234 displays the presentation information IF2 regarding the second game that is related to the first game in relation to the element information during at least a part of the stop period. With this configuration, the presentation information IF2 regarding the second game related to the element content can be visually recognized by the user while the progress of the element content is stopped. Therefore, for example, it is possible to stimulate the desire to purchase the second game more efficiently than when the presentation information IF2 is displayed during the progress of the game. Note that during the stop period, the progress of the story of the first game and the operation of the character by the user are stopped. The game progress unit 232 may read the next element content during the stop period. As a result, the reading is performed and the presentation information IF2 can be presented while the user is bored, so that a decrease in the interest of the first game can be suppressed.

[0059] [Activity A10] When the acquisition unit 231 acquires a command related to the purchase process by operating the purchase operation unit, the process proceeds to activity A10, and the control unit 23 executes the purchase process of the second game. In this embodiment, the purchase process includes a first purchase process that allows an individually designated game to be played, and a second purchase process that allows at least one predetermined game to be played. The first purchase process may include a process that allows the purchased game to be played indefinitely. The first purchase process corresponds to a so-called full price purchase or a one-time purchase. The second purchase process is a purchase mode that conforms to a so-called subscription service, and is configured to allow a group of a predetermined number of games including the second game to be played for a certain period (for example, one month) after the second purchase process is performed. The price required for the first purchase process is set to be higher than the minimum unit of the price required for one second purchase process, for example. When the purchase process is performed, the content of the second game is provided according to the mode of the purchase process.

[0060] [Activity A11] Next, the process proceeds to activity A11, and the control unit 23 changes the bonus information IF1 (here, the first bonus information IF1a) according to the type of purchase process when the second game is made playable. With this configuration, the first bonus information IF1a is changed by the purchase process, so that the user can be preferentially encouraged to perform a specific purchase process. Changing the bonus information IF1 is not limited to changing the content of the bonus information IF1 already granted in activity A7, etc., and may include changing the usage mode of the already granted bonus information IF1. Furthermore, when the bonus information IF1 has not been granted, changing the bonus information IF1 may include changing the grant mode of the bonus information IF1. For example, when the purchase process in the second game is the first purchase process, the control unit 23 changes the bonus information IF1 so that the bonus information IF1 is more advantageous than when the purchase process in the second game is the second purchase process. Specifically, when the purchase process in the second game is the second purchase process, the control unit 23 restricts the usable range of the bonus information IF1 so that the usable bonus information IF1 is more limited than when the purchase process in the second game is the first purchase process. This can encourage the user to perform the first purchase process for the second game. Specific examples of limiting the bonus information IF1 include making only a part of the granted differential content available, or reducing the types or quantity of items granted. In this embodiment, when the purchase process for the second game is the first purchase process, the content (e.g., differential content) included in the granted first bonus information IF1a can be used without limit. In other words, the control unit 23 specifies the range of the granted first bonus information IF1a that can be used.

[0061] After completing the processing of activity A11, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the end condition is satisfied, and if it is determined that the end condition is not satisfied, the processing returns to activity A3, and the game progression unit 232 progresses the game again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the end condition is satisfied, the processing proceeds to activity A13, and the game progression unit 232 ends the first game and ends this information processing. The end condition may include any condition, such as, for example, the story reaching an ending or the user performing an end operation to end the first game.

[0062] If a predetermined transition condition is satisfied without acquiring a command related to a purchase process in activity A9, control unit 23 skips the processing of activities A10 and A11, and determines whether or not the end condition is satisfied, similarly to the end of activity A12. The transition condition may include any condition, such as the passage of a certain period of time (e.g., the time required to read the next element content) after the progress of the game is stopped, or the user performing an operation to close the screen related to presentation information IF2. In this manner, a series of information processes related to the first game are performed.

[0063] [Activity A21] Next, a process will be described when the acquisition unit 231 receives a request to play the second game from a user to whom the first bonus information IF1a has been granted in activity A2. In this case, the process advances from activity A2 to activity A21, and the control unit 23 uses the first bonus information IF1a granted in activity A8. If the first bonus information IF1a has been changed in activity A11, the control unit 23 uses the first bonus information IF1a to the extent that it is available. Note that the first bonus information IF1a may be used based on a user operation.

[0064] [Activity A22] Next, the processing proceeds to activity A22, and the game progression unit 232 progresses the second game. During the progress of the second game, the user can appropriately access the benefit related to the second benefit information IF1b.

[0065] [Activity A23] Next, the process proceeds to activity A23, where the acquisition unit 231 acquires the play history of the second game.

[0066] [Activity A24] Next, the process proceeds to activity A24, where control unit 23 identifies a judgment condition that is satisfied for the second game based on the play history of the second game. The judgment condition is configured to be achievable, for example, when a predetermined element content is cleared in the second game, similar to the judgment condition for the first game.

[0067] [Activity A25] Next, the process proceeds to activity A25, and the granting unit 233 grants the second benefit information IF1b based on the determination condition determined to be satisfied in activity A24 and the play history of the second game. The second benefit information IF1b is a benefit that can be used in games other than the second game. The specific content of the benefit of the second benefit information IF1b is the same as that of the first benefit information IF1a. In particular, the second benefit information IF1b may include a benefit related to the first game, which is the source of the customers of the second game. In this way, the second benefit information IF1b, which is a benefit to the user who purchased the first game, can further encourage the user of the first game to purchase the second game. After that, if the end condition of the second game is satisfied, the process returns to activity A22, and the progress of the second game continues.

[0068] On the other hand, if the condition for ending the second game is satisfied, processing proceeds to activity A26, and the game progression unit 232 ends the second game.

[0069] In summary, the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, information about the first game that is the customer referral source and the user's play history of the first game are acquired. In the granting step, first benefit information IF1a that can be used when purchasing or playing a second game that is the customer referral destination from the customer referral source and that was started to be provided before the first game is granted to the user based at least on the play history of the first game and the reference information. The reference information includes a correspondence relationship between the first game and the second game. The second game is configured to make at least initial content included in the content of the second game playable in response to a purchase process related to the purchase of the second game. The first benefit information IF1a is granted to the user before the purchase process is executed and configured to be valid in the second game.

[0070] With this configuration, for example, even if a user plays a first game before playing a second game provided before the first game, the user is given first benefit information IF1a available for the second game based at least on the play history and reference information of the first game. This makes it possible to encourage users who have played the first game to purchase a second game related to the first game, thereby increasing profitability, and encouraging users to enjoy the first game more based on the shared content.

[0071] 5. Details of data processing In this chapter, the details of the information processing outlined in the previous chapter will be explained using figures. Note that the screen examples explained below are screen examples of the first game. The second game in the following explanation is a game that was launched before the first game. Whether or not a game was launched before the first game can be determined based on various date and time information related to the launch date of the game, such as the sales launch date of both games and the copyright date.

[0072] <Menu screen IM1> 4 is a diagram showing an example of the menu screen IM1. The menu screen IM1 includes a composition button B1, a story button B2, and a shop button B3.

[0073] When the organization button B1 is operated, a game screen for organizing characters to be involved in the progression of the story is displayed. When the story button B2 is operated, a request to play the first game is generated. When the acquisition unit 231 acquires the play request, a game progress screen IM2, which is a game screen for progressing the first game, is displayed. When the shop button B3 is operated, a screen for performing a purchase process related to an item or game is displayed.

[0074] <Game progress screen IM2> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a game progression screen IM2. Here, the game progression screen IM2 is a display screen when the story of Chapter 4, which is one of the elemental contents of the first game, is completed. The game progression screen IM2 may display information indicating that the elemental content "Chapter 4" has been cleared, and thus bonus information IF1 corresponding to the elemental content is now available ("You've acquired a new bonus!"). When a predetermined operation is performed on the game progression screen IM2, or a certain period of time has passed, the display content of the display 4a transitions from the game progression screen IM2 to the first series screen IM3.

[0075] <First series screen IM3> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the first series screen IM3. The first series screen IM3 is an example of a screen corresponding to the presentation information IF2. The first series screen IM3 is configured to transition from the game progress screen IM2, for example. The first series screen IM3 is configured to show the relationship between the first game, which is the source of customers, and the second game, which is the destination of customers, and to encourage the purchase of the second game. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the first game may be written as "current work" and the second game may be written as "old work 1". For example, the first series screen IM3 includes relationship information IF3 and guidance information IF4. According to such a configuration, it is possible to arouse interest in the second game by presenting the relationship between the first game and the second game to the user based on information on the correspondence relationship, and encourage the purchase of the second game before the interest fades.

[0076] The relationship information IF3 indicates, in the first game, the relationship between the first game and the second game. The relationship between the first game and the second game may include any relationship related to the worldview of both games, such as the story of the game, the setting of the game, the timeline of the game, the personal relationships of common characters, etc. For example, the relationship information IF3 includes visual information IF31 and text information IF32.

[0077] The visual information IF31 is configured to allow the user to visually grasp the relationship information IF3, and includes a first visual object Ob1, a progress object Ob2, a second visual object Ob3, a relationship object Ob4, and a first bonus object Ob5. This configuration makes it easy for the user to grasp the relationship between the content of the first game and the content of the second game, while encouraging the purchase of the second game.

[0078] The first visual object Ob1 represents the content of the first game. For example, the first visual object Ob1 visually indicates the timeline of the story included in the content of the first game. Specifically, for example, the first visual object Ob1 is an arrow-shaped object that is displayed to cover a position of an arrow indicating the timeline in the setting of the first game ("story timeline") that corresponds to the part of the timeline included in the story of the first game.

[0079] The progress object Ob2 is an object that indicates the progress of the first game at the time when the first series screen IM3 is displayed. The progress object Ob2 can be implemented, for example, as an arrow-shaped object that points to a partial area of ​​the first visual object Ob1. The position pointed to by the progress object Ob2 corresponds to the timing when the element content corresponding to "Chapter 4" in the first game is cleared in relation to the chronology of the story of the first game and the chronology of the entire setting of the first game.

[0080] The second visual object Ob3 represents the content of the second game. For example, the second visual object Ob3 visually indicates the timeline of the story included in the content of the second game. Specifically, for example, the second visual object Ob3 is an arrow-shaped object that is displayed to cover a position corresponding to a part of the timeline included in the story of the second game among the arrows ("story timeline") indicating the timeline in the stage of the first game. Here, the second visual object Ob3 is placed at different positions in the visual information IF31 according to the relationship of the timelines in the stories of the first game and the second game. In this embodiment, the story of the second game unfolds in a past timeline compared to the story of the first game. Therefore, the second visual object Ob3 is placed on the arrow corresponding to the "story timeline" at a position corresponding to a past timeline than the first visual object Ob1, that is, to the left of the first visual object Ob1.

[0081] The related object Ob4 is an object that visually indicates the relationship between the first game and the second game, and is configured to connect the first visual object Ob1 and the second visual object Ob3 with an arrow, for example. For example, the related object Ob4 indicates that information about a character that appeared in the element content indicated by the progress object Ob2 appears in part of the story of the second game.

[0082] The first bonus object Ob5 is an object that indicates information about the first bonus information IF1a that is granted by performing a process for purchasing the second game.

[0083] The text information IF32 is character information for explaining the relationship between the first game and the second game shown in the visual information IF31 described above. The text information IF32 may include various information encouraging the purchase of the second game, such as the relationship between the characters appearing in "Chapter 4," which is an element content of the first game, and the second game (old work 1) ("You can enjoy the story before meeting the main character of character XX who appeared in Chapter 4 in old work 1"), the contents of the first benefit information IF1a ("When you play the new game, you can enjoy additional stories in old work 1."), and the contents of the second benefit information IF1b ("When you clear old work 1, you can enjoy additional stories in the new game."). This not only encourages the purchase of old work 1 by playing the new game, but also allows the user to enjoy the new game more by playing old work 1, and creates a new motivation to move between the new game and the old game in a two-way manner. This can provide a stronger motivation to purchase old work 1.

[0084] The guide information IF4 is information configured to prompt the user to perform the purchase process of the second game. In this embodiment, the guide information IF4 includes a UI for prompting the first purchase process ("single purchase") and a UI for prompting the second purchase process ("subscription purchase"). The guide information IF4 can function as a purchase operation unit. The control unit 23 executes the corresponding type of purchase process by the user operating these UIs. Note that the guide information IF4 may be configured to prompt the purchase process of the second game by causing the display processing unit 234 to display a screen for performing the purchase process of the second game on the display 4a when the user operates the UI related to the guide information IF4. The display processing unit 234 may display the guide information IF4 that prompts the purchase process of the second game when the second visual object Ob3 is selected. According to this configuration, when the object selected by the user in accordance with his / her interest is the second object, the user is likely to have a relatively high interest in the second game. By displaying purchase information to a user who is highly interested in such a second game, the purchase of the second game can be naturally prompted.

[0085] <Screen example when there are multiple secondary games to which customers are sent> The above information processing may also be applied to a case where there are multiple second games as customer destinations. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the second series screen IM4. The second series screen IM4 is a modified example of the first series screen IM3 when there are two second games. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the two second games may be described as "old work 1" and "old work 2" to distinguish them from each other. Also, for convenience of explanation, among the components included in the second series screen IM4, the components common to the first series screen IM3 may be given the same component numbers and explanations may be omitted. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the user has already purchased the first game corresponding to "this work" and the second game corresponding to "old work 1" by the first purchase process (i.e., a single purchase), and has not yet purchased the second game corresponding to "old work 2".

[0086] The second series of screen images IM4 includes the relationship information IF3 and the guide information IF4, similar to the first series of screen images IM3. The relationship information IF3 includes the visual information IF31 and the text information IF32, similar to the first series of screen images IM3.

[0087] Here, the visual information IF31 includes a first visual object Ob1, a progress object Ob2, two second visual objects Ob3a and Ob3b, two related objects Ob4a and Ob4b, a first bonus object Ob5a, and a second bonus object Ob5b. The second visual object Ob3a and the related object Ob4a are the second visual object Ob3 and the related object Ob4 related to the second game corresponding to "Old Game 1", respectively. These are the same as the second visual object Ob3 and the related object Ob4 included in the first series screen IM3.

[0088] The second visual object Ob3b and the related object Ob4b are the second visual object Ob3 and the related object Ob4, respectively, related to the second game corresponding to "Old Work 2". The second game corresponding to "Old Work 2" includes content that can be expressed as a so-called sub-story that progresses in parallel with the first game corresponding to "New Work". Therefore, the second visual object Ob3b extends parallel to the first visual object Ob1 at a different position in the story timeline from the first visual object Ob1.

[0089] The related object Ob4b is configured to indicate the relationship between the first game corresponding to the "current work" and the second game corresponding to the "old work 2." For example, the related object Ob4b is configured to indicate, by an arrow, a relationship on a certain timeline in the first game, for example, a relationship with a character appearing at a point in the timeline.

[0090] The first bonus object Ob5a in the second series screen IM4 is an object showing information on the first bonus information IF1a ("Additional story play available!"). Unlike the first bonus information IF1a in the first series screen IM3, the first bonus information IF1a here is given when a user who has played the first game corresponding to "New Game" performs a purchase process for the second game corresponding to "Old Game 2".

[0091] The second bonus object Ob5b in the second series screen IM4 is an object showing information on the second bonus information IF1b ("Play Old Game 2... and you can unlock the special mode!"). The second bonus information IF1b is a bonus given only to a user who has purchased both the first game corresponding to the "current game" and the second game corresponding to the "old game 1". The user can use the bonus of "unlocking the special mode" in the first game by performing a purchase process for the second game corresponding to the "old game 2". In other words, the granting unit 233 may grant the bonus information IF1 available in the first game when a user who has performed a purchase process for the first game and the second game (the second game corresponding to the "old game 1") further performs a purchase process for the third game (the second game corresponding to the "old game 2"). This can encourage the user to purchase the third game so that the user can enjoy the first game more.

[0092] The text information IF32 in the second series screen IM4 is character information for explaining the relationship between the first game shown in the visual information IF31 in the second series screen IM4 described above and the second game corresponding to "old work 2". The text information IF32 may include various information encouraging the purchase of the second game, such as the relationship between the story of the events that occurred in parallel with the story of "Chapter 2", which is the element content of the first game, and the story of the second game (old work 2) ("You can enjoy the story of the events that occurred in parallel with the story of Chapter 2 in old work 2."), the contents of the first benefit information IF1a ("When you play the new game, you can enjoy additional stories in old work 2."), and the contents of the second benefit information IF1b ("When you clear old work 2, you will be able to play a special mode in the new game."). This not only encourages the purchase of old work 2 by playing the new game and old work 1, but also allows the user to enjoy the new game more by playing old work 1 and old work 2, creating a new motivation to move between the new game and multiple old games. This will provide a stronger incentive to purchase Old Game 1 and Old Game 2.

[0093] The guidance information IF4 in the second series screen IM4 is information configured to prompt the user to purchase the second game corresponding to "Old Work 2", and similar to the guidance information IF4 in the first series screen IM3, includes a UI corresponding to the first purchase process and a UI corresponding to the second purchase process. Note that, since the second game corresponding to "Old Work 1" has already been purchased, the guidance information IF4 prompting the user to purchase the second game is not displayed in the second series screen IM4.

[0094] [others] The information processing system 1 according to the above embodiment may be configured as follows.

[0095] The display processing unit 234 may display the first series screen IM3 and the second series screen IM4 related to the presentation information IF2 in cases other than when the judgment condition is satisfied. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an item screen IM5 for displaying the first series screen IM3 or the like in response to a user's operation. The item screen IM5 is configured to transition from the menu screen IM1 by, for example, operating the shop button B3 on the menu screen IM1. The item screen IM5 includes an item button B31 and a DLC button B32. When the item button B31 is operated, information on an item in the first game owned by the user is displayed. When the DLC button B32 is operated, the first series screen IM3 or the second series screen IM4 is displayed. As a result, the display processing unit 234 can display the presentation information IF2 on the display 4a regardless of the progress of the game by the user operating the DLC button B32, making it easier to encourage the user to execute the purchase process.

[0096] The visual information IF31 is not limited to indicating the chronological relationship between the first game and the second game, but may indicate any relationship having correlation between both games, such as the relationship between characters or the relationship between settings.

[0097] The correspondence in the reference information does not have to be explicitly stored as data. For example, the reference information may simply indicate the correspondence between the destination game and the source game when a certain determination condition is satisfied. In this case, the correspondence included in the reference information may be appropriately set so that the destination game is an older game than the source game.

[0098] The output destination of information or data (hereinafter referred to as "information, etc.") may be another device, a display, a memory unit (including a built-in memory unit and an external memory unit), etc. Acquisition of information, etc. includes acquiring information, etc. generated by the device itself, in addition to acquiring information, etc. transmitted from another device. The table in which parameters are associated is not limited to the table shown in the figure, and the number of parameters may be reduced or increased. Also, information, etc. corresponding to parameters may be obtained by a formula, a conditional formula, etc. without using a table.

[0099] At least one of the devices included in the information processing system 1 may be installed outside Japan.

[0100] The information processing device 2 may be an on-premise type or a cloud type. As the information processing device 2 in the cloud type, the above-mentioned functions and processes may be provided in the form of, for example, SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 2 performs various storage and control, but multiple external devices may be used instead of the information processing device 2. That is, various information and programs may be distributed and stored in multiple external devices using block chain technology or the like.

[0102] The above-mentioned embodiment may be an information processing device. The information processing system 1 includes at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform each part of the information processing method. The above-mentioned embodiment may be an information processing method. The information processing method includes each part of the same information processing system. The above-mentioned embodiment may be a program. The program causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method.

[0103] Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects:

[0104] (1) An information processing method executed by an information processing system, comprising the following steps: in an acquisition step, information about a first game that is a source of customers and a play history of the first game by a user are acquired; in a granting step, based at least on the play history of the first game and reference information, first bonus information that can be used when purchasing or playing a second game that is a destination of customers from the source of customers and that was made available before the first game is granted to the user; wherein the reference information includes a correspondence between the first game and the second game; the second game is configured to enable at least initial content included in the content of the second game to be played in response to a purchase process for the purchase of the second game; and the first bonus information is granted to the user before the purchase process is executed and configured to be valid in the second game.

[0105] With this configuration, for example, even if a user plays a first game before playing a second game provided before the first game, the user is given first benefit information available for the second game based at least on the play history and reference information of the first game. This makes it possible to encourage users who have played the first game to purchase a second game related to the first game, thereby increasing profitability, and encouraging users to enjoy the first game more based on the shared content.

[0106] (2) In the information processing method described above in (1), the reference information includes a correspondence between the first game and the second game based on settings regarding at least one of the game title, setting, characters, and timeline.

[0107] According to this configuration, by encouraging the purchase of a second game that has a worldview related to that of the first game, it is possible to increase the profitability of the second game while further increasing the interest of the first game.

[0108] (3) In the information processing method described in (1) or (2) above, at least one of the first game and the second game includes an identifier indicating that the first game and the second game are part of a series, and the reference information indicates a correspondence between the first game and the second game based on the identifier.

[0109] According to this configuration, the first bonus information is given to a user who plays the first game, and the first bonus information can encourage the user to purchase the second game, which is a previous game in the series. Therefore, it is possible to encourage the user to purchase the second game while increasing the interest of the first game.

[0110] (4) An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the acquisition step further acquires a play history of the second game by the user, and the granting step further grants second bonus information that can be used when playing the first game to the user based on the play history of the second game.

[0111] According to this configuration, for example, the second benefit information is provided by playing the second game as a result of playing the first game, which encourages the player to play the first game after playing the second game, thereby making it possible to further increase the interest of both the first game and the second game.

[0112] (5) An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the purchase process includes a first purchase process that enables an individually designated game to be played and a second purchase process that enables at least one predetermined game to be played, and further, in a change step, the first bonus information is changed depending on the type of the purchase process in which the second game is made playable.

[0113] According to this configuration, the first benefit information is changed depending on the purchase process, so that the user can be encouraged to preferentially perform a specific purchase process.

[0114] (6) An information processing method according to any one of (1) to (5) above, further comprising, in a display processing step, displaying presentation information in the first game, the presentation information including relationship information indicating a relationship between the first game and the second game, and guidance information encouraging the purchase process of the second game.

[0115] According to this configuration, by presenting the user with the relationship between the first game and the second game based on the information regarding the correspondence, it is possible to generate interest in the second game and encourage the user to purchase the second game before that interest wanes.

[0116] (7) An information processing method according to any one of (6) above, wherein the relationship information includes visual information that allows a user to visually grasp the relationship information, and the visual information includes a first visual object representing content of the first game and a second visual object representing content of the second game.

[0117] With this configuration, it is possible to encourage the purchase of the second game while making it easy to understand the relationship between the content of the first game and the content of the second game.

[0118] (8) The information processing method according to (7) above, wherein in the display processing step, the guidance information is displayed when the second visual object is selected.

[0119] According to this configuration, when the object selected by the user in accordance with his / her own interests is the second object, the user is likely to have a relatively high interest in the second game. By displaying purchase information to such a user who is highly interested in the second game, it is possible to naturally encourage the purchase of the second game.

[0120] (9) In the information processing method described in any one of (6) to (8) above, the first game is configured to be progressed by the user playing at least one element content, the element content is associated with element information regarding an object included in the element content, and in the display processing step, the presentation information regarding the second game that is related to the first game in terms of the element information is displayed at least when the progress of the element content satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0121] With this configuration, it is possible to encourage the purchase of a second game that has an appropriate correspondence with the progress of the component content of the first game, thereby further stimulating the desire to purchase the second game.

[0122] (10) In the information processing method described in (9) above, the first game is configured to stop progress of the first game for a predetermined stop period when the progress of the element content satisfies a predetermined condition, and in the display processing step, the presentation information regarding the second game that is related to the first game in relation to the element information is displayed for at least a part of the stop period.

[0123] With this configuration, while the progress of the element content is stopped, the user can view the presented information about the second game related to the element content, which can stimulate the user's desire to purchase the second game more efficiently than when the presented information is displayed while the game is in progress.

[0124] (11) An information processing system comprising at least one device, the information processing system including at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform each step of the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (10) above.

[0125] With this configuration, it is possible to encourage users who have played a first game to purchase a second game that is related to the first game, thereby increasing profitability, while encouraging users to enjoy the first game more based on the shared content.

[0126] (12) A program causing at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (10) above.

[0127] With this configuration, it is possible to encourage users who have played a first game to purchase a second game that is related to the first game, thereby increasing profitability, while encouraging users to enjoy the first game more based on the shared content. Of course, this is not the case.

[0128] Finally, various embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, but these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the disclosure. The embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the disclosure, and are included in the disclosure and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1: Information processing system 2: Information processing equipment 3: Game device 4a: Display 4b: Speaker 4c: Input device 11: Communication Networks 20: Communication bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Control section 231: Acquisition Department 232: Game Progression Section 233: Granting section 234: Display processing unit 30: Communication bus 31: Communications Department 32: Storage section 33: Control section 34a: Graphics processing unit 34b: Audio processing section 34c: Operation section B1: Organization button B2: Story button B3: Shop button B31: Item button B32: DLC button IF1: Bonus information IF1a: First bonus information IF1b: 2nd Bonus Information IF2: Presentation information IF3:Related information IF31: Visual information IF32 :Text information IF4: Guidance information IM1: Menu screen IM2: Game progress screen IM3: 1st series screen IM4: 2nd series screen IM5: Item screen Ob1: First visual object Ob2 : Progress object Ob3: Second visual object Ob3a: Second visual object Ob3b: Second visual object Ob4 : Relationship Object Ob4a : Relationship Objects Ob4b : Relationship Objects Ob5: 1st reward object Ob5a: First reward object Ob5b: Second reward object

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by an information processing system, comprising: It includes the following steps: In the acquiring step, information about a first game that is a source of the customer and a play history of the first game by the user are acquired; In the providing step, first benefit information is provided to the user based on at least the play history and the reference information of the first game, the benefit information being usable when purchasing or playing a second game that is a customer destination from the customer source and that was started to be provided before the first game, wherein: the reference information includes a correspondence relationship between the first game and the second game, the second game is configured to make at least initial content included in content of the second game playable in response to a purchase process related to the purchase of the second game; An information processing method, wherein the first benefit information is granted to the user before the purchase process is executed and is configured to be valid in the second game.

2. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, An information processing method, wherein the reference information includes a correspondence between the first game and the second game based on settings regarding at least one of the game title, setting, characters, and timeline.

3. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, At least one of the first game and the second game includes an identifier indicating that the first game and the second game are a series of games; An information processing method, wherein the reference information indicates a correspondence between the first game and the second game based on the identifier.

4. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, The acquiring step further includes acquiring a play history of the second game by the user; The providing step further includes providing second benefit information usable when playing the first game to the user based on a play history of the second game.

5. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, the purchasing process includes a first purchasing process for enabling an individually designated game to be played, and a second purchasing process for enabling at least one predetermined game to be played; Furthermore, in the changing step, the first benefit information is changed depending on the type of the purchase process when the second game is made playable.

6. 2. The information processing method according to claim 1, Further, in the display processing step, presentation information including relationship information indicating a relationship between the first game and the second game and guidance information prompting a purchase process for the second game is displayed in the first game.

7. 7. The information processing method according to claim 6, the relationship information includes visual information that allows a user to visually grasp the relationship information, An information processing method, wherein the visual information includes a first visual object representing content of the first game and a second visual object representing content of the second game.

8. 8. The information processing method according to claim 7, In the display processing step, the guidance information is displayed when the second visual object is selected.

9. 7. The information processing method according to claim 6, the first game is configured to be progressed by the user playing at least one element content, The element content is associated with element information regarding an object included in the element content; An information processing method in which, in the display processing step, at least when the progress of the element content satisfies a predetermined condition, the presented information regarding the second game that is related to the first game in relation to the element information is displayed.

10. 10. The information processing method according to claim 9, the first game is configured to stop progress of the first game during a predetermined stop period when a progress state of the component content satisfies a predetermined condition; The display processing step includes displaying, during at least a part of the stopped period, the presented information regarding the second game having relevance to the first game in relation to the element information.

11. An information processing system comprising at least one device, The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform each step of the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Information processing system.

12. A program, A program causing at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images