Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, information processing method and program capable of enhancing a game satisfaction degree of a user by allowing the user to easily select a quest compatible with a play style according to held characters.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a recommendation part for recommending a quest that a user can play using held characters held by the user in a game, where the recommendation part notifies the user of a quest selected based on the held characters.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in games such as online games, there have been known games in which a user selects an arbitrary quest from among various quests and progresses through the game (hereinafter referred to as "play") by completing the selected quest.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that, when selecting a quest, which is the unit of play in a game, can switch between displaying a window presenting a gift quest and a window presenting a normal quest, making it easier for the user to select a quest. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-188132 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 only makes it easier for users to select gift quests with high rewards, and does not make it easier for users to select quests that are compatible with the characters they own. As a result, it is difficult for users, especially users who own multiple characters and are playing the game for the first time in a while, or new users, to determine which of the many quests suits their play style, which could ultimately lead to users abandoning the game.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that enable users to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters they own, thereby improving users' game satisfaction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a recommendation unit that recommends quests that can be played within a game using characters owned by a user, and the recommendation unit notifies the user of quests selected based on the characters owned. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user can easily select a quest that is compatible with the play style of the character they own, thereby improving the user's level of satisfaction with the game. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a game system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a recommended function screen. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a recommended quest list screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended quest details screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a character to be raised selection screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a stage selection screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a team formation screen. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an information processing device and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of a server constituting an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a recommended quest notification process. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing another flow of the recommended quest notification process. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a recommended character determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. That is, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention also includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, the screen examples shown in each of the figures referenced in the following description are merely examples, and the screen configuration examples, the displayed information, and the specific contents of the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed and changed according to the design specifications and user preferences.

[0011] <About the game> The communication system shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as game system S) is a communication system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as server 30), and provides a game to a user U.

[0012] The term "game" refers to an online game provided using the game system S, in which a user U controls characters obtained by lottery or the like to play quests of their choice. In this embodiment, an example of a game is a game in which the user U forms a team of multiple characters, controls the characters through predetermined actions to fight enemy characters, and progresses by sequentially challenging and clearing multiple quests provided in the game.

[0013] A "lottery" is one of the mechanisms in a game that allows for obtaining objects such as characters and items to advance the game to an advantage, and is conducted at the request of the user U while playing the game. In the lottery, multiple objects with different winning probabilities are prepared as candidates, and one or a predetermined number of objects are selected from the multiple candidate objects, and the selected objects are granted to the user U. There are various conditions for conducting a lottery, including a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item that can be obtained for free, a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item that can be purchased for a fee, a lottery that can be conducted by consuming a lottery item obtained as a reward for completing a quest, which will be described later, and a lottery that can be conducted as a reward for completing a quest (when the right to conduct a lottery is granted as a reward for completing a quest), etc. In addition to this lottery, the number of characters, items, and other objects owned increases depending on whether the player logs in to the game, receives a clear reward, or purchases, and the number decreases when the player consumes or discards them in the game.

[0014] A "character" refers to an object that moves in the game in response to operations by the user U. In the game of this embodiment, the user U owns and operates a plurality of characters. Each character has its own personality, and each character has a different name, appearance, attributes, and various parameters (setting data related to level, stamina, attack power, speed, luck, special abilities, etc.) etc. In addition, the user U can train and develop these characters by accumulating experience points, using items, etc., and combining them with other characters.

[0015] "Raising" refers to strengthening or evolving a character by consuming items or other materials for that character. Raising also includes, for example, using multiple characters (e.g., Character A and Character B) as materials and fusing those materials to create one special character (Character C).

[0016] "Growth" refers to changes in a character's abilities, etc. as a result of training. Examples include the following changes. Note that while these changes are basically those that are advantageous to user U, they do not exclude changes that are disadvantageous to user U or changes that do not affect an advantage or disadvantage. (a) Various parameters of the character are improved. (b) The predetermined upper limit (maximum value) of each parameter of the character is improved. (c) Special abilities (techniques, etc.) are added to the character. (d) The special abilities possessed by the character change. (e) The character's name, appearance, attributes, etc. change. (f) A character changes into a special character that is higher in rank than that character.

[0017] A "quest" refers to a task given to the user U in the game, i.e., an individual event that constitutes the game. Specifically, it refers to an event in which the user U fights an enemy character using a character that the user U possesses. Each of these quests has a set implementation period and achievement conditions, and various quests arise as the game progresses. For example, completing a quest by satisfying the set achievement conditions, such as defeating an enemy character, is called clearing the quest, and upon clearing the quest, the user U can receive a clear reward. Quests may include events in which players encounter various characters, whether friendly or foe, events in which the objective is to reach a certain location, or events in which players can obtain objects such as items.

[0018] Quests are classified into multiple categories, such as quests that are always available, quests that are held according to a preset schedule for each day or time, quests that have special play conditions, and quests that offer different types of rewards for completion. Each quest has one or more stages prepared according to difficulty level. Therefore, when selecting a quest to play, user U first selects a category, then selects any quest from those included in the selected category, and if the selected quest has multiple stages prepared, selects a stage according to the desired difficulty level.

[0019] In this embodiment, from among many quests, quests that are compatible with the play style of the user U according to the characters possessed by the user U (hereinafter referred to as recommended quests) are recommended to the user U. Specifically, recommended characters that are recommended for use when playing that quest are associated with each quest, and recommended quests that are suitable for playing with the characters possessed by the user U are selected for each user U based on the number of recommended characters possessed by the user U, and the selected recommended quests are recommended by notifying the user U.

[0020] When selecting recommended quests, the recommended quests may be selected based on the number of recommended characters possessed by the user U among the members of the team that has already been organized. In addition to the recommended characters, the recommended quests may also be selected based on the number of recommended related characters associated with the recommended characters possessed. Furthermore, quests suitable for the user U may be limited based on quest characteristics such as whether the user U has cleared the quest before, difficulty level, play deadline, or amount of reward for clearing the quest, and then recommended quests may be selected from the limited quests based on the characters possessed by the user U. Suitable quests to play vary for each user U, but may include, for example, quests that the user U has not yet cleared, quests with a difficulty level corresponding to the user U's experience level, quests whose play deadline is approaching and there is little time left for play, or quests that offer a large reward for clearing the quest and provide a high level of satisfaction upon completion.

[0021] "Recommended characters" refer to characters that are recommended for use when playing the quest. In this embodiment, the recommended characters are determined based on the characters used in the quest by other users U who have played and cleared the quest in the past. Specifically, the characters are ranked based on the number of times other users U have used them, and the top few characters are selected. (For example, 10 characters) are selected as recommended characters. The recommended characters may change each time the number of times a character has been used by other users U is tallied. The number of times a character has been used may be tallied for each predetermined period, or may be tallied separately according to the character's attributes or acquisition route, etc. In addition, a recommended character may be a character that is set in the game to have an advantageous effect on the user U, regardless of the number of times the character has been used by other users U, for example, by incorporating that character into a team and playing, making it easier to clear quests or increasing the amount of clearing rewards earned.

[0022] "Recommended related characters" refers to characters that are not exactly the same as the recommended character, but have some relationship to the recommended character. Specifically, this includes characters before or after the recommended character's growth, characters that are used as materials for the recommended character, characters with variations (facial expressions, hairstyles, postures, clothing, equipment, etc.) from the recommended character, or characters with special specifications (such as a Christmas version or Okinawa version) that are limited to a certain time or region.

[0023] "Notification" refers to informing the user U of the selected recommended quest. Specifically, while the user U is playing the game, a recommended quest list screen 52 (described later) or the like may be displayed on the screen of the user terminal 10. Even when the user U is not playing the game, the user U may be notified each time by, for example, displaying a dialog box on the screen of the user terminal 10 (push notification).

[0024] In this case, the users U to be notified of recommended quests may be all users U, but may also be limited to users U who own multiple characters and have not played the game for a predetermined period of time, such as users U for whom a predetermined period of time has passed since their last login to the game (hereinafter referred to as inactive users), or new users U who have just started playing the game or have little gaming experience (hereinafter referred to as beginner users).

[0025] In this embodiment, not only can a user U play alone, but so-called multiplay (hereinafter referred to as cooperative play) is also possible, in which multiple users U simultaneously play a common quest by operating their respective user terminals 10. In this cooperative play, a cooperative relationship is formed between a user U (hereinafter referred to as a host) who hosts a cooperative play for a specific quest and recruits companions, and users U (hereinafter referred to as guests) who respond to the recruitment and participate in the cooperative play, and the progress of play is synchronized between the users playing cooperatively.

[0026] Joint play is carried out through the communication function of the user terminal 10 of each user U. Specifically, when a user U applies to participate in a joint play invited by a host and the host accepts the application, a communication path for joint play is established between the user U as a guest and the host. The qualifications for applying for joint play are not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily. For example, a friend user who is another user U in a friendship relationship with a user U and who has been mutually approved by the users U may apply.

[0027] Thereafter, various data required for cooperative play is transmitted and received according to a known communication method. This data may be transmitted via a client-server method via the server 30, or via a P2P (peer-to-peer) method without the server 30. The cooperative play method is classified into a fully synchronous type and an asynchronous type, but either method may be adopted. The fully synchronous type includes a key input synchronization method and a command input method, while the asynchronous type includes a server-centralized processing method and a client-distributed processing method.

[0028] Note that cooperative play-compatible games include cooperative play games in which multiple users U cooperate, and competitive games in which users U compete against each other, but either type is acceptable. The upper limit on the number of users U in one cooperative play session (maximum number of players) is not particularly limited and may be set to any number, but it is preferable to set it to a maximum of about four people, for example.

[0029] Even in the case of this cooperative play, recommended quests may be recommended to user U. Therefore, the host can select a quest for which to host a cooperative play and recruit companions from among the notified recommended quests. On the other hand, when applying to participate in a cooperative play, a guest often has trouble deciding which host is recruiting participants for the cooperative play. However, for example, if a character owned by the guest or a character included in a member of the team organized by the guest is a recommended character for a quest selected by the host as a target for the cooperative play, the guest can be notified of that quest as a recommended quest, allowing the guest to select a quest to participate in the cooperative play from among the notified recommended quests.

[0030] 2 to 7, a description will be given of the transition of screens displayed on the user terminal 10 when notifying the user U of recommended quests. Figures 2 to 7 show examples of screens displayed on the user terminal 10 operated by the user U during gameplay.

[0031] First, as shown in FIG. 2, when the user U taps a recommended function button displayed on a home screen (not shown), a recommended function screen 50 is displayed on the user terminal 10. The recommendation function screen 50 displays multiple character icons 66 as recommended characters, and also displays a row of category icons 51 (51a to 51d) indicating categories that include recommended quests as recommended quests. For example, if the user U selects "Challenge the Super Difficulty Level" from multiple categories and taps or otherwise modifies the category icon 51a, recommended quests with a high level of difficulty are displayed on the recommended quest list screen 52 (described later). Furthermore, if the user U selects "Collect Clear Reward" and taps or otherwise modifies the category icon 51b, recommended quests for which the clear reward has not yet been collected, i.e., quests that the user U has not yet completed, are displayed on the recommended quest list screen 52 (described later). At this time, if the user U has not yet met the conditions for a category icon 51 indicating a category for which special conditions are set for playing (for example, category icon 51c), the icon is displayed in gray so as to be distinguishable from other playable categories (this may be a special display with a design resembling a lock, etc.), and the user U cannot select it. If the user U were to tap on the category icon 51c, a dialog box is displayed informing the user that the icon cannot be selected. Note that the category icon 51c may be hidden as long as the user U cannot select it.

[0032] When the user U selects any category from the categories displayed on the recommended function screen 50 and taps one of the category icons 51, a recommended quest list screen 52 is displayed, as shown in FIG. The recommended quest list screen 52 displays a row of quest icons 53 indicating recommended quests selected as described above from among the quests included in the selected category. In this embodiment, multiple recommended quests are displayed, but only the most compatible recommended quest may be displayed. When multiple recommended quests are displayed, the more compatible the recommended quest, the higher the priority may be, or the more compatible the recommended quest may be, the higher the priority may be. The recommendation level may be displayed in a distinguishable manner by color coding or the like.

[0033] When user U selects any recommended quest (e.g., "Quest A") from the categories displayed on the recommended quest list screen 52 and taps the quest icon 53, a recommended quest details screen 54 is displayed, as shown in Figure 4. The recommended quest details screen 54 displays a quest icon 53 indicating the title of the selected recommended quest, as well as character icons 55 (55a to 55h) indicating recommended characters or recommended related characters identified from among the characters possessed by the user U as characters that can be challenged. Two types of buttons for selecting a play mode are also displayed. (The training button 56 and the challenge button 57) are displayed.

[0034] When the user U selects the training play mode and taps the training button 56 on the recommended quest details screen 54, a training character selection screen 58 is displayed as shown in FIG. On the character-to-be-trained selection screen 58, character icons 55 (e.g., character icons 55c, 55e) are displayed that indicate characters narrowed down to those that can challenge the recommended quest by being trained and grown, such as when the recommended related character can be strengthened, evolved, or changed into a recommended character, among the recommended characters or recommended related characters identified from the characters possessed. Note that when narrowing down the characters, a condition may be imposed that the user U possesses materials for strengthening, evolving, or changing the recommended related character into a recommended character. Furthermore, two types of buttons (strengthening button 59 and evolution button 60) for selecting a type of training are displayed on the training character selection screen 58. The user U can select any character he or she wishes to train from these characters and tap its character icon 55, select the type of training and tap its button (for example, strengthening button 59), and train (strengthen) the selected character.

[0035] On the other hand, when the user U selects the challenge play mode and taps the challenge button 57 on the recommended quest details screen 54, a stage selection screen 61 is displayed as shown in FIG. On the stage selection screen 61, stage icons 62 indicating stages of different difficulty levels prepared for the recommended quest are displayed side by side below a quest icon 53 indicating the title or the like of the selected recommended quest. For example, in this embodiment, three stages are prepared in quest A: advanced, intermediate, and beginner. In addition, stamina (resources possessed by user U) consumed according to the difficulty level is set for each stage.

[0036] When the user U selects a stage of any difficulty level from the stages displayed on the stage selection screen 61 and taps or otherwise selects the stage icon 62, a team formation screen 63 is displayed as shown in FIG. The team organization screen 63 displays quest icons 53 indicating the titles of recommended quests, as well as character icons 64 (64a-64h) ​​indicating recommended characters identified from among the characters possessed by the user as characters recommended for inclusion in the team's members. The user U can select any character from these characters that he or she wishes to include in the team's members and, by tapping the character icon 64 (e.g., character icon 64a), form a team including the selected character as a member, and play the selected recommended quest with the formed team. The character icon 64 (e.g., character icon 64a) indicating the selected character is extracted to the member display area 65.

[0037] In this embodiment, a recommended quest list screen 52 is provided in addition to the quest list screen (not shown) to display the selected recommended quests. However, the recommended quests may be displayed alongside the regular quests in the quest list screen (not shown). In this case, it is preferable to display the recommended quests in a way that makes them distinguishable from the other quests.

[0038] In this way, quests selected for each user U based on the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the characters owned by the user U are notified to the user U as recommended quests, allowing the user U to easily select quests that are compatible with the characters they own, thereby improving the user U's game satisfaction and motivating them to play. It is expected that a user U who plays regularly will not have much difficulty in selecting a quest, but an inactive or beginner user may find it difficult to determine which of the many available quests suits their play style. This is especially true for an inactive user who owns many characters. Therefore, it is particularly effective to select and notify recommended quests to inactive or beginner users.

[0039] <About the configuration of the Game System S> Next, the configuration of a game system S for providing the above game to users U will be described. 1, the game system S is constructed so that a user U can play a game, and is composed of an information terminal (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal 10) operated by the user U, and a server 30. The user terminal 10 and the server 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet.

[0040] The user terminal 10 is equipped with a program stored therein and a processor that executes the program, and is carried by its owner, the user U, who operates the user terminal 10 when playing. The user terminal 10 may be any known device used as a gaming terminal, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, laptop PC, tablet device, wearable device, or dedicated gaming device with communication capabilities. The number of user terminals 10 constituting the game system S is not particularly limited and may be any number, but for convenience of illustration, FIG. 1 shows three user terminals 10.

[0041] The server 30 is a computer that constitutes the information processing device of the present invention. For example, it is configured by a server computer managed by a game provider and is responsible for game progress processing. Specifically, it manages the game account and status of each user U for each user U and distributes data related to game progress processing (hereinafter referred to as game progress data) to each user U. Furthermore, the server 30 is not limited to a server device consisting of a single computer that independently performs a specific function, but may be configured as a group of server devices consisting of multiple computers that are distributed but work together to perform a specific function.

[0042] The network N may be any network that connects the user terminal 10 and the server 30 in a state that enables data communication. It may be wired or wireless, and includes the Internet, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), an intranet, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc. Furthermore, the user terminals 10 may communicate with each other via the network N, or may communicate directly via Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wifi-Direct, etc. without going through the network N.

[0043] In the game system S of this embodiment, the user terminal 10 and the server 30 cooperate with each other in the above-described configuration to progress the game. Specifically, part of the game progress processing is performed on the server 30 side, and part of the graphics processing and the like is executed on the user terminal 10 side. For example, the server 30 side executes a program including certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the user terminal 10 side synchronizes with the server 30 and generates various quests according to the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 30, thereby progressing the game.

[0044] <Configuration of User Terminal 10> Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 8, the user terminal 10 has a hardware configuration including a processor 11, a storage device 12, a communication interface (referred to as communication I / F in Figure 8) 13, an input device 14, and an output device 15, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

[0045] The processor 11 includes, for example, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, or a digital signal processor, and executes various types of arithmetic processing based on programs or data stored in the storage device 12, and controls each part of the user terminal 10. The programs executed by the processor 11 include an OS (Operating System), which is system software for controlling the entire user terminal 10, and game application programs, and the functions of the user terminal 10 that constitutes the game system S are fulfilled by reading and executing these various programs by the processor 11.

[0046] The storage device 12 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data. The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and provides a working area for the processor 11 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores various data generated by the processing executed by the processor 11. The storage stores various data related to the game and is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

[0047] The communication interface 13 is configured by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or the like, and controls communication processing of the user terminal 10. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 13, and any public communication standard can be applied without any restrictions. The communication method used by the communication interface 13 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

[0048] The input device 14 is a device that receives an operation by the user U and generates data indicating the content of the received operation. As an example, an operation key, an operation button, a microphone for collecting sound, a camera for taking pictures, etc. provided on the user terminal 10 can be used.

[0049] The output device 15 is a device that draws a screen to display images, character string information, etc., and plays back audio. As an example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, a head-mounted display, a speaker, etc., provided in the user terminal 10 can be used. In this embodiment, the output device 15 includes at least a display. The display may be a device that combines the functions of both the input device 14 and the output device 15, such as a touch panel display.

[0050] Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 will be explained again from a functional perspective with reference to FIG. 9, the user terminal 10 includes multiple functional units, specifically, an operation identification unit 16, a terminal storage unit 17, a terminal generation unit 18, a terminal transmission / reception unit 19, and a display processing unit 20. These functional units are realized by the cooperation of hardware devices of the user terminal 10 and programs stored in the user terminal 10 as software.

[0051] [Operation specification part 16] The operation identification unit 16 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the input device 14, and identifies the content of various operations performed by the user U through the input device 14 of the user terminal 10. The operations identified by the operation identification unit 16 include operations for progressing through the game and operations related to cooperative play. Operations for progressing through the game include operations for moving a character through a predetermined action, as well as operations for selecting a quest to play, an operation for selecting a category that includes the quest to play, an operation for selecting a character to train, and an operation for organizing a team. Operations related to cooperative play include operations for inviting players to play cooperatively, applying for cooperative play, and operations for approving or rejecting the application.

[0052] [Terminal side storage unit 17] The terminal-side storage unit 17 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and stores various data relating to the progress of the game (for example, video data, image data, audio data, etc.).

[0053] [Terminal side generation unit 18] The terminal-side generation unit 18 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and generates game operation data and the like according to the operation content of the user U identified by the operation identification unit 16. The game operation data generated here includes quest selection data based on a quest selection operation, category selection data based on a category selection operation, character selection data based on a character selection operation, team formation data based on a team formation operation, and cooperative play data based on operations related to cooperative play. This generated data is transmitted to the server 30 by the terminal-side transmission / reception unit 19.

[0054] [Terminal side transceiver 19] The terminal-side transmitting / receiving unit 19 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12, and the communication interface 13, and transmits and receives data and information between the server 30 and the user terminals 10 of other users U. For example, while playing a game, the terminal-side transmitting / receiving unit 19 receives game progress data sent from the server 30 and transmits game operation data to the server 30. Furthermore, when a game is being played jointly, the terminal-side transmitting / receiving unit 19 may transmit and receive joint play data (specifically, game operation data of each user U) to and from the user terminals 10 of other users U.

[0055] [Display processing unit 20] The display processing unit 20 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12, and the output device 15, and executes display processing to display data and information received by the terminal-side transmitting / receiving unit 19 on a display using a browsing function. Specifically, the display processing unit 20 draws a game screen when the game starts, and during game play, the terminal-side transmitting / receiving unit 19 expands the game progress data received from the server 30 and displays images and other information on the game screen. Furthermore, during game play, the display processing unit 20 displays images on the game screen that change in accordance with the game operation data generated by the terminal-side generating unit 18 (specifically, images that move in accordance with the operation of the user U).

[0056] <Server 30 configuration> Next, the configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 8, the server 30 has the same hardware configuration as a typical server computer, and includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, and a communication interface (referred to as communication I / F in Figure 8) 33, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

[0057] The processor 31 is configured with a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSP, etc., and performs various processes by executing programs installed in the server 30. The programs executed by the processor 31 include an OS, which is system software for controlling the entire server 30, and application programs for causing the server 30 to function as the information processing device of the present invention.

[0058] The storage device 32 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data. The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, and provides a working area for the processor 31 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores data generated by various processes executed by the processor 31. The storage stores various data related to the user U and the games, etc., and is configured, for example, with flash memory, HDD, SSD, FD, MO disk, CD, DVD, SD card, USB memory, etc. Note that a server computer for a database connected to the server 30 via the network N may also be used as storage.

[0059] The communication interface 33 is configured, for example, by a network interface card or the like, and controls communication processing of the server 30. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 33, and any public communication standard can be applied without any restrictions. The communication method used by the communication interface 33 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

[0060] Next, the configuration of the server 30 will be explained again from a functional perspective with reference to FIG. 10, the server 30 includes multiple functional units, specifically a server-side storage unit 34, a server-side transmission / reception unit 35, a server-side generation unit 36, a recommendation unit 37, and a recommended character determination unit 38. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the server 30 and software programs stored in the server 30. Note that when the server 30 is configured with multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function.

[0061] [Server-side storage unit 34] The server-side storage unit 34 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and stores various data including data related to the user U and data for game progress. The data relating to the user U includes an identifier (user ID or terminal ID) that identifies the user U or the user terminal 10 used by the user U, and various information associated with that identifier. (Including personal information of the user U, the model of the user terminal 10, login history, payment history, and game progress such as status, etc.). The game progression data includes information regarding recommended characters associated with each quest, information regarding recommended related characters associated with the recommended characters, information regarding characters owned by user U, information regarding other objects such as items owned by user U, and various information regarding quests set for each user U.

[0062] [Server-side transmitting / receiving unit 35] The server-side transmitting / receiving unit 35 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and transmits and receives data and information to and from the user terminal 10. For example, while a game is being played, the server-side transmitting / receiving unit 35 transmits game progress data to the user terminal 10 of the user U, and receives game operation data from the user terminal 10. Furthermore, while a game is being played jointly, the server-side transmitting / receiving unit 35 receives joint play data from each of the user terminals 10 of the multiple users U playing jointly, and transmits data for synchronizing the users U (game progress data in a broad sense) to each user terminal 10.

[0063] [Server-side generation part 36] The server-side generation unit 36 ​​is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and generates data to be transmitted by the server-side transmission / reception unit 35. Specifically, the data generated here includes game progress data corresponding to the game operation data received from the user terminal 10, etc. The game progression data also includes category selection screen display data for displaying the recommended function screen 50 on the user terminal 10, recommended quest list screen display data for displaying the recommended quest list screen 52 on the user terminal 10, recommended quest detail screen display data for displaying the recommended quest detail screen 54 on the user terminal 10, character development selection screen display data for displaying the character development selection screen 58 on the user terminal 10, stage selection screen display data for displaying the stage selection screen 61 on the user terminal 10, team formation screen display data for displaying the team formation screen 63 on the user terminal 10, quest data for displaying information about a selected quest on the user terminal 10 to allow the user U to play that quest, collaborative play start screen data for displaying a collaborative play start screen on the user terminals 10 of multiple users U who are playing collaboratively, notifying them that collaborative play is about to begin, and data for synchronizing multiple users U who are playing collaboratively while collaborative play is taking place.

[0064] [Recommendation 37] The recommendation unit 37 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and selects recommended quests based on the characters possessed by the user U, and in cooperation with the server-side transceiver unit 35, transmits the selected recommended quests and information related to the recommended quests to the user terminal 10. Specifically, the user U is notified of information regarding recommended quests selected based on recommended characters or recommended related characters included among the characters owned by the user U. In addition to the information regarding recommended quests, the user U is also notified of information regarding the owned characters selected when selecting the recommended quests, i.e., information regarding recommended characters or recommended related characters identified from the owned characters (hereinafter referred to as character information). The character information notified here includes information regarding characters identified from the owned characters based on the recommended characters and recommended for inclusion as team members. It also includes information regarding characters that, if trained and developed, will become recommended characters or characters that can challenge recommended quests.

[0065] Recommended quests may be selected from among quests included in a category arbitrarily selected by user U. In this case, if user U has a small number of characters (a predetermined number or less), the number of recommended quests selected when user U selects a category may be excessively small. In such a case, even if user U selects a category, recommended quests may be selected from categories other than the selected category, regardless of the category. Furthermore, recommended quests may be selected based on the characters possessed by user U, taking into consideration the characteristics of the quests.

[0066] The recommended quest may be selected based on the recommended characters or recommended related characters already included among the owned characters in the team. In this case, a quest containing at least the number of recommended characters or recommended related characters required for the team among the owned characters may be selected as the recommended quest. The number required for the team may be, for example, two or more, or may include multiple instances of the same character. Furthermore, quests containing a greater number of recommended characters or recommended related characters among the team members may be recommended with higher priority. The user U may be notified in an identifiable manner of recommended quests that can be challenged with the already-organized team as is, and recommended quests that can be challenged by incorporating at least one owned character not included in the currently-organized team members into the team (recommended quests that can be played by reorganizing the team).

[0067] In this embodiment, information related to recommended quests is provided to the user terminal 10 as recommended quest list screen display data and recommended quest detail screen display data. Character information is provided to the user terminal 10 as recommended quest detail screen display data, character development selection screen display data, and team formation screen display data.

[0068] [Recommended Character Determination Section 38] The recommended character determination unit 38 is realized mainly by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and determines, for each quest, recommended characters that are recommended for use when playing the quest. Specifically, for each quest, characters used by other users U who have previously played and completed that quest are ranked based on the number of times they have been used, and the top few characters in that ranking are determined to be recommended characters. The number of times used is tallied periodically (for example, once a day) or irregularly, and the rankings may change each time, and the recommended characters may be changed.

[0069] In general, the user terminal 10 and the server 30 have various functions other than those described above, but here we will only explain the characteristic functions that have an effect in the game system S of the present invention, and will not illustrate or explain other known functions, etc.

[0070] <Processing flow of Game System S> Next, the flow of processing executed in the game system S configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. The information processing method of this embodiment is realized by using a game system S that functions as a computer system; in other words, the information processing method of this embodiment is applied to the information processing performed by the game system S.

[0071] The information processing executed in the game system S in this embodiment is broadly divided into two processes: a process for notifying the user U of recommended quests selected based on the characters possessed by the user U [recommended quest notification process], and a process for determining recommended characters for each quest [recommended character determination process]. Each process will be explained individually below.

[0072] [Recommended quest notification process] First, the recommended quest notification process will be described with reference to FIGS. The "recommended quest notification process" is a process executed on the server 30, which selects a recommended quest for each user U based on the recommended characters or recommended related characters included among the characters owned by the user U, and notifies the user U of the selected recommended quest.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, when the server 30 receives category selection data indicating a category selected by the user U from the recommended function screen 50 from the user terminal 10 and accepts the category selection (S101), it narrows down the quests suitable for the user U to play from among the quests included in the selected category based on the quest characteristics of each quest (S102). In addition, if a recommended quest is selected regardless of the category selected by the user U, or if a recommended quest is selected without considering the quest characteristics, the above steps (S101 or S102) may be omitted.

[0074] Then, the server 30 compares the characters possessed by the user U with the recommended characters associated with each quest (S103), identifies the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the possessed characters for each quest, and calculates the number X of the recommended characters or recommended related characters possessed (S104). In addition, if a team has already been formed, the characters included in the team members instead of the characters owned may be compared with the recommended characters associated with each quest, and for each quest, the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the team members may be identified, and the number of recommended characters or recommended related characters owned may be calculated.

[0075] Then, the server 30 selects as recommended quests those quests for which the number X of recommended characters or recommended related characters owned by the user U is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (S105), and by transmitting recommended quest list screen display data for displaying the recommended quest list screen 52 and recommended quest detail screen display data for displaying the recommended quest detail screen 54, etc. to the user terminal 10, notifies the user U of information regarding the selected recommended quests and character information regarding the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the characters owned by the user U identified for each recommended quest (S106), and ends the processing. The character information may be notified as information about characters that are recommended to be included as team members when playing a quest, or as information about characters that, if trained and developed, will become recommended characters or characters that can challenge recommended quests.

[0076] 12, when the server 30 receives from the user terminal 10 category selection data indicating a category selected by the user U from the recommended function screen 50 (S201), it narrows down the quests that are suitable for the user U to play from among the quests included in the selected category based on the quest characteristics of each quest (S202).

[0077] Then, the server 30 compares the characters possessed by the user U with the recommended characters associated with each quest (S203), identifies the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the possessed characters for each quest, and calculates the number X of the recommended characters or recommended related characters possessed (S204).

[0078] Then, the server 30 ranks the quests in descending order of the number X of recommended characters or recommended related characters possessed (S205), selects the top N quests as recommended quests (S206), and transmits recommended quest list screen display data for displaying the recommended quest list screen 52 and recommended quest detail screen display data for displaying the recommended quest detail screen 54, etc. to the user terminal 10, thereby notifying the user U of information regarding the selected recommended quests and character information regarding the recommended characters or recommended related characters included in the characters possessed by the user U identified for each recommended quest (S207), and then ends the processing. In this case, a lower limit for the number of possessions X may be set in advance, and if the number of possessions X is equal to or less than this lower limit, the quest will not be included in the recommended quests even if it is within the top N, and the number of recommended quests may be equal to or less than N.

[0079] The recommended quest notification process ends when the series of steps shown in Figure 11 or 12 is completed. After that, the series of steps are repeatedly performed while the user U is playing the game, or periodically or irregularly as time passes even when the user U is not playing the game. The above is an example of the recommended quest notification process.

[0080] [Recommended character determination process] Next, the recommended character determination process will be described with reference to FIG. The "recommended character determination process" is a process executed by the server 30, which determines, for each quest, a recommended character that is recommended for use when playing the quest.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 13, the server 30 identifies, from the history stored for each quest, characters used by other users U who have previously played and completed that quest (S301), and tally the number of times each character has been used for each quest (S302). The number of times a character is used may be calculated for the entire period, or may be calculated for each predetermined period. The number of times a character is used may also be calculated separately according to the character's attributes or acquisition route, etc.

[0082] Next, the server 30 ranks the characters in order of frequency of use for each quest. (S303), and the top N characters are determined as recommended characters (S304).The determined recommended characters are then stored in association with the quest (S305), and the process ends.

[0083] The recommended character determination process ends when the series of steps shown in Figure 13 is completed. Thereafter, the series of steps are repeated periodically or irregularly, and if the ranking of the characters changes each time, the recommended characters will be changed accordingly. The above is an example of the recommended character determination process.

[0084] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In the above embodiment, the server 30 executes the program of the present invention and functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some or all of the functions of the server 30 as the information processing device may be provided in the user terminal 10. For example, the user terminal 10 may be provided with a function equivalent to the recommendation unit 37, etc.

[0085] In the present embodiment, an online game that uses data communication between the user terminal 10 operated by the user U and the server 30 has been described as an example of a game. However, the type of game is not particularly limited, and the game may be an offline game that does not require data communication. Alternatively, the game may be, for example, a social game that can be used with only a web browser and an SNS (Social Networking Service) account.

[0086] <Summary> The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[0087] [1] The information processing device according to this embodiment has a recommendation unit that recommends quests that can be played using characters owned by the user within the game, and the recommendation unit notifies the user of quests selected based on the characters owned. According to the information processing device described above, playable quests are selected based on the characters possessed by the user and notified to the user, allowing the user to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters possessed, thereby improving the user's game satisfaction.

[0088] [2] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies the user of information about the owned character selected when selecting a quest. This allows users, especially those who own multiple characters, to easily check which characters they own that correspond to quests that are compatible with their play style, further increasing users' satisfaction with the game.

[0089] [3] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies the user of quests selected based on the characters possessed from among quests included in the category selected by the user. This allows the user to easily select a quest from the category of their choice that is suited to the play style of the characters they own, further increasing the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0090] [4] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies a user who has not played the game for a predetermined period of time of the selected quest. This allows even users who have been away from the game for a while to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters they own, further increasing users' satisfaction with the game.

[0091] [5] In the above information processing device, a quest is associated with a recommended character that is recommended to be used when playing the quest, and the recommendation unit notifies the user of a quest selected based on the recommended characters included in the characters owned. This allows the user to easily select a quest that is particularly suited to the play style of the characters they own, further increasing the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0092] [6] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies the user of quests selected based on recommended related characters related to recommended characters included in the owned characters. This allows users who do not own the recommended characters to easily select quests that are particularly compatible with the play style that corresponds to the characters they own, further increasing users' satisfaction with the game.

[0093] [7] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies the user of information regarding recommended related characters included in the owned characters. This allows users, especially those who own multiple characters, to easily check recommended related characters that correspond to quests that are compatible with their play style, further improving users' game satisfaction.

[0094] [8] In the above information processing device, the recommended character is determined based on the number of times that the character has been used in a quest by other users. This allows users to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters they own, taking into account the play tendencies of other users, further improving users' game satisfaction.

[0095] [9] In the above-mentioned information processing device, a quest is played by forming a team consisting of multiple characters, and the recommendation unit notifies the user of a quest selected based on recommended characters included among the characters owned and making up the team. This allows the user to easily select a quest that is compatible with the play style of the characters that make up the team, further increasing the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0096]

[10] In the information processing device described above, the recommendation unit selects quests in which the number of recommended characters required for the team is more than the number of characters owned, and notifies the user of the quests. This allows the user to easily select a quest that is particularly suited to the play style of the characters that make up the team, further increasing the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0097]

[11] In the above information processing device, the number includes a case where the same recommended character is included multiple times among the owned characters. This allows the user to easily select a quest that is particularly suited to the play style of the characters that make up the team, further increasing the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0098]

[12] In the information processing device, the recommendation unit selects characters to form a team for playing a quest from recommended characters included in the characters owned and notifies the user of the characters. This allows users, especially those who own multiple characters, to easily check the recommended characters for quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters they own that make up their team, further improving users' satisfaction with the game.

[0099]

[13] In the above information processing device, the recommendation unit notifies the user of a quest selected based on a quest characteristic associated with the quest. This allows the user to easily select a quest that is particularly suited to the play style of the characters they possess, based on quest characteristics, i.e., whether or not the user U has cleared the quest before, the difficulty level, the play deadline, or the amount of the clear reward, etc., thereby further improving the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0100]

[14] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of this embodiment, the computer notifies the user of a quest selected based on the characters possessed by the user from among quests that can be played using the characters possessed by the user in the game. According to the information processing method described above, playable quests are selected based on the characters possessed by the user and notified to the user, allowing the user to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters possessed, thereby improving the user's game satisfaction.

[0101]

[15] Furthermore, according to the program of this embodiment, the program is executed by a computer, and causes the computer to notify the user of a quest selected based on the characters possessed by the user from among quests that can be played using the characters possessed by the user in the game. According to the program, playable quests are selected based on the characters owned by the user and notified to the user, allowing the user to easily select quests that are compatible with the play style of the characters owned, thereby improving the user's game satisfaction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 User terminal 11 processors 12 Storage device 13 Communication Interface 14 Input Devices 15 Output Devices 16 Operation specific part 17 Terminal side memory unit 18 Terminal side generation unit 19 Terminal side transceiver 20 Display processing section 30 servers 31 processors 32 Storage device 33 Communication Interface 34 Server-side storage unit 35 Server-side transmission / reception unit 36 Server-side generation unit 37 Recommendation section 38 Recommended Character Determination Section 50 Recommended features screen 51(51a~51d) Category Icon 52 Recommended Quest List Screen 53 Quest Icon 54 Recommended Quest Details Screen 55(55a~55h) Character Icon 56 Development button 57 Challenge Button 58 Character selection screen 59 Enhanced Button 60 Evolution Button 61 Stage selection screen 62 Stage Icons 63 Team formation screen 64(64a~64h) Character Icon 65 Member display area 66 Character Icons N Network S Game System U User

Claims

[Claim 1] a recommendation unit that recommends quests that can be played using characters owned by a user in the game; the recommendation unit notifies the user of the quest selected based on the owned character; 1. An information processing device comprising:

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