Information processing device, program and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device for a user satisfying a prescribed condition about a provided stage group to receive the provision of a new stage group obtained by replacing a partial stage at prescribed timing, a program and an information processing method.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, an information processing device for managing stages of a game is provided. The information processing device is provided with a stage providing part, and the stage providing part provides a first user with a first stage group composed of two or more stages, and provides the first user with a second stage group composed of two or more stages in which the stages composing the stage group are partially different from the first stage group instead of the first stage group in the case of satisfying a clear condition of the first stage group at first timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a server that provides a game including a plurality of stages in which the stages are cleared in order. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2015-198946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there has not been a system provided that updates the stages provided at a predetermined timing.

[0005] The present invention provides an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method that allow a user who meets specified conditions for a group of stages provided to receive a new group of stages in which some of the stages have been replaced at a specified time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that manages game stages and includes a stage providing unit that provides a first user with a first stage group consisting of two or more stages, and if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, provides the first user with a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages that differ from those of the first stage group instead of the first stage group.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user who has met the conditions for clearing a group of stages that is provided can be provided with a new group of stages in which some of the stages have been replaced at a predetermined timing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a stage management system 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a server 10 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a user terminal 20 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an update of a provision stage group in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is another diagram illustrating updating of the provision stage group in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequential play system in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating changes in the cleared state of each stage due to switching of periods in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating updating of a group of provision stages in Modification 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a provision stage group determination in Modification 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 2 is a diagram showing a flow of processing by the stage management system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server 10 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the provision of rewards in the second embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship in size of the clear reward in one aspect of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a decrease in the completion reward in Modification 1 of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an overview of a stage management system 2 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a server 10 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between stages in which cooperative play is possible in the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between stages in which cooperative play is possible in Modification 1 of the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between stages in which cooperative play is possible in Modification 2 of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an invention independently.

[0010] 1. First Embodiment (1-1. Stage Management System 1) An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a server 10 that constitutes a part of a stage management system 1 as shown in FIG.

[0011] The server 10 is configured to be able to communicate with the user terminal 20 via a communication line 5. The server 10, which provides the first stage group to the first user U1, provides the second stage group to the first user U1 instead of the first stage if a predetermined condition is met at a predetermined timing, and updates the stage group to be provided. Each component will be described below.

[0012] (1-2. Hardware configuration of stage management system 1) The hardware configuration of the stage management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] (1-2-1. Hardware configuration of Server 10) 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of server 10 according to this embodiment. Server 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. Server 10 may also include an operation input unit 14 configured with a keyboard, a mouse, etc., for accepting input of various operations, and a monitor 15, such as a liquid crystal display device, for displaying various images.

[0014] The control unit 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like, and controls the overall operation of the server 10.

[0015] A part of the storage unit 12 is configured with, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area when the control unit 11 executes processes based on various programs. In addition, a part of the storage unit 12 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various data and programs used in the processing of the control unit 11.

[0016] The programs stored in the memory unit 12 include, for example, an OS (Operating System) for realizing the basic functions of the server 10, drivers for controlling various hardware, programs for realizing various functions, etc., and include the computer program related to this embodiment.

[0017] The communication unit 13 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Controller) and has a function of connecting to the communication line 5. Note that the communication unit 13 may have, instead of or together with the NIC, a function of connecting to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a function of connecting to a wireless WAN (Wide Area Network), a function of enabling short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, etc. The server 10 is connected to other information processing devices such as user terminals 20 via the communication line 5, and can transmit and receive various data to and from the other information processing devices, etc.

[0018] The control unit 11, storage unit 12, communication unit 13, operation input unit 14, and monitor 15 are electrically connected to one another via a system bus 16. Therefore, the control unit 11 can access the storage unit 12, display images on the monitor 15, grasp the operation status of the operation input unit 14 by the user, and access various communication networks and other information processing devices via the communication unit 13.

[0019] (1-2-2. Hardware Configuration of User Terminal 20) 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a user terminal 20 according to this embodiment. The user terminal 20 is, for example, an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The user terminal 20 may also include a display unit 24 such as a touch panel display that can display images and receive operations, a speaker 25 that outputs sound, a microphone 26 that inputs sound, a camera 27 that captures an image of a subject, and operation buttons 28. The following description will focus on the differences from the server 10.

[0020] The operation buttons 28 are provided on the side of the user terminal 20, and include a power button for starting or stopping the user terminal 20, a button for adjusting the volume of the sound output by the speaker 25, and the like.

[0021] The control unit 21, memory unit 22, communication unit 23, display unit 24, speaker 25, microphone 26, camera 27, and operation buttons 28 are electrically connected to one another via a system bus 29. Therefore, the control unit 21 can access the memory unit 22, display images on the display unit 24, grasp the operation state of the touch panel display (display unit 24) and operation buttons 28 by the user, input sound to the microphone 26, output sound from the speaker 25, control the camera 27, and access various communication networks and other information processing devices via the communication unit 23.

[0022] (1-3. Functional configuration of server 10) As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 11 of the server 10 has a stage providing unit 11a. The stage providing unit 11a provides a first stage group consisting of two or more stages to the first user U1, and if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, provides a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages different from those of the first stage group to the first user U1 instead of the first stage group. Details of this function will be described later.

[0023] The above-described functional configuration may be realized by software (including so-called applications) appropriately installed on the server 10, or may be realized by hardware. When realized by software, the control unit 11 can realize various functions by executing programs that constitute the software.

[0024] When the program is implemented by executing the program, the program may be stored in the storage unit 12 built into the server 10 or in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Alternatively, the program may be read from an external storage device and implemented using so-called cloud computing. Alternatively, when the program is implemented using hardware, it may be implemented using various circuits such as ASIC, SOC, FPGA, or DRP. Furthermore, some of the functional configurations or functions described above may be processed by software or hardware in the user terminal 20, etc.

[0025] (1-4. Functions of the stage providing unit 11a) The stage providing unit 11a provides a first user U1 with a first stage group consisting of two or more stages. Then, if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages different from those of the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 instead of the first stage group. With this configuration, a user who meets the clearing conditions for the provided stage group can be provided with a new stage group in which some of the stages have been replaced at a predetermined timing.

[0026] Here, the "stage group" such as the first stage group is a unit of game components that is made up of multiple stages that the game has. A stage is a unit of game components that contains goals, tasks, or missions that the player must achieve, or a scenario that the user must progress through. In addition, there may be other game components that are larger units than a "stage group," such as quests.

[0027] As one aspect, a case will be described in which a game has a quest as a game component. A quest has a plurality of stages that can be provided. The stage providing unit 11a forms a stage group from two or more stages that are part of the plurality of stages that can be provided, and provides this to the user. The stages included in the stage group are missions in which one or more characters that can be controlled by the user progress while defeating multiple enemy characters, including a boss. In such a case, the control unit 11 accepts the designation of a stage and the organization of a deck (group) of one or more characters that can be controlled by the user. Then, the control unit 11 starts conquering a stage by accepting a command to sortie with the deck, and determines that the stage has been cleared (stage cleared) when the boss is defeated, and ends the stage conquer. The game may also end without being cleared due to a game over, etc.

[0028] The stage providing unit 11a may be configured to provide a first stage group consisting of two or more stages to the first user U1 during a first period, and to provide the first stage group or the second stage group to the first user during a second period. The second period is a period that starts after the end of the first period. With this configuration, the user can repeatedly play the provided stage group within each period.

[0029] The first timing is, for example, any time after the end of the first period and before the start of provision of the second stage group. More specifically, the first timing is the end of the first period, any time between the end of the first period and the start of the second period, the start of the second period, or the start of provision of the second stage group.

[0030] 5A and 5B, the first stage group is composed of a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage selected from the stages that can be provided by the stage provider 11a, and the second stage group is composed of a third stage, a fourth stage, and a fifth stage selected from the stages that can be provided by the stage provider 11a.

[0031] Here, the "clear condition" refers to a predetermined condition that includes clearing a stage. The "clear condition" may be, for example, clearing a predetermined number of stages included in a stage group, or having a predetermined clear reward (described below) in addition to clearing a stage. In one aspect, the "clear condition" may be clearing all stages that make up a stage group.

[0032] For example, in Figures 5A and 5B, the "clearing condition" is that all stages (first stage, second stage, and third stage) of the first stage group are cleared. In this case, in Figure 5A, since the first stage, second stage, and third stage are all cleared at the first timing and the clearing condition of the first stage group is met, the stage providing unit 11a provides the second stage group to the first user U1 in the second period. Note that in the second stage group, the first stage and second stage included in the first stage group are replaced with the fourth stage and fifth stage.

[0033] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the third stage has not been cleared at the first timing and the clearing conditions for the first stage group are not met, so the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 in the second period as well.

[0034] 5A, two stages constituting the first stage group are swapped to provide the second stage group, but the number of swapped stages may be configured to change depending on the user's playing status. That is, the stage providing unit 11a may be configured to control the first stage group so that it is composed of a stages, and the second stage group so that it does not include the m stages included in the first stage group, but includes n stages not included in the first stage group, and is composed of b stages, and to determine the values ​​of m and n depending on the playing status of the first user U1. Here, a is an integer equal to or greater than 2, b is an integer equal to or greater than 2, m is an integer satisfying the relationship 1≦m≦(a-1), and n is an integer equal to or greater than 1. With this configuration, the number of swapped stages can be changed depending on the playing status. That is, the degree of update of the stage group provided can be controlled to match the user's playing status.

[0035] Here, "play status" refers to the number of times a user has cleared each stage, play time, play frequency, game proficiency (calculated based on various statuses), possession and use of game elements such as items and clear rewards (described below), etc.

[0036] In the example of Fig. 5A, a = 3, b = 3, m = 2, and n = 2, and two stages are swapped. On the other hand, in the example of Fig. 6, a = 3, b = 2, m = 2, and n = 1, and two stages are removed from the configuration of the first stage group and one stage is added, and the second stage group has a swapped configuration.

[0037] In one embodiment, the stages constituting the stage group may be controlled so that they can be played in any order (arbitrary play method). In another embodiment, a certain stage may be controlled so that it can be played only after one or more other stages have been cleared (sequential play method). For example, in the first stage group of FIG. 5A, if the second stage can be played only after the first stage has been cleared, and the third stage can be played only after the second stage has been cleared, the game can be controlled so that the user can play and clear the stages in the order "first stage → second stage → third stage" (FIG. 7).

[0038] In the sequential play mode, when the game is set up so that stages are played and cleared in the order "Stage 1 → Stage 2 → Stage 3 → Stage 4 → Stage 5," changing the configuration from the first stage group to the second stage group is done by pushing them out, as shown in Figure 5A. Two stages are removed from the first stage group and two stages are added to provide the second stage. In this case, the two stages removed are Stage 1 and Stage 2, which are the earliest in the order. The two stages added are Stage 4 and Stage 5, which follow Stage 3.

[0039] Furthermore, the stage provider 11a may be configured to be able to change the cleared state of each stage at a first timing. In an example in which the cleared state of each stage is not changed, the cleared state of the third stage in the second stage group is carried over from the first period to the second period, as shown in FIG. 8. That is, no change is made from "clear." On the other hand, in an example in which the cleared state of each stage is changed, as shown in FIG. 5A, the third stage was in the "cleared" state in the first stage group in the first period, but was changed to "not cleared" at the first timing when the second period begins. That is, the stage provider 11a changes the cleared state of the third stage.

[0040] (1-5. Modification 1 of the First Embodiment) Furthermore, the stage providing unit 11a may be configured to provide the first user with any one of the first, second, and third stage groups during the third period. The third stage group is a stage group consisting of two or more stages, and some of the stages constituting the stage group are different from those of the first and second stage groups. The third period is a period that starts after the end of the second period.

[0041] The second timing is, for example, any time after the end of the second period and before the start of provision of the third stage group. More specifically, the second timing is the end of the second period, any time between the end of the second period and the start of the third period, the start of the third period, or the start of provision of the third stage group.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9A, at the second timing, if the first user U1, who was provided with the second stage group during the second period, meets the clear conditions for the second stage group, the stage providing unit 11a provides the third stage group to the first user U1 instead of the second stage group.

[0043] As shown in Figure 9B, if the first user U1 who was provided with the second stage group during the second period does not satisfy the clear conditions of the second stage group but satisfies the maintenance conditions of the second stage group, the stage providing unit 11a provides the second stage group to the first user U1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 9C, if the first user U1 who was provided with the second stage group during the second period does not satisfy the clear conditions of the second stage group and does not satisfy the maintenance conditions of the second stage group, the stage providing unit 11a provides the first stage group to the first user U1 instead of the second stage group.

[0045] Here, the "maintenance condition" refers to a condition for providing a user who has been provided with a certain stage group during a certain period with the same stage group during the next period. However, if the "clear condition" for the stage group is met, satisfaction of the "clear condition" takes precedence. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, if the clear condition for the second stage group is met, the third stage group may be provided regardless of whether the maintenance condition for the second stage group is met.

[0046] The "maintenance condition" may be, for example, clearing a predetermined number of stages included in a stage group, clearing a specific stage, or having a predetermined clear reward (described below) in addition to clearing a stage. However, the "maintenance condition" is different from the "clear condition." For example, when comparing the "clear condition" and the "maintenance condition," the "clear condition" may be more difficult than the "maintenance condition," such as having a larger number of stages that must be cleared.

[0047] By adopting such a configuration, the user is motivated to progress through the game so as to at least satisfy the maintenance conditions for the group of stages provided and to prevent the group of stages provided from reverting to the previous group of stages.

[0048] (1-6. Processing flow by stage management system 1) The flow of processing by the stage management system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0049] First, a stage providing step S110 is executed as shown in Fig. 11. In S110, the stage providing unit 11a starts providing the first stage group to the first user U1 in response to a request from the user terminal 20 (S210).

[0050] S220 may be executed. In S220, the server 10 receives the play status of the first user U1, such as clearing a stage, from the user terminal 20. S220 may be executed while the first stage group is being provided, or between the end of the first period and the start of the second period, etc.

[0051] Next, S120 is executed at the first timing. In S120, the stage providing unit 11a determines whether the first user U1 meets the clearing conditions for the first stage group, and determines the stage group to be provided in the second period. Thereafter, S130, S230, and S240 are executed in the same manner as S110, S210, and S220.

[0052] Next, at the second timing, S140 is executed. In S140, if the second stage group has been provided to the first user U1 in the second period, the stage providing unit 11a determines whether the first user U1 meets the clearing conditions for the second stage group, and determines the stage group to be provided in the third period. Here, the stage providing unit 11a may also determine whether the maintenance conditions for the second stage group are met, and determine the stage group to be provided in the third period.

[0053] If the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 in the second period, S140 is the same as S130.

[0054] Thereafter, S150, S250, and S260 are performed in the same manner as S110, S210, and S220.

[0055] 2. Second Embodiment (2-1. Stage Management System 1 According to the Second Embodiment) The stage management system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The stage management system 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it further includes a reward granting unit 11b, as shown in Fig. 12. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0056] (2-2. Functional configuration of server 10) As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 11 of the server 10 includes a stage providing unit 11a and a reward granting unit 11b.

[0057] (2-3. Functions of the reward granting unit 11b) The reward granting unit 11b grants a clearing reward to the first user U1 when each stage is cleared, as shown in Fig. 13A. Here, the "clearing reward" refers to game elements such as points or in-game currency that are granted upon clearing a stage. The content of the clearing reward may be set for each stage.

[0058] Furthermore, the clear reward may include an additional reward if certain conditions are met in addition to the reward set for each stage. For example, as shown in Fig. 13B, when all stages included in the first stage group are cleared for the first time, the reward granting unit 11b may grant a group domination reward as a clear reward in addition to the stage clear reward.

[0059] Furthermore, the reward granting unit 11b controls the clear reward for each stage included in the second stage group but not included in the first stage group so that it is greater than any clear reward for any stage included in the first stage group but not included in the second stage group. By adopting this configuration, when the stage is changed to the second stage group, the clear reward to be granted is replaced with a stage that is greater, thereby providing the user with an incentive to fulfill the clear conditions for the stage group being provided.

[0060] For example, as shown in Figure 14, suppose the clear rewards for the first, second, and third stages that make up the first stage group are 100, 200, and 300 points, respectively. In this case, the clear rewards for the fourth and fifth stages, which are included in the second stage group but not the first stage group, are controlled to be greater than the clear rewards for the first and second stages, which are included in the first stage group but not the second stage group. In other words, the clear rewards for the fourth and fifth stages are set to be greater than 200 points for the second stage, which has the largest clear reward in the first stage group excluding the third stage.

[0061] Furthermore, in the sequential play mode, when the game is set to be played and cleared in the order of "first stage → second stage → third stage," the reward granting unit 11b may control the game so that the clear reward increases in the order of "first stage → second stage → third stage," as shown in Fig. 14. This configuration can motivate the user to play the second stage instead of just playing the first stage.

[0062] (2-4. Modification 1 of the Second Embodiment) The reward granting unit 11b may also control the clear rewards for stages included in the second stage group but not included in the first stage group so that they are greater than any of the clear rewards for stages included in the first stage group. That is, the clear rewards for the fourth and fifth stages may be set to be greater than 300 points for the third stage, which has the largest clear reward in the first stage group.

[0063] The reward granting unit 11b may also be configured to reduce the size of the clear reward granted when a stage is cleared according to the number of times the stage has been cleared. By configuring in this way, the clear reward is reduced according to the number of times the same stage has been cleared, which motivates the user to play the stages included in the group of stages provided in a balanced manner.

[0064] For example, as shown in FIG. 15, if a stage is cleared multiple times during the same first period, the clear reward from the second time onward is reduced based on a predetermined condition. In FIG. 15, when the clear reward is given in points, the nth clear reward is calculated based on the condition [(first clear reward) - (first clear reward) x 0.1 x (n-1)] (but not less than 10% of the first clear reward). In other words, if the first clear reward for the first stage is 100 points, the second clear reward is 90 points (= 100 - 100 x 0.1 x 1). The tenth clear reward is 10 points (= 100 - 100 x 0.1 x 9), and the eleventh and subsequent clear rewards are also 10 points.

[0065] In the second period, the number of times a stage has been cleared may be counted again regardless of the number of times the stage has been cleared in the first period. However, the cumulative number of times each stage has been cleared may be recorded in the storage unit 12 or the like in a manner that does not reflect the calculation of the clear reward.

[0066] (2-5. Modification 2 of the Second Embodiment) In addition, the reward granting unit 11b may be configured to accept a request from the first user U1 to exchange the granted clear reward for other game elements based on a predetermined exchange rate, and to cause at least a portion of the clear reward granted to the first user U1 during the first period to disappear between the end of the first period and the start of the second period.

[0067] That is, the first user U1 can exchange the clear reward (including the group domination reward, etc.) for items that can be used in the game. On the other hand, if the clear reward is not exchanged by the start of the second period, the clear reward that was granted in the first period and has not been exchanged for other game elements will be lost. In other words, the clear reward cannot be carried over to another period. In one aspect, the process of losing the clear reward may be executed at the first timing.

[0068] With this configuration, since the clear rewards will disappear before the start of the next period, the user is motivated to progress through the stages within each period and earn as many clear rewards as possible in order to exchange them for other game elements such as better items.

[0069] (2-6. Processing flow by the stage management system 1 according to the second embodiment) The basic processing flow is the same as in the first embodiment, but differs in that a reward granting step is executed when a stage is cleared. In the reward granting step, a clearing reward is granted to the first user U1 when each stage is cleared. In addition, a reward exchange step in which the clearing reward is exchanged for game elements such as items, and a reward reset step in which the clearing reward is reset may be executed as appropriate.

[0070] 3. Third Embodiment (3-1. Stage Management System 2) The following describes a stage management system 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 16, the stage management system 2 differs from the first and second embodiments in that it further includes a cooperative play control unit 11c (Fig. 17) for controlling cooperative play between a first user U1 and a second user U2. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0071] When a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 is received, the cooperative play control unit 11c controls the cooperative play to be possible in a stage that satisfies a predetermined condition. Note that the user terminal 20a used by the first user U1 and the user terminal 20b used by the second user U2 may be configured in the same manner as the user terminal 20 described above.

[0072] (3-2. Functional configuration of server 10) 17, the control unit 11 of the server 10 has a stage providing unit 11a and a cooperative play control unit 11c. The control unit 11 may further have a reward providing unit 11b.

[0073] (3-3. Functions of the stage providing unit 11a) The stage providing unit 11a provides a first stage group consisting of two or more stages to a first user U1 during a first period. Also, the stage providing unit 11a provides a fourth stage group consisting of two or more stages to a second user U2 during the first period.

[0074] (3-4. Functions of the cooperative play control unit 11c) When the cooperative play control unit 11c receives a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 from the first user U1 or the second user U2 during the first period, the cooperative play control unit 11c controls to enable cooperative play in stages that overlap between the first stage group and the fourth stage group. By configuring in this way, it is possible to control to limit the stages available for cooperative play to the stages provided to each user.

[0075] The following description will be given with reference to the example shown in Fig. 18. In a first period, a first user U1 is provided with a first stage group consisting of a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage. In the first period, a second user U2 is provided with a second stage group consisting of a third stage, a fourth stage, and a fifth stage.

[0076] The third stage overlaps between the first stage group and the second stage group. In such a case, the first user U1 can act as a host and invite the second user U2 to cooperative play in the third stage. The second user U2 can act as a host and invite the first user U1 to cooperative play in the third stage. In other words, if the stages in the stage groups being provided to each user overlap, either user can act as a host and request the cooperative play control unit 11c to engage in cooperative play in the overlapping stage with the other user as a guest.

[0077] (3-4. Modification 1 of the third embodiment) In addition, when the cooperative play control unit 11c receives a request from a second user U2 for cooperative play with the first user U1 for a stage that has been provided for the first user U1 but cannot be played by the first user U1 alone, the stage providing unit 11a may be configured to limit cooperative play to the second user U2 and control the stage so that it can be played by the first user U1.

[0078] An example will be described with reference to Fig. 19. A first user U1 is provided with a first stage group. If the first stage group is set in a sequential play format so that the stages are played and cleared in the order of "first stage → second stage → third stage", the first user U1 can play the second stage alone since he has only cleared the first stage, but cannot play the third stage alone.

[0079] Meanwhile, the second user U2 is provided with the fourth stage group. The second user U2 is able to play the third stage group alone. The second user U2 can request cooperative play with the first user U1 as the host to the cooperative play control unit 11c for the third stage. The stage providing unit 11a then controls the game so that the first user U1 can play the third stage, but only in cooperative play with the second user U2. Even if the first user U1 requests cooperative play with the first user U1 as the host to the cooperative play control unit 11c for the third stage, the first user U1 cannot play cooperatively and will not be able to play the third stage.

[0080] In addition, when the third stage is cleared through cooperative play with the second user U2, the stage providing unit 11a may be configured to control the game so that the first user U1 can play the third stage independently thereafter. Furthermore, this clearing can result in the third stage being treated in the same way as if the first user U1 had cleared it independently.

[0081] (3-5. Modification 2 of the Third Embodiment) The cooperative play control unit 11c may be configured to control the cooperative play to be enabled in a stage that overlaps between the first stage group or the second stage group and the fourth stage group when a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 is received from the second user U2 during the second period. By configuring in this way, it is possible to control the cooperative play to be enabled in a stage that was previously provided for a guest user invited to cooperative play.

[0082] The following description will be given with reference to the examples shown in Figures 20A and 20B. In Figure 20A, the stage provider 11a provides a first stage group consisting of a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage to a first user U1 in a first period. Then, the stage provider 11a provides a second stage group consisting of a third stage, a fourth stage, and a fifth stage to a first user U1 in a second period. Meanwhile, the stage provider 11a provides a fourth stage group consisting of a second stage, a third stage, and a fourth stage to a second user U2 in a second period.

[0083] In such a case, as shown in Figure 20A, for the second stage (or third stage) provided to the first user U1 during the first period, the second user U2 can request the cooperative play control unit 11c to play cooperatively with the first user U1 in the second stage as the host.

[0084] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 20B, for the second stage provided to the first user U1 during the first period, the first user U1 cannot request cooperative play with the second user U2 in the second stage as the host from the cooperative play control unit 11c.

[0085] (3-6. Processing flow by stage management system 2) The processing flow by the stage management system 2 is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, but differs mainly in that a cooperative play control step is executed.

[0086] In the stage providing step, a first stage group consisting of two or more stages is provided to a first user U1 during a first period, and a fourth stage group consisting of two or more stages is further provided to a second user U2.

[0087] A cooperative play control step is executed when a request for cooperative play is received from the user terminal 20a of the first user U1 or the user terminal 20b of the second user U2. In the cooperative play control step, a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 is accepted from the first user U1 or the second user U2 during a first period. Then, control is performed to enable cooperative play in overlapping stages between the first stage group and the fourth stage group.

[0088] <4. Other embodiments> Although the embodiment and its modifications of the present invention have been described above, the application of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described contents.

[0089] For example, in the third embodiment, the stage providing unit 11a may further provide a third user with a fifth stage group consisting of two or more stages during the first period, and the cooperative play control unit 11c may be configured to control cooperative play to be possible in stages that overlap among the first stage group, the fourth stage group, and the fifth stage group when a request for cooperative play between the first user U1, the second user U2, and the third user is received from any of the first user, the second user, and the third user during the first period. In other words, the cooperative play control unit 11c may be configured to be able to control cooperative play between three or more users in the same way as cooperative play between two users.

[0090] In addition, in the above embodiment, the configuration was described in which each function is mainly provided by the server 10, but it is also possible to configure the configuration in which some functions are provided by the user terminal 20, or both the server 10 and the user terminal 20 are provided with some functions.

[0091] Furthermore, an information processing device such as the server 10 may not only be a device that is physically composed of a single device, but may also include multiple devices that are connected to each other via wired or wireless communication and function essentially as a single information processing device.

[0092] Furthermore, each step described in the above embodiment as being executed by the server 10 may be implemented in a manner in which it is executed by the user terminal 20.

[0093] Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized as a program that causes a stage management system to function in order to realize the above-described system.

[0094] Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the above-mentioned program.

[0095] Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such embodiments and modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0096] <5. Features of the embodiment> The features of the embodiments of the present invention are summarized below.

[0097] A server 10 according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that manages game stages and includes a stage providing unit 11a. The stage providing unit 11a provides a first user U1 with a first stage group consisting of two or more stages, and, if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, provides the first user U1 with a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages different from those of the first stage group instead of the first stage group. With this configuration, a user who meets the clearing conditions for the provided stage group can be provided with a new stage group in which some of the stages have been replaced at a predetermined timing.

[0098] The stage providing unit 11a may also be configured to control the first stage group so that it is composed of a stages, the second stage group so that it does not include the m stages included in the first stage group, but includes n stages not included in the first stage group, and is composed of b stages, and to determine the values ​​of m and n according to the playing situation of the first user U1. Here, a is an integer greater than or equal to 2, b is an integer greater than or equal to 2, m is an integer satisfying the relationship 1≦m≦(a−1), and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. With this configuration, the number of stages to be replaced can be changed according to the playing situation.

[0099] The stage providing unit 11a may be configured to provide a first group of stages to the first user U1 in a first period, and to provide the first group of stages or a second group of stages to the first user U1 in a second period, the second period being a period that starts after the end of the first period. By configuring in this way, the user can repeatedly play the provided group of stages within each period.

[0100] The stage providing unit 11a provides any one of the first stage group, the second stage group, and the third stage group to the first user U1 in the third period, and at the second timing, if the first user U1 who was provided with the second stage group in the second period satisfies the clearing condition of the second stage group, provides the third stage group to the first user U1 instead of the second stage group, and if the first user U1 who was provided with the second stage group in the second period does not satisfy the clearing condition of the second stage group and satisfies the maintaining condition of the second stage group, In this case, the second stage group is provided to the first user U1, and if the first user U1 who was provided with the second stage group during the second period does not satisfy the clear condition of the second stage group and does not satisfy the maintenance condition of the second stage group, the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 instead of the second stage group, the third stage group is a stage group consisting of two or more stages and some of the stages that make up the stage group are different from the first stage group and the second stage group, and the third period may be configured to be a period that starts after the end of the second period. By configuring in this way, users are motivated to at least satisfy the maintenance conditions of the provided stage group and to progress through the game so that the provided stage group does not revert to the previous stage group.

[0101] The server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a reward granting unit 11b, which may be configured to grant a clearing reward to the first user U1 when each stage is cleared, and each clearing reward for a stage included in the second stage group but not included in the first stage group is greater than any clearing reward for a stage included in the first stage group but not included in the second stage group. With this configuration, by changing to the second stage group, the clearing reward granted is replaced with a stage that is greater, thereby motivating the user to fulfill the clearing conditions for the provided stage group.

[0102] The reward granting unit 11b may be configured to reduce the size of the clear reward granted when a stage is cleared according to the number of times the stage has been cleared. By configuring in this way, the clear reward is reduced according to the number of times the same stage has been cleared, which motivates the user to play the stages included in the group of stages provided in a balanced manner.

[0103] The reward granting unit 11b may be configured to accept a request from the first user U1 to exchange the granted clear reward for another game element based on a predetermined exchange rate, and to cause at least a portion of the clear reward granted to the first user U1 in the first period to disappear between the end of the first period and the start of the second period. With this configuration, the clear reward disappears before the start of the next period, thereby motivating the user to progress through the stages within each period and acquire as many clear rewards as possible in order to exchange them for other game elements such as better items.

[0104] The server 10 according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a cooperative play control unit 11c, wherein the stage providing unit 11a provides a fourth stage group to the second user U2 during a first period, and the cooperative play control unit 11c may be configured to control the cooperative play to be possible in a stage that overlaps between the first stage group and the fourth stage group when a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 is received from the first user U1 or the second user U2 during the first period. With this configuration, the stages available for cooperative play can be controlled to be limited to the stages provided to each user.

[0105] The cooperative play control unit 11c may be configured to control the cooperative play to be enabled in a stage that overlaps between the first stage group or the second stage group and the fourth stage group when a request for cooperative play between the first user U1 and the second user U2 is received from the second user U2 during the second period. By configuring in this way, it is possible to control the cooperative play to be enabled in a stage that was previously provided for a guest user invited to cooperative play.

[0106] A computer program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a computer program that causes a computer to manage game stages, and executes a stage providing step in which a first stage group consisting of two or more stages is provided to a first user U1, and if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages that differ from those of the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 instead of the first stage group.

[0107] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method for managing game stages, comprising a stage providing step, in which a first stage group consisting of two or more stages is provided to a first user U1, and if the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages that differ from those of the first stage group is provided to the first user U1 instead of the first stage group. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1, 2: Stage management system, 5: Communication line, 10: Server, 11: Control unit, 11a: Stage provider, 11b: Reward granter, 11c: Cooperative play control unit, 12: Memory unit, 13: Communication unit, 14: Operation input unit, 15: Monitor, 16: System bus, 20, 20a, 20b: User terminal, 21: Control unit, 22: Memory unit, 23: Communication unit, 24: Display unit, 25: Speaker, 26: Microphone, 27: Camera, 28: Operation button, 29: System bus, U1: First user, U2: Second user, WAN: Wireless

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing device that manages game stages, comprising a stage providing unit, wherein the stage providing unit provides a first user with a first stage group consisting of two or more stages, and when the clearing conditions for the first stage group are met at a first timing, provides the first user with a second stage group consisting of two or more stages and having some stages that differ from those of the first stage group, instead of the first stage group.

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