Program and game device

Abstract

To provide a game that enhances enjoyment for a player.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer (player terminal 1) to function as: game card registration means (deck organization unit 64) that registers first-type and second-type game cards to be used in a game; competitive game execution means (game execution control unit 61) that executes a competitive game using the first-type and second-type game cards; play field presentation means (play field presentation unit 65) that presents a play field; and game card presentation means (game card presentation unit 66) that can arrange the first-type game cards only in one specific area of a public area and can arrange the second-type game cards in both the public area and a private area excluding the specific area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a game device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, game systems that provide games to player terminals via communication networks have become widespread, and the servers of the game systems provide various game elements that can be used in the games (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-047516 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a game system such as the one described above, devising the types of game elements to be provided to players and the method of presenting those game elements is an important issue in terms of maintaining players' interest in the game, and as a result, it is possible to provide a game that is more entertaining for players.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a program and a game device that can provide a game that is more entertaining for players. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to function as an execution means for executing a competitive game using game elements, a playfield presentation means for presenting a playfield including a plurality of areas, and a game element presentation means for presenting character information of game elements of a player placed in a first area of ​​the plurality of areas in a manner that is not visible to the opposing player, and for presenting character information of game elements of a player placed in a second area in a manner that is visible to the opposing player.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a game device comprising: an execution means for executing a competitive game using game elements; a playfield presentation means for presenting a playfield including a plurality of areas; and a game element presentation means for presenting character information of game elements of a player placed in a first area of ​​the plurality of areas in a manner that is not visible to the opposing player, and for presenting character information of game elements of the player placed in a second area in a manner that is visible to the opposing player. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a highly entertaining game can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a game system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a notebook computer, which is an example of the player terminal 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the front side of the reader card 21. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the back side of the reader card 21. As shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the front side of the battle card 22. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the back side of the battle card 22. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the front side of the extra card 23. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the player terminal 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the player information database D1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the game element information database D2. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the home screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the store screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the store screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a store screen displaying currently tradable game elements and currently untradeable game elements. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the breakdown of paid and free in-game currency currently held. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the in-game currency providing screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the number of first paid currency packs 231 provided (number of given packs) has reached the upper limit and is sold out. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 shows an example of a screen displayed when there is insufficient in-game currency to cover the cost of a game element. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the game server 2. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the user information management database D3. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the game element management database D4. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the store management database D5. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operations of the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the determination of whether a game element can be provided (given) or cannot be provided (given). [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of notification when the total charge exceeds a predetermined amount. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram for explaining the second modification of the embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram for explaining an example of an unsealing effect. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of the pack information database D10. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operations of the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing the operation of the pack opening effect process. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining an example of an unsealing effect. [Figure 32] FIG. 32 is a diagram for explaining an example of an unsealing effect. [Figure 33] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of the deck composition screen. [Figure 34] FIG. 34 is a diagram for explaining the first region 401 and the second region 402. As shown in FIG. [Figure 35] FIG. 35 is a diagram for explaining the function of enlarging the game card in the second area. [Figure 36] Figure 36 is an example of a pop-up display when the organized deck meets the deck incompatibility criteria (6). [Figure 37] FIG. 37 shows an example of a display when the formation deck meets the deck incompatibility conditions. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is an example of the deck information database D20. [Figure 39] Figure 39 is an example of a registered deck list screen. [Figure 40] FIG. 40 is a diagram showing an example of a play field presented by the play field presentation unit 65. [Figure 41] FIG. 41 is a diagram showing an example of game card presentation by the game card presentation unit 66. [Figure 42] FIG. 42 is an example of a viewing screen 540 presented on the playing field. [Figure 43] FIG. 43 is a diagram for explaining the viewing screen 540. As shown in FIG. [Figure 44] FIG. 44 is a diagram for explaining the viewing screen 540. As shown in FIG. [Figure 45] FIG. 45 is a diagram for explaining the viewing screen 540. As shown in FIG. [Figure 46] FIG. 46 shows an example of an enlarged hand. [Figure 47] FIG. 47 is a diagram for explaining switching between reduced display and enlarged display. [Figure 48] FIG. 48 is a diagram for explaining the selection state of a game card. [Figure 49] FIG. 48 is a diagram for explaining the selection state of a game card. [Figure 50] FIG. 50 is a diagram showing an example of a display of selectable actions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Overall structure> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a game system in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the game system is configured with player terminals 1 provided for game players A and B, and a game server 2. The player terminals 1 and the game server 2 can be connected to a communication line N and can communicate with each other.

[0011] The communication line N refers to a communication path that allows data communication. In other words, the communication line N includes a dedicated line (dedicated cable) for direct connection, a LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark), a telephone communication network, a cable network, the Internet, and other communication networks, regardless of whether the communication method is wired or wireless.

[0012] The player terminal 1 is a computer capable of executing a game program, and is connected to a communication line N via a wireless communication base station or the like, and can perform data communication with the game server 2. The player terminal 1 is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a portable game device, a stationary home game device, an arcade game device, a tablet computer, a controller for a stationary home game device, etc. Basically, there are multiple player terminals 1, and each is operated by a player.

[0013] The game server 2 is a server system configured to include one or more server devices, storage devices, etc. The game server 2 provides various services for operating the game of this embodiment, and can manage data necessary for operating the game, distribute game programs and data necessary for running the game on the player terminals 1, etc.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a notebook computer, which is an example of the player terminal 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the player terminal 1 includes a display 11 and a keyboard 12, which is an operating means. The player terminal 1 also includes a control board, a built-in battery, a power button, a volume control button, a speaker, etc., which are not shown.

[0015] The control board is equipped with various microprocessors such as a CPU, GPU, and DSP, various IC memories such as an ASIC, VRAM, RAM, and ROM, and a wireless communication module for wireless communication with a mobile phone base station. The control board also is equipped with a so-called I / F circuit (interface circuit), such as a driver circuit for the touch operation panel 12. These elements equipped on the control board are electrically connected to each other via a bus circuit or the like, and are connected to enable reading and writing of data and sending and receiving of signals.

[0016] The game in this embodiment features a number of different game elements, each of which will be explained below.

[0017] <First type of game element> The first type of game element is an object in which a character is embodied, and is represented through an image. The image includes a still image and a video. The object may be an intangible or tangible object. For example, it may be a virtual game card displayed on a computer, or a physical game card. Note that the object is not limited to a card, as long as it is configured to identify the game element associated with the object. The object may also be, for example, a shaped object such as a figurine having the appearance of a game element. In the following explanation, the first type of game element will be explained using an example in which a virtual game card in which a character is embodied.

[0018] In the game of this embodiment, there are multiple types of game cards, which are the first type of game element. The information written on the surface of the game card differs depending on the type of game card. There may be any number of types of game cards, but the following explanation will use three types of game cards as examples: leader cards 21 (first type of first game element), battle cards 22 (first type of second game element), and extra cards 23 (first type of third game element). What all types of game cards have in common is that they are associated with character images from the work. A character image is an image of a character that appears in the work, but in this embodiment, an image of a scene including a character that appears in the work will also be described as a character image. Furthermore, there may be multiple game cards with different character designs even for the same character, and each is treated as a different game card.

[0019] A player builds a deck in advance using the acquired game cards and plays the game. When building a deck, the total number of cards in the deck and the number of cards of each type are predetermined. In this embodiment, a deck containing a total of 50 cards, including one leader card 21, will be described as an example, but the number of cards can be any number as long as it is determined in advance.

[0020] Furthermore, game cards have an upright position, which is the state in which the contents written on the game card can be read as is from the player's perspective. There are multiple game card placement states. In the following description, the state in which a game card is in the upright position is called the active state, and the state in which the game card is rotated 90 degrees and facing sideways is called the rest state. Furthermore, the state in which a game card is rotated 180 degrees and facing in the reverse position in a specified area is called the active state. Note that a specified orientation may be determined in advance as the active state, and the state in which the orientation of the game card is changed from the specified orientation may be determined as the rest state. These states of the game card may be used as appropriate during the game.

[0021] <Leader Card 21> The leader card 21 (first type of first game element) will be described. FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example of the leader card 21. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the front side of the leader card 21. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the back side of the leader card 21. The leader card 21 is a card that is constituted by one card in a deck. The leader card 21 is a game card that is used in a battle against the opponent's leader card 21 or battle card 22.

[0022] Character information 10 and card information 11 are written on the front and back of the leader card 21. The leader card 21 is placed so that the front side is visible at the start of the game, but is placed so that the back side is visible when certain conditions are met.

[0023] The reader card 21 includes character information 10 and card information 11, The character information 10 includes a character name 101 , a character image 102 , power information 103 , and effect information 104 .

[0024] The character name 101 is the name of the character associated with the card. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, "Sakurakoji" is written.

[0025] The character image 102 is an image of the character associated with the card.

[0026] The ability information 103 is a parameter of the ability of the character associated with the game card. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the power value of the character is written as the ability information. A victory is achieved when the power value is greater than the power value of the opponent's battle card 22. In the example of FIG. 3, a power value of "15000" is written, and in the example of FIG. 4, a power value of "20000" is written.

[0027] The effect information 104 includes skill information about the effect that is activated when attacking, and awakening information about the conditions and effects for flipping a card from face up to face down. In the example of Figure 3, the skill information is "When attacking: Draw one card," and the awakening information is "If life is 4 or less, draw one card. Then flip this card over."

[0028] Although the ability information 103 and effect information 104 may be included in the character information 10, the following description will be given using an example in which the ability information 103 and effect information 104 are not included in the character information.

[0029] The card information 11 includes front and back information 111, card type name 112, card type symbol 113, color information 114, rarity 115, and card identification information .

[0030] The front / back information 111 is information that clearly indicates the front and back of the leader card 21. Any information that identifies the front and back may be used, such as a character string, an illustration, or a symbol mark. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the character string "front" is used as the front / back information to indicate that it is the front side, and in the example shown in FIG. 4, the character string "back" is used as the front / back information to indicate that it is the back side. Note that the front / back information only needs to be on the back side. This is because the appearance of the card itself is also important for game cards in card games, and it is preferred that no unnecessary information is written on the front side.

[0031] The card type name 112 is information indicating the type of card. The card type name 112 indicates information on whether the card is a leader card, a battle card, or an extra card, but in the example of the leader card 21 shown in Figures 3 and 4, the card type name 112 indicates "leader."

[0032] The card type symbol 113 is marked with any one of symbols that distinguish between the leader card 21, the battle card 22, and the extra card 23. The leader card 21 is marked with a leader symbol that indicates that it is a leader card. This leader symbol (first symbol) is preferably a symbol that can evoke the role of the leader card 21 so that it can be visually understood to be the leader card.

[0033] The color information 114 indicates the color information to which the card belongs. The player refers to the color information 114 of the leader card 21 and builds a deck using battle cards 22 and extra cards 23 with the same color information.

[0034] The rarity 115 indicates the rarity level of the game card. The rarity level may be displayed in any manner as long as it is set in advance, but in this embodiment, the rarity is divided into five levels. The example shown in Figures 3 and 4 illustrates a case where the rarity level is 1.

[0035] Identification information that uniquely identifies a game card is written as the card identification information 116. In the examples of Figures 3 and 4, "001" is written as the card identification information 116.

[0036] The leader card 21 differs from other game cards in that it has a card type symbol 113 (leader symbol) and ability information 103 or effect information 104 written on the front and back of the card. The ability information 103 or effect information 104 is different on the front and back. This allows one card to represent the evolution or awakening of one character, and also makes it possible to identify the card as a leader card from the display on the front and back.

[0037] <Battle Card 22> The battle cards 22 (first type of second game element) will now be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the front side of the battle card 22. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the back side of the battle card 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the battle cards 22 have an image of the associated character printed only on the front side. The back sides of all the battle cards 22 are the same. The battle cards 22 are cards that attack the leader card 21 or battle card 22 of the opponent player.

[0038] The battle card 22 includes character information 10 and card information 11.

[0039] The character information 10 includes, like the leader card 21, a character name 101, a character image 102, power information 103, and effect information 104. In addition, combo information 105 and cost information 106 are also included.

[0040] The character name 101 is the name of the character associated with the card, similar to the leader card 21. In the example shown in Fig. 5, "Umekoji" is written.

[0041] The character image 102, like the leader card 21, is an image of a character associated with the card.

[0042] The ability information 103 is a parameter of the ability of the character associated with the card, similar to the leader card 21. In the example of Fig. 5, a power value of "20000" is written.

[0043] The effect information 104 describes skill information related to the effect that is activated when attacking. In the example of Fig. 5, the skill information states "When you are attacked by this card and lose, one life point is reduced."

[0044] The combo information 105 is information about a power value that increases the power value of other game cards placed in the battle area. In the example shown in Figure 5, "+5000" is written as the combo information 105.

[0045] The cost information 106 is information about the cost required to place the battle card 22 from the hand onto the battle area. In other words, by changing the number of game cards placed in the energy area, for example, from active to rest, equal to the number of cards listed in the cost information 106, the battle card 22 can be placed onto the battle area. In the example of FIG. 5, "3" is listed as the cost information 106. In the following explanation, changing a game card placed in the energy area from active to rest will be referred to as "paying the cost."

[0046] The card information 11 includes a card type name 112, a card type symbol 113, color information 114, a rarity level 115, and card identification information .

[0047] The card type name 112 is information indicating the type of card. In the example of the battle card 22 shown in Figure 5, the card type name 112 is written as "Battle."

[0048] The card type symbol 113 is marked with a battle symbol (second symbol) indicating that it is a battle card 22. This battle symbol is preferably a symbol that can evoke the role of the battle card 22 so that it can be visually understood that it is a battle card.

[0049] The color information 114 indicates the color information to which the card belongs. The player refers to the color information 114 of the leader card 21 and builds a deck using battle cards 22 and extra cards 23 with the same color information.

[0050] The rarity 115 indicates the rarity level of the game card. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the rarity level is 1.

[0051] Identification information that uniquely identifies a game card is written as the card identification information 116. In the example of Fig. 5, "002" is written as the card identification information 116.

[0052] <Extra Card 23> The extra card 23 (third game element of the first type) will now be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the front side of the extra card 23. As shown in Fig. 7, the front side of the extra card 23 shows an image of the associated character. The back side of the extra card 23 is the same as that of the battle card 22. Therefore, the back side of the extra card 23 is the same as that of the battle card 22 shown in FIG.

[0053] The extra card 23 includes character information 10 and card information 11.

[0054] The character information 10 includes a character name 101, a character image 102, effect information 104, and cost information 106.

[0055] The character name 101 is the name of the character associated with the card. In the case of the extra card 23, it is the name of a characteristic scene, scenery, landscape, background, building, character's possession, event, etc. that appears in the work. In the example of Figure 7, "Mizumengiri" is written.

[0056] The character image 102 is an image of the character associated with the card, and is an image that depicts the character along with characteristic scenes, scenery, landscapes, backgrounds, buildings, the character's possessions, events, etc. that appear in the work.

[0057] The effect information 104 describes skill information related to the effect that is activated when attacking. In the example of Fig. 7, the skill information describes "power value is doubled for one turn."

[0058] The cost information 106 is information about the cost required to place the extra card 23 from the hand onto the battle area. In the example of Figure 7, "3" is written as the cost information 106.

[0059] The card information 11 includes a card type name 112, a card type symbol 113, color information 114, a rarity level 115, and card identification information .

[0060] The card type name 112 is information indicating the type of the card. In the example of the extra card 23 shown in Figure 7, the card type name 112 is written as "Extra."

[0061] The card type symbol 113 is marked with an extra symbol (third symbol) that indicates that it is an extra card 23. This extra symbol is preferably a symbol that can evoke the role of the extra card 23 so that it can be visually understood that it is an extra card.

[0062] The color information 114 indicates the color information to which the card belongs. The player refers to the color information 114 of the leader card 21 and builds a deck using battle cards 22 and extra cards 23 with the same color information.

[0063] The rarity 115 indicates the rarity level of the game card. In the example shown in FIG.

[0064] Identification information that uniquely identifies a game card is written as the card identification information 116. In the example of Fig. 7, "003" is written as the card identification information 116.

[0065] <Second type of game element> The second type of game element will now be explained.

[0066] In this embodiment, the second type of game elements are game elements used for transactions within the game and are called in-game currency. The second type of game elements include paid second type game elements (second type first game elements) that a player can acquire by paying a price (e.g., money), and free second type game elements (second type second game elements) that a player receives from the game operator upon completing a predetermined condition (e.g., a mission prepared by the game operator) without exchanging them for a price (e.g., money). The paid second type of game elements (second type first game elements) and free second type of game elements (second type second game elements) are mainly used to exchange (purchase) the above-mentioned first type of game elements (game cards) and the like. In the following description, paid second type of game elements (second type first game elements) will be referred to as paid currency, and free second type of game elements (second type second game elements) will be referred to as free currency.

[0067] Next, the configuration of each device will be described.

[0068] <Configuration of player terminal 1> FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the player terminal 1. As shown in FIG.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal 1 includes a display unit 51, a game element reading unit 52, an operation input unit 53, a sound output unit 54, a communication unit 55, a storage unit 56, and a processing unit 57.

[0070] The display unit 51 displays various game screens based on input image signals. The functions of the display unit 51 can be realized by a display device such as a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, or a head-mounted display. In the example of the personal computer shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 51 corresponds to the display 11.

[0071] The game element reading unit 52 is a reader that reads character information to be made to appear in the game from an actual game card. By setting (placing) a character to be made to appear in the competitive game from a game card held by a player in the game element reading unit 52, the game element reading unit 52 can read the identification information etc. of the game card.

[0072] The operation input unit 53 allows the player to input various operations related to the game, and outputs operation input signals corresponding to the operation input to the processing unit 57. The functions of the operation input unit 53 can be realized by elements that are directly operated by the player's fingers, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch pad, home button, button switch, joystick, or trackball, as well as elements that detect movement or posture, such as an acceleration sensor, angular velocity sensor, tilt sensor, or geomagnetic sensor. In the example of the personal computer shown in FIG. 2, the operation input unit 53 corresponds to the keyboard 12.

[0073] The sound output unit 54 outputs sound effects and the like related to the game based on the input sound signal.

[0074] The communication unit 55 realizes communication by connecting to the communication line N. The function of the communication unit 55 can be realized by, for example, a wireless communication device, a modem, a TA (terminal adapter), a jack for a wired communication cable, a control circuit, or the like.

[0075] The storage unit 56 stores in advance or temporarily stores each time processing is performed programs for operating the player terminal 1 and realizing the various functions of the player terminal 1, and data used during execution of these programs. The storage unit 56 can be realized by, for example, RAM, ROM, a solid state drive using IC memory such as flash memory, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, or an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD.

[0076] The storage unit 56 stores a system program and a game program. The system program is a program for realizing the basic functions of the player terminal 1 as a computer. The game program is a program for causing the processing unit 57 to perform functions described below. This program is distributed from the game server 2 or another application distribution server, etc., once the player has completed account registration. The storage unit 56 also stores databases necessary for running the game. In this embodiment, the storage unit 56 stores a player information database D1 and a game element information database D2.

[0077] The player information database D1 is a database that stores various pieces of player information. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the player information database D1. The player information database D1 includes a field for a player ID, a field for a player name, a field for player information, a field for level, a field for profile card information, a field for owned game card information, a field for deck information, a field for owned currency information, a field for purchase history information, and a field for the last update date and time, and each piece of information is stored in association with each other.

[0078] The player ID field is a field in which identification information that identifies a player is written. The player name field is a field in which, for example, a nickname is written. The player information field is a field in which experience points and the like obtained by participating in a competitive game are written. The level field is a field in which the player's level obtained by accumulating experience points is written. The profile card information field is a field in which information about the profile card, which will be described later, is written. The owned game card information field is a field in which game card identification information (game card ID) of game cards owned by the player is written. The deck information field is information about decks constructed from game cards by the player, and is a field in which the game card IDs of the game cards that make up the deck are written for each deck.

[0079] The owned currency information field is a field in which information about the in-game currency owned by the player is recorded, and the number of each paid currency and free currency is recorded. Specifically, for each type of paid or free currency, the acquisition date of the currency, the number acquired, and the total number are recorded. The purchase history information field is a field in which the purchase history of game cards, in-game currency, etc. purchased by the player is recorded. Specifically, the game element ID of the purchased game element, the name of the game element, the purchase date, and the number purchased are recorded. The last update date and time field is a field in which the last update date and time of the player information database D1 is recorded.

[0080] The game element information database D2 is a database that stores information on game elements that appear or are used in a game. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the game element information database D2. The game element information database D2 includes a field for a game element ID, a field for character information, a field for game element image, and a field for last update date and time, and each piece of information is stored in association with each other. The game element ID field is a field in which identification information (game card ID) that identifies a game element such as a game card is written. The character information field is a field in which character information (e.g., type of game element, profile information, ability value, rarity information, etc.) of a character embodied in a game element is written. The game element image field is a field in which image data of the game element itself (e.g., game card) and image data of a character embodied in a game element are written. Note that image data includes still images and videos. The last update date and time field is a field in which the last update date and time of the game element information database D2 is written.

[0081] These databases can be downloaded by the game server 2 as characters used in the game are added or changed.

[0082] The processing unit 57 comprehensively controls the operation of the terminal 1 based on programs and data stored in the memory unit 56, various input signals from the operation input unit 53, etc. The functions of the processing unit 57 can be realized by electronic components such as a microprocessor such as a CPU or GPU, an ASIC, and an IC memory. The processing unit 57 includes, as main functional units, a player information management unit 60, a game execution control unit 61, a store presentation control unit 62, a performance presentation control unit 63, a deck organization unit 64, a playfield presentation unit 65, and a game card presentation unit 66.

[0083] The player information management unit 60 manages player information using the player information database D1. The player information management unit 60 uses the player information database D1 to manage player information such as player ID, player name, etc., game cards owned, in-game currency, and game elements such as decks constructed by the player. When any of this information is updated, the player information management unit 60 updates the player information database D1 and records the update date.

[0084] The game execution control unit 61 controls and manages the progress of the entire game. For example, the game execution control unit 61 displays a menu screen such as a home screen and executes processing selected by the player. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen. The home screen in FIG. 11 displays a home screen tab 200 of the home screen, a deck tab 201 for transitioning to a deck screen for organizing a deck, a store tab 202 for transitioning to a store screen for purchasing game cards, a battle mode selection button 203 for selecting a battle mode for a battle using a deck, a battle button 204 for transitioning to a battle in the selected battle mode, an icon 205, a reward button 206 for transitioning to a reward screen related to mission rewards, an in-game currency icon 207, an in-game currency balance (reserved amount) 208, and an in-game currency purchase button 209 for transitioning to a screen for purchasing in-game currency. The in-game currency balance (reserved amount) 208 is the total number of paid currency and free currency. Additionally, the icon 205 displays the deck name of the deck currently selected by the player and the leader card included in that deck.

[0085] The game execution control unit 61 executes a competitive game between players, and when the outcome of the game is determined, it updates the player information, level, etc. in the player information database D1 based on the match result and the experience points, level, rank, etc. that have changed as a result of the match, and enters the date and time of the update in the last update date and time field as the last update date and time.

[0086] When the store tab 202 on the home screen is selected, the store display control unit 62 displays a store screen for trading game elements (game cards, in-game currency, etc.), and displays selectable game elements for trading on the store screen. FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams showing examples of the store screen. FIG. 12 is an example of a store screen for purchasing a card pack (a collection of game cards), and FIG. 13 is an example of a store screen for purchasing a starter deck (a collection of game cards), where selectable card packs are displayed. The card pack area displays the name 210 of the card pack and options 211 for purchasing the card pack. Here, "providing (giving)" includes obtaining the card pack by exchanging it for a price, and providing (giving) the card pack from the management without requiring a price.

[0087] Furthermore, some game elements are limited in availability and others are not. Game elements with limited availability include those with a limited number of game elements provided (granted) or those that can only be provided (granted) for a specific period. The limit on the number of game elements provided (granted) can be, for example, a limit on the number of game elements provided (granted) per player, a limit on the number of game elements that can be provided to all players, etc. Furthermore, both those with unlimited availability and those with limited availability (granted) can be displayed individually or in combination. In the example of FIG. 12, the "XXX Card Pack" and "YYY Card Pack" are unlimited in availability, while the "ZZZ Card Pack" and "SSS Card Pack" are limited in availability. In the example of FIG. 13, the "AAA Deck," "BBB Deck," "CCC Deck," and "DDD Deck" are all limited in availability. In this way, by providing game elements that are provided (granted) in a specific number or for a specific period, separate from game elements that are normally sold, players' interest in the game elements can be maintained.

[0088] Furthermore, the game elements presented on the store screen include not only currently tradable game elements, but also game elements that were previously available but are no longer tradable. Game elements that are currently tradable include, for example, game elements that are limited in the number of times a game element can be granted per player and that limit has been reached, or game elements that are sold out and have a set number of grants for all players. The store presentation control unit 62 presents game elements that are currently unavailable in a format that allows the player to distinguish them from currently available game elements, and prevents the player from selecting the game elements that are currently unavailable. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of a store screen displaying currently available game elements and currently unavailable game elements. In the example of Figure 14, the area 220 for the sold-out "AAA Deck" and "CCC Deck" is displayed in black so as to be distinguishable from the area 221 for the available "BBB Deck" and "DDD Deck," and the display of the options 211 for "AAA Deck" and "CCC Deck" has been changed to "SOLD OUT," indicating that they are sold out, and they are presented to the player as unselectable. In this way, by presenting game elements that are currently unavailable as unselectable, the player can learn about game elements that were offered in the past and will not have to select game elements that are currently unavailable, thereby improving convenience for the player.

[0089] 11 to 14, the provision of in-game currency is not performed by transitioning to an in-game currency provision screen using a tab, but rather by displaying an in-game currency icon 207, an in-game currency balance icon 208 of the player's in-game currency, and an in-game currency provision screen transition button 209 for transitioning to the in-game currency provision screen on any of the home screen using the home screen tab 200, the deck organization screen using the deck tab 201, and the store screen using the store tab 202.

[0090] When either the in-game currency icon 207 or the player's in-game currency balance icon 208 is selected, the store display control unit 62 references the owned currency information field in the player information database D1 and displays a breakdown of the amount of paid and free in-game currency currently held by the player. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the breakdown of paid and free in-game currency currently held by the player. The example in FIG. 15 displays the remaining amount of paid currency among the in-game currency currently held by the player and the remaining amount of free currency among the in-game currency currently held by the player. It also displays that free currency will be consumed first when purchasing game elements, and that paid currency will be consumed starting with the oldest acquired currency.

[0091] In this way, by presenting the in-game currency icon 207, the in-game currency balance icon 208, and the in-game currency provision screen transition button 209 on each screen, the player can know the balance of in-game currency that he or she currently possesses and the breakdown of paid and free amounts, and can transition from each screen to the in-game currency provision screen to obtain the in-game currency that he or she needs.

[0092] When the in-game currency provision screen transition button 209 is selected, the store display control unit 62 transitions to an in-game currency provision screen. The store display control unit 62 displays the in-game currency that is currently available on the in-game currency provision screen.

[0093] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an in-game currency provision screen. In the example of FIG. 16, a first paid currency pack 231 and a second paid currency pack 232 are presented on the in-game currency provision screen. The first paid currency pack 231 is 150 currency for 100 yen, and the second paid currency pack 232 is 100 currency for 100 yen. As such, the first paid currency pack 231 and the second paid currency pack 232 differ in the amount provided per predetermined price. In other words, the first paid currency pack 231 is a better value. However, the first paid currency pack 231 has a limit on the number of times it can be provided (granted) to one player. In the example of FIG. 16, the first paid currency pack 231 can be provided (granted) to one player up to three times. On the other hand, there is no limit on the number of times the second paid currency pack 232 can be provided (granted) to one player.

[0094] The store presentation control unit 62 refers to the purchase history information in the player information database D1 of the player, and when the upper limit of the number of first paid currency packs 231 offered (number of granted) has been reached, notifies the player that the upper limit of the number of first paid currency packs 231 offered (number of granted) has been reached and the first paid currency pack 231 is sold out, and presents the first paid currency pack 231 in an unselectable state. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the upper limit of the number of first paid currency packs 231 offered (number of granted) has been reached and the first paid currency pack 231 is sold out.

[0095] As described above, by providing game elements that are provided (granted) in limited quantities or for limited periods of time, separate from the game elements that are normally sold, it is possible to maintain players' interest in the game elements.

[0096] Furthermore, as a method of transitioning to the in-game currency provision screen, the store presentation control unit 62 may notify the user when purchasing a game element such as a game card on a store screen where the game element is purchased if the user does not have enough in-game currency (the total amount of paid currency and free currency) to cover the cost of the game element, and display a screen that allows transition to the in-game currency provision screen. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that is displayed when the user does not have enough in-game currency to cover the cost of the game element. In the example of Figure 18, a notification 233 indicating that the user does not have enough in-game currency to cover the cost of the game element and a button 234 that allows transition to the in-game currency provision screen are displayed.

[0097] The effect presentation control unit 63 performs an effect of opening game elements, such as game cards, purchased on the store screen. In this embodiment, a collection of game cards, such as a card pack or a deck, will be described as an example. As described above, game cards have a rarity level, which is divided into five levels. Each game card also has attributes, such as leader card and battle card. Each game card has value, and high-value game cards are offered in small numbers. A collection, such as a card pack, is a collection of multiple game cards with various value information, such as rarity and attributes. When a player purchases a collection (pack) such as a card pack, the player cannot know the value of the game elements, such as game cards, contained in the pack. On the other hand, the player may be looking forward to finding out the value of the game cards contained in the purchased pack. Therefore, a pack-opening effect, which allows the player to know the value of the game cards contained in the purchased pack, is an important effect that enhances the interest of the game.

[0098] The effect presentation control unit 63 performs an effect of opening the provided pack using pack information transmitted from the server 2 when the pack is provided. The pack information includes the game element IDs of the game elements included in the pack. The effect presentation control unit 63 obtains value information (rarity information, attribute information, etc.) of the game element IDs in the pack information from the game element information database D2, and performs an effect of opening the pack according to the value information.

[0099] Below, a specific example of the opening effect performed by the effect presentation control unit 63 will be described. In the following explanation, a game card pack containing eight game cards will be used as an example of a collection of game elements, and rarity information will be used as an example of value information. Figure 27 is a diagram for explaining an example of the opening effect.

[0100] The effect presentation control unit 63 receives pack information of the pack provided from the server 2. Here, the game element IDs of the eight game cards included in the received pack information are game element ID “2021”, game element ID “2056”, game element ID “2078”, game element ID “2088”, game element ID “2147”, game element ID “2159”, game element ID “2299”, and game element ID “2347”.

[0101] The effect presentation control unit 63 acquires the rarity information corresponding to the game element ID from the game element information database D2. The rarity information corresponding to the game element ID is as follows. Game element ID "2021" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2056" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2078" rarity information "3" Game element ID "2088" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2147" rarity information "5" Game element ID "2159" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2299" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2347" rarity information "1"

[0102] The effect presentation control unit 63 stores a predetermined threshold value for rarity information in advance, and performs different effects depending on whether the rarity information of the given game card exceeds the threshold value. In the following example, the threshold value for rarity information is set to "2".

[0103] As a first stage of effect, the effect presentation control unit 63 presents each of the eight game cards 301-308 with the same picture on the back (character information cannot be recognized) so that they can be selected. Note that if the game cards 301-308 are leader cards, character information is printed on both the front and back of the card, but the back is displayed with the same picture on the back so that the character information cannot be recognized. Then, for game cards that exceed the threshold value "2", the outer periphery of the back of the game card is made thicker (first mode). On the other hand, for game cards that do not exceed the threshold value "2", the outer periphery of the back of the game card is made normal thickness (second mode). However, for the game card with the highest rarity information among the game cards that exceed the threshold value "2", the same second mode as for game cards that do not exceed the threshold value "2" is used.

[0104] Specifically, of game cards 301 to 308 in Figure 27, game card 301 corresponds to game element ID "2021" with rarity information "1", game card 302 corresponds to game element ID "2056" with rarity information "1", game card 303 corresponds to game element ID "2078" with rarity information "3", game card 304 corresponds to game element ID "2088" with rarity information "1", game card 305 corresponds to game element ID "2147" with rarity information "5", game card 306 corresponds to game element ID "2159" with rarity information "1", game card 307 corresponds to game element ID "2299" with rarity information "1", and game card 308 corresponds to game element ID "2347" with rarity information "1". Of the game cards 301 to 308, the game cards that exceed the threshold value "2" are the game cards 303 and 305. The rarity information of the game card 305 is the largest.

[0105] The effect presentation control unit 63 indicates that the game card 303 is a card with high rarity information by a first aspect in which the outer periphery of the back side of the game card 303 is thickened. On the other hand, the game cards other than the game card 303 are presented in a second aspect (FIG. 27(a)).

[0106] The player selects a presented game card, and the effect presentation control unit 63 performs the second stage of effect for the selected game card.

[0107] Here, if the player selects game card 302 (Figure 27(b)), the effect presentation control unit 63 performs the first effect (one rotation) in which the game card 302 is flipped from its back side to its front side as the second stage effect, displays the front side of the game card 302, and presents the character information in a recognizable manner (Figure 27(c)).

[0108] Next, when the player selects the game card 303 (FIG. 27(c)), the effect presentation control unit 63 performs an effect in which the game card 303 is turned over (one rotation) from the back to the front as the second stage effect, and displays the front side of the game card 303, presenting the character information in a recognizable manner (FIG. 27(d)). At this time, the outer periphery of the game card 303 is in the first mode, which indicates that the rarity information is high.

[0109] Furthermore, if the player selects the game card 305 (FIG. 27(d)), the effect presentation control unit 63 performs an effect in which the game card 305 is flipped from back to front as a second stage effect. The game card 305 has the highest rarity information "5". Therefore, when the effect presentation control unit 63 performs an effect in which the game card 305 is flipped from back to front, the effect presentation control unit 63 performs a second effect in which the game card 305 is flipped from back to front by a larger number of rotations (for example, two rotations) to indicate that it is different from the other game cards (FIG. 27(e)). Then, the effect presentation control unit 63 displays the front side of the game card 305 and presents the character information in a recognizable manner (FIG. 27(f)). At this time, the outer periphery of the game card 305 is set to the first pattern indicating high rarity information. The above operation is performed until all game cards are selected.

[0110] In this way, the opening presentation of each game card is performed by combining the first presentation method that is performed when the rarity information does not exceed the threshold, the second presentation method that is performed when the rarity information exceeds the threshold, and the third presentation method that is performed when the rarity information exceeds the threshold and is a special game card, thereby surprising the player and increasing the interest of the game.

[0111] In the above description, the first mode is one type, but multiple types may be used depending on the size of the rarity information. For example, a different outer color may be assigned to each piece of rarity information, and the outer color of the game card with that rarity information may be that color. Furthermore, the outer color may be different depending on the attributes of the game card.

[0112] In addition, the game card to which the third presentation method is applied is the game card with the highest rarity information, but this is not limited to this and game cards with multiple rarity information may be used, and rarity information and game card attribute information may be combined. Also, the first and second presentation methods may be applied to rarity information, and the third presentation method may be applied to a special game card, for example, a leader card.

[0113] The deck organization unit 64 displays a deck organization screen and organizes a deck from the game cards owned by the player. The deck is composed of a predetermined number of leader cards 21, battle cards 22, and extra cards 23 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as game cards). For example, if the game elements are virtual game cards displayed on a computer, the deck is a card group composed of a predetermined number of game cards. In this embodiment, a settable deck includes game cards selected by the player. The player organizes a deck in advance using the game cards they own and plays the game. When organizing a deck, the total number of cards in the deck and the number of cards of each type are predetermined. In this embodiment, the total number of game cards that make up the deck is between 30 and 35, but is not limited to this number. Furthermore, the game cards that make up a deck always include one leader card 21, and the other game cards are battle cards 22 and extra cards 23 that have the same color information as the leader card 21.

[0114] The deck organization screen presented by the deck organization unit 64 will be described. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of the deck organization screen. The deck organization screen includes a first area 401, a second area 402, a third area 403, and a fourth area 404. The first area 401 is an area where the leader cards 21 constituting the deck are displayed. The second area 402 is an area where the battle cards 22 and extra cards 23 constituting the deck are displayed. The third area 403 is an area where the leader cards 21, battle cards 22, and extra cards 23 owned by the player are displayed. The fourth area is an area where detailed information of a game card selected from the game cards displayed in the first area 401, the area 402, and the third area 403 is displayed. The first area 401 and the second area 402 are adjacent to each other vertically, with the first area 401 located above and the second area 402 located below. The third area 403 is located adjacent to the first area 401 and the second area 402. The fourth region is disposed adjacent to the third region 403 .

[0115] The deck organization unit 64 reads the game element IDs held and the number of held game elements from the player information database D1, and reads character information (including image information) corresponding to the game element IDs from the game element information database D2. Then, based on the read character information, the deck organization unit 64 displays the front of one game card (the side displaying the character information) for each type of leader card 21, battle card 22, and extra card 23 held by the player in the third area 403, regardless of the number of cards held, and displays the number of cards held below the game card. The player can place the leader card 21 in the first area 401 by selecting a desired leader card 21 from the game cards displayed in the third area 403 and moving it to the first area 401 (drag-and-drop). Similarly, the player can select a desired battle card 22 or extra card 23 from the game cards displayed in the third area 403 and move it (drag and drop) to the second area 402, thereby placing the battle card 22 or extra card 23 in the second area 402. The third area 403 is provided with a scroll 405 function, and by scrolling, all of the leader cards 21, battle cards 22, and extra cards 23 held by the player can be confirmed in the third area 403.

[0116] Next, a detailed description will be given of the first region 401 and the second region 402. Figure 34 is a diagram for explaining the first region 401 and the second region 402. The deck organization unit 64 displays the front 411 and back 412 of the leader card 21 selected from the third area 403 in the first area 401. The front 411 and back 412 of the leader card 21 are fixed, and their size and placement position cannot be changed. Only one type of leader card can be displayed in the first area 401. In addition, the deck organization unit 64 sets the background color of the first area to the same color as the attribute color (color information 114) of the placed leader card.

[0117] The deck compilation unit 64 displays the battle cards 22 or extra cards 23 selected from the third area 403 in the second area 402, presenting the number of each type. The deck compilation unit 64 displays, for each type, a partial superposition of card-form images in the number of that type. This form of superposing the card-form images is described as the first form. For example, in the case of the game card 421 constituting the deck, since there are three identical game cards 421, the first form in which three cards on the surface of the game card 421 are stacked and, below it, "×3" which is the number of cards, are displayed in the second area 402. Similarly, in the case of the game card 422 constituting the deck, since there are four identical game cards 422, the first form in which four cards on the surface of the game card 421 are stacked and, below it, "×4" which is the number of cards, are displayed in the second area 402. Similarly, in the case of the game card 423 constituting the deck, since there are five identical game cards 423, the first form in which five cards on the surface of the game card 423 are stacked and, below it, "×5" which is the number of cards, are displayed in the second area 402. Note that the horizontal size of the first form increases according to the number of cards. For example, the horizontal size of the game card 421 is "a", the horizontal size of the game card 422 is "b", the horizontal size of the game card 423 is "c", and the relationship is a < b < c.

[0118] However, when the number of the same card increases, the horizontal size becomes too large and the area where the game cards can be arranged becomes narrow. Therefore, for game cards exceeding the predetermined number, the first form of the predetermined number is used. In this embodiment, the predetermined number is five. For example, in the case of the game card 424 constituting the deck, the number of cards is seven, exceeding the predetermined number of five. Therefore, in the case of the game card 424, the first form for five cards and, below it, the number of cards "×7" are displayed in the second area 402. Therefore, the horizontal size of the game card 424 is the same "c" as the horizontal size of the game card 423.

[0119] Furthermore, the deck organization unit 64 displays special game cards, among the battle cards 22 or extra cards 23 selected from the third area 403, individually, without displaying them in the first form, regardless of the number of identical game cards. This display form is referred to as the second form. Special game cards include, for example, game cards with high rarity, parallel cards and premium cards that are associated with the same character information as regular game cards but have different card designs, etc. Game card 425 is a special game card, and is therefore displayed in the second form.

[0120] Regarding the arrangement of each game card in the second area 402, the maximum number of rows and columns for each game card is set in advance. The maximum number of rows and columns is determined based on the type and number of game cards that can be organized into a deck. In this embodiment, the total number of game cards that can be organized into a deck is between 30 and 35, so as shown in FIG. 34, a 5-row, 7-column arrangement is possible, with a maximum of 35 types (including special cards) counted as one type, and a maximum of 35 game cards can be arranged, with one card per type. When presenting the initial game cards, the deck organization unit 64 displays the game cards that will be organized into the deck in the first and second forms using the maximum number of rows and columns so that the game cards that will be organized into the deck can be viewed at a glance. Note that when displaying the initial game cards, the number of rows and columns may be changed as needed depending on the type or number of game cards that will be organized into the deck.

[0121] When initially displaying the game cards, it is preferable to be able to see the game cards that make up the deck in a list, but there is a possibility that the display of each game card will be small. Therefore, the deck organization unit 64 has a function that allows the game cards that make up the deck to be enlarged. As shown in Figure 34, the deck organization unit 64 displays an enlargement button 431 in the second area, and when this enlargement button 431 is selected, the number of rows and columns in the second area is reduced and the game cards are displayed.

[0122] FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating the function of enlarging game cards in the second area. When the enlarge button 431 is selected, the deck organization unit 64 changes the arrangement of game cards from 5 rows and 7 columns to 2 rows and 3 columns, enlarging the display of one type of game card. Since reducing the number of rows and columns results in some game cards being invisible, a scroll bar 433 is displayed to make these invisible, allowing all game cards to be viewed. When the reduce button 432 is selected, the deck organization unit 64 returns the arrangement to the maximum of 5 rows and 7 columns, allowing all game cards to be viewed. While the example in FIG. 35 shows two levels of enlargement and reduction, additional levels of enlargement and reduction, such as three or four levels, may be provided. In this case, the enlarge button 431 and the reduce button 432 are simultaneously displayed in intermediate levels, allowing transitions between levels.

[0123] When the player has finished organizing the deck and selected the save button 433, the deck organizing unit 64 registers the deck consisting of the leader card 21 placed in the first area 401 and the battle card 22 and extra card 23 placed in the second area 402 in association with the deck name 434.

[0124] The deck organization unit 64 issues a warning if the organization of the deck is such that it cannot be used in a battle game when the deck is registered. In this embodiment, the conditions for a deck that cannot be used in a battle game (deck incompatibility criteria) are as follows: (1) The number of cards in the deck (the total number of game cards placed in the second zone) is 30 or less. (2) The number of cards in the deck (the total number of game cards placed in the second zone) is 35 or more. (3) According to the game rules, the deck contains more restricted game cards (game cards with special abilities or skills) than the limit. (4) The number of game cards of the same type exceeds the specified number. (5) The deck contains a game card that the player does not own. (6) The leader card is not included in the deck (the leader card 21 does not exist in the first area 401). (7) The deck contains a game card with an attribute color different from the attribute color of the leader card (a game card with an attribute color different from the attribute color of the leader card is placed in the second area 402). These deck non-conformance criteria are examples, and other conditions may be added as appropriate.

[0125] When the save button 433 is selected, the deck organization unit 64 determines whether the organization of the deck made up of the game cards placed in the first area 401 and the second area 402 meets the above-mentioned deck incompatibility criteria. If it meets any of the deck incompatibility criteria, it notifies the user to that effect. For example, if it does not meet the deck incompatibility criteria, it notifies the user of the following: (1) If the number of cards making up the deck (the total number of game cards placed in the second area) is 30 or less, a pop-up message will be displayed saying, "The deck cannot be used in a match because it does not have enough cards. Do you want to save your deck?" (2) If the number of cards in your deck (the total number of game cards placed in the second area) is 35 or more, a pop-up message will appear saying, "Your deck cannot be used in a match because it exceeds the limit. Do you want to save your deck?" (3) If the number of restricted game cards (game cards with special abilities or skills) that can be included in a deck exceeds the limit according to the game rules, a pop-up message will appear saying, "Your deck cannot be used in a match because it contains more than the limit of restricted cards. Do you want to save your deck?" (4) If the number of game cards of the same type exceeds the specified number, a pop-up message will appear saying, "Your deck contains more than the specified number of cards of the same type, so they cannot be used in battles. Do you want to save your deck?" (5) If the deck contains game cards that the player does not own, a pop-up message will appear saying, "Your deck cannot be used in a match because it contains cards that you do not own. Do you want to save your deck?" (6) If the leader card is not included in the deck (there is no leader card 21 in the first area 401), a pop-up message will appear saying, "The leader card is not organized and cannot be used in a match. Do you want to save your deck?" (7) If the deck contains a game card with an attribute color different from the attribute color of the leader card (a game card with an attribute color different from the attribute color of the leader card is placed in the second area 402), a pop-up message will appear saying, "The deck contains cards of a different color than the leader card, so they cannot be used in a match. Do you want to save your deck?" FIG. 36 is an example of a pop-up display when the organized deck meets the deck incompatibility criteria (6).

[0126] It is also possible to set priorities for the deck incompatibility criteria. For example, a high priority may be given to conditions that make the game impossible, such as the absence of a leader card (6) or the inclusion of a game card with an attribute color different from that of the leader card (7), while a low priority may be given to conditions that put the player at a disadvantage, such as a limit on the number of game cards that can be used to organize a deck. The system may then notify the player of the deck incompatibility criteria that are met in order of priority. Furthermore, when a formation deck meets multiple deck non-conformance criteria, it is preferable to notify all of the deck non-conformance criteria, but it is also possible to notify only some of them.

[0127] Furthermore, since the deck incompatibility conditions (3), (4), and (5) can be determined by the deck compilation unit 64 during the deck compilation process before the deck is registered, the deck compilation unit 64 may notify the user each time such a condition occurs. Figure 37 is a diagram showing an example of a display when a compiled deck meets a deck incompatibility condition. As shown in Figure 37, if there is an incompatibility condition in the second area 402, a warning icon 440 or a notification 441 may be displayed for that game card.

[0128] The deck organization unit 64 registers a deck that does not meet the deck incompatibility conditions and can be used in a competitive game as a compatible deck in the deck information database D20, and registers a deck that does not meet the deck incompatibility conditions and cannot be used in a competitive game as an uncompatible deck in the deck information database D20. FIG. 38 shows an example of the deck information database D20. The deck information database D20 includes a deck ID field, a deck name field, a compatibility / incompatibility field, and a field for the game element IDs that make up the deck. The deck organization unit 64 records the registered or saved deck in the deck information database D20 along with the deck ID, deck name, whether the deck is compatible or incompatible, and the game element IDs of the game cards that make up the deck, along with the update date and time. The deck organization unit 64 then transmits the contents of the deck information database D20 to the game server 2.

[0129] The deck organization unit 64 can also display a deck list screen that lists the deck names and compatibility / non-compatibility information of registered decks. Figure 39 is an example of the registered deck list screen. By selecting a deck displayed in the list, it is possible to return to the deck organization screen and organize a deck again.

[0130] The playfield presentation unit 65 presents the playfield. Here, the playfield will be explained. Figure 40 is a diagram showing an example of the playfield presented by the playfield presentation unit 65.

[0131] The playfield is assigned multiple areas (regions). These multiple areas indicate where players place their game cards and are arranged with a predetermined width of space between them. In the following description, the playfield includes a player's leader area 501 and an opposing player's leader area 502, a player's battle area 503 and an opposing player's battle area 504, a player's life area 505 and an opposing player's life area 506, a player's energy area 507 and an opposing player's energy area 508, a player's hand area 509 and an opposing player's hand area 510, a player's deck area 511 and an opposing player's deck area 512, a player's drop area 513 and an opposing player's drop area 514. However, to enhance the presentation, the boundaries of each area, except for the battle area, are not clearly indicated. Furthermore, these area names may be any name that players can understand when playing.

[0132] Furthermore, each area may be given a name, but in this embodiment, an icon indicating the area is presented instead of the name. In this embodiment, the following are displayed on the play field: an icon 521 indicating the player's leader area 501; an icon 522 indicating the opposing player's leader area 502; an icon 523 indicating the player's battle area 503; an icon 524 indicating the opposing player's battle area 504; an icon 525 indicating the player's life area 505; an icon 526 indicating the opposing player's life area 506; an icon 527 indicating the player's energy area 507; an icon 528 indicating the opposing player's energy area 508; an icon 529 indicating the player's hand area 509; an icon 530 indicating the opposing player's hand area 510; an icon 531 indicating the player's deck area 511; an icon 532 indicating the opposing player's deck area 512; an icon 533 indicating the player's drop area 513; and an icon 534 indicating the opposing player's drop area 514.

[0133] The player's leader area 501 and the opponent player's leader area 502 are areas where the leader card 21 is placed. However, unlike the other areas, this area displays a character image of the character embodied in the leader card 21.

[0134] The player's battle area 503 and the opposing player's battle area 504 are areas where the player's and opposing player's battle cards 22 or extra cards 23 are placed. In the battle area 503 and the battle area 504, character information of the card image of the placed battle card 22 or extra card 23 is displayed.

[0135] The player's life area 505 and the opposing player's life area 506 are used to place battle cards 22 or extra cards 23, but the card images are not displayed and only the number of cards placed is displayed (for example, Life 8).

[0136] The player's energy area 507 and the opposing player's energy area 508 are areas where one battle card 22 or one extra card 23 is placed from the player's hand each turn. Character information of the card image of the placed battle card 22 or extra card 23 is displayed.

[0137] The player's hand area 509 and the opponent player's hand area 510 are areas where the hand selected from the player's or opponent player's deck is placed. Character information of the card image of the placed battle card 22 or extra card 23 is displayed.

[0138] The player's deck area 511 and the opponent player's deck area 512 are areas where the player's or opponent player's decks are placed. In these deck areas, card images of the placed battle cards 22 or extra cards 23 are not displayed, but the number of cards remaining in the deck is displayed.

[0139] The player's drop area 513 and the opposing player's drop area 514 are areas where the KO'd battle card 22 is placed when the player is KO'd (Knockout) after being attacked by the opponent's battle card 22. The card image of the placed battle card 22 or extra card 23 is not displayed, but the number of cards is displayed.

[0140] When presenting the above-described playfield, the playfield presentation unit 65 hides boundary lines other than those of the battle area 503 and the opposing player's battle area 504. This is in consideration of the appearance of the playfield. Other areas may also be provided.

[0141] The game card presentation unit 66 arranges and displays game cards from the organized deck or hand in each area. However, when arranging the game cards, the presentation format of the game cards differs for each area. Each area is classified into a public area where the contents of the game card (character information) can be seen by both the player and the opposing player, and a private area where at least one of the player and the opposing player cannot see the contents of the game card (character information). The public areas are the leader areas 501 and 502, the battle areas 503 and 504, the energy areas 507 and 508, and the drop areas 513 and 514. On the other hand, the private areas are the life areas 505 and 506, the hand areas 509 and 510, and the deck areas 511 and 512. In particular, the life areas 505 and 506 and the deck areas 511 and 512 are areas where neither the player nor the opposing player can see the contents of the game cards (character information).

[0142] When placing game cards in the public area, the game card presentation unit 66 presents them so that the character information of the game cards can be seen. For example, like the game cards placed in the battle areas 503 and 504 in FIG. 40, the front side of the game cards (the side displaying the character information) is presented. On the other hand, for the hand areas 509 and 510 in the private areas, like the hand areas 509 and 510 in FIG. 41, the character information of the game cards is presented so that only either the player or the opposing player can see it. Furthermore, for game cards placed in the life areas 505 and 506 and deck areas 511 and 512 in the private areas, images of the game cards are not presented, and only the number of cards is presented. This is because there is no need to display cards in card format so that the character information of the cards is not visible to both the player and the opposing player and occupies the playing field.

[0143] Furthermore, the game card presenting unit 66 also serves to present a viewing screen on which the game cards arranged in each area can be viewed. Here, the viewing screen presented by the game card presenting unit 66 will be described.

[0144] When a player selects one of the icons in each area of ​​the playfield, the game card presenting unit 66 presents a viewing screen 540 on the playfield. Fig. 42 is an example of the viewing screen 540 presented on the playfield. The viewing screen 540 in Fig. 42 is an example of the viewing screen 540 when the player selects the icon 523 in the battle area.

[0145] The viewing screen 540 will be described in detail using Figure 43. The viewing screen 540 includes an icon display section 541 for each area, an area name 542 for the currently selected area, an identification range 543 for identifying the range of game cards placed in the selected area, and a scroll bar 544 for scrolling the game cards left and right.

[0146] 43 is the viewing screen 540 when the battle area is selected, so "Battle Area" is displayed in area name 542, and the game cards placed in the player's battle area are displayed in identification range 543. Game card presenting unit 66 presents the game cards in a row with some of them overlapping, and the game cards within identification range 543 are displayed in a larger size so that they can be distinguished from the game cards placed in other areas.

[0147] When another icon in the icon display section 541 is selected while the viewing screen 540 is displayed, the game card presenting section 66 can also display the game elements arranged in the area of ​​the selected icon within the identification range 543. The example in FIG. 43 shows a case where the "Energy Area" is selected after the "Battle Area" has been selected. Furthermore, when the "Energy Area" is selected and an icon for the deck area is selected, the display transitions to the game cards arranged in the deck area. However, since the deck area is a private area, the display displays backside card images in which the character information of the arranged game cards cannot be seen.

[0148] As the scroll bar 544 is moved, the game card presentation unit 66 also moves and displays the game cards. For example, moving the scroll bar 544 to the left scrolls the cards to the right, and moving the scroll bar 544 to the right scrolls the cards to the left. The game card presentation unit 66 then displays an icon for the area corresponding to the moved position, and displays the game cards in that area in a larger size within the identification range 543, while displaying the other game cards in a smaller size. Note that the scroll bar 544 may be displayed only when the number of game cards that need to be presented exceeds a predetermined number, that is, when the number of game cards that need to be presented exceeds the number that can be displayed on the viewing screen 543.

[0149] The viewing screen 543 can have not only a function for viewing game cards, but also a selection function for presenting, among the game cards displayed within the identification range 543, game cards that can be placed in other areas or that can demonstrate their abilities (ready for action), as well as the number of selectable game cards. FIGS. 44 and 45 are diagrams for explaining the selection function of the viewing screen 543. FIGS. 44 and 45 show an example of the viewing screen 543 presented when an icon in the energy area is selected. The energy area contains game cards that can be used as energy in a given turn and game cards that cannot be used as energy. In such a case, the game card presentation unit 66 displays selectable game cards in a normal display and unselectable game cards in a darkened display. This allows the player to easily distinguish between selectable and unselectable game cards.

[0150] Furthermore, the game card presenting unit 66 can also display the selectable number 550 of game elements that can be acted on the viewing screen 543. The example in FIG. 45 shows a case where the selectable number is three. Here, when a player selects one game card, that game card is displayed by moving it higher than the other game cards so that the selection is clear. At this time, the selected game card is displayed with the topmost overlapping position so that the entire surface of the selected game card is displayed. Then, when the selection of the first game card is completed, the number of selected cards is incremented by one and displayed. Furthermore, when a second game card is selected by the player, that game card is displayed by moving it higher than the other game cards in the same manner as the first selection. At this time, the topmost overlapping position so that the entire surface of the selected game card is displayed. Then, when the selection of the second game card is completed, the number of selected cards is incremented by one and displayed. This display is continued until the number of selectable cards is reached. Note that the selected game card may be visually altered, for example, highlighted with a surrounding line, to make it easier to distinguish it from the other game cards.

[0151] The game card presentation unit 66 also has a display function for enlarging and reducing the size of the hand. As shown in FIG. 41, the game card presentation unit 66 displays the player's hand 560 in a hand area. The game cards displayed in the hand area are displayed stacked in a row, small in size, and with a portion of the bottom cut out, in order to make it easier to check the status of the playing field. This allows the player to check an overview of the hand while grasping the status of the entire playing field.

[0152] Furthermore, the game card presentation unit 66 enlarges and displays the hand when the player operates (e.g., clicks or touches) an area other than the area where the hand 560 is presented. Fig. 46 is a diagram showing an example of an enlarged hand. In the example of Fig. 46, hand 561 is displayed with game cards arranged in a fan shape, overlapping each other, at a size larger than hand 560.

[0153] Furthermore, the game card presentation unit 66 has a function of switching between displaying a reduced hand 560 and displaying an enlarged hand 561. FIG. 47 is a diagram for explaining switching between a reduced display and an enlarged display. The transition from displaying the reduced hand 560 to displaying the enlarged hand 561 occurs when an operation (e.g., a click or a touch) is performed on an area other than the area where the reduced hand 560 is presented. The transition from displaying the enlarged hand 561 to displaying the reduced hand 560 occurs when an operation (e.g., a click or a touch) is performed on an area other than the area where the enlarged hand 561 is presented. In this way, the hand display is switched between reduced and enlarged.

[0154] The game card presenting unit 66 displays the reduced hand 560 and the enlarged hand 561 so that the game cards in the hand can be selected. When selecting a game card, the game card presenting unit 66 moves the selected game card higher than the other game cards so that the selected game card is clearly visible, as shown in FIGS. 48 and 49. At this time, the selected game card is displayed at the top so that its entire surface is displayed. Furthermore, the selected game card may be visually altered, for example, by highlighting the surrounding line, so that it can be easily distinguished from the other game cards.

[0155] Furthermore, when a game card is selected while the reduced hand 560 or the enlarged hand 561 is displayed, the game card presentation unit 66 has a function of displaying an icon indicating a selectable action (selectable action) if the game card is in a state where it can be placed in another area or its ability can be exerted (action-enabled state). FIG. 50 is a diagram showing an example of the display of selectable actions. In the example of FIG. 50, two selectable actions, "Put into the battle area" and "Put into the energy area," are presented as selectable actions for the selected game card, and by selecting the icon for the selectable action, the selected game card can transition to that action.

[0156] <Game Server 2 Configuration> 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the game server 2. The game server 2 includes a processing unit 70, a communication unit 71, and a storage unit 72.

[0157] The processing unit 70 performs overall control of the operation of the game server 2 based on the programs and data stored in the memory unit 72, received information, etc. The functions of the processing unit 70 can be realized by electronic components such as a microprocessor such as a CPU or GPU, an ASIC, and an IC memory. The processing unit 70 has the functions of a player information management unit 80, a game execution management unit 81, a store management unit 82, and a pack management unit 83.

[0158] The player information management unit 80 manages player information using a user information management database D3. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the user information management database D3. The user information management database D3 has one record for each player, and the records are the same as those in the user information database D1.

[0159] The player information management unit 80 compares the player ID and last update date and time of the user information database D1 sent when the player terminal 1 logs in to the game with the player ID and last update date and time of the user information management database D3, and if they match, sends a message to that effect, but if they do not match, sends the information registered in the user information management database D3, thereby synchronizing the contents of the user information database D1 between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2.

[0160] The game execution management unit 81 executes and manages matching between players, execution of the competitive game, and assignment of various parameters such as experience points based on the results of the competitive game. The game execution management unit 81 also manages various game elements, such as game cards, used in the game using a game element management database D4. FIG. 21 shows an example of the game element management database D4. The game element management database D4 contains information similar to that of the game element database D4 stored in each player terminal 1. The game execution management unit 81 updates the game element management database D4 when new game elements are introduced, for example. The contents of the game element database D2 are synchronized between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2 upon logging in to the player terminal 1, for example.

[0161] The store management unit 82 uses a store management database D5 to manage stores that provide game elements. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the store management database D5. In the example of Fig. 22, each record includes a field for a game element ID that identifies the game element to be provided, a field for that game element, a field for the cost of that game element (in-game currency), a field for the provision limit of that game element, and a field for the stock quantity of that game element.

[0162] The game element ID field describes not only the game element IDs of game cards, in-game currency, etc. themselves, but also the identification information of game card packs (including decks), which are collections of multiple game cards, and in-game currency packs, which are collections of in-game currency. In the case of game card packs, even if the identification information is the same, the game cards included may differ. In such cases, a list of game card IDs of game cards linked to the identification information of the game card pack (game cards that may be included in the game card pack) is stored. When providing a game card to a player, the store management unit 82 randomly selects game card IDs from the list equal to the number of game card packs, and provides the collection of game cards with the selected game card IDs as a game card pack. The provision restriction field describes the content of the provision restriction on the game element. The provision restriction may, for example, describe the number of game elements provided (granted) and the period during which the game elements can be provided. The stock quantity field describes "yes" if there is no limit on the number of game elements provided, or "number in stock" if there is a limit on the number of game elements provided to all players.

[0163] Upon receiving a request from the player terminal 1, the store management unit 82 reads out information about the game elements to be provided from the store management database D5 and transmits the information as store information.

[0164] The pack management unit 83 uses the pack information database D10 to select game elements to be included in the purchased pack by lottery, and transmits pack information including the game ID of the selected game elements to the player terminal 1.

[0165] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of the pack information database D10. For each game element ID that identifies a pack, a field for a game element ID that identifies a game element that may be included in the pack, a field for an attribute, and a field for rarity information are provided. The attribute field is a field in which the attributes of game cards such as a leader card are written. The rarity information is a field in which rarity information of game cards is written on a five-level scale. The number of game element IDs of game cards included in the pack information database D10 for the game element ID of one pack is at least equal to the number of cards included in one pack. Furthermore, the higher the value information, the fewer game cards with game element IDs included in the pack information database D10 for the game element ID of one pack, and the lower the value information, the more game cards there are. As a result, when game cards are randomly selected, the higher the value information, the lower the probability of selection, and the lower the value information, the higher the probability of selection.

[0166] The pack management unit 83 randomly selects by lottery the number of game element IDs that make up a pack from the pack information database D10 of the game element IDs of the pack purchased by the player. In this embodiment, since the number of cards that make up a pack is eight, the pack management unit 83 selects by lottery eight game element IDs from the pack information database D10. Then, the pack management unit 83 generates pack information that includes the game element IDs of the purchased pack and the game element IDs of the game elements selected by lottery, and transmits the pack information to the player terminal 1. The deck registration unit 84 receives the contents of the deck information database D20 transmitted from the deck organization unit 64 of the player terminal 1, and updates the deck information database D20 stored in the storage unit 72 by adding an update date and time. The deck information database D20 is the same as the deck information database D20 of the player terminal 1.

[0167] The communication unit 71 connects to a communication line N to realize communication.

[0168] A system program and a game program are stored in the storage unit 72. The system program is a program for realizing the basic functions of the game server 2 as a computer. The game program is a program for causing the processing unit 70 to function as a player information management unit 80, a game execution management unit 81, a store management unit 82, a pack management unit 83, and a deck registration unit 84.

[0169] Furthermore, the recording unit 72 stores a user information management database D3, a game element management database D4, a store management database D5, and a deck information database D20.

[0170] <Operation of each device> The following describes the operations between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. Figure 23 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operations between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. In the following description, it is assumed that the player has completed the initial setup of the game and has been assigned a player ID.

[0171] When a player starts a game application on the player terminal 1, the game execution control unit 61 transmits the player's player ID and the last update dates and times of the player information database D1 and the game element database D2 to the game server 2 (Step 1).

[0172] The player information management unit 80 of the game server 2 compares the last update date and time of the received player ID with the last update date and time of the player ID in the player information management database D3 (Step 2). If the last update dates match, the player information management unit 80 transmits a message to that effect. On the other hand, if they do not match, the player information management unit 80 transmits each piece of information stored in the record of the player ID in the player information management database D3 (Step 3). This synchronizes the player information between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. Similarly, the player information management unit 80 compares the last update date and time of the game element database D2 with the last update date and time of the game element management database D4, and if they do not match, transmits each piece of information in the game element management database D4. This synchronizes the game element information between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2. Note that the information transmitted from the game server 2 may be differential information that differs between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2.

[0173] The player information management unit 60 and game execution control unit 61 of the player terminal 1 receive the database notification from the game server 2, and update the player information database D1 and game element information database D2 if necessary (Step 4).

[0174] The store presentation control unit 62 of the player terminal 1 displays the home screen shown in FIG. 11 and requests store information from the game server 2 (Step 5).

[0175] Upon receiving the request from the player terminal 1, the store management unit 82 of the game server 2 reads out information on the game elements to be provided from the store management database D5 and transmits it as store information (Step 6).

[0176] The store presentation control unit 62 of the player terminal 1 receives store information. For game elements in the store information that have a provision restriction, the store presentation control unit 62 compares the provision restriction with the purchase history information in the player information database D1 and determines whether the game element can be provided (given) (Step 7). Then, when the store tab 202 is selected, the store presentation control unit 62 presents game elements that can be provided (given) and game elements that cannot be provided (given) in a distinguishable form, and presents the game elements that can be provided (given) as selectable and the game elements that cannot be provided (given) as unselectable (Step 8).

[0177] FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the determination of whether a game element can be provided (given) or cannot be provided (given). FIG. 24 shows received store information and purchase history information in the player information database D1. The store presentation control unit 62 determines whether any game element IDs with provision restrictions from the received store information are registered in the purchase history information. In the example of FIG. 24, the "Bargain Item" with game element ID "1001", the "FFF Pack" with game element ID "1002", ..., the "AAA Deck" with game element ID "1010", ..., and the "CCC Deck" with game element ID "1012" are subject to provision restrictions. On the other hand, the purchase history information shows that the "AAA Deck" with game element ID "1010", the "CCC Deck" with game element ID "1012", and the "Bargain Item" with game element ID "1001" have been purchased once.

[0178] On the starter deck screen of the store screen, as shown in FIG. 14, the store presentation control unit 62 presents the area 220 of the sold-out "AAA Deck" and "CCC Deck" in black so that they can be distinguished from the area 221 of the available "BBB Deck" and "DDD Deck", and changes the display of the options 211 for "AAA Deck" and "CCC Deck" to "SOLD OUT", indicating that they are sold out, and presents them as unavailable for selection by the player.

[0179] Furthermore, the "bargain item" with game element ID "1001" has been purchased only once, which does not reach the upper limit of the limit. Therefore, when the in-game currency provision screen transition button 209, which transitions to the in-game currency provision screen, is selected on each screen, the store presentation control unit 62 presents the paid currency pack 231 and paid currency pack 232 for the "bargain item" on the in-game currency provision screen, as shown in FIG.

[0180] The store display control unit 62 grants the game element by the player's selection of the game element and exchanging it for payment or in-game currency (Step 9). During this transaction, the store display control unit 62 refers to the possessed currency information in the player information database D1 and consumes the currency in the following order: 1. Consume the free currency in order of the earliest acquisition date. 2. After the number of free currencies reaches zero, consume the paid currencies in order of earliest acquisition date.

[0181] Then, the store presentation control unit 62 updates the owned game card information, owned currency information, or purchase history information in the player information database D1, and transmits the updated information in the player information database D1 to the game server 2 (Step 10).

[0182] The player information management unit 80 of the game server 2 receives the update information of the player information database D1 and updates the player information of that player (Step 11). The above operation is repeated for each selection and purchase by the player.

[0183] Next, a description will be given of the operations between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2 when purchasing a pack. Fig. 29 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operations between the player terminal 1 and the game server 2.

[0184] The player at the player terminal 1 selects a desired pack from the store screen, and the player terminal 1 transmits the game element ID of the selected pack (Step 21).

[0185] After the pack purchase procedure is completed, the game server 2 draws lots for the game elements that make up the pack (Step 22). Then, the game server 2 transmits pack information for that pack (Step 23). In this embodiment, the pack is assumed to be made up of eight game cards, and the game element IDs selected by lottery are game element ID "2021", game element ID "2056", game element ID "2078", game element ID "2088", game element ID "2147", game element ID "2159", game element ID "2299", and game element ID "2347".

[0186] The player terminal 1 receives the pack information and starts pack opening effect processing (Step 24).

[0187] Next, there will be explained the pack opening effect processing executed by the player terminal 1. Fig. 30 is an operational flowchart of the pack opening effect processing.

[0188] The effect presentation control unit 63 receives pack information of the pack provided from the game server 2 (Step 100). Here, the game element IDs of the eight game cards included in the received pack information are game element ID “2021”, game element ID “2056”, game element ID “2078”, game element ID “2088”, game element ID “2147”, game element ID “2159”, game element ID “2299”, and game element ID “2347”.

[0189] The effect presentation control unit 63 acquires rarity information corresponding to the game element ID from the game element information database D2. The rarity information corresponding to the game element ID is as follows (Step 101): Game element ID "2021" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2056" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2078" rarity information "3" Game element ID "2088" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2147" rarity information "5" Game element ID "2159" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2299" rarity information "1" Game element ID "2347" rarity information "1"

[0190] The effect presentation control unit 63 presents the game card in the first and second modes as the first stage of effect (Step 102). In this example, the threshold value of the rarity information is set to "2".

[0191] 27(a), as a first stage of effect, the effect presentation control unit 63 indicates that the card has high rarity information by using a first aspect in which the outer periphery of the back of the game card 303 is thickened. On the other hand, the game cards other than the game card 303 are presented in a second aspect.

[0192] The effect presentation control unit 63 determines whether a game card has been selected (Step 103). If a game card has been selected (Step 104), the rarity information of the game card is determined (Step 105). If the rarity information of the selected game card exceeds a threshold (Step 106), the mode of the game card is determined (Step 107).

[0193] If the state of the selected game card is the first state (Step 108), the effect presentation control unit 63 performs the first effect (one rotation) as shown in Figure 27(b) (Step 109). On the other hand, if the state of the selected game card is not the first state (Step 108), the effect presentation control unit 63 performs the second effect (two rotations) as shown in Figure 27(e) (Step 112).

[0194] The effect presentation control unit 63 determines whether all presented game cards have been selected (determines the end of the opening effect process) (Step 110), and if selection of all game cards has been completed (Step 111), ends the pack opening effect process.

[0195] An embodiment of the present invention can maintain a player's interest in game elements by providing game elements that are provided (granted) only in specific quantities or for a specific period of time, separate from game elements that are normally sold.

[0196] Furthermore, by presenting currently unavailable game elements in an unselectable manner, the embodiment of the present invention allows the player to know game elements that were previously available, thereby maintaining the player's interest in game elements. Furthermore, since the player cannot select a presented unavailable game element, the player will not make a mistaken selection, improving convenience for the player.

[0197] In addition, in this embodiment, each screen is provided with a means (e.g., an icon, a button) for transitioning to an in-game currency provision screen, so that when necessary, it is possible to transition from each screen to an in-game currency provision screen for obtaining in-game currency, thereby improving convenience for players.

[0198] In addition, in this embodiment, each screen is provided with a means (e.g., an icon, a button) that allows the player to know the breakdown of in-game currency, so that the player can know the balance of in-game currency they hold and the breakdown of paid and free currency when necessary, thereby improving convenience for the player.

[0199] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the method of presenting the opening of each game card is a combination of a first presentation method that is performed when the value information does not exceed the threshold, a second presentation method that is performed when the value information exceeds the threshold, and a third presentation method that is performed when the value information exceeds the threshold and is a special game card, thereby providing a highly entertaining game that will surprise players.

[0200] In addition, this embodiment presents a first area in which the leader card that makes up the deck is displayed, and a second area in which the other game cards that make up the deck are displayed, and the first area is configured to display only one leader card, so that the leader card necessary for organizing the deck can be made to stand out.

[0201] In addition, the second area is configured to display the same multiple game cards that make up the deck in a stacked format, so that the player can easily recognize that there are multiple identical game cards.

[0202] Furthermore, the system is also equipped with a function to display a list of the game cards that make up the deck, as well as an enlarged display function to view the details of each game card, thereby improving convenience for players.

[0203] Furthermore, when a deck is registered, it is determined whether the deck meets the incompatibility conditions, so a deck that cannot be used in a battle game will not be mistakenly registered as a deck that can be used in a battle.

[0204] In addition, this embodiment is equipped with a viewing function that allows players to easily see the game cards placed in each area of ​​the playfield, a function to enlarge and reduce the size of the hand, and a selection function, so it is possible to provide a highly convenient environment for players when playing.

[0205] <First Modification of the Embodiment> The store display control unit 62 may set a daily, monthly, or yearly maximum charge amount, and may notify a user if the total charge exceeds the maximum amount when a game element requiring a charge is transacted. For example, the store display control unit 62 may calculate the monthly total charge based on the purchase history information in the player information database D1, and may notify a user if the total charge exceeds a predetermined amount when a game element is transacted. FIG. 25 shows an example of a notification when the total charge exceeds a predetermined amount. This configuration can prevent excessive charges and, in particular, protect those with weak financial resources, such as minors.

[0206] <Modification 2 of the embodiment> The store presentation control unit 62 may set an upper limit on the amount of in-game currency that can be held. For example, when a player purchases new in-game currency on the in-game currency provision screen, the store presentation control unit 62 refers to the held currency information in the player information database D1, and if the number of held in-game currencies (the total number of paid currencies and free currencies) exceeds a predetermined number upon purchasing new in-game currency, the store presentation control unit 62 presents an in-game currency selection button in a form that can be distinguished from other selection buttons, and when that selection button is selected, notifies the player that the upper limit of the in-game currency that can be held has been exceeded, and makes it impossible to purchase new in-game currency.

[0207] FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 26, the upper limit of the possessed currency is set to 1000. When a bargain item is purchased, the total number of possessed currencies becomes 1050, exceeding the upper limit of 1000, but when a regular item is purchased, the total number becomes 1000, which does not exceed the upper limit of 1000. Therefore, button 240 for selecting a bargain item is displayed in black to make it unselectable, and button 241 for selecting a regular item is displayed in white to make it selectable. This prevents the player from selecting a bargain item. Furthermore, when the player selects button 240, a message is displayed stating, "The possessed in-game currency exceeds the number that can be additionally purchased. Please consume the in-game currency before purchasing new currency."

[0208] By adopting such a configuration, players will not hold more in-game currency than necessary, and excessive charges can be avoided, which in particular can protect those with weak economic foundations, such as minors.

[0209] <Modification 3 of the embodiment> A third modification of this embodiment will now be described. Variation 3 of this embodiment is another example of the pack opening effect described above. Figure 31 is a diagram for explaining an example of the opening effect.

[0210] In the pack opening presentation method of Variation 3 of this embodiment, in the first stage, all game cards are presented with the same size and design (back side) regardless of their value information. If the value information of the selected game card does not exceed a predetermined threshold, a first presentation (one rotation) is performed in which the card is flipped from back side to front side, and the front side of game card 2 is displayed, and the character information is presented in a recognizable manner (FIG. 31(c)). On the other hand, if the value information of the selected game card exceeds the predetermined threshold, the game card is enlarged and the character information is presented in a recognizable manner (FIG. 31(e)). After that, the game card is returned to its normal display (FIG. 31(f)). By using such a presentation method, it is possible to present a pack opening presentation in accordance with the value information.

[0211] <Fourth Modification of the Embodiment> A fourth modification of this embodiment will now be described. Variation 4 of this embodiment is another example of the pack opening effect described above. Figure 31 is a diagram for explaining an example of the opening effect.

[0212] In the presentation method of the fourth variation of this embodiment, in the first stage, all game cards are presented with the same size and design (back side) regardless of their value information (FIG. 32(a)). Then, every time a card is selected, only the selected game card is enlarged and displayed (FIG. 31(c)). The presentation method of the fourth modified example of this embodiment has the advantage that the character information is easy to see because each game card is enlarged and displayed one by one.

[0213] Although the present invention has been described above by way of preferred embodiments, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified and implemented in various ways within the scope of its technical concept.

[0214] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described embodiments may also be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to the following.

[0215] [Appendix 1] Computer, an execution means for executing a competitive game using game elements; a playfield presentation means for presenting a playfield including a plurality of regions; a game element presenting means for presenting character information of a game element of a player arranged in a first area among the plurality of areas in a manner that the character information is invisible to an opposing player, and presenting character information of a game element of the player arranged in a second area in a manner that the character information is visible to the opposing player; A program that functions as a

[0216] [Appendix 2] the game element presentation means presents to the player character information of the game elements of the player arranged in at least a part of the first area in a manner that the character information is visibly recognizable to the player; The program described in Appendix 1.

[0217] [Appendix 3] the play field presentation means does not present a boundary line between the first area and the second area in a visibly recognizable manner. 1. A program according to claim 1 or 2.

[0218] [Appendix 4] The number of the first regions is greater than the number of the second regions. 1. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

[0219] [Appendix 5] the game element presenting means is capable of arranging the game elements in either the first area or the second area depending on the type of the game element; 1. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4.

[0220] [Appendix 6] A competitive game involves multiple turns. the game element presentation means controls the game elements so that they can be placed in at least one of the first area and the second area during a player's turn; 1. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0221] [Appendix 7] the game element presentation means controls the game elements arranged in the first area to be movable to the second area in accordance with the progress of the competitive game; 10. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 6.

[0222] [Appendix 8] the game elements include a first type of game element and a second type of game element; the game element presenting means arranges the first type of game elements in one area of ​​the second area, and arranges the second type of game elements in a second area other than the first area and the one area; 10. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 7.

[0223] [Appendix 9] the game element presenting means presents the first type of game element as a human-shaped image and the second type of game element as a card-shaped image; 10. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 8.

[0224] [Appendix 10] the game element presenting means controls the first type of game element so that it cannot be moved from one area of ​​the second area to another area; 10. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 9.

[0225] [Appendix 11] an execution means for executing a competitive game using game elements; a play field presentation means for presenting a play field including a plurality of regions; a game element presenting means for presenting character information of a game element of a player placed in a first area among the plurality of areas in a manner that the character information is invisible to an opposing player, and presenting character information of a game element of the player placed in a second area in a manner that the character information is visible to the opposing player; A game device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0226] 1 player terminal 2 Game Server 21 Leader Card 22 Battle Cards 23 Extra Card 51 Display section 52 Game element reading unit 53 Operation input section 54 Sound output section 55 Communications Department 56 Memory section 57 Processing section 60 Player Information Management Unit 61 Game execution control unit 62 Store presentation control unit 63 Production presentation control unit 64 Deck Organization Section 65 Playfield display unit 66 Game Card Presentation 70 Processing section 71 Communications Department 72 Memory section 80 Player Information Management Unit 81 Game Execution Management Department 82 Store Management Department 83 Pack Management Department 84 Deck Registration Section

Claims

1. Computer, a game card registration means for registering a first type of game card and a second type of game card to be used in a game; a competitive game execution means for executing a competitive game using the first type of game cards and the second type of game cards; a play field presentation means for presenting a play field including a plurality of public areas in which character information of placed game cards is visible to the opposing players, and a plurality of private areas in which character information of placed game cards is invisible to the opposing players; a game card presenting means for placing the first type of game cards only in one specific area of ​​the public area and placing the second type of game cards in the public area other than the specific area and the private area; It functions as the non-disclosed areas include a first type of non-disclosed area in which the character information of the second type of game card is visible only to the opposing player, and a second type of non-disclosed area in which the character information of the second type of game card is visible only to the player and the opposing player, the game card presenting means, when placing the second type of game cards in the first type of private area, places all of the second type of game cards to be placed in a line stacked on top of each other in the first type of private area, and when placing the second type of game cards in the second type of private area, presents only the number of the second type of game cards to be placed; program.

2. A competitive game involves multiple turns. the game card presenting means is capable of placing the second type of game card in any of a public area other than the specific area and a plurality of private areas during a player's turn; The program according to claim 1.

3. the game card presenting means controls the second type of game card placed in the private area to be movable to the public area in accordance with the progress of the competitive game; The program according to claim 2.

4. the game card presenting means controls the first type of game card so that it cannot be moved from the specific area to another area; The program according to claim 1.

5. a game card registration means for registering a first type of game card and a second type of game card to be used in a game; a competitive game execution means for executing a competitive game using the first type of game cards and the second type of game cards; a play field presenting means for presenting a play field including a plurality of public areas in which character information of placed game cards is visible to the opposing players, and a plurality of private areas in which character information of placed game cards is not visible to the opposing players; a game card presenting means for placing the first type of game cards only in one specific area of ​​the public area, and for placing the second type of game cards in the public area other than the specific area and the private area; Equipped with the non-disclosed areas include a first type of non-disclosed area in which the character information of the second type of game card is visible only to the opposing player, and a second type of non-disclosed area in which the character information of the second type of game card is visible only to the player and the opposing player, the game card presenting means, when placing the second type of game cards in the first type of private area, places all of the second type of game cards to be placed in a line stacked on top of each other in the first type of private area, and when placing the second type of game cards in the second type of private area, presents only the number of the second type of game cards to be placed; Game device.

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