Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for constructing a game environment in which proxy rearing of a game object can be proactively used.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: a proxy processing unit for causing a plurality of second players to execute rearing of a game object possessed by a first player; and a return unit for returning, to the first player, one game object of a plurality of game objects whose parameters are changed by the plurality of second players rearing the game object respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Games in which game objects such as characters are developed and then compete in in-game events have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a game in which a player raises (trains) racehorses he owns to improve their abilities, and then enters the racehorses he has raised in races to compete for rankings.

[0003] In a racehorse breeding game such as that described in Patent Document 1, the racehorse is repeatedly trained to bring its ability to a desired level. However, the more training sessions are performed, the more time and effort is required for operations. In particular, a player may own a large number of racehorses to train. Owning a large number of racehorses to train can significantly increase the training effort, making it difficult for the player to train all of them by themselves. To address such cases, there are games in which a computer (game system) automatically trains the horses on behalf of the player. However, when the training is left to the computer, the training results rarely meet the player's expectations, and the player often achieves better results by training the horses themselves, which has led to player dissatisfaction.

[0004] On the other hand, among games played by communicating with other players via a network, there are games in which, instead of a player playing an event in the game, the other player can play that event on the player's behalf. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a game in which another player plays a mission in the game on the player's behalf, and when the mission is completed, the other player is provided with a predetermined reward.

[0005] In Patent Document 2, other players complete missions in the game on behalf of the player, and it does not actually raise game objects owned by the player. However, if the play proxy system described in Patent Document 2 is applied to a game in which objects are raised, a player who owns a game object to be raised can request that another player raise the game object on their behalf. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-198231 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-011632 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, when a player who owns a game object to be raised requests another player to raise the game object on his or her behalf, the requesting player may be dissatisfied with the results of the raising. For example, because the success or failure of raising a game object depends largely on the player's skill and playing environment, the raising results may not be as desirable depending on the skill and playing environment of the other player who has been entrusted with the role of raising. Furthermore, compared to playing and clearing missions, raising a game object may be perceived as a boring and tedious task, so the other player who has been entrusted with the role of raising may slack off and not take the raising seriously. Due to the above-mentioned risks, players who own game objects to be raised may not feel comfortable requesting a raising proxy and may be hesitant to use a raising proxy.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for creating a game environment in which game object raising proxy can be actively utilized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an agent processing unit that causes a plurality of second players to raise game objects owned by a first player, and a return unit that returns to the first player one of a plurality of game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the second players each raising the game object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a game environment can be created in which game object raising proxy can be actively utilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for selecting a training course. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for requesting a training proxy. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen displaying a list of horses for which training is requested. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, and an example of a screen showing a list of people who wish to receive orders. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for confirming substitute training. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where multiple target horses have been created after the training agency has been completed. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing device system according to the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram showing functions of an information processing device according to the present invention; [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of player information stored in a storage unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of racehorse information stored in a storage unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of training proxy request information stored in a storage unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of substitute training status information stored in a storage unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the present invention (part 1). [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the present invention (part 2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. That is, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0013] Furthermore, the examples of screens described in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration and design, content of the displayed information, and GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc. can be freely designed according to the system design specifications and the player's preferences, etc., and can be changed as appropriate.

[0014] [Games to which this invention is applied] Before describing the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention, we will first explain the game to which the present invention is applied (hereinafter referred to as the Game). The Game is a genre of game in which players develop "game objects" within the game and use the developed game objects to play "events" within the game.

[0015] "Game Object" means a virtual character used by a player of the Game to play each event in the Game, and is the object of development by the player in the Game. "Characters" include living things such as people, animals, and plants, machines such as vehicles and robots, non-mechanical objects, fictional characters such as monsters, or other similar characters.

[0016] An "event" is, for example, an incident such as an accident that occurs during the game, a quest, stage, or mission that is played to be cleared, or an in-game competition in which game objects participate. Examples of in-game competitions include races in which players compete for finishing position, and matches or battles in which players compete to win or lose.

[0017] In this embodiment, a horse racing-themed simulation game will be described as an example, in which the goal is to own an excellent racehorse and win major races or numerous races. Specifically, a player acquires a racehorse, which is a representative example of a game object, by "producing," "drawing," or purchasing, and then "raise" the racehorse and enter it in various "races" to compete for rankings. A player can also own multiple racehorses at the same time and raise them in parallel. Furthermore, retired racehorses can be used as their own breeding stallions or broodmares to produce the next generation of racehorses. In the following description, a racehorse will be taken as an example of a game object, but the present invention can also be applied to games in which objects other than racehorses are bred.

[0018] "Breeding" refers to mating a stallion and a broodmare selected by the player to produce a racehorse to be bred. Stallions and broodmares can be obtained by lottery or purchase, or a player can use racehorses they have bred themselves as stallions or broodmares after retirement, thereby extending the lineage. Furthermore, in this game, the abilities of stallions and broodmares used as parent horses tend to be passed on to the resulting racehorses. Therefore, using a high-ability stallion or broodmare as a parent horse makes it easier to produce a high-ability racehorse. As described below, this game is a network play game, so stallions, broodmares, or racehorses owned by other players can also be used for breeding.

[0019] A "lottery" is a type of event in which a player can acquire game objects or items such as racehorses, stallions, or broodmares by spending a predetermined "value" possessed in the game. The lottery is held in response to a lottery application from the player while playing the game. In the lottery, multiple game objects with different winning probabilities are prepared as candidates, and one or a predetermined number of game objects are selected from the multiple candidate game objects, and the player can acquire the selected game objects as the lottery result.

[0020] "Value" refers to the value that increases or decreases in the amount possessed within the game, and specifically refers to "in-game currency," which is the currency that can be used within the game, or "items," which give an advantage in the game the more you possess.

[0021] "In-game currency" refers to items that have monetary aspects within a game, such as medals or coins, and is included in the broad definition of items. In-game currency can be exchanged for characters or other items, or spent when playing specified in-game events (races, lotteries, etc.). The amount of in-game currency possessed by a player can be increased, for example, when the player logs in to the game and starts the game or wins a race, but it can be decreased when the player participates in a lottery, registers to participate in a race, or engages in training (training) as described below.

[0022] "Items" are items used to advance the game to an advantage, and can be used by players in scenes such as production, lotteries, training, races, etc. Items include, for example, feed that restores a racehorse's fatigue or weight, horse equipment that changes the appearance or abilities of a racehorse, riding request tickets that allow a skilled jockey to ride the horse in a race, lottery tickets that execute special lotteries, stallions or broodmares that increase the probability of producing a highly skilled racehorse, or talismans that increase the probability of producing a highly skilled racehorse, etc.

[0023] "Raising" refers to changing the parameters of a racehorse by consuming in-game value, and the game offers "training" as a form of raising. Racehorse parameters are characteristics of the racehorse that are relevant to the progress of the game, i.e., the racehorse's abilities, evaluated numerically or symbolically. Specifically, they include stamina, speed, power, distance suitability, track suitability, horse weight, fatigue level, and other factors that affect the outcome of a race. Racehorse parameters also include past racing performance (race history), such as the number of races entered, the number of race wins, and winning percentage. Racehorse parameters may include both items that the player can view and items that the player cannot view (masked items).

[0024] In this embodiment, a training period is set for each racehorse, and the player can train racehorses that have remaining training periods. The training period is a number of days set as in-game time, for example, N weeks in the game (N is any natural number). Here, in-game time refers to the time that passes within the game and passes at a faster rate than real time; for example, when the player performs a specific operation (hereinafter referred to as a weekly operation) once, a few minutes in real time will elapse, but one week will pass in the game. Note that racehorses that have passed their training period will retire, but as described above, they can be used for production as stallions or broodmares.

[0025] In the present game, one weekly operation, i.e., one training session per week in game time, can be performed. Typically, the racehorse's parameters gradually increase as the number of weeks of training (hereinafter also referred to as the number of training weeks) increases. Meanwhile, for example, an accident such as an injury may occur to a racehorse being trained in the game, in which case the racehorse's parameters may decrease or return to their pre-training state. The number of training sessions that can be performed in one weekly operation is not particularly limited, and training may be performed two or more times.

[0026] When training, a menu list ML related to training courses is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 1. A training course is an example of a racehorse training mode. Multiple types of courses are available in the game, and the training content varies depending on the type of course. The player selects one of the multiple training courses listed in the menu list ML and performs training. The type and amount of change of parameters resulting from training vary depending on the specified training course and intensity. For example, "Course A" can focus on increasing stamina, while "Course B" can focus on increasing speed. Furthermore, the degree of parameter increase varies depending on the intensity (light, normal, strong, etc.). Note that parameters do not necessarily need to increase in a single training session. For example, when training is performed by specifying a certain type of training course, certain parameters may increase while other parameters decrease, and the parameters do not necessarily need to change regularly. Furthermore, the amount of parameter increase resulting from training may vary depending on the amount of value consumed.

[0027] In addition, in this game, the player owns a stable (hereinafter referred to as a farm) in which racehorses are kept and trained. Farms are assigned a grade (rank), and the higher the grade of the farm in which the racehorses to be trained are kept, the more training facilities are available, and the greater the amount of parameter increase that can be achieved through training. The grade of the farm can be changed, and the player can upgrade their farm by, for example, paying a fee to the game or performing a predetermined operation (for example, an operation that consumes in-game currency within the game).

[0028] "Race" is the main event of this game, and is generally held weekly in-game time based on the race calendar. When a player enters a racehorse that they have trained (including racehorses in the process of training) in a race, they select the racehorse they want to enter from among their racehorses (if they own multiple racehorses), register the horse for the race they wish to enter, and enter the registered racehorse in the race on the race day in in-game time. The outcome of a racehorse's victory or defeat in a race is determined based on the parameters of each of the racehorses, including the racehorse, at the time of the race, the weather on the race day, and environmental conditions such as the surface condition of the racetrack.

[0029] When a racehorse owned by a player wins (takes first place in) a race or finishes within a predetermined ranking, the player who is raising the racehorse is awarded a predetermined amount of in-game currency or items or other value as a prize or additional prize. The amount of in-game currency or the type of item awarded is determined, for example, according to the type of race entered and the finishing position (results) of the race. In addition to the above-mentioned value, the player may also be awarded the right to participate in special races (limited races) that are not normally available. In this embodiment, participating in a race does not constitute raising a racehorse (parameters such as fatigue level change, but parameters such as stamina, speed, and power do not improve), but participating in a race may also be considered a form of training.

[0030] Incidentally, the Game is a communication-play compatible game, and multiple players can play the Game together via a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile communication line. For example, in the Game, multiple players can compete with their own racehorses in the same race in races held weekly within the game time, as well as in races where horses raised by players can compete against each other (online competitive races).

[0031] In addition, in the game, a player can have another player train a racehorse owned by the other player (hereinafter referred to as "training proxy").

[0032] "Raising agency" refers to granting the authority to raise a racehorse owned by a player requesting the raising agency to another player who undertakes (accepts) the raising agency. In terms of game processing, the racehorse involved in the raising agency is entrusted to the farm of another player, and the parameters of the entrusted racehorse are changed based on the operations of the other player. In addition, in the game, the player who requested the raising agency cannot raise the racehorse involved in the raising agency while the player is in the raising agency role. However, this is not limited to this, and the player who requested the raising agency may be able to raise the racehorse involved in the raising agency role even during the raising agency role. Even if the player who requested the raising agency progresses through the game during the raising agency role, i.e., even if the player advances the in-game time by performing weekly task operations, the progress of the game does not affect the racehorse involved in the raising agency role.

[0033] Below, we will explain the subject of racehorse training agency. In the following, the player who requests the training agency will be called the "first player," the player who accepts the training agency will be called the "second player," and the racehorse for which the first player requests training agency will be called the "target horse."

[0034] When requesting the substitution of a target horse for training, the first player specifies various request items through the game screen, as shown in FIG. 2. The specified request items include the training period and training conditions. The training period (substitution period of training) is the period for which the first player requests the substitution of a target horse for training, and is a period expressed in real time (more specifically, real dates) rather than in-game time. The training conditions are the conditions for the substitution of a target horse that the first player requests the second player to fulfill, and specifically, are the contents specified by the first player as a training policy regarding the training mode during the substitution of a target horse. Examples of the training mode include the number of training weeks to be achieved during the substitution of a target horse, the training course, the type of parameter to be increased, the amount of increase or target value of the parameter, and the number of races to be entered or the number of race wins during the substitution of a target horse.

[0035] The target horse for which the above various conditions have been set by the first player is listed on the list of horses requested for training as shown in Figure 3, and this information is shared among multiple players who are potential recipients (strictly speaking, players other than the first player). Note that the scope of sharing of this information may be limited to players who have been pre-registered as those willing to be entrusted with the training of the target horse. If a candidate player finds a target horse for which they wish to be entrusted with training from among the multiple target horses listed on the list of horses requested for training as a recipient, they select the relevant target horse and enter as a player wishing to be entrusted with the training of that target horse. Note that by tapping the details button in the list of horses requested for training as a recipient, it is possible to check details such as the abilities and requests for each target horse.

[0036] After the first player specifies the requested items, if other players post entries expressing their desire to be entrusted with the first player's target horse, information about those multiple players will be posted on the entrustment applicant list JL shown in Figure 4. The entrustment applicant list JL includes the names or IDs of the players wishing to be entrusted, as well as the farm's grade and the number of times they have been entrusted with training as a training agent. The first player selects one or more players from the multiple players listed on the entrustment applicant list JL who they believe may be willing to entrust with training as their agent. While it is acceptable to select only one player, the following explanation will be given assuming that multiple players have been selected as the second player.

[0037] After the selection of the person wishing to be entrusted with the horse, each of the selected players (in this embodiment, two players, Player AAA and Player CCC) is notified of the training proxy request from the first player. Upon receiving the notification, the multiple players decide whether or not to accept the training proxy for the target horse via the confirmation screen CS shown in FIG. 5. The multiple players who decide to accept the training proxy for the target horse (in this embodiment, it is assumed that both Player AAA and Player CCC have accepted the request) each act independently as the second player and can train the target horse through their own operations during the training period specified by the first player; specifically, each can train the target horse on their own farm. In other words, when there are multiple second players, the multiple second players do not jointly train one target horse.

[0038] It is also possible to impose restrictions on the number of target horses that each second player can accept at the same time (including cases where some of the training substitution periods overlap). For example, the number of target horses that can be accepted at the same time may be limited to one, and multiple target horses may not be accepted at the same time. It is also possible to restrict the number of target horses that can be accepted at the same time from other players (players other than the first player), but not from the same player, or to restrict the number of target horses that can be accepted at the same time from the same player, but not from other players.

[0039] When the substitute training by each second player meets the completion conditions and ends normally, the substitute training authority set for each second player is cancelled / invalidated, the parameters of the target horse are changed based on the results of the substitute training, and then the training authority for one target horse selected from the multiple target horses is returned to the first player, as described below. In the game, one of the target horses that had been kept at each second player's farm is returned to the first player's farm, so hereinafter, the return of substitute training authority for the target horse from the second player to the first player is also referred to as "the target horse being returned to the first player."

[0040] In this embodiment, one target horse is raised by multiple second players, and therefore, at the end of the substitute raising, multiple target horses will be generated with parameters that have changed from the single target horse (stamina: 2, speed: 1, power: 1, etc.), as shown in Figure 6. That is, two target horses will be generated: target horse AAA (stamina: 3, speed: 5, power: 2, etc.) raised by player AAA, and target horse CCC (stamina: 4, speed: 4, power: 3, etc.) raised by player CCC. However, in this embodiment, neither of these two horses will be returned to the first player; rather, one of them is selected according to a predetermined selection pattern, and the selected target horse will be returned to the first player as the target horse for which substitute raising has been completed.

[0041] On the other hand, the data of the horses that were not selected is deleted without being returned to the first player. Therefore, even if multiple horses are temporarily generated from the same horse as a result of being raised by multiple second players, they will not exist outside of the substitute raising period. Therefore, after the substitute raising is completed, neither the first nor second player can use the horse in gameplay.

[0042] Here, examples of predetermined selection patterns are given below. Any one of these selection patterns may be adopted, or a combination of multiple selection patterns may be used. For example, it is possible to set it so that after narrowing down the number of horses to a certain extent using methods (b) to (d), the final horse can be selected using method (a). (a) The first player personally selects from among a plurality of target horses for which substitute training has been completed. In this case, the first user comprehensively assesses the results of the substitute training, i.e., the changed parameters, etc., and selects one of the target horses that is most desirable. For example, if the first player places importance on the speed value, target horse AAA is selected. (b) From among the multiple target horses for which substitute training has been completed, the computer (game system) automatically selects one based on the changed parameter values. In this case, the computer comprehensively assesses the results of the substitute training, i.e., the changed parameters, etc., and selects one target horse from the multiple target horses with the highest ability value. Note that the computer may also focus on a predetermined parameter such as stamina, speed, or power. For example, if the setting is to select a target horse with a well-balanced overall high ability value, target horse CCC will be selected. On the other hand, if the setting is to focus on the speed value, target horse AAA will be selected. (c) From among the multiple target horses for which the substitutional training has been completed, the computer (game system) automatically selects a target horse based on conditions set by the first player. The conditions may include, for example, the highest (or improved) speed value, a well-balanced high (or improved) stamina and speed value, the highest (or improved) suitability for the turf course, and the optimal distance suitability for the target race. The target horse that meets each condition is selected from target horse AAA and target horse CCC. The conditions may be set at any time; for example, they may be set when the substitutional training request is made, or they may be set even earlier. If the conditions are already set when the substitutional training request is made, they may be notified to the second player in advance. Alternatively, they may be set when the substitutional training is completed, i.e., when the target horse is returned. (d) From among a plurality of target horses for which substitute training has been completed, a target horse is automatically selected based on track record. For example, one target horse is selected that has competed in and won a specified race (such as a race that meets the conditions previously specified by the first player) during the substitute training period. For example, if the specified race is the "Tokyo Derby (G1)", target horse CCC, which won that race, is selected. The horse may also be selected based on the number of race wins or the amount of prize money won. Note that when selecting a target horse based on track record, the parameters of the target horse may or may not be taken into consideration, and the parameters may be unknown.

[0043] When the horse is returned to the first player after the horse-raising substitute is completed, a "reward" is awarded to the specific second player who raised the returned horse. Note that a reward may be awarded to all or some of the second players who acted as horse-raising substitutes, but in that case, it is advisable to award a more favorable reward to the specific second player who raised the returned horse than to the other second players.

[0044] A "reward" is a value or right granted to the second player in consideration for acting as a training agent. The type (content) or amount of the reward may be changed depending on the results of the second player's acting as a training agent, specifically the number of weeks of training during the acting as a training agent or the increase in parameters due to the acting as a training agent. Multiple types of rewards may also be combined and granted. By changing the type (content) or amount or combining multiple types of rewards, the reward can be made more advantageous to the second player.

[0045] The rewards include in-game currency or items, etc. transferred from the first player to the second player as a reward (the number of in-game currency or items, etc. held by the first player will decrease depending on the number of transfers), in-game currency or items, etc. given to the second player as a bonus regardless of the first player (the number of in-game currency or items, etc. held by the first player will not decrease depending on the number of transfers), and the following rights, etc. (a) The right of the second player to use the horse in the game after it has been returned. Specifically, this includes the right for the second player to borrow the target horse from the first player after it has been returned and use it in an in-game event such as a race, or the right for the second player to borrow the target horse from the first player after it has been returned and produce a new racehorse, i.e., the right to use the target horse as a stallion or broodmare. (b) The second player has the right to obtain at least a portion of the value that the first player has earned by entering the returned horse in a race. Specifically, this includes the second player obtaining X% (for example, 10%) of the in-game currency acquired by the target horse, the same item as the acquired item or a related item (for example, if the acquired item is an item that recovers fatigue by 100%, an item that recovers fatigue by 30%), or, if the horse has earned the right to participate in a special race, the right to participate in that special race. (c) The right to have the second player's name and other information registered in the attributes of the horse after it is returned. Specifically, this includes cases where the name of the second player is displayed as the trainer of the target horse.

[0046] On the other hand, if the conditions set by the first player when requesting the training substitution are not met, or if at least one of the first player or the second player requests cancellation, the training substitution may be interrupted even if it is in progress. If the training substitution is interrupted, the target horse being trained by the second player will not be included in the multiple target horses for which the training substitution has been completed, and will not be a candidate for the target horse to be returned. Furthermore, the second player will not be granted the above-mentioned reward, as a matter of course.

[0047] During the substitute training, the first player can check the progress of the substitute training of the target horse by the second player (for example, the evaluation value described below, and the current parameters of the target horse, etc.). This allows the first player to check at any time whether the substitute training is progressing smoothly (whether the training quota can be achieved). This can be used as information to decide whether to interrupt the substitute training or to continue with the current substitute training conditions (for example, whether it is better to change the training course, etc.).

[0048] [Configuration of an information processing device and a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention] Next, the configurations of an information processing device and a user terminal 12 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to the first embodiment is configured by a game computer, specifically a server computer (hereinafter referred to as a server 10). As shown in FIG. 7, the server 10 is communicably connected to the user terminal 12 via a network 14, and together with the user terminal 12, forms an information processing system S for games. The server 10 may be configured by one computer, or may be configured by a plurality of computers distributed in parallel.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the server 10 has a processor 21, memory 22, a communication interface 23, and storage 24, which are electrically connected via a bus 25. In addition, the server 10 has installed thereon, as software, an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program for processing information related to the game. These programs correspond to the "program" of the present invention. When the processor 21 operates in accordance with the program, the server 10 functions as an information processing device of the present invention and executes a series of processes related to the progress of the game.

[0050] The processor 21 may be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0051] The memory 22 may be configured by semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0052] The communication interface 23 may be configured by, for example, a network interface card, a communication interface board, etc. The standard of data communication by the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication by a wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication by a 3G to 5G or later generation mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0053] The storage 24 may be configured with a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), or the like. The storage 24 may be built into the server 10 or may be attached to the server main body in an external format. The storage 24 may also be configured with an external computer (e.g., a database server) communicably connected to the server main body. Note that a distributed ledger technology such as a blockchain may be used as a technology for recording various data in order to avoid unauthorized data tampering, etc.

[0054] The server 10 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each player, and also collects and stores information from each player. The information stored by the server 10 includes information regarding each player's play history of the game, such as the racehorses that each player has owned to date and their current parameters, the amount of in-game currency and items owned, and the number of times the player has been entrusted with training. In addition, for players who have requested to act as a training agent for a target horse, information regarding the training agent, such as the training conditions and the current status of the training agent, is stored in the server 10.

[0055] In addition, the server 10 executes various information processes related to the progress of the game, including the processes described below. (a) Processing for changing the parameters of a racehorse being trained. (b) A process of having a second player take over the training of the target horse of the first player. (c) A process for completing or suspending the second player's acting as the breeder of the target horse. (d) A process of selecting one target horse from among multiple target horses for which the training agency has completed. (e) A process of returning the target horse (selected target horse) for which the training has been completed to the first player. (f) A process of awarding a reward to a second player or a specific second player. (g) A process for identifying the time (training time) during which the second player has acted as a trainer for the target horse. (h) A process for identifying the type and amount of value spent by the second player on the training of the target horse. (i) A process for changing the amount of value of each player (such as the number of in-game currency or items held). (j) Processing to generate or hold various in-game events, including races. (k) A process of assigning value to a player whose racehorse wins a race.

[0056] The user terminals 12 are client terminals operated by players to play the game, and are specifically comprised of personal computers, smartphones, mobile phones, tablet devices, game consoles, television sets capable of inputting information, wearable devices, etc. Note that, for convenience of illustration, only three user terminals 12 are shown in Figure 7, but the number of user terminals 12 may be any number of two or more (preferably three or more).

[0057] The user terminal 12 receives information necessary for the progress of the game from the server 10, displays images contained in the information on a screen such as a display, and outputs audio from a speaker, etc. The user terminal 12 also accepts operations performed by the player while playing the game, and transmits information corresponding to the operation to the server 10.

[0058] For example, when raising a racehorse in the game, the player performs a raising operation on the user terminal 12. The raising operation is an operation related to the raising of the racehorse, and is an operation for inputting information necessary for the raising, selecting from a plurality of items related to the raising, etc. For example, the player specifies a raising course in the menu list ML of FIG. 1, and performs an operation for entry registration to enter the racehorse in a desired race through a registration screen (not shown).

[0059] Furthermore, the player requesting the substitution of a target horse for training, i.e., the first player, performs operations for requesting a training substitution on the user terminal 12, for example, specifying various request details on the training substitution request screen IS of FIG. 2 and selecting a candidate (or candidates) from the candidate list JL of FIG. 4. Meanwhile, another player selects and enters a target horse for which he or she wishes to act as a training substitute from among the multiple target horses listed in the training substitution request horse list HL of FIG. 3. Furthermore, the player who has accepted the training substitution, i.e., the second player, indicates his or her intention to accept the first player's request for training substitution through the confirmation screen CS of FIG. 5, and then performs the same training operations as usual on the user terminal 12 to train the racehorse (target horse) for which he or she is acting as a training substitute.

[0060] In addition, during the training proxy, the first player can sequentially check the status of the training proxy of the target horse by each second player through communication between the user terminal 12 and the server 10, and can view, for example, the number of weeks of training and the parameters of the target horse at each point during the training proxy on the screen of the user terminal 12.

[0061] [Functions of the information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention] The configuration of the server 10, which is an information processing device according to the first embodiment, will now be described from a functional perspective. As shown in Fig. 8, the server 10 has an operation reception unit 30, a distribution unit 40, a storage unit 50, and an information processing unit 60. Of these, the storage unit 50 is realized by the memory 22 or the storage 24, and the other functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices that make up the server 10 and the programs installed on the server 10. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0062] (Operation reception section) The operation reception unit 30 receives operations performed by the player on the user terminal 12 while playing the game, and more precisely, receives data indicating the content of the operations from the user terminal 12. As shown in FIG. 8 , the operation reception unit 30 has a breeding operation reception unit 31, a request reception unit 32, a candidate selection reception unit 33, an acceptance confirmation reception unit 34, a target horse selection reception unit 35, and a race registration reception unit 36.

[0063] The training operation receiving unit 31 receives racehorse training operations performed by the player. The training operations are operations for specifying the training of racehorses, or more precisely, for training, and the training operations specify the racehorse to be trained, the training course, the value to be spent on training, etc. The training operation receiving unit 31 receives data indicating the above-mentioned specified details from the user terminal 12.

[0064] The request receiving unit 32 receives a designation operation performed by the first player to request the substitution of training for the target horse, specifically an operation to designate the requested items such as the training period and training conditions, and more specifically, receives data indicating the designated requested items from the user terminal 12. Note that, when substitution of training for multiple target horses has been completed, the request receiving unit 32 may also receive an operation to designate conditions for selecting one target horse to be returned from among the multiple target horses.

[0065] The candidate selection receiving unit 33 receives an operation by the first player to select one or more candidates from the list of horses wishing to be entrusted JL when requesting a training agency, and more specifically, receives data indicating the selection result from the user terminal 12. The candidate selection receiving unit 33 also receives an operation by the second player to select a target horse from the list of horses requested for training agency HL, and more specifically, receives data indicating the selection result from the user terminal 12.

[0066] The acceptance confirmation receiving unit 34 accepts the acceptance confirmation operation performed when the player who wishes to be entrusted, selected by the first player, decides to accept the training agency through the confirmation screen CS of Figure 5, and more specifically, receives data indicating whether or not the acceptance has been accepted from the user terminal 12.

[0067] When multiple second players have completed their training surrogates and multiple target horses have been generated with changed parameters, the target horse selection receiving unit 35 receives an operation by the first player to select one target horse that the first player wishes to return, and more specifically, receives data indicating the selection result from the user terminal 12.

[0068] The race registration acceptance unit 36 ​​accepts registration operations performed by a player to enter a racehorse in a race of the player's choice. In the registration operation, the player specifies the race the player wants to enter, the date of the race, the racehorse to enter, etc., and the race registration acceptance unit 36 ​​receives data indicating these details from the user terminal 12.

[0069] (Distribution Department) The distribution unit 40 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each player's user terminal 12, and as shown in Figure 8, has an event information distribution unit 41, an information presentation unit 42, and an inquiry unit 43.

[0070] The event information distribution unit 41 distributes information about various events such as races. On the user terminal 12 side that receives the information distributed by the event information distribution unit 41, video and audio of the event are output (displayed, played, etc.).

[0071] The information presenting unit 42 distributes to the first player information on multiple players (strictly speaking, multiple players other than the first player) who are registered as trustee applicants, including the second player. The information presenting unit 42 also distributes information on the target horse registered by the first player to multiple players, including the second player, who are registered as trustee candidates.

[0072] The inquiry unit 43 distributes inquiry information regarding predetermined matters to predetermined players, for example, distributes inquiry information regarding whether or not the training proxy can be entrusted to a player who wishes to be entrusted and who has been selected by a first player, and distributes inquiry information regarding whether or not the training proxy will be continued to a second player who is performing the training proxy.

[0073] (Storage part) The storage unit 50 stores information necessary for the game to proceed, and as shown in FIG. 8, has a player information storage unit 51, a racehorse information storage unit 52, a training proxy request storage unit 53, and a training proxy status storage unit .

[0074] The player information storage unit 51 stores player information for each player of the game. As shown in FIG. 9, the player information includes the name or ID of each player, the name of their game account, the total time they have played the game, the ID of their racehorse (owned horse ID), the grade of their farm, the number of times they have accepted training agency contracts, a training agency flag indicating whether they are currently requesting training agency contracts, and a candidate player flag indicating whether they are currently a candidate player. The player information also includes information (not shown) regarding the amount of in-game currency, items, or other valuables they possess. Note that the player information may also include other information about the player, such as the names or IDs of other players registered by the player as friends.

[0075] The racehorse information storage unit 52 stores, for each racehorse, racehorse information related to the racehorses owned by each player. As shown in FIG. 10 , the racehorse information includes the name of each racehorse, an identification ID, the account name of the player who owns the racehorse, current parameters (specifically, ability values ​​such as stamina, speed, and power, as well as racing results such as the number of races entered and won in the past), the current number of weeks in training, and the number of remaining training periods (number of weeks remaining). Note that the racehorse information may also include other information related to the racehorse, such as information related to pedigree such as the name or ID of the parent horse, and trainer information such as the name or ID of the trainer. The information related to the racehorse may also include masked information that is not displayed on the user terminal 12 or the like and cannot be seen by the player.

[0076] The training agency request storage unit 53 stores training agency request information relating to a training agency request for each request. As shown in Fig. 11 , the training agency request information includes an ID for identifying the training agency request (request ID), the account name of the player who requested the training agency, the training period, an ID for identifying the racehorse (target horse) for which the training agency has been requested, training conditions (specifically, the number of training weeks to be achieved during the training agency, the training course, and the type of parameter to be increased by the training agency and its target value), and the account name of the player who has accepted the training agency.

[0077] The training proxy status storage unit 54 stores, for each training proxy, training proxy status information relating to the progress of the currently ongoing training proxy. As shown in Fig. 12, the training proxy status information includes a request ID, a training proxy start date in real time, the number of training weeks from the start of the training proxy to the present in-game time, the current values ​​of the desired training parameters, the number of medals given as the training budget, and the number of medals consumed for the training proxy up to the present.

[0078] (Information Processing Department) The information processing unit 60 executes information processing necessary for the progress of the game, and as shown in FIG. 7, has a parameter change unit 61, an agent processing unit 62, an agent completion unit 63, an agent interruption unit 64, an agent time determination unit 65, a consumption value determination unit 66, a selection unit 67, a return unit 68, a reward granting unit 69, a race result determination unit 70, and a value granting unit 71.

[0079] When the training operation receiving unit 31 receives a training operation from the player, the parameter changing unit 61 executes processing to change the parameters of the racehorse to be trained stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52, specifically ability values ​​such as stamina, speed, and power, in accordance with the content of the operation. At this time, the amount of change (amount of increase) of each parameter changes depending on the training course specified by the player in the training operation, the amount of value consumed, etc.

[0080] When the acceptance confirmation receiving unit 34 receives a response from the applicant selected by the first player indicating that they will accept the training proxy, the proxy processing unit 62 designates the second player as the trustee and executes processing to have the second player act as a proxy to train the target horse. Specifically, the proxy processing unit 62 grants the second player the authority to train the target horse, and stores the account name of the second player in association with the request ID for the training proxy in the training proxy request storage unit 53. Note that the proxy processing unit 62 can also be configured to allow multiple second players to each independently train the target horse.

[0081] The substitution completion unit 63 completes the substitution of the target horse by the player who has accepted the substitution of the target horse when a completion condition for the substitution of the target horse is met. The completion condition is, for example, a condition that the condition specified by the first player when requesting the substitution of the target horse is met. In other words, when the number of weeks of the substitution of the target horse by the second player reaches the number of weeks of the substitution of the target horse specified by the first player, or when the parameters of the target horse increase to the target values ​​specified by the first player, the substitution completion unit 63 cancels / invalidates the substitution of the target horse authority set for the second player, and completes the substitution of the target horse by the second player.

[0082] When the suspension condition for the training substitution is satisfied, the substitution suspension unit 64 suspends the training substitution of the target horse by the player who has accepted the said training substitution midway through the training substitution. Specifically, the substitution suspension unit 64 suspends the training substitution by canceling / invalidating the training substitution authority set for the second player. Note that even if the parameters of the target horse have changed due to the training substitution by the second player up to the time of suspension, the parameter changes are not reflected in the target horse.

[0083] The interruption condition is a condition related to the progress of the substitute training of the target horse, and specifically, the current progress of the substitute training has not reached a standard. As one example, the substitute training interruption unit 64 calculates an evaluation value at each point during the substitute training. The evaluation value is a value calculated based on the substitute time (specifically, the number of weeks of training added during the substitute training period), which will be described later, and the amount of value spent on the substitute training, and is, for example, the ratio of the amount of value to the substitute time. Then, when the evaluation value satisfies the interruption condition, specifically, when the evaluation value falls below a standard value, the substitute training interruption unit 64 interrupts the substitute training of the target horse by the second player at that time.

[0084] The interruption condition is not limited to the above conditions, and may be, for example, that the duration of the substitution falls below a predetermined time after a certain time has elapsed since the start of the substitution. Furthermore, the second player's substitution of the target horse for raising the target horse may be interrupted if the parameter values ​​of the target horse that have been increased by the time a certain time has elapsed since the start of the substitution of the target horse for raising the target horse have not reached a reference value. Furthermore, the second player's substitution of the target horse for raising the target horse may be interrupted, for example, if at least one of the first player or the second player requests cancellation, regardless of the parameter values ​​of the target horse, etc.

[0085] The proxy time determination unit 65 determines the in-game time spent on proxy raising of the target horse (hereinafter referred to as proxy time). The proxy time corresponds to, for example, the number of weeks of raising from the start of proxy raising to the current time. In other words, when determining the proxy time for the second player's proxy raising of the target horse, the proxy time determination unit 65 determines the number of weeks of raising that have occurred since the second player began proxy raising of the target horse to the current time as the proxy time. The determined proxy time, i.e., the number of weeks of raising, is also used as a reference when the proxy interruption unit 64 determines whether the interruption condition is met.

[0086] The consumption value identification unit 66 identifies the amount of value, such as in-game currency, consumed in the substitute training of the target horse. For example, when the above-mentioned completion condition is satisfied for the second player's substitute training of the target horse, the consumption value identification unit 66 identifies the amount of value consumed up to the point in time when the completion condition is satisfied. The consumption value identification unit 66 can also identify, at any point in time during the substitute training, the amount of value consumed in the substitute training up to that point in time, and the identified amount of value is also used as information when the substitution interruption unit 64 determines whether the interruption condition is met.

[0087] When one target horse has been raised by multiple second players, the selection unit 67 selects one target horse to be returned to the first player by the return unit 68 from among the multiple target horses for which substitute raising has been completed, based on a predetermined selection pattern such as the one exemplified above. Note that the selection pattern may be any one of the above selection patterns (a) to (d), or a combination of multiple selection patterns may be used to select one target horse. Furthermore, the selection unit 67 deletes the data of any target horse that was not selected.

[0088] When a predetermined return condition is met, that is, when the substitution completion unit 63 has completed the substitution of the second player for the target horse, the return unit 68 returns the target horse, whose parameters have been changed based on the substitution of the second player, from the second player to the first player. This returns the authority to raise the target horse from the second player to the first player. At this time, if substitution of the raising of multiple target horses has been completed, one target horse selected by the selection unit 67, that is, the target horse whose parameters have been changed by being raised by a specific second player, is returned to the first player.

[0089] The reward granting unit 69 grants the above-mentioned reward to the second player when the substitute training of the target horse is completed and the target horse is returned to the first player. When the reward is granted, the content of the granted reward is reflected in the player information of each player stored in the player information storage unit 51 or the racehorse information regarding the target horse stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52. Furthermore, the reward granting unit 69 may grant a reward only to a specific second player who performed substitute training of the target horse returned to the first player, or may grant a more advantageous reward to that specific second player than to other second players (second players who have trained a target horse that was not selected as the returned target horse). Note that no reward is granted to a second player who discontinues substitute training.

[0090] The race result determination unit 70 determines the outcome of each race in the game, i.e., the finishing order of each racehorse, based on the parameters, and generates event presentation data according to the determined race results. The generated event presentation data is distributed by the event information distribution unit 41 to players who have entered their racehorses in the race.

[0091] The value granting unit 71 grants the value of in-game currency or items, etc., to the player who entered the racehorse as a prize or additional prize, depending on the results of the race in which the racehorse entered. When value is granted, the value of the in-game currency, etc., equivalent to the prize money, is added to the player information of each player stored in the player information storage unit 51. Note that a predetermined value is also granted if the second player enters the target horse in a race while acting as a training agent and wins the race. In this case, the value may be granted to the second player who acts as a training agent for the target horse, or to the first player who is the owner of the target horse.

[0092] The above has described the configurations of the server 10 and the user terminal 12. Generally, the server 10 and the user terminal 12 have various functions other than those described above, but here, only the characteristic functions that produce the effects in the information processing system S of the present invention will be described, and illustrations and descriptions of other known functions will be omitted.

[0093] [Information processing flow according to one embodiment of the present invention] Next, we will explain the flow related to substitute training (hereinafter referred to as the substitute training flow) among the information processing flows by the information processing system S. The substitute training flow employs the information processing method of the present invention; in other words, each step in the substitute training flow corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention. In the following, a specific case will be given to easily explain the substitute training flow, and the first player who requests substitute training will be referred to as player X, the multiple second players who accept the substitute training will be referred to as players Y1 and Y2, and the racehorse (target horse) related to the substitute training will be referred to as racehorse Z.

[0094] To execute the training agency flow, players X, Y1, and Y2 log in to the game and begin playing. In the game, players X, Y1, and Y2 each own at least one racehorse and possess in-game currency or items or other valuables required for training. In addition, for the training agency flow, many players including players Y1 and Y2 (strictly speaking, multiple players other than player X) are pre-registered as potential recipients. In this case, player X can select multiple potential recipients.

[0095] 13-14, for example, the proxy training flow begins with player X operating the user terminal 12 to specify the requested items regarding proxy training of racehorse Z, specifically the training period and conditions (S001). The server 10 accepts player X's proxy training request through communication with player X's user terminal 12, and acquires data indicating the requested items in detail (S002).

[0096] Next, the players Y1 and Y2 operate the user terminals 12 to select the horses for which they wish to be entrusted with the training (S003), and the server 10 receives the selection results of the players Y1 and Y2 through communication with the user terminals 12 of the players Y1 and Y2, and more specifically, acquires data indicating the horses selected by the players Y1 and Y2 (S004).In this case, the racehorse Z corresponds to the horses selected by the players Y1 and Y2.

[0097] Next, the server 10 presents information about players including players Y1 and Y2 who wish to accept a role to player X (S005), and when player X operates the user terminal 12 to select a role to accept a role (S006), the server 10 accepts the selection result of player X through communication with the user terminal 12 of player X, and more specifically, acquires data indicating the role to accept a role selected by player X (S007). Incidentally, in this case, there are many other role to accept a role besides players Y1 and Y2, and players Y1 and Y2 correspond to multiple role to accept a role selected from the many role to accept a role.

[0098] Thereafter, the server 10, through communication with the user terminals 12 of the players Y1 and Y2, inquires of the players Y1 and Y2, respectively, as to whether or not they will accept the training proxy requested by the player X (S008). The players Y1 and Y2 respond via the confirmation screen CS of FIG. 5 as to whether or not they will accept the training proxy, and if they intend to accept, they respond to that effect (S009). Note that the following steps will be explained assuming that the players Y1 and Y2 have responded that they will accept the training proxy.

[0099] The server 10 individually executes a process to have both players Y1 and Y2 act as agents for raising racehorse Z, that is, sets the agent raising authority for racehorse Z for each of players Y1 and Y2 (S010). Thereby, players Y1 and Y2 can raise racehorse Z at their own farms thereafter, in other words, the server 10 accepts the raising operations of players Y1 and Y2 regarding racehorse Z.

[0100] When players Y1 and Y2 perform a training operation on the user terminal 12 to act as a substitute for the training of racehorse Z (S011), the server 10 accepts the training operation through communication with the user terminals 12 of players Y1 and Y2, and specifically receives data indicating the training course and the consumed in-game currency or items (S012). Accordingly, the server 10 changes the parameters of racehorse Z stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52, specifically stamina, speed, power, etc. (S013). At this time, each parameter is changed according to the content of the training operation accepted from players Y1 and Y2 (the training course and the amount of consumed in-game currency or the type of consumable item, etc.). However, the parameters do not necessarily always change regularly, and even if the content of the training operation is the same, the amount of change may be changed randomly, for example.

[0101] Then, during the substitute training period, the server 10 appropriately determines whether or not a completion condition is met for the substitute training of racehorse Z by players Y1 and Y2 (S014). For example, the completion condition is met when the number of training weeks during the substitute training period reaches a value specified by player X, or when a parameter desired by player X among the parameters of racehorse Z reaches a target value. When the completion condition is met, the server 10 completes the substitute training of racehorse Z by players Y1 and Y2 (S015). At this time, since players Y1 and Y2 are each independently training one racehorse Z, when the substitute training is completed, multiple racehorses Z1 and Z2 will be generated from one racehorse Z according to the training details of each of players Y1 and Y2.

[0102] When the substitute training of racehorse Z is completed, the server 10 cancels the substitute training authority for racehorse Z that was set for players Y1 and Y2, and selects one racehorse Z from among racehorses Z1 and Z2 trained by players Y1 and Y2 based on a predetermined selection pattern (S016). Here, it is assumed that racehorse Z1 trained by player Y1 has been selected, and the following processing is carried out.

[0103] The server 10 then returns the selected racehorse Z1 to the player X with the parameters changed according to the training performed by the player Y1 up to that point (S017), and awards a reward for the training agency to the player Y1 (S018), thereby terminating the training agency flow. Note that the reward for the training agency may be awarded not only to the player Y1, but also to the player Y2 who trained the unselected racehorse Z2.

[0104] On the other hand, if the completion condition is not met during the substitute training period, the server 10 appropriately determines whether or not the interruption condition is met for the substitute training of racehorse Z by players Y1 and Y2 (S019). For example, the interruption condition is met if the number of weeks of training falls below a predetermined number when a certain amount of time has passed since players Y1 and Y2 started the substitute training of racehorse Z, or if the parameters of racehorse Z up to that point (particularly the ability value that player X wants to increase) have not reached a reference value. For players Y1 and Y2 who meet the interruption condition, the server 10 interrupts the substitute training of racehorse Z by players Y1 and Y2 (S020), and ends the substitute training flow.

[0105] On the other hand, while neither the completion condition nor the interruption condition is satisfied, the above steps S011 to S014 and S019 of the training proxy flow are repeatedly performed. In other words, as long as neither the completion condition nor the interruption condition is satisfied, the players Y1 and Y2 can repeatedly perform training operations and registration operations, and can change the parameters of the racehorse Z every time they perform a training operation.

[0106] [Other embodiments] Up to this point, we have explained the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention using specific examples, but the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and other embodiments may also be considered.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the server computer for distributing game data (i.e., the server 10) functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but this is not limited to this, and some of the functions of the server 10 may be provided in the user terminal 12. For example, the functions of the proxy processing unit 62, etc. may be provided in the user terminal 12.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, the player information and racehorse information are stored and held in a server computer (i.e., server 10) for distributing game data, but it is also possible to provide a separate database server (not shown) and store the information all together in that database server, or to store the information on the user terminal 12 side.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a candidate player applies to take on the role of breeder for a target horse, the first player who requested the horse to be trained on behalf of the target horse selects multiple recipients from among the multiple applicants, and after confirming with the selected multiple applicants that they are willing to accept the role of breeder, if they respond that they will accept the role of breeder, the multiple applicants are designated as second players, and each of the second players is made to breed the target horse on behalf of the first player. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the first player may specify breeding conditions when requesting the horse to be trained on behalf of the target horse, the candidate player sets the conditions, the two conditions are compared, and the multiple candidate players who set conditions that match the conditions are designated as second players, and each of the second players is made to breed the target horse on behalf of the first player.

[0110] In this embodiment, players can generally enjoy all functions free of charge, but some functions may be limited and available for a specified fee. Furthermore, various conditions may be set to give players an advantage in playing, such as increasing the number of training tasks that can be performed in one weekly task, making it easier to raise the farm grade, obtaining specific items, or increasing the amount of parameter change during training. This fee may be a pay-as-you-go system, or a one-time payment that is valid for a certain period of time (e.g., one month or one year) (subscription).

[0111] [summary] The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[0112] [1] The information processing device according to this embodiment has an agent processing unit that causes a plurality of second players to raise game objects owned by a first player, and a return unit that returns to the first player one of a plurality of game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the second players raising the game objects. According to the information processing device described above, a first player can have multiple second players raise a game object owned by the first player, and one of the multiple game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the multiple second players raising the game object is returned to the first player. This allows the first player (the entruster) to avoid the trouble of raising the game object and can also request multiple trustees to perform the raising on his or her behalf and compete for the results. This allows the first player to use the raising agency with peace of mind and increases the probability that the game object will be raised to a level superior to that of the first player's own hand. Furthermore, since the second player (the trustee) competes with other trustees for the returned game object, this motivates the second player to improve the game object's capabilities, improving the quality of the raising agency and benefiting the first player. This creates an environment in which game object raising agency services can be actively utilized.

[0113] [2] In the above information processing device, the return unit returns one game object selected from the plurality of game objects based on an operation by the first player to the first player. This allows the first player to select one game object from among multiple game objects raised by multiple second players at his or her own discretion, allowing the first player to use the training proxy more safely and further increasing the probability that the game object will be trained to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself or herself. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which game object training proxy services can be actively used.

[0114] [3] In the information processing device, the return unit returns one game object selected from the plurality of game objects based on the value of the parameter to the first player. This allows the first player to use the substitute training service with greater peace of mind, as the game object with the highest parameter value is automatically selected from among the game objects respectively trained by the second players, further increasing the probability that the first player will be able to train the game object to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively utilized.

[0115] [4] In the information processing device, the return unit returns to the first player one game object selected from the plurality of game objects based on a condition set by the first player. This allows the first player to use the substitute training service with greater peace of mind, as the first player automatically selects one game object that best meets the conditions set by the first player from among multiple game objects respectively trained by multiple second players, further improving the probability that the first player will be able to train the game object to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively utilized.

[0116] [5] In the above information processing device, the return unit returns to the first player one game object selected from the plurality of game objects based on the result of a predetermined game designated by the first player. As a result, the first player can use the training proxy more safely because one game object that is best suited for playing a predetermined game designated by the first player is automatically selected from among the plurality of game objects respectively trained by the plurality of second players, and the probability that the first player will be able to train the game object to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself is further improved. Therefore, an environment in which game object training proxy services can be actively used can be created more favorably.

[0117] [6] The above information processing device further includes a reward granting unit that grants a reward to a user who has developed a game object, and the reward granting unit grants a reward to a specific second player who has developed one game object. This brings benefits to both the first player and the second player. That is, the second player, who is the trustee, can also receive a reward as a result of acting as a guardian when the game object he or she has raised is returned. Furthermore, since the reward is given, the second player will compete more seriously with other trustees, which will motivate the second player to further improve the abilities of the game object. This improves the quality of the guardianship, which in turn benefits the first player. Therefore, it is possible to create an even more favorable environment in which guardianship of game objects can be actively utilized.

[0118] [7] In the above information processing device, the reward granting unit grants a more advantageous reward to a specific second player who has developed one game object than to other second players. This brings benefits to both the first player and the second player. That is, the second player, who is the trustee, can also receive a more favorable reward than other trustees as a result of acting as a training agent when the game object he or she has raised is returned. Furthermore, since the second player is given a favorable reward, he or she will compete more seriously with other trustees, which will motivate the second player to further improve the abilities of the game object. This improves the quality of the training agent, which in turn benefits the first player. Therefore, an environment in which game object training agent services can be actively utilized can be created more favorably.

[0119] [8] In the above information processing device, the reward granting unit grants the second player the right to use the returned game object in the game as a reward. This not only benefits both the first player and the second player, but also increases the second player's satisfaction with the reward, since the second player can continue to use the game object he or she has developed and is deeply attached to in the game even after returning it to the first player, even though it is owned by someone else. Furthermore, since the second player can continue to use the game object even after returning it, this motivates the second player to further improve the game object's abilities. This improves the quality of the substitute training, which ultimately benefits the first player. Therefore, an environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively utilized can be created more favorably.

[0120] [9] In the above information processing device, the reward granting unit enables the second player to generate another object using the returned game object. This not only benefits both the first player and the second player, but also increases the second player's satisfaction with the reward, since the second player can independently generate new objects using a game object that he or she has developed and is deeply attached to, even though the game object is owned by someone else. Furthermore, since the second player can use the game object to generate other objects even after returning it, this can motivate the second player to further improve the game object's abilities, especially in cases where a game object with higher abilities makes it easier to generate other objects with higher abilities. This improves the quality of the substitute training, which ultimately benefits the first player. Therefore, an environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively utilized can be more favorably constructed.

[0121]

[10] In the above information processing device, the reward granting unit grants at least a portion of the value that the first player has acquired by using the returned game object in the game as a reward. This not only benefits both the first player and the second player, but also increases the second player's satisfaction with the reward, as the reward he or she receives will vary depending on the player's performance after returning the game object he or she has raised. This not only increases the second player's satisfaction with the reward, but also motivates the second player to further improve the abilities of the game object. This improves the quality of the substitute raising service, which in turn benefits the first player. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which substitute raising of game objects can be actively utilized.

[0122]

[11] In the above information processing device, the reward granting unit grants a reward for registering information about the second player in the attributes of the returned game object. This not only benefits both the first player and the second player, but also allows the second player to gain honor as a trainer depending on the results of the game object after it is returned, which increases the second player's satisfaction with the reward and motivates him or her to further improve the abilities of the game object. This improves the quality of the training proxy, which in turn benefits the first player. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which training proxy services for game objects can be actively utilized.

[0123]

[12] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of the present invention, a computer causes a plurality of second players to raise game objects owned by a first player, and the computer returns one of a plurality of game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the second players raising the game objects to the first player. According to the above information processing method, a first player can have multiple second players raise a game object owned by the first player, and one of the multiple game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the multiple second players raising the game object is returned to the first player. This allows the first player (the entruster) to avoid the trouble of raising the game object and can also request multiple trustees to perform the raising on his or her behalf and compete for the results. This allows the first player to use the raising agency with peace of mind and increases the probability that the game object will be raised to a level superior to that of the first player's own hand. Furthermore, since the second player (the trustee) competes with other trustees for the returned game object, this motivates the second player to improve the game object's capabilities, improving the quality of the raising agency and benefiting the first player. This creates an environment in which game object raising agency services can be actively utilized.

[0124] The information processing method of the present invention can be realized by an information processing device alone or in combination with another terminal such as a user terminal. Here, the information processing device may be a server computer for an ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, the above series of information processes (excluding information input and display) are executed by the server computer, so that the user terminal only needs to input information to be transferred to the server computer and display information distributed from the server computer.

[0125]

[13] Furthermore, according to the program of the present invention, a computer causes a plurality of second players to raise game objects owned by a first player, and returns one of the game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the second players raising the game objects to the first player. According to the above program, a first player can have multiple second players raise a game object owned by the first player, and one of the multiple game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the second players raising the game object is returned to the first player. This allows the first player (the entruster) to avoid the trouble of raising the game object and can also request multiple trustees to perform the raising on his or her behalf and compete for the results. This allows the first player to use the raising agency with peace of mind and increases the probability that the game object will be raised to a level superior to that achieved by the first player. Furthermore, since the second player (the trustee) competes with other trustees for the returned game object, this motivates the second player to improve the game object's abilities, improving the quality of the raising agency and benefiting the first player. This creates an environment in which game object raising agency services can be actively utilized.

[0126] The program of the present invention may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or by obtaining (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10 Servers 12 User terminal 14 Network 21 processors 22 Memory 23 Communication Interface 24 Storage 25 Bus 30 Operation reception section 31 Training operation reception desk 32 Request Reception Department 33 Candidate selection reception section 34. Acceptance Confirmation Reception Department 35. Horse Selection Reception 36 Race Registration Desk 40 Distribution Department 41 Event Information Distribution Department 42 Information Provision Department 43 Inquiry Department 50 Storage section 51 Player information storage unit 52 Racehorse information storage unit 53 Training proxy request memory unit 54 Training Substitute Status Memory Unit 60 Information Processing Department 61 Parameter change section 62 Substitute Processing Unit 63 Substitution Completion Section 64 Agency interruption part 65 Substitute Time Identification Department 66 Consumption Value Identification Department 67 Selection section 68 Return Section 69 Reward Division 70 Race Results Decision Department 71 Value Addition Department CS confirmation screen HL Horse breeding request list IS training agency request screen JL Contractor List ML Menu List S Information Processing System

Claims

[Claim 1] a proxy processing unit that causes a plurality of second players to raise a game object owned by a first player; An information processing device having a return unit that returns one game object to the first player from among a plurality of game objects whose parameters have changed as a result of the plurality of second players respectively raising the game objects.

Images