Game live distribution system and program

Abstract

To create upsurge of a betting game.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A game live distribution system for realizing game live distribution services among multiple users including a distributor and a viewer includes a game providing section for providing a game for imparting a dividend corresponding to a quantity of value spent by a betting and a dividend magnification to a user when the betting performed by the user by estimating a result of a game performed in a game space among virtual players satisfies a hitting condition, a distribution section for providing a live distribution for distributing a live reporting animation of the game played by the distributor to the terminal of the viewer, and a game control section for imparting a special reward different from the dividend to a first user who attains a predetermined condition related to the dividend from among the multiple users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game live streaming system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, services have been provided that allow betting on publicly managed competitions such as horse racing, boat racing, and bicycle racing via a communication network (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Users of such services predict the outcome of the competition and place their bets (also called "bet") by placing monetary or other value on their predictions. The votes are accepted by a server, and once the competition results are determined, the user is awarded a payout (in the case of publicly managed competitions, a payout) based on the winning bet and the payout rate (so-called "odds"). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-000686 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional services (also known as "betting") where users predict the outcome of a competition and vote, users place their votes (bet) with the aim of receiving the highest possible payout. However, when betting is considered as a game, there is an issue that it lacks the appeal and excitement of a game.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a live game distribution system and program that can create excitement in betting games. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The game live streaming system according to the first aspect is a game live streaming system for realizing a game live streaming service between multiple users including broadcasters and viewers, and includes: a game providing unit that provides a game in which, if a user's vote predicting the outcome of a competition between virtual athletes in a game space satisfies a winning condition, the user is awarded a payout based on the quantity of value cast in the vote and a payout multiplier; a distribution unit that provides a live stream that distributes a live video of the game played by the broadcaster to the viewer's device; and a game control unit that awards a special reward different from the payout to a first user among the multiple users who fulfills a predetermined condition related to the payout.

[0007] The program of the second aspect causes a computer for realizing a game live streaming service between multiple users, including broadcasters and viewers, to function as: a game providing unit that provides a game in which, if a user's vote predicting the outcome of a competition between virtual athletes in a game space satisfies a winning condition, the user is awarded a payout based on the quantity of value cast in the vote and a payout multiplier; a distribution unit that provides a live stream that distributes a live video of the game played by the broadcaster to the viewer's terminal; and a game control unit that awards a special reward different from the payout to a first user among the multiple users who fulfills a predetermined condition related to the payout. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a live game distribution system and program that can create excitement in betting games. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a game live streaming system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of a betting game provided by a distribution server according to an embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a distribution server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a viewer's terminal according to the embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A game live streaming system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The game live streaming system is a system for live streaming games between multiple users, including broadcasters and viewers. In the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals.

[0011] (1) System configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a game live streaming system 1 according to this embodiment. The game live streaming system 1 realizes a game live streaming service that provides viewers with live gameplay videos in real time, which are gameplay videos in which a streamer provides commentary while playing the game. In the example shown in the figure, there is one viewer watching the live gameplay video by the streamer, but there may be multiple viewers watching the live gameplay video by the streamer. When there is no need to distinguish between the streamer and the viewer, they are also simply referred to as "users." A user is a user of the game live streaming service. It is assumed that a user has an account with the game live streaming service.

[0012] The game live streaming system 1 includes a streaming server 100 and a plurality of terminals 200. The streaming server 100 and the terminals 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 10. The communication network 10 includes the Internet. The communication network 10 may also include a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0013] The distribution server 100 is configured with one or more computers and is an information processing device of a business providing a live game streaming service. The distribution server 100 may also be referred to as a game live streaming server. The distribution server 100 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a PC (Personal Computer), or may be logically realized using cloud computing (distributed computing). In other words, the distribution server 100 may be configured with one computer or multiple computers.

[0014] The multiple terminals 200 include a broadcaster terminal 200a and multiple viewer terminals 200b. In a game live streaming service, a user becomes a broadcaster by selecting a game and starting live streaming of a commentary video. On the other hand, a user becomes a viewer by selecting a broadcaster and starting watching the commentary video. In other words, one user can be both a broadcaster and a viewer. One user does not have to be able to be both a broadcaster and a viewer at the same time. The distribution server 100 accepts access from each terminal 200 and distributes the game commentary video (including audio) provided by the broadcaster terminal 200a to the viewer terminal 200b.

[0015] A user can independently enjoy an online game provided by the game live streaming system 1. Meanwhile, during live streaming of a commentary video, a group consisting of multiple users is formed by the broadcaster and one or more viewers watching the broadcaster's commentary video.

[0016] The terminal 200 may be, for example, a PC, a smartphone, a tablet device, or a wearable device. The terminal 200 has an interface with a user and an interface with the communication network 10. The interface with the user may include, for example, at least one of a display, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a touch panel display, a microphone, and a speaker. The interface with the communication network 10 may include at least one of a wired communication interface and a wireless communication interface. In the following description of the embodiment, it is mainly assumed that each terminal 200 is a smartphone. An application program for using a game live streaming service is installed on each terminal 200. However, each terminal 200 may also use a game live streaming service provided as a web service via a general-purpose web browser. By accessing the distribution server 100 via the installed application program, the terminal 200 can play various games provided by the distribution server 100 and can stream or watch the game commentary videos.

[0017] In the game live streaming system 1, a live video of the game (specifically, video data and audio data) is sent from the broadcaster's terminal 200a to the distribution server 100, and the distribution server 100 performs various information processing on the live video and sends (distributes) the live video to the viewer's terminal 200b, and the viewer's terminal 200b displays the live video received from the distribution server 100.

[0018] The game live streaming system 1 is equipped with various communication functions to enable communication between broadcasters who broadcast game play videos and viewers who watch the play videos. For example, the game live streaming system 1 displays a comment area (chat area) along with a game play video on the terminal 200, allowing viewers to communicate with the broadcaster through comments (chats). Furthermore, viewers can send gifts (also called "support gifts") to broadcasters via the game live streaming service. Viewers can send such gifts to broadcasters to support their favorite broadcasters or use them as an opportunity to communicate with them. In the game live streaming service, broadcasters broadcast play videos of games they are playing to viewers, and viewers provide comments and gifts to the broadcasters while watching the play videos.

[0019] In the game live streaming system 1, viewers can register (follow) their favorite broadcasters. Generally, viewers become fans of the broadcasters they follow and are motivated to support their favorite broadcasters. Broadcasters are motivated to broadcast live in order to increase their fan base.

[0020] (2) Betting games The distribution server 100 according to this embodiment provides a game in which a user is awarded a payout when a bet made by the user predicting the outcome of a competition held in a game space satisfies a winning condition. Satisfying the winning condition may also be referred to simply as "winning." In the following description of the embodiment, such a game is also referred to as a "betting game." In particular, the betting game according to this embodiment does not involve the use of assets or the like for betting or winning, and does not have a gambling element. Such a betting game may be referred to as a "social betting" game.

[0021] The competition held in the game space may be any game in which victory or defeat or ranking is determined, but may also be, for example, a competition in which a race or battle is automatically conducted between virtual athletes (virtual players). The virtual athletes may be characters (human-like characters), vehicles, robots, animals, or monsters. In the following description of the embodiment, arena-style competitions in which monsters battle each other are mainly assumed.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the betting game provided by the distribution server 100 according to this embodiment.

[0023] STEP 1: First, when a broadcaster starts (hosts) a betting game, each user (broadcaster, viewer) in the group predicts the outcome of the competition held in the game space and votes (bet). The prediction may be for the one remaining monster, or for monsters up to a predetermined rank (for example, the first and second place monsters and their ranks, or the first to third place monsters and their ranks). In the following description of the embodiment, the case of predicting the one remaining monster is mainly assumed. In this case, the hit condition is that the prediction of the one remaining monster is correct.

[0024] Users vote for predictions using voting value (by depositing value). In this embodiment, the voting value is virtual medals (hereinafter simply referred to as "medals") used exclusively in betting games. Medals deposited as voting value are also referred to as "betted medals." For example, medals have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash. Medals may be free medals that can be obtained by satisfying certain conditions in a game live streaming service (or a betting game) (e.g., by logging in to the service). Medals may be obtained by sending paid or free support gifts. Medals may also be paid medals that can be purchased on the game live streaming service. In either case, medals cannot be exchanged for cash and can only be used in betting games, and do not constitute property or the like, thereby avoiding the nature of gambling. This allows a wide range of users to enjoy betting games.

[0025] Each monster is assigned a payout rate (hereinafter referred to as "odds") according to parameters that represent its characteristics (strength, etc.), and generally, the stronger the monster, the lower the odds that are set. The betting details of each user in the betting game may be made public to other users in the group.

[0026] STEP 2: After voting, a competition takes place in the game space. In this embodiment, an automatic battle between monsters takes place. Users in the group (broadcaster, viewers) can watch the monsters battle, and the broadcaster can comment on the battle. For example, as each monster attacks the other monsters, the other monsters' stamina (hit points) decreases, and when their stamina reaches zero, they become the loser, and the last monster remaining is the winner. The broadcaster can comment on the battle, cheering on the monster they voted for and / or the monster voted for by the viewers. Viewers can post comments cheering on the monster they voted for and / or the monster the broadcaster voted for.

[0027] STEP 3: Depending on the results of the competition, users (broadcasters, viewers) are awarded a payout according to the payout multiplier. Specifically, users who correctly predicted the results of the competition are awarded a payout according to the payout multiplier of their correct prediction and the number of medals they bet. For example, if the payout multiplier for a certain monster is 2x, and 100 medals are bet on that monster and the monster wins, 200 medals are awarded as a payout. In this embodiment, the payout is medals used exclusively for the betting game. As mentioned above, medals have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash. The medals awarded as a payout in this way can be used to vote (STEP 1) for the competition (monster battle) to be held thereafter.

[0028] In this way, in the betting game according to this embodiment, viewers in a group watching the betting game played by the broadcaster can also participate in voting, which can enhance the sense of unity between the broadcaster and viewers in the live game broadcast and create excitement for the live game broadcast. Furthermore, because both voting and payouts use medals, which do not qualify as property, gambling can be avoided, and the betting game can be enjoyed by a wide range of users.

[0029] (3) Distribution server configuration 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the distribution server 100 according to this embodiment. The distribution server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a processing unit .

[0030] The communication unit 110 is a network interface connected to the communication network 10. The communication by the communication unit 110 may be wired communication or may include wireless communication. The communication unit 110 communicates with the terminal 200 via the communication network 10 under the control of the processing unit 130.

[0031] The storage unit 120 includes various memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and an auxiliary storage device. The program (game live streaming program) executed by the processing unit 130 is stored in the ROM and / or the auxiliary storage device of the storage unit 120, for example. The storage unit 120 stores various databases related to the game live streaming service. In this embodiment, the databases stored in the storage unit 120 include a user information database 121, a game information database 122, a gift information database 123, a prediction result database 124, and a special reward database 125.

[0032] The user information database 121 stores, for each user of the game live streaming service, a user ID, a nickname, avatar information, medal information, owned game currency information, and information on acquired special rewards. The user ID constitutes the user's account information and includes an ID unique to the game live streaming service and / or an ID unique to the betting game. The nickname is the name used to refer to the user in the game live streaming service. The avatar information is information about the user's avatar used in the game live streaming service.

[0033] The medal information is information about medals possessed by a user, which have value that can only be used in betting games. Medals have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash. The medal information includes information about the number of medals possessed by a user and information about the number of medals the user has won as a payout.

[0034] The owned game currency information is information about the game currency owned by the user, which is a value that can be used in betting games and other games (especially other games on the game live streaming service). Hereinafter, such game currency will also be referred to as "coins." Coins cannot be exchanged for cash. There are two types of coins: free coins that can be obtained by fulfilling certain conditions on the game live streaming service (e.g., logging in to the service), and paid coins that can be purchased with money (i.e., charged) on the game live streaming service. Support gifts given on the game live streaming service are purchased by viewers using coins. Support gifts purchased using free coins are referred to as "free gifts," and support gifts purchased using paid coins are referred to as "paid gifts." Coins may also be used to purchase avatars and / or their costumes to be used on the game live streaming service.

[0035] The game information database 122 stores information about betting games. For example, the game information database 122 stores drawing data for each monster, parameters such as the characteristics of each monster, odds information, the ID of each competition, and information about participating users. The game information database 122 may also store information about monsters previously trained by each user (broadcaster, viewer) in association with the user ID. Training refers to a user increasing the parameters of their monster by training it in the game. Parameters include a monster's stamina (hit points), attack power, defense power, speed, technique (skills), behavioral characteristics (behavior patterns), and good condition. Basically, the better a monster's parameters are, the more likely it is to win a battle, and the lower the odds are set. The parameters may include behavioral characteristics and skills. Behavioral characteristics include, for example, the ability to easily attack strong monsters or weak monsters. Examples of skills include skills that increase (or restore) a monster's own hit points, attack power, defense power, or speed, and skills that decrease the attack power, defense power, or speed of other monsters.

[0036] The gift information database 123 stores information about support gifts for supporting broadcasters. As described above, support gifts include free gifts purchased by consuming free coins and paid gifts purchased by consuming paid coins. Support gifts may also be dedicated gifts used exclusively for betting games. Details of such dedicated gifts will be described later.

[0037] The prediction result database 124 stores, for example, for each race held in a betting game, information on each user who placed a vote, the content of each user's vote (prediction content), information on whether each user's prediction was correct or not, and information on each user's payout.

[0038] The special reward database 125 stores information about special rewards that are given to users who have achieved a predetermined condition (also referred to as "first users"). The special rewards are different from dividends. Details of the special rewards will be described later.

[0039] The processing unit 130 is configured with one or more processors and a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area for the processor. In this embodiment, the processing unit 130 loads a program (a game live distribution program) stored in the storage unit 120 into the RAM and executes it, thereby functioning as a game providing unit 131, a distribution unit 132, a group processing unit 133, a game control unit 134, and a display control unit 135. Each of these units performs information processing using information stored in the storage unit 120.

[0040] The game providing unit 131 provides a betting game (social betting game) as described above to a user. A betting game is a game in which a payout is awarded to a user (a broadcaster or a viewer) when the user (a broadcaster or a viewer) predicts the outcome of a competition held in a game space and the user's vote satisfies a hit condition. In a betting game, betting processing, competition processing, and payout processing are performed in accordance with the procedures of STEP 1 to STEP 3 shown in FIG. 2.

[0041] The game providing unit 131 accepts votes (bets) from the broadcaster and / or viewers in the betting game. For example, the game providing unit 131 accepts, from the broadcaster on the broadcast screen, a selection operation of the monster predicted by the broadcaster (i.e., the monster to be bet on), and also accepts, from the broadcaster on the broadcast screen, a selection operation of the amount of value to bet on the monster (i.e., the number of medals to be bet).

[0042] The gaming providing unit 131 also accepts votes from viewers. Specifically, the gaming providing unit 131 accepts, from the viewer on the viewing screen, an operation to select a monster on which the viewer will bet, and also accepts, from the viewer on the viewing screen, an operation to select the number of medals to bet on the monster.

[0043] Here, the gaming providing unit 131 accepts votes from the broadcaster and / or viewers using medals that are exclusively used in the betting game. In this way, the gaming providing unit 131 accepts votes from the broadcaster as well as from viewers. Furthermore, the gaming providing unit 131 accepts votes from both the broadcaster and viewers using medals that have value exclusively used in the game and cannot be converted into cash. The gaming providing unit 131 awards medals as a payout determined according to the medals used for the bet and the odds.

[0044] The distribution unit 132 provides live streaming, in which live video of a game played by a broadcaster is distributed to viewers. A user becomes a broadcaster by selecting a game and starting to distribute the live video. Meanwhile, a user becomes a viewer by selecting a broadcaster and starting to watch the live video. In this embodiment, the distribution unit 132 distributes live video of a betting game played by a broadcaster to viewers. Specifically, the broadcaster transmits live video (video data and audio data) of the betting game from the broadcaster's terminal 200a to the distribution server 100, the distribution server 100 performs various information processing on the live video and transmits (distributes) the live video to the viewer's terminal 200b, and the viewer's terminal 200b displays the live video received from the distribution server 100. In addition to displaying the live video, the viewing screen displayed on the viewer's terminal 200b displays buttons for accepting comments and for accepting requests to give gifts to the broadcaster.

[0045] The group processing unit 133 has a comment processing unit 133a that allows comments from viewers to be posted and viewed only within a group consisting of the broadcaster and one or more viewers watching the broadcaster's live video during live streaming of the live video. By allowing comments to be posted and viewed only within the group during live streaming of the live video in this way, it is possible to enhance the sense of unity within the group consisting of the broadcaster and viewers, and to create excitement about betting among a group consisting of multiple users.

[0046] The comment processor 133a may divide multiple viewers who watch a streamer's live video into multiple subgroups, each including the streamer, and allow viewers to post and view comments only within the subgroup. For example, if there is a group including streamer A and viewers B1, B2, B3, and B4, the group may be divided (subgroup divided) into a subgroup consisting of streamer A and viewers B1 and B2, and another subgroup consisting of streamer A and viewers B3 and B4. This allows a game to progress in which the subgroups compete with each other. Such subgroup division may be performed by the streamer specifying the viewers to be classified into each subgroup, or may be performed based on the results of a random drawing.

[0047] The comment processing unit 133a may allow comments to be posted and viewed only within the group during the period when the competition (STEP 2) is being held and during the voting period (STEP 1) before the competition is held. The comments made by viewers during the competition (STEP 2) may be comments of support for the monster for which they voted. The comments made by viewers during the voting period (STEP 1) may be comments expressing the viewers' enthusiasm. The broadcaster reacts to these comments and provides commentary. By allowing such comments to be posted and viewed, the excitement of the betting game can be fostered. The comment processing unit 133a may also allow comments to be posted and viewed only within the group during the period when the result display (STEP 3) is being held. The comments made by viewers during the period when the result display (STEP 3) is being held may be comments expressing joy or sadness depending on whether they won or not.

[0048] The group processing unit 133 has a gift processing unit 133b that enables viewers to give support gifts to the broadcaster only within the group during live streaming of the commentary video. By enabling viewers to give support gifts to the broadcaster only within the group during live streaming of the commentary video in this way, it is possible to enhance the sense of unity within the group consisting of the broadcaster and viewers, and to create excitement about betting in a group consisting of multiple users.

[0049] The gift processing unit 133b may allow gifts to be given only within a group during the period when the competition (STEP 2) is being held and during the voting period (STEP 1) before the competition is being held. The gift processing unit 133b may also allow gifts to be given only within a group during the period when the results are displayed (STEP 3).

[0050] The gift processor 133b may divide multiple viewers who watch a streamer's live video into multiple subgroups, each of which includes the streamer, and allow viewers to give support gifts to the streamer only within the subgroup. For example, if a group includes streamer A and viewers B1, B2, B3, and B4, the group may be divided into two subgroups (subgroup division): one consisting of streamer A and viewers B1 and B2, and another consisting of streamer A and viewers B3 and B4. This allows the subgroups to compete against each other in a game. Such subgroup division may be performed by the streamer specifying the viewers to be classified into each subgroup, or may be performed based on the results of a random drawing.

[0051] The gift processing unit 133b may accept a viewer's request to give a dedicated gift (support gift) to a broadcaster, which is used exclusively for a game. For example, a viewer can select a gift using a gift button displayed on the viewing screen of a betting game played by the broadcaster and give the selected gift. A process may be performed to provide a monetary or exchangeable reward to the broadcaster in response to the gift of the dedicated gift. For example, in the game live streaming system 1, a reward may be provided to the broadcaster based on the amount of gifts the broadcaster has received. Such a reward may be provided to broadcasters who meet certain conditions, and may be calculated by multiplying the broadcast hourly wage, which is determined based on the amount of gifts and the total viewing time, by the broadcast time. Such a reward may increase the broadcaster's motivation to broadcast. Gifts can be purchased by viewers using coins (game currency). Paid gifts, which are gifts purchased with paid coins (paid game currency), may be set to provide a larger reward to the broadcaster than free gifts purchased with free coins (free game currency).

[0052] The dedicated gift may be a gift that provides both the broadcaster and the viewer with medals to be used for voting. The dedicated gift may also be a gift that can increase the odds in a betting game. Details of such dedicated gifts will be described later.

[0053] The group processing unit 133 may permit only viewers in a group who meet conditions specified by the broadcaster to vote (bet). In other words, the group processing unit 133 may prohibit viewers in a group who do not meet the conditions specified by the broadcaster from voting (betting). The conditions specified by the broadcaster may be, for example, a condition that a level (also referred to as a "cheer level") determined according to the broadcaster's support record is above a certain level. When a viewer follows a specific broadcaster, watches the broadcaster's live broadcast, or sends a support gift to the specific broadcaster, the viewer's cheer level for the specific broadcaster increases. A broadcaster may want to play a betting game only with their own fans, which makes the live broadcast even more exciting. Specifically, the number of users who can participate (bet) in a betting game may be limited to, for example, 20. Since a large number of viewers may wish to participate in a betting game in which a popular broadcaster broadcasts live videos, the broadcaster can limit the betting game to their own fans by specifying conditions for permitting voting (betting).

[0054] The game control unit 134 controls odds in a betting game, etc. The game control unit 134 also performs processing to award a special reward different from a payout to the user. The game control unit 134 will be described in detail later.

[0055] The display control unit 135 controls the display of a voting status object, which indicates which users in a group consisting of the broadcaster and one or more viewers have voted (bent) on which virtual athlete (in this embodiment, monster), on the display screen of the live video. The voting status object may include information indicating the amount of value (number of medals) that the corresponding user has cast in their vote for the corresponding monster. The display screen of the live video is the display screen on the broadcaster's terminal 200a and / or the display screen on each viewer's terminal 200b. This makes it easy for each user, when enjoying betting in a group, to know which monster they have bet on and which other users are betting on which monster. This makes it possible to create excitement in the betting game in a group. For example, by visually displaying which monster each user has bet on and how many users have bet on the remaining monsters / how much they have bet, each user will be motivated to watch the battle until the end and enjoy the excitement.

[0056] The display control unit 135 may control the display of the voting status object on the display screen of the live video during the voting acceptance period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) is held. This allows each user to decide which monster to bet on and how many medals to bet, taking into account the betting status of other users in the group.

[0057] The display control unit 135 may control the display of the voting status object on the display screen of the live video during the period when the competition (battle) is being held (STEP 2). This allows each user to cheer on the monster they have bet on and to know how many people / how much they have bet on the remaining monsters, which motivates each user to watch the battle until the end and get excited.

[0058] The display control unit 135 may perform control to display information on a predetermined number of users in a group in descending order of hit rate as voting reference information on the display screen of the live video during the voting acceptance period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) is held. This allows each user to decide which monster to bet on and how many medals to bet, taking into consideration the betting status of other users in the group with high hit rates.

[0059] When a user selects a monster during the voting acceptance period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) begins, the display control unit 135 may display on the user's terminal 200 a selection screen for the amount of value (number of medals) to be bet in the vote for that monster, and may also display on the selection screen a voting status object that is information about other users who voted for that monster and includes the success rate of those other users. This allows each user to determine the number of medals to bet, taking into account the success rate of other users who selected the same monster as the user.

[0060] When the number of users who voted for one monster exceeds a threshold, the display control unit 135 may perform control to display, on the display screen of the live video, a voting status object including information on a predetermined number of users in descending order of the amount of value (number of medals bet) they cast in that vote and information indicating the number of remaining users, in association with that monster. When a large number of users voted for one monster, it may be difficult to display information about all of these users (user identification information and number of medals bet) due to size constraints on the display screen. Therefore, an efficient display can be achieved by preferentially displaying information about a predetermined number of users in descending order of the amount of value (number of medals bet) they cast in that vote, and displaying only the number of users for the remaining users.

[0061] The display control unit 135 may display a voting status object including information about users who have voted (bet) on the monster, at least partially overlapping with or around the display position of the monster object. This allows the positional relationship between the monster object and the voting status object to make the voting status object and the corresponding monster visually easy to understand.

[0062] The gaming providing unit 131 may display a state observation area including a monster object (monster image) on the display screen during a voting acceptance period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) is held. The display control unit 135 may change the appearance and / or behavior of the monster object in the state observation area according to parameters representing the monster's good form. This allows each user to understand the monster's good form based on the monster object's appearance and / or behavior, and to determine the monster and number of medals to bet on based on the good form. Note that a monster in good form may be set with higher parameters than a monster in a normal state, or may be set to be more likely to activate skills that make it easier to win the competition (battle).

[0063] The display control unit 135 may change the appearance and / or behavior of the monster object according to a parameter representing the monster's good form and a random parameter during the voting period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) is held. Because the monster's good form significantly affects the outcome of the competition (battle), it is expected that many users will bet on monsters that are in good form. However, if monsters in good form are always more likely to win, the betting game will become less interesting. Therefore, by introducing a random parameter (e.g., a random number) to change the appearance and / or behavior of the monster object, it becomes possible to provide a random element that causes the monster's appearance and / or behavior to change regardless of the monster's good form, thereby preventing the betting game from becoming less interesting.

[0064] The display control unit 135 may perform control to display information indicating the performance of each monster in the last few matches (last few battles) on the display screen of the live video during the voting acceptance period (STEP 1) before the competition (battle) is held. This allows each user to decide which monster to bet on and how many medals to bet, taking into account the performance of each monster.

[0065] In this embodiment, the competition held in the game space is a competition in which monsters automatically battle each other to reduce the hit points (HP) of each monster. The display control unit 135 may control the display of a remaining hit point object indicating the remaining hit points (remaining HP) of each monster on the display screen of the live video during the period in which the competition (battle) is being held (STEP 2). This allows each user to understand the remaining hit points of each monster based on the remaining hit point object, and allows them to enjoy battling monsters.

[0066] The display control unit 135 may perform control to display information indicating the number of consecutive wins of users in the group who have won during the result display period (STEP 3) after the competition (battle) is completed on the display screen of the live video. This makes it easier for each user to become absorbed in the betting game so as to increase their own number of consecutive wins, and allows users who have not won to use users with a large number of consecutive wins as a reference for future betting.

[0067] (4) Odds Control In a betting game provided by the gaming unit 131, the odds are basically determined according to the parameters of the virtual athletes (monsters in this embodiment). Specifically, when a user's bet on the outcome of a competition between monsters in the game space fulfills a winning condition, the gaming unit 131 awards the user a payout based on the odds determined according to the parameters of the monsters and the number of medals bet by the user.

[0068] As described above, in this embodiment, the gaming providing unit 131 determines the base odds for a monster according to the monster's parameters, i.e., the likelihood of the monster winning. For example, the gaming providing unit 131 sets lower odds for a monster with better parameters. In this embodiment, the gaming providing unit 131 sets the odds according to the monster's parameters without considering the actual monster's popularity rating. However, the odds may be adjusted by taking the actual monster's popularity rating into consideration. However, if the actual monster's popularity rating is taken into consideration, a calculation process is required to determine the odds, which may hinder the rapid progress of the game. The betting game according to this embodiment is designed to complete the cycle of STEP 1 to STEP 3 in a relatively short time, and therefore does not consider the actual monster's popularity rating.

[0069] In the betting game according to this embodiment, betting is performed using medals that do not qualify as property, etc., so there is no need to consider the deduction rate when determining the odds. Also, it is possible to set the payout rate to a value greater than 1, and award more medals as a payout than the total number of medals bet.

[0070] The game control unit 134 performs processing in cooperation with the gift processing unit 133b. The game control unit 134 increases the odds in response to a support gift given from a viewer to a broadcaster during live broadcast of a betting game. Specifically, the odds are increased by multiplying the base odds determined according to the parameters of the monster by N (for example, N is a value of 2 or more). This increases the interest and fun of users (especially viewers) in betting, making it possible to create excitement in betting.

[0071] The support gift, i.e., a gift that can increase the odds in a betting game, may be a dedicated gift that is used exclusively for the betting game. Such dedicated gifts may be free gifts or paid gifts.

[0072] When a support gift (dedicated gift) is given, the game control unit 134 grants value (medals) that can be used for voting to the broadcaster and also grants value (medals) that can be used for voting to the viewer. That is, when a support gift (dedicated gift) is given, the game control unit 134 grants medals to both the broadcaster and the viewer. For example, the gift is given by the viewer spending their own coins (free coins or paid coins), and one coin may be equivalent to one medal, or one coin may be exchanged for a value greater than one medal. By granting medals to the broadcaster through the gift, the broadcaster can use the medals for their own voting. Furthermore, by granting medals to the viewer through the gift, the viewer can use the medals for their own voting. Here, the amount of medals granted to the viewer may be the same as the amount of medals granted to the broadcaster. Note that viewers may feel embarrassed about giving gifts to the broadcaster, but by granting medals to the viewer as well, this embarrassment can be alleviated and gift giving can be encouraged.

[0073] If the gift is a paid gift, the gift processing unit 133b may award more medals to both the broadcaster and the viewer than if the gift is a free gift. For example, a free gift worth one coin may award one medal to both the broadcaster and the viewer, and a paid gift worth one coin may award two medals to both the broadcaster and the viewer. This allows viewers to choose between gifts (free gifts and paid gifts) depending on how much they want to support the broadcaster.

[0074] The game control unit 134 may increase the odds for one competition (battle) after the support gift (dedicated gift) is presented in response to the presentation of the support gift. In this way, by limiting the period for which the odds are raised, it is possible to increase the rarity of the increase in odds and create excitement in the one competition (battle). However, the game control unit 134 may increase the odds for multiple competitions (battles) after the support gift (dedicated gift) is presented in response to the presentation of the support gift.

[0075] The game control unit 134 may increase the odds for all monsters participating in the competition (battle) in response to the donation of a support gift (dedicated gift). This type of odds control is also referred to as "odds level up." This not only makes it possible to raise the odds of monsters with low base odds to a level that attracts the user's interest, but also makes it possible to raise the odds of monsters with high base odds to an unusually high level, thereby creating excitement in the betting game.

[0076] When a support gift (dedicated gift) is presented, the game control unit 134 may probabilistically determine whether or not the odds will increase and / or the degree to which the odds will increase. For example, when a support gift (dedicated gift) is presented, the game control unit 134 may determine by lottery (for example, by lottery using a random number from 1 to 100 and a threshold value from 1 to 100) whether or not to increase the odds. When the game control unit 134 determines to increase the odds, it may also determine by lottery the degree to which the odds will increase. This increases the rarity of the odds increase (odds level up), making it possible to increase the excitement when the odds increase.

[0077] The game control unit 134 may set the probability so that the odds are more likely to increase and / or the degree of increase in odds is greater when the support gift (dedicated gift) is a paid gift than when the support gift (dedicated gift) is a free gift. This allows viewers to use different gifts (free gifts and paid gifts) depending on the degree to which they want to support the streamer and / or liven up betting.

[0078] For example, if a viewer gives a free gift purchased with 100 free coins to a broadcaster, the game control unit 134 will award 300 medals to the viewer and the broadcaster, and will also probabilistically award benefits such as those shown in Table 1.

[0079] [Table 1]

[0080] Here, "increasing the odds level by one level" means increasing the odds by one level relative to the base odds, for example, doubling the base odds. "Increasing the odds level by two levels" means increasing the odds by two levels relative to the base odds, for example, tripling the base odds.

[0081] On the other hand, if a viewer gives a paid gift purchased with 100 paid coins to a broadcaster, the game control unit 134 will award 300 medals to the viewer and the broadcaster, and will also probabilistically award the benefits shown in Table 2.

[0082] [Table 2]

[0083] In this way, the game control unit 134 performs the process of increasing the odds level in response to the giving of the support gift (dedicated gift). The increase in the odds level is applied to one battle, and while the odds level is being increased, the display control unit 135 displays information to that effect on the screen.

[0084] The odds level-up corresponds one-to-one with the giving of support gifts (dedicated gifts), but as another method of increasing the odds, the odds can be increased by accumulating points during live streaming. This can increase the motivation of streamers to continue live streaming for a long time, and also increase the motivation of viewers to watch live streaming for a long time.

[0085] Specifically, the game control unit 134 may increase the odds for all monsters when the point value accumulated in response to the giving of support gifts (dedicated gifts) to the streamer satisfies a threshold condition. The increase in odds that is triggered when the point value satisfies the threshold condition is also referred to as "chance time," and the accumulated point value is also referred to as "chance points." The degree of increase in odds during chance time may be greater than that during odds level up.

[0086] When the accumulated point value satisfies the threshold condition (i.e., when Chance Time is activated), the game control unit 134 may determine the degree of increase in odds by lottery from among multiple predetermined increase degrees. For example, the multiple predetermined increase degrees may be four levels: "Small," "Normal," "Super," and "Mega." For example, the degree of increase in odds relative to the base odds may be 5 times for "Small," 10 times for "Normal," 50 times for "Super," and 100 times for "Mega."

[0087] The display control unit 135 may display a lottery screen when the accumulated point value satisfies the threshold condition (i.e., when chance time is activated). The lottery screen may display a roulette with "Small," "Normal," "Super," and "Mega" drawn on it, and an effect may be displayed in which one of them is selected by lottery. In this case, chance time may be referred to as "roulette chance." Note that the probability of selecting "Small," "Normal," and "Super" may each be about 30%, and the probability of selecting "Mega" may be about 10%.

[0088] The game control unit 134 may increase the odds for all monsters when the point value accumulated based on the provision of support gifts (dedicated gifts) to the streamer and the accuracy of the streamer and viewers meets a threshold condition. That is, the game control unit 134 may increase the point value not only by accumulating chance points based on the provision of support gifts (dedicated gifts) to the streamer, but also by accumulating chance points based on the accuracy of the streamer and viewers. For example, the game control unit 134 accumulates "the number of people whose predictions in the battle were correct x 1 chance point." The game control unit 134 may activate a chance time (roulette chance) when the accumulated point value reaches a threshold (e.g., 500).

[0089] When a support gift is given, the game control unit 134 may probabilistically determine whether or not the point value will increase and / or the degree of increase in the point value. The game control unit 134 may set the probability such that when the support gift is a paid gift, the point value is more likely to increase and / or the degree of increase in the point value is greater than when the support gift is a free gift.

[0090] For example, if a viewer presents a free gift purchased with 100 free coins to a broadcaster, the game control unit 134 will award 300 medals to the viewer and the broadcaster, and will also probabilistically award the benefits shown in Table 3.

[0091] [Table 3]

[0092] Here, "increasing the odds level by one level" means increasing the odds by one level relative to the base odds, for example, doubling the base odds. "Increasing the odds level by two levels" means increasing the odds by two levels relative to the base odds, for example, tripling the base odds.

[0093] On the other hand, if a viewer gives a paid gift purchased with 100 paid coins to a broadcaster, the game control unit 134 will award 300 medals to the viewer and the broadcaster, and will also probabilistically award the benefits shown in Table 4.

[0094] [Table 4]

[0095] The display control unit 135 may display the accumulation status of chance points on the screen. For example, the display control unit 135 may display the accumulated point value using a gauge. This can increase the motivation of each user (broadcaster, viewer) in the group to give support gifts or continue participating in the betting game in order to increase the point value, thereby creating excitement in the betting game.

[0096] As described above, the group processing unit 133 (and the game providing unit 131) manages the level (cheer level) of each viewer, which increases in response to cheering actions for the streamer. The game control unit 134 may accept an operation from the streamer to specify the level conditions of viewers who are allowed to vote while the odds are increasing (during odds level up and / or chance time). For example, there are options such as "cheer level 3 or higher," "cheer level 10 or higher," and "cheer level 15 or higher," and the streamer may select one of these to specify the level conditions that allow voting while the odds are increasing. The game control unit 134 may allow only viewers who meet the level conditions to vote while the odds are increasing. In this way, only viewers who have cheered for the streamer and have a high relationship value with the streamer can vote while the odds are increasing.

[0097] The gaming providing unit 131 may set an upper limit on the number of users who can participate in one vote. For example, the upper limit may be a predetermined fixed value, such as 20. If there are too many users who can participate in one vote, it will take a long time to wait for all users to finish voting and the processing load will increase, so an upper limit is set on the number of users who can vote.

[0098] The game control unit 134 may prioritize a predetermined number of users who have acquired the most points during the live broadcast while the odds are increasing and allow them to participate in the voting. While the odds are increasing, especially during chance time, many users are expected to participate in betting. However, it would be unreasonable for viewers who contributed to the increase in odds to be unable to participate in betting while the odds are increasing due to a limit on the number of users who can vote. Therefore, the game control unit 134 allows the top 10 users who have acquired the most chance points during the live broadcast while the odds are increasing to vote, regardless of the limit on the number of users who can vote.

[0099] The game control unit 134 may provide a specific user (viewer or broadcaster) who meets a predetermined condition with an item (odds-increasing item) associated with a specific monster. The item increases the odds for only the specific monster during the live broadcast, even if a support gift is not provided.

[0100] Here, the specified condition may be, for example, the number of medals won reaching a specified number, being ranked high in the number of medals won, having a specified number of consecutive wins, having a specified number of winnings, having a specified number of cheering gifts given, or having a winning result during the chance time.

[0101] An example of an item (odds-increasing item) associated with a specific monster is an item such as "Monster A's hearts." The more hearts a user acquires with a monster, the higher the "bond level" of that monster. When a user increases the "bond level" of a monster, the odds of that user's bet on that monster are always higher than the base odds. Specifically, the higher the "bond level," the greater the increase in odds. This increases the motivation of users to bet on and support specific monsters with high "bond levels," thereby creating excitement in the betting game.

[0102] Such item effects (increased odds) are applied independently to each user, but may also be applied to all users in a group. For example, when a user increases the "bond level" for a monster, the odds for that monster (each user's odds) within the group to which that user belongs increase probabilistically. Specifically, the higher the "bond level," the higher the probability that the odds will increase. This allows all users in the group to benefit from the item effect (increased odds), creating excitement in the betting game.

[0103] In this way, the game control unit 134 awards an item associated with a specific monster to a specific user who meets a predetermined condition. The game control unit 134 constantly increases the odds only for that specific monster and that specific user, or probabilistically increases the odds only for that specific virtual athlete (each user's odds). This allows each user to participate in a betting game with the goal of collecting items, making the betting game more interesting.

[0104] As described above, a betting game can be played by a user alone (so-called single player). That is, the game providing unit 131 allows a user to play a betting game alone. This can provide a practice opportunity as a preliminary step before joining a group to play a betting game. However, the game control unit 134 sets the odds applied to a group during live streaming higher than the odds set when the user plays the game alone. This can motivate users to join a group that is being live streamed. To give a specific example, if the odds for single player are 2x for Monster A and 3x for Monster B, then in the group during live streaming, these are doubled, and the odds for Monster A are 4x and for Monster B are 6x.

[0105] (5)Special compensation The game control unit 134 awards a special reward, different from the payout, to a first user among multiple users constituting a group who has achieved a predetermined condition related to the payout. This allows each user to not only vote (bet) with the aim of obtaining a larger payout, but also participate in betting with the aim of obtaining the special reward. In other words, each user can participate in betting with the new aim of obtaining the special reward, which can increase the motivation to continue betting. This can improve the appeal and fun of the betting game.

[0106] The game control unit 134 may manage the total number of medals acquired as a payout for each user. For example, the game control unit 134 stores and manages the cumulative number of medals acquired, which is the result of adding up all medals acquired in the past for each user, in the storage unit 120. The predetermined condition for granting a special reward to a first user may be that the cumulative number of medals acquired by the first user reaches a predetermined number (a medal number threshold). In other words, the game control unit 134 grants a special reward to a first user whose cumulative number of medals acquired has reached the predetermined number (a medal number threshold).

[0107] Here, the medal count threshold may be set in stages. For example, multiple medal count thresholds may be set, such as "100,000 or more cumulatively acquired medals," "500,000 or more cumulatively acquired medals," "1,000,000 or more cumulatively acquired medals," and "2,500,000 or more cumulatively acquired medals." In this case, a different special reward is associated with each medal count threshold. Therefore, the higher the medal count threshold, the higher the rarity of the special reward granted when that medal count threshold is achieved. Therefore, each user can continue betting, motivated by the hope of receiving a special reward with a high rarity.

[0108] The game control unit 134 may manage user rankings according to the cumulative number of medals earned. For example, the game control unit 134 stores and manages user rankings in the storage unit 120, ranking users in descending order of the cumulative number of medals earned. The period for tallying the cumulative number of medals earned for the ranking may be 12 hours, one day, one week, or one month. The predetermined condition for granting a special reward to a first user may be that the first user has achieved a high ranking in the user rankings. In other words, the game control unit 134 grants a special reward to a first user who has achieved a high ranking in the user rankings.

[0109] There may be multiple modes for achieving a high ranking, depending on the ranking. For example, multiple modes for achieving a high ranking may be set, such as "ranked 1st," "ranked 2nd," "ranked 3rd," "in the top 10 rankings," and "in the top 100 rankings." In this case, a different special reward is associated with each mode for achieving a high ranking. Therefore, the rarity of the special reward awarded for achieving a higher ranking increases. Therefore, each user can continue betting, motivated by the hope of receiving a special reward with a higher rarity.

[0110] The game control unit 134 may manage, for each user, the number of hits, which is the number of times a hit condition is satisfied, or the number of consecutive hits (also referred to as the "number of consecutive wins"), which is the number of times a hit condition is satisfied consecutively. For example, the game control unit 134 stores and manages, in the storage unit 120, the result of accumulating the number of past hits and / or the number of consecutive hits for each user. The predetermined condition for granting a special reward to a first user may be that the number of hits or the number of consecutive hits of the first user has reached a predetermined number (number threshold). In other words, the game control unit 134 grants a special reward to a first user whose number of hits or number of consecutive hits has reached the predetermined number (number threshold).

[0111] Here, the count threshold may be set in stages. For example, multiple count thresholds may be set for the number of hits, such as "10 hits" and "50 hits." Multiple count thresholds (consecutive win thresholds) may be set for the number of consecutive hits, such as "3 consecutive wins" and "5 consecutive wins." In this case, a different special reward is associated with each count threshold. Therefore, the higher the count threshold, the higher the rarity of the special reward granted when that count threshold is achieved. Therefore, each user can continue betting, motivated by the hope of receiving a special reward with a high rarity.

[0112] During the above-mentioned chance time (roulette chance), if the point value (chance points) accumulated according to the number of support gifts given by viewers to the streamer and / or the number of hits that satisfy the hit condition meets a threshold condition, the game control unit 134 increases the odds by a degree of increase determined by lottery from among multiple predetermined increase degrees. For example, the degree of increase in odds during the chance time is determined by lottery from among “Small,” “Normal,” “Super,” and “Mega.” The predetermined condition for granting the special reward to the first user may be that the first user fulfills the hit condition when the odds are increasing by a predetermined degree of increase (e.g., “Super” or “Mega”). In other words, the game control unit 134 grants the special reward to the first user who wins during the chance time when the odds are increasing by a predetermined degree of increase (e.g., “Super” or “Mega”).

[0113] Chance Time is not activated unless the chance points reach a threshold, and the odds of winning the "Mega" odds increase rate are particularly low. It is difficult to win under such rare circumstances, and users who do win under rare circumstances deserve praise, so we have decided to award them with a special reward. Therefore, each user can continue betting, motivated by the prospect of receiving a special reward with a high rarity.

[0114] The game control unit 134 may manage, for each user, the number of times a dedicated gift, which is a gift given from a viewer to a broadcaster to increase odds and / or obtain medals that can be used for betting, has been given. For example, the game control unit 134 accumulates the number of times a dedicated gift (e.g., a paid gift) has been given in the past for each user, and stores and manages this in the storage unit 120. The predetermined condition for granting a special reward to a first user may be that the number of times the first user has given a gift reaches a predetermined number (number threshold). In other words, the game control unit 134 grants a special reward to a first user whose number of gift givings reaches the predetermined number (number threshold).

[0115] Users who have given a large number of dedicated gifts are users who have performed more supportive actions toward the broadcaster as viewers of the betting game. By offering special rewards to such users, it is possible to increase the motivation of users (viewers) to support the broadcaster, which contributes to creating excitement in the betting game.

[0116] When a first user achieves a predetermined condition during live streaming, the display control unit 135 may control the display of an object (e.g., a comment) indicating that the first user has achieved the predetermined condition on the live video. For example, when the first user achieves the condition of "accumulating over 100,000 medals," the display control unit 135 may post a comment within the group to which the first user belongs, saying, "~ has achieved accumulating over 100,000 medals." This allows each user (broadcaster, viewer) in the group to understand the first user's level of engagement (progress) in the betting game. Therefore, the broadcaster can praise the first user in live commentary (audio), and viewers can post comments praising the first user, which can create excitement in the betting game.

[0117] The special reward granted to the first user may be an item (game object) that is associated with the achieved condition (predetermined condition) and that is viewable by a second user different from the first user on the game live streaming service. The display control unit 135 may display the item in association with the first user. This allows each user to understand which condition the first user has achieved in the betting game based on the item displayed in association with the first user. In other words, each user can understand the degree to which other users have played the betting game, which can increase their motivation to continue playing the betting game and contribute to creating excitement in the betting game.

[0118] The item granted as the special reward may be an avatar item to be used for the first user's avatar on the game live streaming service. The avatar item may be an outfit (including a hat or accessories) worn by the avatar, or a character (such as a pet) associated with the avatar or its outfit. This allows each user to understand which conditions the first user has achieved in the betting game based on the first user's avatar displayed on the game live streaming service.

[0119] The item awarded as the special reward may be a title item related to the achieved condition, which is attached to the first user's icon (profile image, which may be an avatar image) and / or the first user's comments on the game live streaming service. The title item may be called a "medal," "badge," "ribbon," "signboard," or the like. This allows each user to understand which condition the first user has achieved in the betting game based on the first user's icon and / or the first user's comments displayed on the game live streaming service. For example, the title item may be an object with text such as "over 2.5 million medals earned in total," "top 10 ranking," or "Mega Roulette Chance Winner."

[0120] The special reward granted to the first user may be an odds-increasing item associated with a specific monster. As described above, the odds-increasing item is an item for increasing the "bond level" with the monster. Based on the odds-increasing item, the game control unit 134 constantly increases the odds for only the specific monster and for only the first user, or probabilistically increases the odds for only the specific monster and for each user.

[0121] The special reward granted to the first user may be a right that guarantees the first user a certain number of medals that can be used for betting. The right may be an item such as "infinite medals." Based on the right, the game control unit 134 controls the number of medals that the first user can use for betting so that it does not fall below a certain number. For example, the game control unit 134 automatically supplies medals so that the number of medals owned by the first user does not fall below 100. Such a special reward can prevent the first user from running out of medals and being unable to participate in the betting game.

[0122] The special reward granted to the first user may be the right to vote as a viewer in an event in which only top-ranked broadcasters of a betting game can participate as broadcasters of a live broadcast of the betting game. The game control unit 134 allows only viewers who have the right to vote during the event. The event is also referred to as a "championship," and the right is also referred to as a "betting participation right." The championship is an event held over a predetermined period of time and includes a special chance mode. In the broadcaster ranking, broadcasters are ranked according to the amount of time their live broadcast is viewed and / or the gifts given. Broadcasters ranked high (e.g., the top 10, 20, etc.) are popular broadcasters in the live broadcast of the betting game. In a championship in which only such popular broadcasters live-stream a betting game, many viewers will want to participate in betting, so the betting participation right may be granted as a special reward.

[0123] (6) Screen display example 4 to 10 are diagrams showing examples of display screens on the viewer's terminal 200b according to this embodiment.

[0124] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a broadcast list screen SC0 for selecting a broadcaster currently broadcasting live.

[0125] Prior to the broadcast list screen SC0, the viewer selects the game for which they wish to watch live broadcast of the commentary video using the game live broadcast app on the terminal 200b, and when they select a betting game, the screen transitions to the broadcast list screen SC0.

[0126] The broadcast list screen SC0 displays a list of broadcasters currently live streaming betting games. The broadcast list screen SC0 includes display areas A1, A2, A3, ... for each broadcaster. Each display area A displays a preview of the live video, the broadcaster's avatar icon, the broadcaster's name (nickname), the number of participants (number of people in the group excluding the broadcaster), and information about the betting participation conditions. Each display area A may also display a title item (ribbon) related to the conditions achieved by the corresponding broadcaster. When a viewer selects (tap) the area A corresponding to the broadcaster whose live video they wish to watch from the broadcast list screen SC0, they will be taken to a viewing screen where they can watch the broadcaster's live video.

[0127] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a voting reception screen (monster selection screen, betting screen) SC1 among the viewing screens.

[0128] The voting reception screen SC1 has a gauge area B1 that shows the accumulated status of chance points, a status observation area B2 for observing the status of the monsters participating in the competition (battle), an area B3 that displays voting reference information showing the hit status of users within the group, and an area (object) B4 for each monster participating in the competition (battle).

[0129] In the gauge area B1, the result (count value) of the count of the winning status within the group (for example, the total number of winnings) and / or the giving status of support gifts within the group is accumulated as chance points and displayed by a gauge. When the chance points are full (when the threshold condition is met), the above-mentioned chance time is activated.

[0130] During the increase in the odds level, a message such as "Odds level 1 increase" or "Odds level 2 increase" may be displayed above or below the gauge area B1.

[0131] The state observation area B2 displays objects (monster objects, characters) of each monster participating in the competition (battle). In the illustrated example, three monsters are shown, but the number may be two, four, or more. Here, the appearance and / or behavior of each monster object changes according to a parameter representing its own state of good condition. The parameter representing the state of good condition may be of three types: "good condition," "bad condition," and "normal." The state of good condition of each monster may change regularly (e.g., periodically) according to a predetermined rule, or may change irregularly (e.g., non-periodically). For example, a monster in good condition is depicted with an expression and / or behavior representing good condition. On the other hand, a monster in poor condition is depicted with an expression and / or behavior representing poor condition. This allows each user to understand the state of each monster object based on the monster objects displayed in the state observation area B2 and select a monster that is likely to win the competition (battle).

[0132] However, since the monster's condition has a significant impact on the outcome of the competition (battle), it is expected that many users will bet on monsters that are in good form. However, if monsters that are in good form are always more likely to win, the interest of the betting game will decrease. Therefore, a parameter with randomness (e.g., random numbers) is also introduced to change the appearance and / or behavior of the monster object. This makes it possible to provide a random effect that changes the appearance and / or behavior of the monster object regardless of the condition, thereby preventing the interest of the betting game from decreasing.

[0133] Area B3, which displays voting reference information showing the hit rates of users in the group, displays information on a predetermined number of users in the group in descending order of hit rate. For example, area B3 displays the user name (nickname) and hit rate for each user ranked 1st to 3rd. This allows users to determine which other users they should use as a reference for their vote (monster selection) based on the information displayed in area B3.

[0134] Each area (object) B4 (B4a to B4c) for each monster participating in the competition (battle) displays the monster name, odds, a monster image, the results of the last few matches (in the illustrated example, the last three matches), and each parameter. For example, area B4a displays the monster name "Monster A," the odds "5.1x," a monster image, the results "3rd place → 1st place → 3rd place," and each parameter "attributes, hit points (HP), attack power, defense power." Each area B4 also has a "BET" button that allows the streamer to place a bet.

[0135] During the odds level-up or chance time, an object indicating that the odds are increasing (e.g., an upward arrow) may be displayed around the odds displayed in each of areas B4a to B4c. On the other hand, when the odds of a specific monster (the odds of all users) are increasing due to the item effect (bond level), the monster may be displayed in a special color (e.g., gold).

[0136] Partially overlapping the area B4 (object) for each monster (on the left side in the illustrated example) is a voting status object B5 that indicates which users voted for that monster. For example, three users voted for monster A, and three voting status objects B5a to B5c corresponding to those three users are displayed. Each voting status object B5 includes an avatar (icon) as identification information for the corresponding user and a numerical value indicating the number of medals bet by that user. This allows users to understand which users bet on which monsters based on each voting status object B5, and can use this information to determine the monsters and number of medals they will bet on. Each voting status object B5 may also display a title item (ribbon) related to the conditions achieved by the corresponding user.

[0137] The voting reception screen SC1 further includes a button B6 that viewers select (tap) to place a bet, and a button B7 that the broadcaster selects (tap) to start a monster battle. The battle start button B7 can only be selected (tapped) by the broadcaster, and the broadcaster starts the battle after confirming that each viewer has placed a bet.

[0138] The voting reception screen SC1 further includes a comment posting area B8 for viewers to post comments, a button B9 used by viewers to give support gifts, and an area B10 displaying the viewer's own avatar (icon). Viewers can post comments by selecting (tapping) button B9, entering the comment string, and tapping the send button. As shown in FIG. 6, only a predetermined number of comments B11 posted by each viewer (three in the illustrated example) are displayed in chronological order for a predetermined period of time. When a user achieves a predetermined condition during live streaming, the display control unit 135 may post a comment indicating that the user has achieved the predetermined condition.

[0139] When a viewer selects (tap) button B6 in FIG. 5, the screen transitions to a monster list screen. Selecting one of the monsters on this screen displays a medal count selection area C1, as shown in FIG. 7. The illustrated example shows a display example when "Monster B" is selected. The medal count selection area C1 displays the number of medals to be bet, various buttons for selecting the number of medals to bet, and a button C2 for confirming the number of medals to bet. Furthermore, the medal count selection area C1 displays objects C3 of other users who have bet on the selected monster. This allows the user to select the number of medals to bet, taking into consideration the objects C3. The objects C3 include an avatar (icon) as identification information for the corresponding user, a numerical value indicating the number of medals bet by the user, and information indicating the hit rate of the user. Here, if the odds (the user's odds) are increased due to an item effect (bond level) applied only to the user, an object indicating the increased odds due to the item effect may be displayed.

[0140] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen SC2 as an example of a screen during a competition according to this embodiment.

[0141] After voting is complete, an automatic battle between monsters takes place on the battle screen SC2. Users (broadcasters and viewers) can watch the monsters battle (and viewer comments), the broadcaster can report on the battle, and viewers can post comments. On the battle screen SC2, for example, as each monster attacks other monsters, the other monsters' stamina (hit points) decreases, and when their stamina reaches zero, they become the loser, and the last monster remaining is declared the winner.

[0142] The battle screen SC2 has a monster object D1 that moves according to the battle situation, an object D2 that displays the remaining hit points of the corresponding monster, an object D3 (voting status object) for each user who voted for the corresponding monster, and a fixed object D4 (voting status object) for displaying the voting status.

[0143] The monster object D1 disappears from the battle screen SC2 when its hit points reach 0. The object D2 is drawn at a position around the corresponding monster, and the remaining hit points of the monster are displayed as a gauge and a numerical value.

[0144] Object D3 (voting status object) is drawn around the corresponding monster and includes an avatar (icon) as identification information of the user who bet on that monster and a numerical value indicating the number of medals bet by that user. This allows each user to easily understand which monsters they and other users have bet on.

[0145] When it is each monster's turn to attack, the monster object is enlarged and displayed, or both the monster object and the monster object being attacked are enlarged and displayed. Therefore, each monster is not always displayed on the battle screen SC2. Therefore, object D4 (voting status object) is displayed fixedly regardless of the actions of each monster, and includes the icon of each monster and the avatar icon of the user who bet on that monster.

[0146] For object D3 (voting status object) and / or object D4 (voting status object), if there are a large number of users who voted for one monster, it may be difficult to display information about all of these users (user identification information and number of medals bet) due to the size constraints of the display screen. Therefore, an efficient display may be achieved by preferentially displaying information about a predetermined number of users in descending order of the amount of value cast in the vote (number of medals bet), and displaying only the number of users (for example, "+1") for the remaining users.

[0147] 9 and 10 are diagrams showing an example of a result screen SC3 that displays the competition results and predicted results according to this embodiment.

[0148] 9, the result screen SC3 displays, for each of the broadcaster and the broadcaster's viewers, information indicating the balance of the current battle or the total balance of multiple battles, and information indicating whether the predictions for each battle were correct (in the illustrated example, a white circle indicates a hit, and a black circle indicates a miss). When any user achieves a predetermined condition, the display control unit 135 may perform control to display an object (text) indicating that the user has achieved the predetermined condition on the result screen SC3.

[0149] As shown in Fig. 10, the result screen SC3 may display information indicating the number of consecutive wins of users in the group who have won. In the example shown, the number of consecutive wins of users who are on a winning streak and the identification information (avatar icon) of the users are displayed. The hit rate of the users may also be displayed.

[0150] (7) Other embodiments In the above-described embodiment, a function may be introduced in which the points bet by users (broadcasters and viewers) in a competition (battle) in which the predictions of both users are incorrect are accumulated, and a user who predicts correctly in a subsequent competition can take all of the accumulated points. Such a take-all function may be provided during the above-described chance time.

[0151] The operational flows and operational examples in the above-described embodiments do not necessarily have to be executed in chronological order according to the order depicted in the flow diagrams or sequence diagrams. For example, steps in the operations may be executed in an order different from that depicted in the flow diagrams or sequence diagrams, or may be executed in parallel. Some steps in the operations may be deleted, or additional steps may be added to the processing. The operational flows and operational examples in the above-described embodiments may be executed independently, or two or more operational flows and operational examples may be combined and executed. For example, some steps in one operational flow may be added to another operational flow, or some steps in one operational flow may be replaced with some steps in another operational flow.

[0152] A program may be provided that causes a computer to execute the operations according to the above-described embodiments. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can be used to install the program on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transitory storage medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.

[0153] As used in this disclosure, the terms "based on" and "depending on" do not mean "based only on" or "depending only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. The term "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least in part on." Similarly, the term "depending on" means both "depending only on" and "depending at least in part on." Furthermore, the terms "include," "comprise," and variations thereof do not mean including only the listed items, but may include only the listed items, or may include additional items in addition to the listed items. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean an exclusive or. In this disclosure, when articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, these articles are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0154] The above describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 1: Game live streaming system 10: Communication Network 100: Distribution server 110: Communications Department 120: Storage section 121: User information database 122: Game Information Database 123: Gift Information Database 124: Predicted results database 125: Special Reward Database 130: Processing section 131: Game Provider 132: Distribution Department 133: Group processing unit 133a: Comment processing section 133b: Gift Processing Department 134: Game control unit 135: Display control unit 200: Terminal

Claims

1. A game live streaming system for realizing a game live streaming service among multiple users including a broadcaster and viewers, comprising: a game providing unit that provides a game in which, when a user's bet on the outcome of a competition between virtual athletes in a game space satisfies a winning condition, the user is awarded a dividend based on the amount of value cast in the bet and a dividend multiplier; a distribution unit that provides live distribution of a live video of the game played by the distributor to a terminal of the viewer; a game control unit that grants a special reward different from the payout to a first user among the plurality of users who has achieved a predetermined condition related to the payout. Game live streaming system.

2. the game control unit manages the total amount of value acquired as the dividend for each user; The predetermined condition is that the total amount of value acquired as the dividend by the first user reaches a predetermined amount. The game live distribution system according to claim 1 .

3. the game control unit manages a user ranking according to a total amount of value acquired as the dividend; The predetermined condition is that the first user has achieved a high ranking in the user ranking. The game live distribution system according to claim 1 .

4. the game control unit manages, for each user, a number of hits, which is the number of times the hit condition is satisfied, or a number of consecutive hits, which is the number of times the hit condition is satisfied consecutively; The predetermined condition is that the number of hits by the first user or the number of consecutive hits by the first user has reached a predetermined number. The game live distribution system according to claim 1 .

5. the game control unit increases the payout rate by a degree of increase determined by lottery from among a plurality of predetermined increase degrees when a point value accumulated according to the gift of a support gift from a viewer to a distributor and / or the number of hits that satisfy the hit condition satisfies a threshold condition; The predetermined condition is that the first user satisfies the winning condition when the payout rate is increasing at a predetermined rate. The game live distribution system according to claim 1 .

6. the game control unit manages, for each user, the number of times that a dedicated gift, which is a gift given from a viewer to a distributor and which increases the payout ratio and / or obtains value that can be used for the vote, can be given; The predetermined condition is that the number of gifts given by the first user has reached a predetermined number. The game live distribution system according to claim 1 .

7. a display control unit that controls, when the first user achieves the predetermined condition during the live distribution, to display an object indicating that the first user has achieved the predetermined condition on the live video; The game live distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the special reward is an item associated with the achieved condition and viewable by a second user different from the first user on the game live streaming service; a display control unit that controls displaying the item in association with the first user; The game live distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The item is an avatar item to be used for the avatar of the first user on the game live streaming service. The game live distribution system according to claim 7.

10. The item is a title item related to the achieved condition, which is assigned to the icon of the first user and / or the comment of the first user on the game live streaming service. The game live distribution system according to claim 7.

11. the special reward is a payout multiplier increasing item associated with a specific virtual player; The game control unit, based on the payout rate increasing item, constantly increasing the payout rate only for the specific virtual athlete and only for the first user; or Probabilistically increasing the payout rate for each user only for the specific virtual athlete. The game live distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. The special reward is a right to guarantee a certain amount of value that the first user can use for the vote, The game control unit controls, based on the right, the quantity of value that the first user can use for the vote so that it does not become equal to or less than the certain quantity. The game live distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

13. the special reward is a right for the first user to participate in the voting as the viewer in an event in which only those ranked high in the game's broadcaster ranking can participate as broadcasters of the live broadcast; The game control unit allows only the viewers who have the right to vote during the event. The game live distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

14. A computer for realizing a game live streaming service among multiple users including a streamer and a viewer, a game providing unit that provides a game in which, when a user's bet on the outcome of a competition between virtual athletes in a game space satisfies a winning condition, the user is awarded a dividend based on the amount of value cast in the bet and a dividend multiplier; a distribution unit that provides live distribution of a live video of the game played by the distributor to a terminal of the viewer; a game control unit that grants a special reward different from the payout to a first user among the plurality of users who has achieved a predetermined condition related to the payout; to function as program.

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