Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of appropriately managing a game medium.SOLUTION: The information processing device includes a game medium giver that gives a user a game medium having an exchange attribute to which an assignment right assignable to another user is attached or the game medium not having the exchange attribute, and an exchange manager that executes exchange between the game medium having the exchange attribute possessed by a first user and another game medium having the exchange attribute possessed by a second user based on an operation of the first user or the second user, and the exchange manager causes the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute to disappear by satisfying a predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, methods for exchanging game content such as items in games have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a player can use a non-transferable item to play a special game with other players, and that transferable items can be transferred during the special game. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-076688 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, whether an item is transferable or non-transferable is fixed, and therefore management of transfer rights, such as changing a transferable item to a non-transferable item, is not performed.

[0005] The present invention provides a technology that enables appropriate management of game content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a game medium granting unit that grants to a user a game medium having an exchange attribute accompanied by a transfer right that allows transfer to another user, or a game medium that does not have the exchange attribute, and an exchange management unit that, based on the operation of a first user or a second user, executes an exchange between the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user and another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user, and the exchange management unit erases the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute by satisfying a predetermined condition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the value of game content from decreasing, thereby enabling the game content to be managed appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a server. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a server. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a user management table. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content management table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an owned game content management table. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing game content. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content release probability table. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a game content exchange process. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exchange table. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10 shows a specific example of owned game content management tables of a first user and a second user before the exchange. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 shows a specific example of owned game content management tables for the first user and the second user after the exchange. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content management table. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content management table. [Figure 14A] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing game content. [Figure 14B] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of erasing an exchange attribute. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen notifying that an exchange attribute will be lost. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a loss management table. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content management table. [Figure 18A] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a game content exchange process. [Figure 18B] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a notification process. [Figure 19A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first notification screen. [Figure 19B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second notification screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a user management table. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing game content. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an owned game content management table. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing game content. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game content release probability table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Note that the present embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential components of the present disclosure.

[0010] 1.Configuration example <System configuration example> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a server 10 and a plurality of terminal devices 20. In FIG. 1, the plurality of terminal devices 20 includes a first terminal device 20a, a second terminal device 20b, and a third terminal device 20c. However, the number of terminal devices 20 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to three. The information processing system 1 may include an appropriate number of terminal devices 20 capable of executing the processes described herein, for example, one or more terminal devices 20. In this specification, when the first terminal device 20a, the second terminal device 20b, and the third terminal device 20c are not to be distinguished from one another, they will be collectively referred to simply as "terminal devices 20."

[0011] The server 10 and each terminal device 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information with each other via a communication network N such as the Internet, an intranet, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or mobile communication.

[0012] The server 10 functions as an information processing device according to the present disclosure. The server 10 may be configured with one or more physical servers, may be configured using a virtual server that operates on a hypervisor, or may be configured using a cloud server.

[0013] The terminal device 20 is a terminal device used by a user who uses a service provided in the information processing system 1. In this embodiment, the service provided is, for example, a game. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile phone (including a smartphone), a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), etc. The first terminal device 20a, the second terminal device 20b, and the third terminal device 20c are, for example, used by different users.

[0014] <Game Service Overview> In the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the server 10 provides a game to the terminal device 20 via the network N. A user of the terminal device 20 can progress through the game using, for example, game media (game objects) used in the game.

[0015] In this specification, a game includes a computer game that is executed in any manner. For example, a game may be a game progressed by one or more users, or a game in which users compete against each other. Alternatively, a game may be a game in which a user competes against a computer (e.g., an AI or a robot). The genre of the game is not particularly limited and may be any genre. Examples of game genres include fighting games, sports games, shooting games, racing games, puzzle games, card games, board games, role-playing games, and simulation games.

[0016] The game provided in this embodiment uses multiple types of game content. The game content in this embodiment is a type of game object that can be used in the game, such as a character or a monster. The game content may also include content that allows the user to change the parameters of a character or other object used in the game in real time during gameplay, such as restoring the stamina or increasing the attack power of the character or other object.

[0017] Game media may be provided to a user in a variety of ways. For example, game media may be provided to a user as a reward when the user completes a game and / or a quest. Alternatively, game media may be provided to a user by the user purchasing the game media using in-game currency that can be used in the game. Game media may also be provided to a user through a lottery. In the lottery, one or more game media are randomly selected from a plurality of game media that are the subject of the lottery, and the selected game media are provided to the user.

[0018] In addition, in the game provided in this embodiment, game contents may be exchanged between users. For example, character A of user A is exchanged with character B of user B. In the method of this embodiment, when a game content is granted to a user, whether a game content with a transfer right or a game content without a transfer right is granted is managed. The transfer right is the right to exchange game contents. The transfer right may be managed using, for example, an exchange attribute, which is one of the attributes of the game content. In other words, a game content with a transfer right is a game content with an exchange attribute. A game content without a transfer right is a game content without an exchange attribute. In the game provided in this embodiment, game contents with an exchange attribute are the subject of exchange.

[0019] <Hardware configuration> 2A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 10. The server 10 includes a processor 101, a storage device 102, a communication I / F (Interface) 103, and an input device 104.

[0020] The processor 101 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), etc. The storage device 102 is a memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The processor 101 executes a plurality of instruction sets stored in the storage device 102, thereby realizing various processes of the server 10 in this embodiment. The program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory).

[0021] The communication I / F 103 is an interface for communicating with each terminal device 20. The input device 104 is a device that accepts input operations. The input device 104 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, or a microphone.

[0022] 2B is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 includes a processor 201, a storage device 202, a communication I / F 203, an input device 204, and an output device 205.

[0023] The functions and configurations of the processor 201, storage device 202, and input device 204 are respectively similar to those of the above-described processor 101, storage device 102, and input device 104. The communication I / F 203 is an interface for communicating with the server 10. The output device 205 is, for example, a display and / or a speaker.

[0024] <Function block configuration> 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the server 10. The server 10 includes a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120. The storage unit 120 can be realized using, for example, a storage device 102 provided in the server 10.

[0025] The control unit 110 performs various controls related to this embodiment. The control unit 110 includes a game media providing unit 111, an exchange management unit 112, a notification processing unit 113, and a game control unit 114. The game media providing unit 111, the exchange management unit 112, the notification processing unit 113, and the game control unit 114 can be realized by the processor 101 of the server 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 102. The program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory or a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM).

[0026] The game content providing unit 111 performs a process of providing game content to a user. As described above, game content may be provided to a user in a variety of ways. For example, the game content providing unit 111 determines whether a predetermined providing condition, such as completion of a game and / or a quest, a purchase operation using in-game currency, or the like, has been met, and if the providing condition has been met, performs a process of identifying game content to be provided and a process of providing the identified game content to the user. Details of the process performed by the game content providing unit 111 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0027] The exchange management unit 112 executes processing related to the exchange of game media among multiple users. For example, when the exchange management unit 112 receives an operation from the terminal device 20 of user A indicating a desire to exchange game media A owned by user A, the exchange management unit 112 executes processing to identify the user and game media to be exchanged and to execute the exchange. The reception of the operation corresponds to the server 10 receiving, via the communication I / F 103, operation information from the user on the terminal device 20. The execution of the exchange corresponds to, for example, processing to update the owned game media management table 123, which will be described later. Details of the processing by the exchange management unit 112 will be described later with reference to Figures 9 to 10B. The exchange management unit 112 may also execute processing to manage transfer rights (exchange attributes). For example, the exchange management unit 112 may execute processing to delete exchange attributes from game media having such attributes. The management processing of exchange attributes will be described later with reference to Figures 11 and 12, etc. Note that, although the following describes a one-to-one exchange of game media between two users, three or more users may also be involved in a single exchange.

[0028] The notification processing unit 113 performs processing to display a notification screen on the user's terminal device 20. The notification processing unit 113 according to this embodiment may perform notification processing related to exchange. For example, the notification processing unit 113 may notify users who own game media whose exchange attributes may be lost or users who own game media whose exchange is restricted. Details of the processing by the notification processing unit 113 will be described later using Figures 15, 19A, 19B, etc.

[0029] The game control unit 114 controls the overall progress of the game. For example, the game control unit 114 progresses the game based on user operations. Specifically, when the server 10 receives operation information on the terminal device 20 by the user via the communication I / F 103, the game control unit 114 progresses the game based on the operation information.

[0030] The storage unit 120 stores various types of information related to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 120 includes a user management table 121, a game content management table 122, and an owned game content management table 123. The storage unit 120 may also store other tables not shown in FIG. 3, such as a game content issue probability table (described later using FIG. 8), an exchange table (described later using FIG. 10B), and a transfer right loss management table (described later using FIG. 16). These tables are examples of data structures for storing various types of information, and one table may be divided into multiple tables, or two or more tables may be combined into one table.

[0031] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the user management table 121. The user management table 121 stores information about users who use the information processing system 1. For example, the user management table 121 stores information about all users who have registered to use games provided by the information processing system 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the user management table 121 includes items such as a user ID, a user name, and owned game media management information.

[0032] The user ID is an identifier for uniquely identifying a user in the server 10. The user name is, for example, the name of the user. In the user management table 121, the user ID and user name are newly set, for example, when a user registers to use a game provided by the information processing system 1. As an example, when a user newly registers to use a game, the game control unit 114 assigns a new user ID to the user and stores the user name in association with the user ID.

[0033] The owned game content management information is information for managing game content owned by a target user in a game. Hereinafter, game content owned by a user will also be referred to as owned game content. For example, the owned game content management information may be managed using the owned game content management table 123. For example, the owned game content management information included in the user management table 121 may be information that identifies the owned game content management table 123 corresponding to the target user. The owned game content management table 123 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0034] The user management table 121 does not necessarily have to include all of the information shown here. For example, if the owned game content management table 123 includes an item for identifying a user, such as a user ID, the item can be used to associate the user with the owned game content management table 123, so the user management table 121 does not have to include owned game content management information. The user management table 121 may also include information not shown here.

[0035] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the game content management table 122. The game content management table 122 stores information about game content used in the game.

[0036] 5, the game content management table 122 includes the following fields: game content ID, game content name, and exchange attribute. The game content management table 122 is set in advance by the game provider and stored in the storage unit 120. When new game content (such as a new character or a new item) is added to the game, the game content management table 122 is updated appropriately based on an update operation by the game provider.

[0037] The game media ID is an identifier for uniquely identifying game media on the server 10. The game media name is the name of each game media. In this embodiment, the same game media name is assigned to game media of the same type. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, two game media with game media IDs "GMID_A1" and "GMID_A2" are assigned the common game media name "GMA." In this way, the two game media, "GMID_A1" and "GMID_A2," which are assigned the common game media name, are the same type of game media. The two game media corresponding to "GMID_A1" and "GMID_A2" have different values ​​of the exchange attribute, which will be described later. In other words, one type of game media with the game media name "GMA" may be associated with two different game media IDs depending on whether or not the exchange attribute is present.

[0038] The exchange attribute is an attribute that indicates whether or not a transfer right is granted to a game medium. The exchange attribute is an attribute that is set to, for example, either a first value (e.g., "0") or a second value (e.g., "1"), where the first value indicates that there is no transfer right and the second value indicates that there is a transfer right. In the example of FIG. 5, among one type of game medium with a game medium name of "GMA," the game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A1" does not have the exchange attribute, and the game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A2" does have the exchange attribute. Similarly, for game media with game medium names of "GMB" and "GMC," a game medium ID representing a game medium with the exchange attribute and a game medium ID representing a game medium without the exchange attribute are set, respectively.

[0039] The game content management table 122 does not necessarily have to include all of the information shown here. Furthermore, the game content management table 122 may also include information not shown here. For example, the game content management table 122 may include items related to quantity (quantity, quantity threshold) described below with reference to FIG. 13 and / or items related to the number of exchanges (total number of exchanges, number of available exchanges, number of remaining exchanges) described below with reference to FIG. 17. Furthermore, the game content management table 122 may also include an item indicating the rarity of the game content.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the owned game content management table 123. The owned game content management table 123 includes fields for a game content ID, an enhancement status, and an acquisition date and time, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The owned game content management table 123 may be stored in the storage unit 120 in association with each user. That is, the storage unit 120 may store the same number of owned game content management tables 123 as there are users. The association with the user may be performed, for example, using the owned game content management information in the user management table 121 described above. The owned game content management table 123 associated with each user varies depending on the acquisition status and usage status of the game content. The acquisition status of the game content indicates the completion status of a quest or the result of a lottery. The usage status of the game content indicates the result of using the game content in a manner that results in the loss of the game content (such as using a consumable item or performing a combination operation that transforms multiple game content into one game content).

[0041] The game media ID is an identifier for uniquely identifying game media on the server 10, and is the same as the game media ID included in the game media management table 122. In other words, the game media management table 122 is a list of all game media present in the game, and the owned game media management table 123 is a table indicating which of those game media the user owns. In the example of Figure 6, the user owns two game media with the game media ID "GMID_A1," and one each of the game media IDs "GMID_A2," "GMID_B2," and "GMID_C2."

[0042] When considered in conjunction with the exchange attributes described above, the two game media with the game media ID "GMID_A1" and the one game media with the game media ID "GMID_A2" in Figure 6 both correspond to game media with the game media name "GMA." In other words, this user owns three game media of the same type with the game media name "GMA," two of which do not have the exchange attribute and one of which has the exchange attribute. Similarly, this user owns a game medium with the game media name "GMB" that has the exchange attribute, and a game medium with the game media name "GMC" that has the exchange attribute.

[0043] The strengthening state is information indicating the degree of strengthening of the target game content when it is possible to strengthen the game content in the game. For example, the game content may be a character, and the parameters of the character, such as stamina, attack power, and defense power, may be changeable by strengthening. In FIG. 6, "S1" indicates a character in its initial state, and an example is shown in which the strengthening state changes to "S2" and "S3" as the character is strengthened.

[0044] The acquisition date and time is information indicating the date and time when the user acquired the game content. Specifically, the acquisition date and time is the date and time when the game content provision unit 111 provided the game content to the user.

[0045] However, the owned game content management table 123 does not necessarily have to include all of the information shown here. For example, the strengthened status may be omitted. The owned game content management table 123 may also include information not shown here.

[0046] 2. Processing Details Next, the flow of processing by the server 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0047] <Game media granting process> 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process of providing game content by the game content providing unit 111. This process is executed periodically, for example, for all users.

[0048] In step S101, the game media providing unit 111 determines whether the user has satisfied the conditions for providing game media. For example, the game media providing unit 111 may determine that the conditions for providing game media have been satisfied when it receives information from the game control unit 114 indicating that the user has completed a specific quest. Alternatively, the game media providing unit 111 may determine that the conditions for providing game media have been satisfied when it receives, from the terminal device 20, operation information for purchasing game media using in-game currency.

[0049] If it is determined that the granting condition is met (step S101: Yes), in step S102, the game media granting unit 111 performs a process of identifying game media to be granted to the user. For example, if the granting condition is that a quest is completed, the game media granting unit 111 reads from the storage unit 120 a table (not shown in FIG. 3) that associates quests with game media that are rewards for completing the quests, and identifies the game media that correspond to the quests that the user has completed as the grant target.

[0050] Alternatively, if the granting condition is the acceptance of a purchase operation using in-game currency, the game media granting unit 111 reads out a game media payout probability table (not shown in Figure 3) from the memory unit 120 and identifies a game media randomly selected based on the payout probability table as the grant target.

[0051] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a payout probability table for game media. The payout probability table is set in advance by a game provider and stored in the storage unit 120. The payout probability table is a table that determines the probability of selecting game media in a lottery.

[0052] The payout probability table includes fields for game media ID and payout probability. The game media ID is an identifier for uniquely identifying game media on the server 10 and is similar to the game media management table 122 described above with reference to FIG. 5. The payout probability represents the probability that a game media with a corresponding game media ID will be selected by lottery. The payout probability may be numerical data, for example, expressed as a percentage. In the example of FIG. 8, the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_A1" is 7%, and the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_A2" is 5%. Similarly, the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_B1" is 5%, the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_B2" is 3%, the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_C1" is 60%, and the payout probability of a game media with a game media ID of "GMID_C2" is 20%. For example, the game content providing unit 111 may generate a random number and identify the game content to be provided based on the random number and a payout probability table.

[0053] In step S103, the game media granting unit 111 grants the identified game media to the user. Specifically, the game media granting unit 111 updates the user's owned game media management table 123. For example, when granting game media with a game media ID of "GMID_C1" to a user with a user ID of "UID001," the game media granting unit 111 adds a new row (record) with the game media ID value "GMID_C1" to the owned game media management table 123 associated with the user. The game media granting unit 111 also determines values ​​of other items in the owned game media management table 123 as necessary. In the example table shown in FIG. 6, the game media granting unit 111 sets the value of the strengthening status in the new row to "S1" (initial state) and sets the value of the acquisition date and time to a date and time representing the current timing.

[0054] If the granting condition is not met (step S101: No), the processes of steps S102 and S103 are skipped, and the game content granting process shown in FIG. 7 ends.

[0055] As shown in the game content management table 122 described above with reference to FIG. 5 and the payout probability table described above with reference to FIG. 8, the game content granting unit 111 according to this embodiment grants to a user game content with an exchange attribute (e.g., game content ID "GMID_A2") that is accompanied by a transfer right that allows transfer to another user, or game content without an exchange attribute (e.g., game content ID "GMID_A1"). In this manner, when granting a specific type of game content, it is possible to determine in advance whether the game content has an exchange attribute. As a result, the information processing system 1 can manage whether or not the game content can be exchanged at the stage of granting each game content. In other words, it is possible to limit the user's discretion in determining whether or not to exchange the game content (in a narrow sense, it is possible to deny the user the right to make a decision). This makes it possible to appropriately manage the number of times game content can be exchanged.

[0056] <Game media exchange process> 9 is a flowchart illustrating the game content exchange process performed by the exchange management unit 112. First, in step S201, the exchange management unit 112 receives an exchange start operation, which is a trigger to start the exchange process. The exchange start operation is performed, for example, on the terminal device 20 of the first user, and the terminal device 20 transmits operation information indicating the operation content to the server 10 via the network N. The first user is one of the two users who are executing the game content exchange.

[0057] In step S202, the exchange management unit 112 displays a screen on the terminal device 20 that allows the first user to select game media to be exchanged. As described above, game media in this embodiment include game media with exchange attributes and game media without exchange attributes, even if they are the same type. The exchange management unit 112 determines whether game media owned by the user have exchange attributes and allows the exchange of only game media with exchange attributes. For example, in step S202, the terminal device 20 may display only game media with exchange attributes among the game media owned by the first user as exchange candidates. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 displays only game media with exchange attribute values ​​of "1" among the game media included in the user's owned game media management table 123 as exchange candidates. This prevents game media without exchange attributes from being exchanged.

[0058] In step S203, the exchange management unit 112 accepts a selection operation of a game medium by the first user via the terminal device 20. As a result, the exchange management unit 112 identifies the user who wishes to exchange and the game medium that the user will exchange (transfer).

[0059] In step S204, the exchange management unit 112 registers the user ID and game media ID in the exchange table. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of the exchange table. The exchange table includes items for user ID and game media ID. The user ID here is information that identifies the user who wishes to exchange. The game media ID is information that identifies the game media that the user identified by the user ID wishes to exchange (transfer). By using the exchange table, the exchange management unit 112 can manage which users wish to exchange (transfer) which game media.

[0060] In step S205, the exchange management unit 112 performs a process of matching two users who will perform an exchange based on the exchange table. Here, since the exchange of a first user is assumed, the exchange management unit 112 may perform a process of selecting a user who will be the exchange partner of the first user from the exchange table. Hereinafter, the user who will be the exchange partner will be referred to as the second user.

[0061] For example, the exchange management unit 112 may randomly select, as the second user, a user whose user ID is included in the exchange table and whose game media ID does not overlap with that of the first user. Here, users whose game media ID overlaps with that of the first user are excluded because there is no change in the game media owned by two users when they exchange the same game media. Note that, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 20, each user may be able to register the game media they wish to acquire (transfer) through an exchange. In this case, the exchange management unit 112 may perform a process of preferentially selecting, as the second user, a user whose user ID is included in the exchange table and whose game media ID corresponds to the game media that the first user wishes to acquire.

[0062] In step S207, the exchange management unit 112 displays a confirmation screen for confirming whether or not to execute the exchange on each of the first user's terminal device 20 and the second user's terminal device 20. The confirmation screen displays, for example, the name of the game medium to be transferred, the name of the game medium to be transferred, the username of the user with whom the exchange is to be made, an exchange permission button, a cancel button, etc.

[0063] In step S208, the exchange management unit 112 determines whether an operation permitting the exchange has been received from each of the first user and the second user. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 may determine whether the server 10 has acquired operation information representing selection of an exchange permission button from the terminal device 20 of the first user and the terminal device 20 of the second user.

[0064] If an operation to permit the exchange is received (step S208: Yes), the exchange management unit 112 executes the exchange of game content in step S209. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 performs a process of updating the owned game content management table 123 corresponding to the first user and the owned game content management table 123 corresponding to the second user.

[0065] FIG. 10B is a diagram showing examples of owned game content management tables 123 for a first user and a second user. In FIG. 10B, "GMIDinfo_001" represents the owned game content management table 123 for the first user before the exchange, and "GMIDinfo_002" represents the owned game content management table 123 for the second user before the exchange. As described above with reference to FIG. 10A, the first user wishes to exchange (transfer) game content with a game content ID of "GMID_C2," and the second user wishes to exchange (transfer) game content with a game content ID of "GMID_B2." In other words, the first user wishes to exchange game content with a game content name of "GMC" and an exchange attribute, and the second user wishes to exchange game content with a game content name of "GMB" and an exchange attribute.

[0066] The exchange management unit 112 executes an update process for each user's owned game content management table 123, deleting game content to be transferred and adding game content to be transferred. In the example of FIG. 10B , the exchange management unit 112 executes a process for deleting game content with the game content name "GMC" and having an exchange attribute from the first user's owned game content management table 123 and adding game content with the game content name "GMB." The exchange management unit 112 also executes a process for deleting game content with the game content name "GMB" and having an exchange attribute from the second user's owned game content management table 123 and adding game content with the game content name "GMC."

[0067] The above processing makes it possible to exchange game content between multiple users, targeting only game content that has an exchange attribute.

[0068] 3. Processing of transfer rights In the method disclosed herein, the exchange management unit 112 erases the exchange attribute of game media that have the exchange attribute when certain conditions are met. This prevents game media from being exchanged without limit, thereby preventing a decrease in the value of the item. For example, if exchange is unlimited, the value of difficult-to-obtain game media may decrease as users expect that they will eventually be able to obtain it through exchange. However, the method disclosed herein prevents such a decrease in value. Below, several specific conditions for erasing the exchange attribute are described.

[0069] <Loss due to exchange> For example, the exchange management unit 112 may erase the exchange attribute of a game medium having an exchange attribute when the game medium has been exchanged a predetermined number of times. This prevents a single game medium from being repeatedly exchanged among multiple users, thereby preventing a decrease in the value of the game medium. Note that the number of exchanges here is information set for each game medium. For example, if there are two game media with the game medium ID "GMID_A2" in a game, the exchange management unit 112 manages the number of exchanges for the first game medium and the number of exchanges for the second game medium as different information.

[0070] First, an example will be described in which the predetermined number of times is 1. In this case, the exchange management unit 112 performs processing to erase the exchange attribute when performing the exchange processing described above with reference to Figures 9 to 10B.

[0071] 10A and 10B, consider an example in which a first user with a user ID of "UID001" transfers a first game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_C2," and a second user with a user ID of "UID002" transfers a second game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_B2." As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the first game medium is a game medium with a game medium name of "GMC" and an exchange attribute, and the second game medium is a game medium with a game medium name of "GMB" and an exchange attribute.

[0072] As described above, the exchange management unit 112 deletes game media with the game medium name "GMC" and exchange attributes from the first user's owned game medium management table 123 and adds game media with the game medium name "GMB." In this case, the exchange management unit 112 may assign game media with the game medium name "GMB" that do not have exchange attributes to the first user. In the example of FIG. 5, the game medium with the game medium name "GMB" and that do not have exchange attributes is a game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B1."

[0073] Similarly, the exchange management unit 112 deletes game media with the game medium name "GMB" and with an exchange attribute from the owned game medium management table 123 of the second user, and adds game media with the game medium name "GMC." In this case, the exchange management unit 112 may assign game media with the game medium name "GMC" that do not have an exchange attribute to the second user. In the example of FIG. 5, the game medium with the game medium name "GMC" and without an exchange attribute is a game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_C1."

[0074] 11 is a diagram illustrating the owned game content management tables 123 of the first and second users after the exchange has been executed. Compared with the owned game content management table 123 before the exchange illustrated in FIG. 10B, the game content with the game content ID "GMID_C2" has been deleted from the owned game content management table 123 of the first user, and the game content with the game content ID "GMID_B1" has been added. The game content with the game content ID "GMID_B2" has been deleted from the owned game content management table 123 of the second user, and the game content with the game content ID "GMID_C1" has been added.

[0075] That is, the exchange management unit 112 erases the exchange attributes of the game medium ("GMID_C2") with exchange attributes that User 1 put up for exchange, and then grants it to User 2 ("GMID_C1"). Similarly, the exchange management unit 112 erases the exchange attributes of the game medium ("GMID_B2") with exchange attributes that User 2 put up for exchange, and then grants it to User 1 ("GMID_B1").

[0076] In this way, the exchange management unit 112 changes the game medium with exchange attributes that has been put up for exchange to a game medium with the same game medium name but without exchange attributes, and then grants it to the user, making it possible to eliminate the exchange attributes on the condition of exchange.

[0077] Furthermore, the "predetermined number of times" that is the condition for erasing the exchange attribute is not limited to one time, but may be two or more times. FIG. 12 is another example of the game content management table 122. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the game content management table 122 may include items for the game content ID, game content name, and remaining number of transfers. The game content ID and game content name are the same as those in the example described above with reference to FIG. 5.

[0078] The remaining transfer count indicates the remaining number of times the target game media can be exchanged. For example, if the predetermined number of times is two, the remaining transfer count will be one of "0," "1," or "2." A remaining transfer count of "0" indicates no transfer right, and a remaining transfer count of "1" or "2" indicates transfer right. In the example of FIG. 5, among one type of game media with a game media name of "GMA," the game media with a game media ID of "GMID_A1" does not have the exchange attribute, while the game media with "GMID_A2" and "GMID_A3" have the exchange attribute. Furthermore, the game media with the game media ID of "GMID_A2" will lose its exchange attribute if it is exchanged one more time. The game media with the game media ID of "GMID_A3" will lose its exchange attribute if it is exchanged two more times.

[0079] For example, when granting a new game medium with transfer rights to a user, the game medium granting unit 111 grants the game medium with the largest remaining number of transfers. In the example of FIG. 12, when granting a game medium with transfer rights and a game medium name "GMA," the game medium granting unit 111 grants the game medium with a game medium ID "GMID_A3." Furthermore, when performing a game medium exchange process (see FIG. 9), the game medium ID exchange management unit 112 selects only game media with transfer rights, i.e., game media with a remaining number of exchanges of "1" or "2," as the exchange target. This makes it possible to set in advance whether or not a game medium has an exchange attribute, and to select only game media with an exchange attribute as the exchange target.

[0080] When performing the exchange process, the exchange management unit 112 may change the game medium with the exchange attribute offered for exchange to a game medium with the same game medium name but with one fewer remaining transfer count, and then grant the game medium to the user. For example, when a game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A3" is offered for exchange, the exchange management unit 112 changes the game medium to a game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A2" and adds the game medium to the owned game medium management table 123 of the exchanger user. Similarly, when a game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A2" is offered for exchange, the exchange management unit 112 changes the game medium to a game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_A1" and adds the game medium to the owned game medium management table 123 of the exchanger user. In this way, if a game medium with an exchange attribute ("GMID_A3") offered for exchange by the game medium granting unit 111 has been exchanged twice, it changes to a game medium without the exchange attribute ("GMID_A1"), and further exchanges are suppressed.

[0081] While the above describes an example in which the number of exchanges is managed in the game content management table 122, this is not limiting. For example, a field for the remaining number of transfers may be added to the owned game content management table 123. When the game content granting unit 111 grants game content with a transfer right, the remaining number of transfers corresponding to the game content is set to the maximum value. Furthermore, when performing an exchange process, the exchange management unit 112 may change the game content with the exchange attribute submitted for exchange to a game content with the same game content name but with the remaining number of transfers reduced by one, and then grant the game content to the user. Furthermore, when the remaining number of transfers is changed from 1 to 0, the exchange management unit 112 may change the game content ID of the game content to a value without the exchange attribute (e.g., from "GMID_A2" to "GMID_A1"). As described above, management of whether or not a predetermined number of exchanges has been completed may be performed using the game content management table 122 or the owned game content management table 123. Management of whether or not a predetermined number of exchanges has been completed may also be performed using another table.

[0082] <In-game quantity> In this embodiment, a quantity threshold may be set to represent the maximum number of game media with exchange attributes in the game. For example, the game provided in this embodiment may be an online game or a social game. The quantity threshold here may represent, for example, the maximum number of game media in an online game or the maximum number of game media in a social game. When the number of first game media with exchange attributes in the game reaches the quantity threshold and the game media granting unit 111 grants a first game medium with exchange attributes to the user, the exchange management unit 112 may erase the exchange attribute of the first game medium with exchange attributes that has been granted the longest time ago. This can prevent the number of game media with exchange attributes for a given type of game media from becoming excessively large in the game. In other words, it can prevent the value of a particular game medium from decreasing due to the exchange of a large number of the game media.

[0083] 13 is another example of the game content management table 122. As shown in Fig. 13, the game content management table 122 has the following fields: game content ID, game content name, exchange attribute, quantity, and quantity threshold. The game content ID, game content name, and exchange attribute are the same as those in the example described above with reference to Fig. 5, and therefore will not be described in detail again.

[0084] The quantity is a number that indicates how many game media with the corresponding game media ID exist in the game. This allows the number of game media present in the game to be managed for each game media ID. For example, in FIG. 13, the quantity of game media with the game media ID "GMID_A1" is 350 and the quantity of game media with the game media ID "GMID_A2" is 200. This indicates that there are 550 game media with the game media name "GMA" in the game, and 200 of those have the exchange attribute.

[0085] The quantity threshold is a numerical value representing the maximum number of game media with a corresponding game media ID in the game. Here, consideration is given to limiting the number of game media with an exchange attribute. Therefore, FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which a quantity threshold is set for each game media with an exchange attribute value of 1, and no quantity threshold is set for game media with an exchange attribute value of "0." As described above, as the number of game media with an exchange attribute increases, the likelihood that those game media will be traded frequently in the game increases, potentially reducing the value of those game media. Therefore, the quantity threshold in the game media management table 122 may be set in advance by the game provider based on the desired value of each game media. The quantity and quantity threshold may be managed using a table other than the game media management table 122.

[0086] In this embodiment, the exchange management unit 112 performs processing to manage exchange attributes so that the quantity of each game medium does not exceed the quantity threshold. Note that, as will be described below, the exchange management unit 112 performs processing to suppress the quantity when the quantity exceeds the quantity threshold, and the quantity may be allowed to temporarily exceed the quantity threshold.

[0087] 14A and 14B are flowcharts illustrating processing using a quantity threshold. Fig. 14A is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the game content granting unit 111, exchange management unit 112, and notification processing unit 113 when granting game content. Fig. 14B is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the exchange management unit 112 to erase exchange attributes. This will be described in detail below.

[0088] Steps S301-303 in Fig. 14A are the same as the process of granting game media by the game media granting unit 111 described above using steps S101-S103 in Fig. 7. That is, when a user satisfies the granting conditions, the game media granting unit 111 grants specific game media to the user by updating the owned game media management table 123 of the user.

[0089] In step S304, the game content providing unit 111 updates the quantity of the provided game content in the game. Specifically, the game content providing unit 111 identifies a row in the game content management table 122 in which the game content ID has a value corresponding to the provided game content, and increments the quantity value in that row.

[0090] In steps S305-S308, the exchange management unit 112 manages exchange attributes based on the in-game quantity as needed. In step S305, the exchange management unit 112 determines whether the in-game quantity has reached the quantity threshold, which is the upper limit, based on the updated game content management table 122. This determination corresponds to, for example, determining whether the game content management table 122 contains a row that satisfies (quantity≧quantity threshold).

[0091] If the quantity of any game media reaches the quantity threshold (step S305: Yes), the exchange management unit 112 performs a process to erase the exchange attribute of one of the game media. For example, in the example of FIG. 13 , the quantity of game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" is equal to the quantity threshold. If another game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" is added in this state, the quantity will become 76, exceeding the quantity threshold. Therefore, when the quantity of game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" reaches 75, the exchange management unit 112 erases the exchange attribute of one of the 75 game media. In this way, one of the game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" is transformed into a game media with the game media ID "GMID_B1." This makes it possible to reduce the quantity of game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2."

[0092] In step S306, the exchange management unit 112 performs processing to identify game media that are to lose their exchange attributes. As described above, if the quantity of first game media exceeds the quantity threshold, the exchange management unit 112 may lose the exchange attributes of the first game media that have been granted the longest period of time among the first game media that have the exchange attributes.

[0093] For example, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, the owned game content management table 123 for each user may include acquisition date and time information indicating the date and time when the game content was granted. In this case, the exchange management unit 112 uses a game content ID whose quantity exceeds the quantity threshold as a search key to extract records containing the search key from the owned game content management table 123 for all users. The game content included in the extraction results and with the oldest acquisition date and time is identified as the game content whose exchange attribute will be lost. The oldest acquisition date and time means that the game content has been exchangeable for the longest period of time, which minimizes the disadvantage to the user when the exchange attribute is lost.

[0094] However, suddenly losing the exchange attribute without prior notice would be a surprise to the user and is undesirable. Therefore, in step S307, when the in-game quantity of first game media with exchange attributes reaches the quantity threshold, the notification processing unit 113 performs processing to notify the third user who owns the first game medium with exchange attributes that has been granted the longest time among the first game media with exchange attributes that the exchange attribute of the third user's first game medium will be lost if the first game medium with exchange attributes is granted to another user. For example, the notification processing unit 113 may display a notification screen on the terminal device 20 that includes information on the date and time of loss (loss deadline).

[0095] 15 is an example of a notification screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. 15, the notification screen displays the name of the game content whose transfer right (exchange attribute) will be lost and the date and time of the loss. This allows the target user to properly understand which game content's exchange attribute will be lost and when.

[0096] The notification screen may also include a button (OK button) indicating that the notification content has been accepted, and a button (Exchange button) for starting the exchange, as shown in FIG. 15. When the OK button is selected, the game control unit 114 causes the terminal device 20 to return to the previous screen or transition to the home screen. When the Exchange button is selected, this operation corresponds to step S201 in FIG. 9, and therefore specific exchange processing is initiated. Note that, since there is a high probability that a game medium with a game medium name of "GMB" will be exchanged, a game medium with a game medium ID of "GMID_B2" may be pre-selected as the initial value of the game medium to be exchanged.

[0097] 15 is one example of a mode for notifying the user of the scheduled loss of exchange attributes, and other screens may be used for notification. For example, the notification processing unit 113 may display the time remaining until the loss of the game media whose exchange attributes are scheduled to be lost on a screen displaying a list of owned game media. For example, the notification processing unit 113 may cause the terminal device 20 to superimpose a timer indicating the time remaining until the loss date and time on an icon representing the game media whose exchange attributes are scheduled to be lost.

[0098] In step S308 of FIG. 14A, the exchange management unit 112 performs processing to add information about the game content whose exchange attribute is scheduled to be lost to the loss management table.

[0099] FIG. 16 is an example of a loss management table. The loss management table is a table for managing game media whose exchange attributes are scheduled to be lost, and includes the following fields: user ID, game media ID, and loss date and time. The user ID is information that identifies the user who owns the game media whose exchange attributes are scheduled to be lost. The game media ID is information that identifies the game media whose exchange attributes are scheduled to be lost. The loss date and time is information that indicates when the exchange attributes will be lost. The loss date and time is, for example, a timing that is a predetermined period of time after the timing of the notification processing by the notification processing unit 113. However, the loss date and time may also be a timing that is a predetermined period of time after the timing when the in-game quantity of the target game media reaches the upper limit (step S305 in FIG. 14A), or may be another timing.

[0100] 14B is a flowchart illustrating the process of erasing exchange attributes performed by the exchange management unit 112. The process shown in FIG. 14B is executed periodically. In step S401, the exchange management unit 112 reads the loss management table shown in FIG. 16 to obtain information on the loss date and time of each game content included in the loss management table.

[0101] In step S402, the exchange management unit 112 determines whether there is any game content whose current time has reached the loss date and time. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 performs a process of comparing the current time with the date and time included in the loss date and time field in the loss management table.

[0102] If there is any game content whose expiration date and time has been reached (step S402: Yes), in step S403, the exchange management unit 112 erases the exchange attribute of that game content. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 identifies the user who owns the game content whose exchange attribute is to be erased from the loss management table. The exchange management unit 112 then erases the exchange attribute of the game content listed in the loss management table of the identified user's owned game content management table 123. This process is achieved by changing game content with an exchange attribute to game content of the same type that does not have an exchange attribute. If there is no game content whose expiration date and time has been reached (step S402: No), the process of step S403 is omitted.

[0103] The processing shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B enables the exchange management unit 112 to appropriately erase the exchange attribute of game media whose quantity has reached the quantity threshold.

[0104] As described above, the exchange attribute is deleted after a certain grace period has elapsed since the notification. In other words, the exchange management unit 112 does not delete the exchange attribute of the first game medium of the third user (the user who owns the first game medium that has been granted the longest time) within a predetermined period from the notification by the notification processing unit 113, even if another user is granted a first game medium with the exchange attribute. This prevents the exchange attribute of the game medium owned by the user from being suddenly deleted, thereby preventing disadvantage to the user. Note that this grace period allows the quantity of the first game medium to temporarily exceed the quantity threshold.

[0105] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the quantity threshold may vary depending on the type of game medium. For example, the quantity threshold for a third game medium, which exists in a smaller quantity in the game than the second game medium, may be smaller than the quantity threshold for the second game medium. In the example of FIG. 13, the second game medium is the game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_C2," and the third game medium is the game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B2." In this way, exchange of rare game media, which are available in small quantities, is more likely to be restricted. In other words, excessive exchange of high-value game media can be prevented, thereby preventing a decline in the value of the game media.

[0106] Although the above example illustrates a case in which a notification is sent only to the third user who owns the game content whose exchange attribute is scheduled to be lost, the method of this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the exchange management unit 112 may send a notification to two or more users who own the game content whose in-game quantity has reached the quantity threshold.

[0107] For example, the exchange management unit 112 may sort game media whose in-game quantity has reached a quantity threshold in order of acquisition date and time, and notify users who own a predetermined number or a predetermined percentage of game media, starting with the oldest acquired date and time. In this case, the date and time when the exchange attribute will be lost is not fixed for users other than the user with the oldest acquired date and time. However, because the quantity of the target game media is close to the quantity threshold, if the same type of game media is repeatedly granted, game media owned by users other than the user with the oldest acquired date and time may also be subject to the loss of the exchange attribute. Therefore, it is useful to notify these users that the exchange attribute of their game media may be lost.

[0108] <Total number of exchanges and number of exchanges possible> In this embodiment, the number of times a game medium having an exchange attribute can be exchanged within the game may be set. For example, the exchange management unit 112 will not exchange the first game medium when the total number of exchanges, which is the number of times a first game medium having an exchange attribute can be exchanged within the game, reaches the number of times the first game medium can be exchanged.

[0109] The total number of exchanges here refers to the number of times each type of game media has been exchanged. For example, if multiple game media with the game media ID "GMID_A2" are the subject of an exchange, the total number of exchanges is the sum of the number of times each game media has been exchanged. Note that the number of exchanges described above with reference to Figures 11 and 12 differs from the total number of exchanges in that, when multiple game media of the same type exist, the number of exchanges is information managed individually for each of the multiple game media.

[0110] This makes it possible to limit the number of times each type of game content can be exchanged within the game, thereby preventing the value of the game content from decreasing due to excessive exchange of a particular type of game content.

[0111] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating another example of the game content management table 122. As shown in Figure 17, the game content management table 122 has the following fields: game content ID, game content name, exchange attribute, total exchange count, available exchange count, and remaining exchange count. The game content ID, game content name, and exchange attribute are the same as those in the example described above with reference to Figure 5. Note that, to simplify the explanation, game content without exchange attributes is omitted from Figure 17.

[0112] The total number of exchanges is a numerical value representing the total number of times the game media corresponding to the game media ID in question has been exchanged within the game during a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be the entire period from the launch of the game to the present, or it may be a period such as one month or six months. The example in FIG. 17 indicates that the game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" has been exchanged 30 times during the predetermined period.

[0113] The maximum number of times a game medium with a given game medium ID can be traded in the game within a given period. In the example of Figure 17, the game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B2" can be traded up to 50 times within the given period.

[0114] The remaining number of exchanges is a value that represents the remaining number of times that the game media of the target game media ID can be exchanged in the game within a specified period. In the example of FIG. 17, the game media with the game media ID "GMID_B2" is allowed to be exchanged 20 more times within the specified period. Note that since the remaining number of exchanges = the number of exchanges allowed - the total number of exchanges, the remaining number of exchanges and the total number of exchanges can be calculated mutually. Therefore, the game content management table 122 may store information on only one of them.

[0115] As described above, by setting the total number of exchanges (or remaining number of exchanges) and the number of exchanges that can be made, it becomes possible to appropriately manage the number of exchanges of game media in the game for each game media ID. The specific processing flow will be explained below.

[0116] Fig. 18A is a flowchart illustrating the exchange processing by exchange management unit 112. Steps S501 to S509 in Fig. 18A are the same as steps S201 to S209 in Fig. 9, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0117] If an exchange of game media is executed in step S509, the exchange management unit 112 increments the total number of exchanges in step S510. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 increments the value of the total number of exchanges in the row containing the corresponding game media ID for the two game media to be exchanged in the game content management table 122 shown in Figure 17. The exchange management unit 112 also updates the value of the remaining number of exchanges by subtracting the updated total number of exchanges from the number of available exchanges.

[0118] In step S511, the exchange management unit 112 determines whether the remaining number of exchanges is equal to or less than a threshold value. The threshold value here is an arbitrary number greater than 0 and less than the number of possible exchanges. For example, the threshold value may be set for each type of game content and managed as an item value in the game content management table 122 (not shown in FIG. 17). Alternatively, the exchange management unit 112 may determine the threshold value by multiplying the number of possible exchanges of the game content by a given coefficient less than 1.

[0119] If the remaining number of exchanges is equal to or less than the threshold (step S511: Yes), the total number of exchanges of a certain type of game media has increased, and it is possible that game media of that type will soon become unexchangeable. Therefore, in step S512, the notification processing unit 113 notifies users related to that type of game media of this fact. Details of the notification processing will be described later using FIG. 18B.

[0120] In step S513, the exchange management unit 112 determines whether the total number of exchanges has reached the number of possible exchanges. This process is performed by comparing the value of the total number of exchanges with the value of the number of possible exchanges in the game content management table 122. The process of step S513 may also be a determination of whether the remaining number of exchanges is 0 or less.

[0121] If the total number of exchanges has reached the maximum number of exchanges (step S513: Yes), in step S514, the exchange management unit 112 prohibits the exchange of the target game content. For example, the exchange management unit 112 may assign information indicating that exchange is prohibited to the game content, while maintaining the values ​​of the exchange attributes of the game content whose total number of exchanges has reached the maximum number of exchanges. For example, the game content management table 122 may include an item for an exchange prohibition flag. The exchange prohibition flag takes a first value (e.g., "0") or a second value (e.g., "1"), where the first value indicates that exchange is not prohibited and the second value indicates that exchange is prohibited. In step S514, the exchange management unit 112 may perform processing to change the exchange prohibition flag of the game content whose total number of exchanges has reached the maximum number of exchanges from the first value to the second value.

[0122] In the exchange process shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 18A, the exchange management unit 112 may only target game media that have an exchange attribute and whose exchange prohibition flag has a first value as the exchange target. This allows the exchange of game media whose total exchange count has reached the maximum exchange limit to be appropriately prohibited while maintaining the presence or absence of the exchange attribute. For example, the limit on the number of exchanges in a game may be implemented on a predetermined basis, such as one month. The exchange management unit 112 may reset the total exchange count or increase the maximum exchange limit when a unit period has elapsed. In this case, because the exchange attribute is maintained, even if the total exchange count of game media reaches the maximum exchange limit during a certain period, the game media can be exchanged by waiting until the next period, thereby improving user convenience.

[0123] However, the exchange management unit 112 may also prohibit the exchange of game media whose total exchange count has reached the maximum exchange count by deleting the exchange attribute itself. Specifically, in step S514, the exchange management unit 112 may identify the game media ID whose total exchange count has reached the maximum exchange count, and may execute a process in each user's owned game media management table 123 to change the game media having the game media ID to a game medium with the same game media name but without the exchange attribute.

[0124] Next, the notification process will be described in detail. Fig. 18B is a flowchart illustrating the notification process in step S512. In step S601, the notification processing unit 113 (or the exchange management unit 112) identifies users who own game media whose remaining exchange count is equal to or less than a threshold as users to be notified. Then, in step S602, the notification processing unit 113 displays a first notification screen on the terminal device 20 of the identified user.

[0125] FIG. 19A is an example of a first notification screen. The first notification screen is a notification screen for users who own game media whose remaining exchange count is below a threshold. As shown in FIG. 19A, the first notification screen may include information identifying the name of the game media in question, information about the remaining exchange count, and information that exchange of game media will be restricted when the total exchange count reaches the maximum exchange count. The OK button and exchange button are the same as those on the screen shown in FIG. 15.

[0126] Users who own game media with exchange attributes are expected to be able to exchange the game media at their own convenience. Therefore, if exchanges are suddenly restricted, it may be detrimental to the user. In this regard, by notifying the user in advance that they may no longer be able to exchange the game media when there is still some remaining exchange capacity, it is possible to prevent the user from experiencing any disadvantages. For example, if a user wishes to exchange the game media, they can quickly do so by selecting the exchange button on the screen shown in FIG. 19A.

[0127] 18B, the notification processing unit 113 (or the exchange management unit 112) may identify, as the user to be notified, a user who wishes to receive (receive) game content through exchange, the game content having a remaining number of exchanges equal to or less than a threshold value. Then, in step S604, the notification processing unit 113 displays a second notification screen on the terminal device 20 of the identified user.

[0128] FIG. 19B is an example of a second notification screen. The second notification screen is a notification screen for users who wish to receive a bonus through the exchange of game media whose remaining exchange count is below a threshold. As shown in FIG. 19B, the second notification screen may include information identifying the name of the game media in question, information on the remaining exchange count, and information that the exchange of game media will be restricted when the total exchange count reaches the maximum exchange count. The OK button and exchange button are the same as those on the screen shown in FIG. 15.

[0129] In this way, the user can be notified that the game content they wish to receive through exchange may not be available for exchange, i.e., that they may not be able to receive the game content. For example, if the target user strongly desires to receive the game content through exchange, they can select the exchange button on the screen shown in FIG. 19B to promptly attempt to receive the game content through exchange. Furthermore, to increase the probability of receiving the target game content, it is also possible to encourage the user to take action such as offering (transferring) a more valuable game content for exchange.

[0130] The game media desired to be acquired through exchange may be registered in advance for each user. FIG. 20 shows another example of the user management table 121. As shown in FIG. 20, the user management table 121 may include a user ID, a user name, owned game media information, and desired game media information. The user ID, user name, and owned game media information are the same as those in FIG. 4.

[0131] The desired game content information is information that identifies the game content that the target user wishes to receive through exchange. The desired game content information may be information that associates the user with another table, similar to the owned game content management information. For example, the storage unit 120 may include a desired game content table (not shown). The desired game content table includes at least game content ID information. This makes it possible to manage the game content that each user wishes to receive through exchange. For example, in step S603 of FIG. 18B , the notification processing unit 113 (or the exchange management unit 112) may determine whether each user's desired game content table includes the game content ID of a game content whose remaining number of exchanges is equal to or less than a threshold. Note that the game content that each user wishes to receive through exchange may be managed using another table, such as the owned game content management table 123.

[0132] As shown in FIG. 17, the number of exchanges possible (the maximum number of remaining exchanges) may vary depending on the type of game medium. For example, the quantity threshold for a third game medium, which exists in a smaller quantity in the game than the second game medium, may be smaller than the quantity threshold for the second game medium. In the example of FIG. 17, the second game medium is the game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_C2," and the third game medium is the game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B2." In this way, exchange is more likely to be restricted for rare game media that are available in small quantities. In other words, excessive exchange of high-value game media can be prevented, thereby preventing a decrease in the value of the game media.

[0133] <Maximum number of possessions> In the method disclosed herein, a maximum number of game media with exchange attributes that a user may own may be set. If a user is granted game media with exchange attributes in excess of the maximum number of game media with exchange attributes, the exchange management unit 112 may erase the exchange attributes of any of the game media with exchange attributes owned by the user. This allows the number of game media with exchange attributes owned by each user to be managed, thereby making it possible to appropriately control the degree of game media exchange.

[0134] The number of game media with the exchange attribute here may be a value that is counted regardless of the type of game media (or, more narrowly, the game media ID). For example, if a user owns two game media with the game media ID "GMID_A2," one game medium with the game media ID "GMID_B2," and one game medium with the game media ID "GMID_C2," the total number of game media with the exchange attribute owned by the user is four. However, an upper limit on the number of game media owned may be set for each game media ID.

[0135] Fig. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the process of providing game content. The process of steps S701 to S703 in Fig. 21 is similar to the process of steps S101 to S103 in Fig. 7, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0136] After the game media are granted in step S703, the exchange management unit 112 counts the number of game media with the exchange attribute owned by the target user in step S704. Specifically, the exchange management unit 112 counts the number of game media with an exchange attribute value of "1" in the owned game media management table 123 of the user.

[0137] In step S705, the exchange management unit 112 performs a process of comparing the counted number with the upper limit of the number of game media owned by the user. If the number of game media with exchange attributes owned by the user is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the number of game media owned (step S705: Yes), in step S706, the exchange management unit 112 performs a process of deleting the exchange attributes.

[0138] The exchange attribute deletion process is a process of deleting the exchange attribute of one of the game media possessed by the user that has the exchange attribute. The game media to be deleted may be the game media that was granted the oldest time, or the game media with the lowest rarity value (lowest value) assigned as an attribute to the game media. The notification processing unit 113 may also prompt the user to select the game media from which the exchange attribute will be deleted by displaying a notification screen on the terminal device 20. After identifying the game media to be deleted, the exchange management unit 112 executes an update process on the owned game media management table 123 to change the game media to game media with the same game medium name but without the exchange attribute. This can prevent a specific user from owning a large number of game media possessing the exchange attribute.

[0139] Alternatively, in step S706, the exchange management unit 112 may execute an automatic exchange process for game media. The automatic exchange process refers to automatically exchanging any game media owned by a user that has an exchange attribute with game media owned by another user that has an exchange attribute. For example, each user may pre-register game media that they are allowed to automatically exchange from among the game media owned by them that have the exchange attribute.

[0140] 22 is another example of the owned game content management table 123. The owned game content management table 123 may include items for the game content ID, the enhancement status, the acquisition date and time, and the automatic exchange flag. The game content ID, the enhancement status, and the acquisition date and time are the same as those in the example described above with reference to FIG. 6.

[0141] The automatic exchange flag is information indicating whether automatic exchange of game media with exchange attributes is permitted. For example, the automatic exchange flag is set to either a first value (e.g., "0") or a second value (e.g., "1"), with the first value indicating that automatic exchange is not permitted and the second value indicating that automatic exchange is permitted. For example, a user selects game media for which automatic exchange is permitted on an automatic exchange setting screen (not shown), and the exchange management unit 112 updates the value of the automatic exchange flag corresponding to the selected game media from the first value to the second value. This allows appropriate setting of whether automatic exchange is permitted for each game medium. Note that game media without exchange attributes may not be subject to the setting of the automatic exchange flag.

[0142] 21, the exchange management unit 112 identifies game media eligible for automatic exchange by selecting game media for which the automatic exchange flag is set to a second value from the user's owned game media management table 123. The exchange management unit 112 executes the exchange process while omitting steps S201-S203 of FIG. 9. When performing an automatic exchange, the confirmation process of step S208 may also be omitted, and the process of step S209 may always be executed.

[0143] When an automatic exchange is performed, game media with the exchange attribute are deleted from the user's owned game media management table. Furthermore, game media acquired (or transferred) by a user through an automatic exchange is likely to not have the exchange attribute (see FIGS. 11 and 12). Therefore, by performing an automatic exchange, the number of game media with the exchange attribute owned by a user can be reduced.

[0144] Here, an example has been described in which the quantity of game media possessed by the user and having exchange attributes is determined at the timing of granting game media (steps S703-S706 in FIG. 21). However, the method of this embodiment is not limited to this, and the processing shown in steps S704-S706 in FIG. 21 may be executed at a timing independent of the timing of granting game media. For example, this processing may be executed repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0145] <Grant of transfer rights> When granting a first game medium to a third user who owns the first game medium, the game medium granting unit 111 may grant the first game medium with an exchange attribute more easily than when granting the first game medium to a fourth user who does not own the first game medium. Since the fourth user will own only one first game medium, even if the first game medium has the exchange attribute, the fourth user may keep the first game medium without exchanging it. In contrast, since the third user will own multiple first game media, if the second or subsequent first game media have the exchange attribute, the probability that the first game medium will be exchanged is considered to be relatively high. Therefore, by preferentially granting game media with the exchange attribute to users who will own multiple game media of the same type, exchanges are promoted.

[0146] 23 is a flowchart illustrating the process of providing game content. The process of step S801 is the same as the process of step S101 in FIG. 7, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0147] If the user satisfies the conditions for granting game content (step S801: Yes), in step S802, the game content granting unit 111 reads the user's owned game content management table 123. This enables the game content granting unit 111 to identify the user's game content ownership status.

[0148] In step S803, the game content providing unit 111 identifies the game content to be provided based on the game content owned by the user. For example, the game content providing unit 111 may switch the game content payout probability table depending on the game content ownership status of the user.

[0149] Figure 24 is another example of a game content release probability table. Specifically, Figure 24 is a release probability table for a case where a user owns game content with the game content name "GMA" (game content ID "GMID_A1" or "GMID_A2") and game content with the game content name "GMC" (game content ID "GMID_C1" or "GMID_C2"). Figure 24 is also a release probability table for a case where a user does not own game content with the game content name "GMB" (game content ID "GMID_B1" or "GMID_B2").

[0150] When compared with the release probability table described above using FIG. 8, the release probability table shown in FIG. 24 indicates that game media with a game media ID of "GMID_A1" are not released and that the probability of game media with a game media ID of "GMID_A2" is relatively high. Similarly, the release probability table shown in FIG. 24 indicates that game media with a game media ID of "GMID_C1" are not released and that the probability of game media with a game media ID of "GMID_C2" is relatively high. In other words, if a player already owns game media with the game media names "GMA" and "GMC," when acquiring these game media, the player is more likely to acquire game media with exchange attributes. Note that while the release probability of game media with the game media ID "GMID_A1" is shown as zero in this example, the release probability may be set to a value lower than the initial value (FIG. 8) and not zero. The same applies to the release probability of game media with the game media ID "GMID_C1."

[0151] On the other hand, since we are considering the case where the user does not own a game medium with the game medium name "GMB," the probability of receiving a game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B1" and a game medium with the game medium ID "GMID_B2" is set to the same value as the initial value (Figure 8).

[0152] As described above, the game content providing unit 111 may switch the probability of providing game content with exchange attributes by switching the issue probability table depending on the ownership status of the user.

[0153] Furthermore, when game media are awarded as a reward for clearing a quest or as a login bonus, processing may be performed according to the user's game media ownership status. For example, when awarding game media as a reward for clearing a quest, the game media awarding unit 111 may award game media with exchange attributes if the user already owns game media with the same game media name as the reward, or may award game media without exchange attributes if the user does not own game media with the same game media name as the reward.

[0154] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is sufficient that a user who owns multiple game media of the same type is more likely to be granted game media with exchange attributes, and the specific method is not limited thereto. For example, the game media granting unit 111 may grant a fixed number of game media regardless of the user's game media ownership status. For example, the game media granting unit 111 may determine the game media to be granted using the payout probability table shown in FIG. 8 regardless of the user's game media ownership status. Alternatively, the game media granting unit 111 may grant a fixed quest completion reward regardless of the user's game media ownership status.

[0155] The exchange management unit 112 then determines whether the user owns multiple game media of the same type based on the owned game media management table 123. If the user owns multiple game media of the same type, the exchange management unit 112 may replace any of the multiple game media that does not have an exchange attribute with a game medium of the same game medium name that has an exchange attribute. This process may be repeated, for example, at predetermined intervals.

[0156] <Other> The above explains the conditions under which exchange attributes disappear, such as when exchanges are performed a predetermined number of times, when the quantity in the game reaches a quantity threshold, when the total number of exchanges reaches the exchange limit, when the quantity owned by the user reaches the limit, etc.

[0157] However, the conditions for the loss of exchange attributes are not limited to the above examples. For example, if game content can be enhanced as described above, the exchange attributes of game content may be lost when the game content with exchange attributes is enhanced. When game content is enhanced, it is determined that the user is likely to use the game content in quests, etc. Therefore, since the game content is not considered to be eligible for exchange, it is effective to lose the exchange attributes. In particular, if a quantity threshold is set in the game and / or if there is an upper limit on the number of game content owned by the user, losing the exchange attributes makes it easier to maintain the exchange attributes of other game content that is relatively likely to be exchanged. As in the above example, the loss of the exchange attributes is achieved by the exchange management unit 112 changing the game content ID in the owned game content management table 123.

[0158] Furthermore, when a merging process is performed to combine multiple game media into one, the exchange attribute may be lost. For example, if a game media with an exchange attribute is used in a merging process and then lost, the game media itself is lost, and the exchange attribute is naturally lost as well. Furthermore, if a game media with an exchange attribute is selected as the game media that remains after merging, the game attribute is considered to have been strengthened by the merging. In other words, as with the strengthening example described above, since the game media is not considered to be eligible for exchange, it is effective to lose the exchange attribute.

[0159] Although the present embodiment has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel features and advantages of the present embodiment. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a term described at least once in the specification or drawings together with a different term having a broader or equivalent meaning may be replaced with that different term anywhere in the specification or drawings. Furthermore, all combinations of the present embodiment and modifications are also intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations and operations of the server, terminal device, and information processing system are not limited to those described in the present embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0160] 4. Summary [General-purpose assignment] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables appropriate management of game content.

[0161] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 1] The information processing device of this embodiment includes a game medium granting unit that grants to a user a game medium that has an exchange attribute accompanied by a transfer right that allows it to be transferred to another user, or a game medium that does not have the exchange attribute, and an exchange management unit that executes an exchange between the game medium that has the exchange attribute and is owned by the first user and another game medium that has the exchange attribute and is owned by the second user, based on the operation of the first user or the second user, and the exchange management unit erases the exchange attribute of the game medium that has the exchange attribute by satisfying a predetermined condition. According to the information processing device described above, it is possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0162] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 2] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1, the exchange management unit erases the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute when the game medium having the exchange attribute has been exchanged a predetermined number of times. This makes it possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0163] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 3] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, a quantity threshold is set representing the maximum quantity of the game medium having the exchange attribute in the game, and when the quantity of the first game medium having the exchange attribute in the game reaches the quantity threshold, and the game medium granting unit grants the first game medium having the exchange attribute to the user, the exchange management unit erases the exchange attribute of the first game medium having the exchange attribute that has been granted the longest time ago, among the first game media having the exchange attribute. This makes it possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0164] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent disadvantages from being caused to users. [Appendix 4] The information processing device described in Appendix 3 further includes a notification processing unit that, when the quantity in the game of the first game media having the exchange attribute reaches the quantity threshold, notifies a third user who owns the first game medium having the exchange attribute that has been granted the longest time among the first game media having the exchange attribute that the exchange attribute of the third user's first game medium will be lost if the first game medium having the exchange attribute is granted to another user, and the exchange management unit does not lose the exchange attribute of the first game medium of the third user within a predetermined period from the notification by the notification processing unit, even if the first game medium having the exchange attribute is granted to another user. This can prevent the user from being disadvantaged.

[0165] One of the objects of the present invention is to manage the value of each game content. [Appendix 5] In the information processing device described in Appendix 3, the quantity threshold of the third game medium, which exists in a game in a smaller quantity than the second game medium, is smaller than the quantity threshold of the second game medium. This allows the value of each game content to be managed separately.

[0166] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 6] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, the number of times the game medium having the exchange attribute can be exchanged within the game is set, and the exchange management unit does not exchange the first game medium when the total number of exchanges, which is the number of times the first game medium having the exchange attribute has been exchanged within the game, reaches the number of times it can be exchanged. This makes it possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0167] One of the objects of the present invention is to manage the value of each game content. [Appendix 7] In the information processing device described in Appendix 6, the number of times that a third game medium, the number of which exists in the game in smaller quantities than the second game medium, can be exchanged is smaller than the number of times that a second game medium can be exchanged. This allows the value of each game content to be managed separately.

[0168] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent disadvantages from being caused to users. [Appendix 8] In the information processing device described in Appendix 6, the information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that notifies a user who owns the first game medium having the exchange attribute of the remaining number of exchanges when the remaining number of exchanges of the first game medium, determined from the total number of exchanges and the number of exchanges possible, becomes a predetermined number or less. This can prevent the user from being disadvantaged.

[0169] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent disadvantages from being caused to users. [Appendix 9] In the information processing device described in Appendix 6, the information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that, when the remaining number of exchanges of the first game medium, determined from the total number of exchanges and the number of exchanges possible, becomes a predetermined number or less, notifies a user who wishes to receive the first game medium through exchange of the remaining number of exchanges. This can prevent the user from being disadvantaged.

[0170] One of the objects of the present invention is to facilitate the exchange of game media. [Appendix 10] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, an upper limit on the number of game media having the exchange attribute that a user can own is set, and the exchange management unit, when the user is given more game media having the exchange attribute than the upper limit on the number of game media having the exchange attribute, erases the exchange attribute of any of the game media having the exchange attribute that the user owns. This can promote the exchange of game content.

[0171] One of the objects of the present invention is to promote the exchange of game content and to increase convenience for users. [Appendix 11] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, an upper limit on the number of game media with the exchange attribute that a user can own is set, and when the user is given more game media with the exchange attribute than the upper limit on the number of game media with the exchange attribute, the exchange management unit automatically exchanges any of the game media with the exchange attribute owned by the user for game media with the exchange attribute owned by another user. This can promote the exchange of game content and increase convenience for users.

[0172] One of the objects of the present invention is to facilitate the exchange of game media. [Appendix 12] In the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, the game medium granting unit makes it easier to grant the first game medium with the exchange attribute when granting the first game medium to a third user who owns the first game medium, compared to when granting the first game medium to a fourth user who does not own the first game medium. This can promote the exchange of game content.

[0173] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 13] In the information processing method of this embodiment, a processor grants a user a game medium with an exchange attribute that comes with a transfer right that allows it to be transferred to another user, or a game medium without the exchange attribute, and based on the operation of a first user or a second user, the processor executes an exchange between the game medium with the exchange attribute that the first user owns and another game medium with the exchange attribute that the second user owns, and the processor causes the exchange attribute of the game medium with the exchange attribute to disappear by satisfying a predetermined condition. According to the above information processing method, it is possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0174] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 14] The program of this embodiment causes a processor to grant a user a game medium having an exchange attribute with a transfer right that allows it to be transferred to another user, or a game medium without the exchange attribute, and causes the processor to execute an exchange, based on the operation of a first user or a second user, between the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user and another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user, and causes the processor to erase the exchange attribute of the game medium with the exchange attribute by satisfying a predetermined condition. According to the above program, it is possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing.

[0175] One of the objects of the present invention is to prevent the value of game media from decreasing. [Appendix 15] The information processing system of this embodiment is an information processing system comprising an information processing device and a user's terminal device, which are connected to each other so that information can be communicated. The information processing device grants the user a game medium with an exchange attribute accompanied by a transfer right that allows it to be transferred to another user, or a game medium without the exchange attribute. When the terminal device accepts an operation from a first user or a second user, it executes an exchange between the game medium with the exchange attribute owned by the first user and another game medium with the exchange attribute owned by the second user, and by satisfying a predetermined condition, it causes the exchange attribute of the game medium with the exchange attribute to disappear. According to the above information processing system, it is possible to prevent the value of the game content from decreasing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0176] 1 Information processing system, 10 Server, 20 Terminal device, 20a First terminal device, 20b Second terminal device, 20c Third terminal device, 101 Processor, 102 Storage device, 103 Communication I / F, 104 Input device, 110 Control unit, 111 Game media provision unit, 112 Exchange management unit, 113 Notification processing unit, 114 Game control unit, 120 Storage unit, 121 User management table, 122 Game media management table, 123 Owned game media management table, 201 Processor, 202 Storage device, 204 Input device, 205 Output device

Claims

1. a game medium granting unit that grants to a user game medium having an exchange attribute with a transfer right that can be transferred to another user, or game medium without the exchange attribute; an exchange management unit that executes an exchange between the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user and another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user based on an operation by the first user or the second user; Equipped with The exchange management unit An information processing device that erases the exchange attribute of the game medium that has the exchange attribute by satisfying a predetermined condition.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The exchange management unit An information processing device that erases the exchange attribute of a game medium having the exchange attribute when the game medium having the exchange attribute has been exchanged a predetermined number of times.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, a quantity threshold is set that represents an upper limit quantity of the game media having the exchange attribute in the game; When the quantity of the first game medium having the exchange attribute in the game reaches the quantity threshold, and the game medium granting unit further grants the first game medium having the exchange attribute to the user, The exchange management unit An information processing device that erases the exchange attribute of the first game medium that has the exchange attribute and that has been granted the longest period of time.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, a notification processing unit configured to, when the in-game quantity of the first game media having the exchange attribute reaches the quantity threshold, notify a third user who owns the first game medium having the exchange attribute that the longest time has passed since it was granted among the first game media having the exchange attribute, that the exchange attribute of the first game medium of the third user will be lost if the first game medium having the exchange attribute is granted to another user; The exchange management unit An information processing device that does not lose the exchange attribute of the first game medium of the third user within a predetermined period from the notification by the notification processing unit, even if the first game medium having the exchange attribute is given to another user.

5. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, An information processing device in which the quantity threshold of a third game medium, the quantity of which exists in the game being less than that of the second game medium, is smaller than the quantity threshold of the second game medium.

6. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, a number of times that the game medium having the exchange attribute can be exchanged is set in the game; The exchange management unit An information processing device that does not exchange the first game medium when the total number of exchanges, which is the number of times the first game medium having the exchange attribute has been exchanged in the game, reaches the maximum number of exchanges possible.

7. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, An information processing device in which the number of times that a third game medium, the number of which exists in the game being less than that of the second game medium, can be exchanged is less than the number of times that a third game medium can be exchanged.

8. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, The information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that notifies a user who owns the first game medium having the exchange attribute of the remaining number of exchanges when the remaining number of exchanges for the first game medium, determined from the total number of exchanges and the number of exchanges possible, becomes a predetermined number or less.

9. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6, The information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that, when the remaining number of exchanges of the first game medium, determined from the total number of exchanges and the number of exchanges possible, becomes a predetermined number or less, notifies a user who wishes to receive the first game medium through exchange of the remaining number of exchanges.

10. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, an upper limit on the number of game media having the exchange attribute that a user can own is set; The exchange management unit An information processing device that, when the user is given game media with the exchange attribute in excess of the maximum number of game media owned, erases the exchange attribute of any of the game media with the exchange attribute owned by the user.

11. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, an upper limit on the number of game media having the exchange attribute that a user can own is set; The exchange management unit When the user is given game media with the exchange attribute in excess of the maximum number of game media owned, the information processing device automatically exchanges any of the game media with the exchange attribute owned by the user with game media with the exchange attribute owned by another user.

12. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, The game media provision unit An information processing device that makes it easier for a third user who owns a first game medium to be given the first game medium with the exchange attribute than when the first game medium is given to a fourth user who does not own the first game medium.

13. The processor grants the user a game medium having an exchange attribute with a transfer right that allows the game medium to be transferred to another user, or the game medium without the exchange attribute; a processor, based on an operation of a first user or a second user, executes an exchange of the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user with another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user; a processor causing the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute to disappear when a predetermined condition is satisfied; Information processing methods.

14. causing the processor to grant to the user a game medium having an exchange attribute with a transfer right that allows the game medium to be transferred to another user, or the game medium without the exchange attribute; causing a processor to execute, based on an operation by a first user or a second user, an exchange of the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user with another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user; causing the processor to erase the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute when a predetermined condition is satisfied; program.

15. An information processing system including an information processing device and a user terminal device, which are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate information with each other, The information processing device includes: granting to a user game media having an exchange attribute with a transfer right that allows the game media to be transferred to another user, or game media without the exchange attribute; when the terminal device receives an operation from a first user or a second user, it executes an exchange of the game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the first user with another game medium having the exchange attribute owned by the second user; When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the exchange attribute of the game medium having the exchange attribute is erased. Information processing system.

Images