Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

Abstract

To provide an information processor and an information processing program for enabling the viewer of a game to independently influence the development of the game by support.SOLUTION: The server 16 is connected to the first and second player terminals 14a and 14b and the plurality of viewer terminals 15a to 15c via the communication network 11. The server 16 includes a support information acquisition unit 36 and a control unit 37. The support information acquiring unit 36 acquires support information for the player of the game being played from the viewer terminals 15a to 15c that display the play image of the game. The control part 37 performs change imparting processing for imparting a change to a development element for developing the game during a period set based on the support information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] One form of game viewing involves streaming gameplay images over a communication network and viewing them on a terminal. In recent years, e-sports (electronic sports), which treats computer games as competitive games, has become widely recognized, and people are enjoying watching gameplay images.

[0003] For the purpose of increasing the appeal of viewing gameplay images, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a game in which a given object that exerts a given effect when used in the game is used. The present invention describes a computer system that provides information for displaying gameplay images of a game on a viewer's viewer terminal. The computer system includes an assistance control means and a specific granting means. The assistance control means receives an assistance instruction from the viewer's terminal to grant an object to the athlete to assist the athlete, and grants the object to the athlete. The reward granting control means grants a reward to the viewer and / or athlete who granted the object, based on whether or not the athlete uses the object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-171283 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the computer system of Patent Document 1, the timing of using the object given to the contestant by the viewer is left up to the contestant, and the influence that the viewer has on the game is limited.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device and an information processing program that allow game viewers to actively influence the progress of the game by cheering. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device of the present invention includes a cheering information acquisition unit and a control unit. The cheering information acquisition unit acquires cheering information for a player of a game currently being played from multiple devices that display gameplay images of the game. The control unit performs a change-imparting process that imparts changes to development elements that develop the game for a period of time that is set based on the cheering information.

[0008] The control unit preferably controls at least one of the period and the development element that provides the change, based on the support information. This allows game viewers to actively influence the development of the game by cheering on the players.

[0009] It is preferable that the control unit performs the change imparting process at a timing corresponding to the cheering period set in the game, based on the cheering information acquired during the cheering period. This makes it easier for viewers to recognize when their cheering can change the game's development. Also, by sending more cheers during the cheering period, viewers can have a greater impact on the game at specific times. This increases viewers' sense of unity with the player they are cheering for, making it easier for them to feel involved in the game.

[0010] The development elements are predetermined parameters of the game, and the control unit preferably controls the magnitude of change in the predetermined parameters based on the support information. In this way, parameters that are controlled by the support of game viewers are determined, so that game viewers can also support players by sending strategic support so that the game progresses in an advantageous manner for the player they are supporting.

[0011] It is preferable that the cheering information acquisition unit acquires first cheering information for a first player of the game, and the control unit makes changes to the development elements of the game for the first player or a second player playing the game together with the first player. This allows support for the desired player in playing the game when there are multiple players playing the game.

[0012] Preferably, the cheering information acquisition unit acquires second cheering information for the second player, and the control unit changes development elements that develop the game so as to give an advantage to either the first player or the second player based on a comparison between the first cheering information and the second cheering information. Preferably, the control unit provides a plurality of terminals with an image that quantitatively compares the first cheering information and the second cheering information. This allows viewers of the game to easily recognize which of the multiple players has received more supportive information, and therefore allows viewers of the game to predict which of the multiple players will gain an advantageous outcome thanks to the supportive information.

[0013] The information processing program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a cheering information acquisition step of acquiring cheering information for a player of a game currently being played from a plurality of terminals that display game play images, and a control step of performing a change imparting process that imparts changes to development elements that develop the game for a period of time that is set based on the acquired cheering information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, viewers of a game can proactively influence the progress of the game by cheering. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an entire network including a communication system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a viewer terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a server. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical configuration of the server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical configuration of a player terminal, a viewer terminal, and a host terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the support period and the change granting period. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the timing of applying a change. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a display image on a player terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a support meter. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the support period and the change granting period. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the timing of applying a change. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a display image on a viewer terminal. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a display image on a viewer terminal. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a display image on a viewer terminal. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen on the first player terminal. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen on a second player terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The game information processing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of an information processing system of the present invention, and is used for playing and watching games played via a communication network 11. Watching does not have to include listening to audio, i.e., watching only is acceptable. The game information processing system 10 has functions such as allowing players to play, viewers to watch plays, and viewers to send cheers to players. The game information processing system 10 may be configured to include a playing mechanism and a watching mechanism for e-sports (electronic sports), and this example is configured in this manner.

[0017] The game information processing system 10 includes a first player terminal 14a and a second player terminal 14b, viewer terminals 15a to 15d, and a server 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the game information processing system 10 may further include a host terminal 18. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the first player terminal 14a and the second player terminal 14b, these will be referred to as These are collectively referred to as player terminals 14. In the following description, a player using the first player terminal 14a will be referred to as a first player (not shown), and a player using the second player terminal 14b will be referred to as a second player (not shown).

[0018] A player terminal 14 is a terminal used by a player (playing user) to play a game. In this example, there are two players, and the number of player terminals 14 is two. However, the number of players and the number of player terminals 14 are not limited to this example. For example, in the case of solo play, the number of player terminals 14 may be one. Even in the case of solo play, if a game is being played by multiple players in parallel, there may be multiple player terminals 14. Furthermore, in the case of multiplayer play (competitive play, cooperative play, etc.) in which multiple people play, the number of player terminals 14 may be two, three, or more. In this way, the number of players and the number of player terminals 14 are determined depending on the type of game, the playing style, etc., and are not particularly limited.

[0019] In this example, the player terminal 14 is a personal computer. However, the player terminal 14 is not limited to a personal computer, and any known device such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a stationary game console, or a portable game console can be used.

[0020] Viewer terminals 15a to 15d are terminals used by viewers (viewing users) who watch the game being played. Images of the game being played by the players are live-streamed and displayed on each of the multiple viewer terminals 15a to 15d. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the viewer terminals 15a to 15d, they will be collectively referred to as viewer terminal 15. As shown in FIG. 1, multiple viewer terminals 15 are provided. In this example, there are a large number of viewer terminals 15, but only four are shown in FIG. 1 to avoid cluttering the diagram.

[0021] Here, a smartphone will be used as an example of the viewer terminal 15. However, the viewer terminal 15 is not limited to a smartphone, and any known device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer can be used. The viewer terminal 15 is also a display device that displays intentions toward a specific player during play. In this example, the display of intention is a positive display of intention to support the player, but in addition to positive displays of intention, negative displays of intention to criticize, obstruct, or show resentment may also be used.

[0022] On the touch panel display 67 (see FIG. 2) of the viewer terminal 15, intention expression objects, which are icons for expressing intentions, are displayed as images. Examples of intention expression objects are cheering objects 20a and 20b (see FIG. 2) shown in FIG. 2 as "cheering buttons," and viewers cheer for players when they touch the cheering objects 20a and 20b. The cheering object 20a is an icon for cheering for the first player, and the cheering object 20b is an icon for cheering for the second player. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the cheering objects 20a and 20b, they will be referred to as cheering objects 20. The number of cheering objects 20 displayed as images can be changed depending on the type of game and the playing style.

[0023] The viewer terminal 15 displays a play image of the game being played by the player, and in this example, the cheering objects 20a and 20b are displayed superimposed on the play image (overlay display). However, to ensure the visibility of the play image, the cheering objects 20a and 20b are displayed semi-transparently.

[0024] The server 16 transmits and receives data to and from each of the player terminals 14 and the viewer terminals 15, and develops the game. Specifically, the server 16 transmits gameplay images to the player terminals 14 and the viewer terminals 15, and generates gameplay information based on the play at the player terminals 14 and the support from the viewer terminals 15. The game will unfold based on this.

[0025] The organizer terminal 18 is a terminal used by the organizer to provide services for playing games at the player terminals 14 and viewing games at the viewer terminals 15. In this example, the organizer terminal 18 is provided to set up each section of the server 16, but it may also be provided for other purposes.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the server 16 includes a development unit 31 and a play image generation unit 32, which are connected to each other. The development unit 31 is connected to the organizer terminal 18, the first player terminal 14a, and the second player terminal 14b via the aforementioned communication network, which is not shown in Fig. 3. When the number of player terminals 14 is increased or decreased depending on the game and its play style, it is recommended that the newly installed player terminals 14 be connected.

[0027] The development unit 31 is for developing the game. The development unit 31 includes a storage unit (not shown), which stores a game management program. The management program has a plurality of parameters as development elements for developing the game. A predetermined value is set for each parameter in advance, and the parameter values ​​change as the game progresses. When an input operation is performed on the player terminal 14 and the input information is sent to the development unit 31, the development unit 31 develops the game by changing the parameters in the management program based on the input information. That is, the development unit 31 accepts input information from the player terminal 14 and develops the game in response to this acceptance.

[0028] The development unit 31 is configured to receive input of the game play mode, setting conditions related to the game development, and the like. In addition to the above parameters, setting conditions related to the game development include, for example, the period during which cheering is enabled (hereinafter referred to as the cheering period) and the change granting period described below. Input may be made by input operations on the player terminals 14 or by input operations on the organizer terminal 18, or may be made by one or both of these. For example, the development unit 31 may be configured so that input of the game play mode, including connection with the player terminals 14, is made on the player terminals 14, and input of setting conditions related to the game development is made on the organizer terminal 18.

[0029] The play image generation unit 32 generates play images of the game based on the development information of the game being developed by the development unit 31, and the generated play images are sent to the player terminals 14 and the viewer terminals 15. In this example, the play images generated by the play image generation unit 32 are sent to the player terminals 14 and the viewer terminals 15 via the display image generation unit 33, the details of which will be described later.

[0030] The server 16 includes a cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​and a control unit 37. The server 16 may further include a terminal management unit 40 and a storage unit 41 that are connected to each other, and in this example, the server 16 includes the terminal management unit 40 and the storage unit 41. The terminal management unit 40 connects to each of the multiple viewer terminals 15 and the player terminals 14 via a communication network 11 (see FIG. 1 ). The terminal management unit 40 stores information about viewers who use the viewer terminals 15 (hereinafter referred to as viewer information) and information about players who use the player terminals 14 (hereinafter referred to as player information) in the storage unit 41. The viewer information includes, for example, viewer account information, identification information, and information about points owned by the viewer (hereinafter referred to as point information), and the terminal management unit 40 associates these information and stores them in the storage unit 41. The player information includes, for example, player account information, identification information, and the like, and the terminal management unit 40 associates these information and stores them.

[0031] The points may be purchased by viewers for a fee. In this case, by purchasing points, the cheering object 20 described above is displayed on the viewer terminal 15 while the play screen is displayed. Points are used to express viewers' intentions, such as cheering for the player. In this example, when the terminal management unit 40 receives a point purchase request from the viewer terminal 15, it associates the points with the account information and identification information of the viewer who logged in using the viewer terminal 15, and stores the associated points in the storage unit. Furthermore, when it receives information on used points together with the viewer's identification information from the support information acquisition unit 36, it identifies the identification information from the storage unit 41, subtracts the used points from the points associated with the identification information, and stores the resulting points in the storage unit 41 as new points. In this way, the terminal management unit 40 updates the points stored in the storage unit 41.

[0032] It should be noted that some points may be purchased by viewers as described above, while others may be acquired free of charge. In this case, it is preferable that the terminal management unit 40 associates the points that viewers can acquire free of charge (hereinafter referred to as free points) with identification information and the like as viewer information and stores them in the storage unit 41, just like points that can be purchased (hereinafter referred to as paid points). In order to distinguish between cheering using free points and cheering using paid points, it is preferable to generate a cheering object for cheering using free points in addition to cheering object 20 and display it on the viewer terminal 15.

[0033] The memory unit 41 stores game application programs (hereinafter referred to as apps). These apps include apps for playing and apps for viewing. When the terminal management unit 40 receives a download request for an app for playing from the player terminal 14 or an app for viewing from the viewer terminal 15, it transmits the app to the player terminal 14 and the viewer terminal 15. When the viewer terminal 15 logs in for the first time, the terminal management unit 40 receives account information and identification information, stores the player information and viewer information in the memory unit 41, and transmits the app to the player terminal 14 and the viewer terminal 15. The terminal management unit 40 and the memory unit 41 may be provided in the external server described above.

[0034] The support information acquisition unit 36 ​​is connected to each of the plurality of viewer terminals 15 via the communication network 11 (see FIG. 1). The support information acquisition unit 36 ​​is also connected to the terminal management unit 40 and the control unit 37.

[0035] Cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​is an example of an intention information acquisition unit that acquires the above-mentioned intention information input at viewer terminal 15. Cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​is a cheering information acquisition unit that acquires cheering information, i.e., cheering information, sent from viewer terminal 15. As mentioned above, when cheering is performed by using points, the cheering information is point information.

[0036] The point information sent from the viewer terminal 15 is associated with the player information of the player being cheered for. For example, the point information sent from the viewer terminal 15 by touching the cheering object 20a (see FIG. 2) is cheering information for the first player. In this way, the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires the first cheering information for the first player and the second cheering information for the second player in a distinguishable manner. The cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​also acquires the viewer terminal 15 that sent each piece of point information in a distinguishable manner. For example, if point information of 1000 points is sent once from viewer terminal 15a and point information of 200 points is sent twice from viewer terminal 15b, the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​detects the points and the number of times the points are sent from viewer terminal 15a and the points and the number of times the points are sent from viewer terminal 15b. The cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​sequentially sends the point information and the associated player information and viewer terminal to the control unit 37, i.e., each time it is acquired.

[0037] The support information acquisition unit 36 ​​also acquires the viewer's account information and identification information from the viewer terminal 15. When the point information is received, the point information is sent to the terminal management unit 40 together with the account information and the identification information as point information of the points used.

[0038] The control unit 37 is connected to each of the cheering information acquisition unit 36, the development unit 31, and the display image generation unit 33. The control unit 37 can set the change imparting period, which will be described later, in the same way as the organizer terminal 18. When the change imparting period is set before the start of game play, the organizer terminal 18 is used to set it, and when the change imparting period is set during play, the control unit 37 is mainly used to set it.

[0039] The control unit 37 is preferably configured to quantify the point information sent from the support information acquisition unit 36, and this is also the case in this example. Various methods can be used for quantification. For example, there is a method of simply adding (accumulating) the points in the point information, or a method of weighting the points according to the type of point, etc., and calculating the points using a predetermined calculation formula. An example of weighting the points is to weight paid points more heavily than the above-mentioned free points.

[0040] In this example, as a more preferred embodiment, the point information is quantified using the following method. To adopt this method, the control unit 37 includes an identification unit (not shown) that identifies the number of viewers (or viewer terminals 15) who have sent point information, i.e., cheering information, to the player, and an adjustment unit (not shown) that adjusts the level (degree) of cheering so that it differs when the number of viewers (or viewer terminals 15) identified by the identification unit differs. The level of cheering corresponds to the overall value of the points.

[0041] The adjustment unit adjusts the cheering level so that it increases as the number of viewers or viewer terminals 15 identified by the identification unit increases. Specifically, the adjustment unit may adjust the cheering level using, for example, the formula shown in [Formula 1]. This can encourage users to send cheering information. The "number of points" in the formula below is a value obtained by simply adding up the points. In [Formula 1] below, the weight w can take on various values.

[0042] [Number 1] Support level = number of points x {1 + (weight w x number of viewers who sent support information)}

[0043] The specification unit preferably specifies, for example, the number of viewers who have sent cheering information during the set cheering period, thereby encouraging viewers to send cheering information during the cheering period.

[0044] The specifying unit preferably specifies the number of viewers who used paid points for cheering compared with the number of viewers who used free points for cheering, for example, thereby encouraging viewers to use paid points for cheering.

[0045] The control unit 37 preferably performs a change imparting process that imparts a change to a predetermined parameter, which is the aforementioned development element, for a period set based on the cheering information, and this is also done in this example. Specifically, the change imparting period is set after the cheering information is acquired based on the points in the point information as the cheering information. For example, the greater the points in the point information, the longer the change imparting period is set. The values ​​of the game parameters are set by the development unit 31, but the control unit 37 controls the magnitude of the change to the parameters set by the development unit 31 based on the point information received from the cheering information acquisition unit 36. In this way, the development unit 31 develops the game with parameters whose magnitude of change has been controlled, and preferably continues these parameters for the above-mentioned change imparting period.

[0046] The control unit 37 is configured to control at least one of the change granting period and the game parameters based on the point information. For example, if the points in the sequentially acquired point information change over time, the control unit 37 controls at least one of the change granting period and the parameters to change over time. In this case, the control unit 37 may perform the above control based on the points in the point information, the difference between paid points and free points, etc.

[0047] It is preferable that the control unit 37 acquires point information as cheering information during a predetermined cheering period set for the game, and performs a change granting process based on the acquired cheering information at a timing corresponding to the cheering period. The timing corresponding to the cheering period is not limited to within the cheering period, and the manner of the response may be set as appropriate.

[0048] When the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires first cheering information for the first player, the control unit 37 may make a change to a development element for the first player or a second player playing the game together with the first player, or may make a change to a development element for both the first player and the second player. For example, making a change to the development element may be achieved by making a change to a parameter of play using the first player terminal 14a, or by making a change to a parameter of play using the second player terminal 14b competing with the first player for victory or defeat or superiority. When the first cheering information is acquired, the change may be made in an advantageous direction for the first player, or may be made in an unfavorable direction for the second player. Here, making a change in an advantageous direction for the first player (or the second player) specifically means increasing or decreasing the value of a predetermined parameter in the game of the first player (or the second player). More specifically, if the predetermined parameter is an attack power that determines the amount of damage to be inflicted on an opponent, the attack power may be increased, and if the predetermined parameter is a hit rate that determines the probability of being attacked by an opponent, the hit rate may be decreased. However, from the viewpoint of the interest of the game (encouraging the player, powering up in the game, etc.), making changes in a direction that is advantageous to the player is preferable to making changes in a direction that is disadvantageous to the player, and therefore, when prioritizing either an advantageous or disadvantageous direction for making changes, it is preferable to perform control that prioritizes the advantageous direction.

[0049] When the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires first cheering information for the first player, the control unit 37 may control the effects to make it slightly more difficult for the second player terminal 14b and the viewer terminals 15 cheering for the second player to operate. For example, the control may change the color of the play image, or hide some information in the play image and / or the cheering image described below.

[0050] When the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires second cheering information for the second player in addition to first point information as first cheering information for the first player, the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires the first point information and the second point information separately and sends them to the control unit 37 in a differentiated state. The control unit 37 compares the first point information with the second point information. Based on this comparison, the control unit 37 may change the development elements so that either the first player or the second player has an advantage. When making the comparison, the control unit 37 preferably quantifies the points in the point information as described above. This is because the game progresses in a manner that reflects the level of cheering. Specifically, comparing the first point information with the second point information means comparing the magnitudes of the two. For example, if the first point information is greater than the second point information, changes may be made to the game development elements to give the first player an advantage over the second player; if the second point information is greater than the first point information, changes may be made to the game development elements to give the second player an advantage over the first player; and if the first point information and the second point information are equal, no changes may be made to the game development elements.

[0051] It is preferable that the control unit 37 provides an image that quantitatively compares the first point information as the first cheering information and the second point information as the second cheering information to multiple viewer terminals 15, and this is also done in this example. Specifically, the control unit 37 quantifies each of the first point information and the second point information, and generates an image that compares (contrasts) the two based on the quantified values ​​as a cheering image. The control unit 37 sends the generated cheering image to the viewer terminal 15. In this example, the control unit 37 sends the cheering image to the viewer terminal 15 via the display image generation unit 33.

[0052] In this example, the control unit 37 further has a cheering image generation function that generates a cheering object 20, and generates the cheering object 20. The control unit 37 sends the generated cheering object 20 to at least the viewer terminal 15 out of the viewer terminal 15 and the player terminal 14 via the display image generation unit 33. In this case, the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires point information of the target viewer from the storage unit 41 via the terminal management unit 40, and sends this point information to the control unit 37. Based on the sent point information, the control unit 37 generates a cheering object 20 that is, for example, integrated with the cheering object, and sends it together with the cheering image. However, the generation of the cheering object 20 may be performed by a unit other than the control unit 37, for example, the terminal management unit 40.

[0053] In this example, both cheering object 20a and cheering object 20b are displayed on each viewer terminal 15. However, it is also possible to allow the viewer to select whether to cheer for the first player or the second player, and to display on viewer terminal 15 only the cheering object of the player selected as the target of cheering, out of cheering object 20a and cheering object 20b.

[0054] The display image generation unit 33 generates an image that integrates the play image generated by the play image generation unit 32 with a cheering image, as a display image to be displayed on the viewer terminal 15. The positional relationship of the display image is not particularly limited as long as the play image and cheering image are integrated. However, in the case of a superimposed display (overlay display), it is preferable to make the cheering image, for example, semi-transparent, so as not to interfere with the view of the play screen as much as possible. It is preferable to send the cheering image to the player terminal 14 in addition to the viewer terminal 15.

[0055] 4, an example of the electrical configuration of the server 16 includes a control processing device 51 including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), a main memory device 52 including a RAM (Random Access Memory), an auxiliary memory device 53 including an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), an input device 54 including a mouse and a keyboard, an output device 55 including a display and a speaker, and a communication control device 56 including a network card (Network Interface Card). Note that a device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used instead of the CPU.

[0056] The main memory device 52, the auxiliary memory device 53, the input device 54, the output device 55, and the communication control device 56 are each connected to the control processing device 51 via a bus line. The control processing device 51 (1) loads the information processing program stored in the auxiliary memory device 53 onto the main memory device 52, (2) acquires data from at least one of the input device 54, the auxiliary memory device 53, and the communication control device 56 in accordance with instructions from the information processing program, (3) calculates and processes the acquired data in accordance with procedures specified in the information processing program, and (4) provides the calculated and processed data to at least one of the auxiliary memory device 53, the output device 55, and the communication control device 56.

[0057] The information processing program causes a computer to execute a cheering information acquisition step and a control step. The cheering information acquisition step acquires cheering information for players of a game currently being played from multiple viewer terminals 15 that display game play images. The control step is a control step that performs a change imparting process that imparts changes to development elements that develop the game for a period that is set based on the acquired cheering information.

[0058] The aforementioned development unit 31, play image generation unit 32, display image generation unit 33, terminal management unit 40, support information acquisition unit 36, and control unit 37 are configured to include a control processing device 51 and a communication control device 56. The memory unit 41 is configured to include an auxiliary memory device 53 and a main memory device 52.

[0059] 5, an example of the electrical configuration of the player terminals 14, viewer terminals 15, and organizer terminal 18 includes at least a DSP 61 constituting a control processing unit, a RAM 62 constituting a main memory unit, a ROM 63 and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) 64 constituting an auxiliary memory unit, a touch panel display 67 constituting an input unit and display unit, a speaker 68 constituting an audio output unit, and a NIC (Network Interface Controller) 71 and a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) chip 72 constituting a communication control unit. Note that a device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) may be used instead of the DSP. The player terminal 14 also includes a keyboard as an input unit.

[0060] The RAM 62, ROM 63, EEPROM 64, touch panel display 67, speaker 68, NIC 71, and wireless LAN chip 72 are each connected to the DSP 61 via a bus line. The DSP 61 (1) loads a program stored in the ROM 63 or EEPROM 64 into the RAM 62, (2) acquires data from at least one of the touch panel display 67, EEPROM 64, NIC 71, and wireless LAN chip 72 in accordance with instructions from the program, (3) calculates and processes the acquired data in accordance with procedures defined in the program, and (4) provides the calculated and processed data to at least one of the EEPROM 64, touch panel display 67, speaker 68, NIC 71, and wireless LAN chip 72.

[0061] The operation of the above configuration will be described. When the terminal management unit 40 receives a download request for an app for playing a game from the first player terminal 14a and the second player terminal 14b, it sends the app to the first player terminal 14a and the second player terminal 14b. After installing the downloaded app, the first player terminal 14a and the second player terminal 14b send the player's account information and identification information to the terminal management unit 40 when they log in for the first time. When a player joins a game, the player terminal 14 sends the account information and identification information to the development unit 31. Game setting conditions and the like are input from the organizer terminal 18 as appropriate.

[0062] When the terminal management unit 40 receives a download request for an app for viewing a game from each of the multiple viewer terminals 15, it sends the app to each viewer terminal 15. After the downloaded app is installed, each viewer terminal 15 sends account information and identification information to the terminal management unit 40 when logging in for the first time. When a viewer terminal 15 participates in viewing a game, it sends the viewer's account information and identification information to the terminal management unit 40.

[0063] When the terminal management unit 40 receives a point purchase request from the viewer terminal 15, it records point information of the purchased points in association with the viewer's account information and identification information. The points are stored in the memory unit 41. Thereafter, every time the terminal management unit 40 receives a point purchase request from the viewer terminal 15, it identifies the identification information of the viewer in question from the memory unit 41, adds the newly purchased points to the points in the point information associated with the identification information, and updates the new point information. Furthermore, when points are used for cheering, the points used are subtracted from the points, and the point information in the memory unit 41 is updated in the same way.

[0064] A play image of the game played by the first player and the second player is generated by the play image generation unit 32 based on processing in the development unit 31. The generated play image is transmitted via the display image generation unit 33 to the touch panel displays 67 of the first player terminal 14a, the second player terminal 14b, and the plurality of viewer terminals 15.

[0065] The point information transmitted from the viewer terminal 15 during the cheering period is sent to the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​and processed by the control unit 37. The control unit 37 preferably quantifies the transmitted point information, and in this example, this is done in the case of e-sports, for example. Each time the quantified point information is quantified, the control unit 37 distinguishes between first point information as first cheering information for the first player and second point information as second cheering information for the second player and compares them. This comparison allows the merits of the cheers to be determined over time.

[0066] Then, based on the points in the point information, the control unit 37 changes the game parameters whose values ​​are set by the development unit 31. Furthermore, the control unit 37 sets a change-imparting period based on the points in the point information, and the game is developed with the parameters whose magnitude of change is controlled during the change-imparting period thus set. In this way, since the parameters controlled by the cheers of the game viewers are determined, the game viewers can also support the player by strategically cheering so that the game progresses in an advantageous manner for the player they are cheering for.

[0067] The cheering period may be set appropriately depending on the type of game, the playing style, etc. Here, the period from the start time GS of the game to the end time GE of the game shown in FIG. 6 is defined as the game period. Depending on the game, a play stop period SP (hereinafter simply referred to as a "stop period") during which play is interrupted and stopped during the game period may be set in advance, or may be set depending on the development of the game (for example, the occurrence of a specific event, etc.). An example of a game in which a stop period SP is set in advance is a soccer game in which a halftime is set as the stop period SP. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a stop time SP is set approximately in the middle of the game period, and this stop time SP is set in advance by the organizer terminal 18. Note that in FIG. 6, "ON" for "Game" means that play is in progress, and "OFF" means that play is stopped. Furthermore, "ON" for "Support" means that it is included in the support period, and "OFF" means that it is not set as a support period.

[0068] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the cheering period is set to the period of the game during which the player is playing. In other words, in this example, the cheering period is not set during the stop period SP. However, the cheering period may be set to coincide with the game period, that is, to cover the entire period from the start time GS of the game to the end time GE of the game, including the stop period SP. In this way, the cheering period can be set to the same period as the game period or a period roughly the same as the game period so that viewers can continue to cheer. This allows viewers of the game to actively and continuously influence the development of the game by cheering.

[0069] The support information sent from the viewer terminal 15 is provided with a timestamp indicating the date and time of transmission when it is sent to the server 16. The support information acquisition unit 36 ​​in this example reads the date and time of transmission of the support information, and acquires support information whose transmission date and time falls within a preset support period. However, the system is configured not to acquire support information whose transmission date and time falls outside the support period. Note that "not acquiring" means not receiving the support information, or receiving the support information but not counting it as invalid.

[0070] Like the cheering period, the change-imparting period may be set appropriately depending on the type of game, the playing style, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the change-imparting period is set to coincide with the cheering period. During this change-imparting period, changes are sequentially made to predetermined parameters of the game based on point information. However, the change-imparting period may be set not only in the cheering period but also in a non-cheering period that is not set as a cheering period. In FIG. 6, "ON" for "Change-imparting" means that it is included in the change-imparting period, and "OFF" means that it is not set as a change-imparting period.

[0071] Furthermore, the cheering period may be set in response to the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​first acquiring cheering information. In this case, the change imparting period can be set by, for example, the control unit 37. Since the control unit 37 controls the change imparting period based on point information in this way, it becomes possible for viewers of the game to actively influence the development of the game by cheering. The control unit 37 can further control game parameters based on point information, so it becomes possible for viewers of the game to actively influence the development of the game by cheering. Furthermore, since viewers' cheering can sometimes influence the development of the game, it becomes easier for viewers to feel involved in the game.

[0072] When making changes to game parameters during this change-granting period, a method can be used in which the cheering period is subdivided into short unit times TU as shown in Figure 7, and point information is quantified for each unit time TU. This method is particularly effective when there are an extremely large number of viewer terminals 15, or when cheering from the viewer terminals 15 is performed quickly and frequently. Each time the time periods t(n), t(n+1), t(n+2), ... (where n is a natural number) formed sequentially by the subdivision elapse, the point information sent for that unit time TU is quantified.

[0073] Each time quantification is performed, a change application process based on the quantification is performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a change application A(n) is performed based on the quantification of point information within t(n), and a change application A(n+1) is performed based on the quantification of point information within t(n+1). Because the change application process is performed based on the acquired point information, even if the change application period is set to coincide with the cheering period, the timing of each change application is delayed relative to the acquisition of the point information. In FIG. 7, this delayed time is denoted by the symbol td. However, because each change application is performed at a timing corresponding to each sub-unit time TU of the cheering period, the change application process can be considered to be performed at a timing corresponding to the cheering period. Because the change application process is performed at a timing corresponding to the cheering period, it becomes easier for viewers to recognize the timing at which the game's development is changed by their cheering. Furthermore, sending more cheers during the cheering period can have a greater impact on the game at specific times. This increases viewers' sense of unity with the player they are cheering for, making them feel more involved in the game.

[0074] Although the unit time TU is not particularly limited, it is preferable to keep it as short as possible in order to more significantly manifest the effect of the change. Note that examples of games in which the situation changes from moment to moment include real-time strategy (RTS), first-person shooter (FPS), third-person shooter (TPS), and games that imitate actual sports such as soccer games.

[0075] When the cheering information acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires first cheering information for the first player, the control unit 37 changes the development elements of at least one of the first player and the second player, so that when there are multiple players playing the game, it is possible to support the game play of a desired player.

[0076] The control unit 37 changes the development elements based on a comparison between the first point information and the second point information so that either the first player or the second player has an advantage, so that the game develops in a way that reflects the support of the viewers, which makes the viewers feel more involved in the game.

[0077] The duration of the expansion element to which a change has been applied, i.e., the time for which the parameter value after the change is maintained, may be set appropriately, for example, depending on the magnitude of the applied change, the type of parameter, etc.

[0078] The control unit 37 generates a cheering image that quantitatively compares the first point information and the second point information. By displaying this cheering image on the viewer terminal 15, viewers of the game can easily recognize which of the multiple players has received more cheering information. Therefore, viewers of the game can predict which of the multiple players will gain an advantageous outcome thanks to the cheering information. In this example, the cheering image is displayed on the player terminal 14 in addition to the viewer terminal 15, as shown in FIG. 8. The cheering meter 80 shown in FIG. 8 is an example of a cheering image and is composed of a meter section 80a for the first point information indicated by dotted hatching and a meter section 80b for the second point information indicated by diagonal hatching. This cheering meter 80 is the same as the one displayed on the viewer terminal 15, and its display position is also generally the same; however, the size and position of the cheering meter displayed on the viewer terminal 15 may be set as appropriate. The image of the cheering meter 80 is semi-transparent, thereby ensuring visibility of the play screen.

[0079] In a situation where cheering has not yet been performed on meter section 80a or when the cheering levels are equal, meter section 80b has length La and length Lb equal as shown in Fig. 9(A). When cheering begins and the cheering level for the first player is higher than the cheering level for the second player, length La is displayed longer than length Lb as shown in Fig. 9(B). On the other hand, when the cheering level for the second player is higher than the cheering level for the first player, length Lb is displayed longer than length La as shown in Fig. 9(C). In this way, cheering meter 80 is updated almost in real time depending on which player the cheering information is directed to, and is displayed on viewer terminal 15 and player terminal 14.

[0080] As described above, in this example, the game unfolds with parameters whose magnitude of change is controlled based on point information. The magnitude of the parameter change corresponds to the ratio of the lengths of the meter section 80a and the meter section 80b. For example, with respect to attack power, which is a first example of a parameter, if the meter length La of the cheering meter 80 is 65% and the length Lb is 35%, the attack power of the first player is multiplied by 1.3 using the formula {(65-35) / 100}+1. The magnitude of such parameter change is reflected in the game, for example, changing in real time in accordance with the ratio of the meter section 80a to the meter section 80b of the cheering meter 80. However, the calculation formula may be changed depending on the game, the situation in the game, etc. For example, the attack hit effect when one player's damage increases may be calculated using a different calculation formula from the attack hit effect in other cases.

[0081] The second example of a parameter is a character (a character that appears as an image in the game). Regarding the condition (1), if the length La of the meter section 80a of the total length of the cheering meter 80 is 55% and the length Lb of the meter section 80b is 45%, a smaller value than that of the first example will be calculated using the same calculation method as in the first example above. However, character conditions may not be quantifiable. Therefore, one method is to partially change the conditions of the character of the dominant first player. One such method is to disable weakening even in a match where the two players are in a rock-paper-scissors relationship of strength and weakness. Another example is to not judge whether an attack hit occurs during normal game progress, but to occasionally make an evasion judgment when the dominant player is attacked by the enemy, thereby preventing damage. The latter method is similar to, for example, when the referee blows the whistle in favor of the home team in an actual soccer match.

[0082] In this example, the points of the point information sent by the viewers during the cheering period are acquired by either the first player or the second player who is determined to have won or been in a favorable position after the game ends. This makes it easier to guide players from games without a cheering mechanism to games with a cheering mechanism.

[0083] In the above example, the cheering period and the change-imparting period are set to the same length as the play period of the game during which play is performed. However, the cheering period and the change-imparting period may be set to different lengths from the play period and the game period. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the game period and the play period are the same as those in the above example, but the cheering period and the change-imparting period are different from those in the above example. In this example, the cheering period is set to be approximately one-quarter the length of each play period during the play period before the stop period SP and during the play period after the stop period SP. In other words, the cheering period is different in length from the play period and is set to be offset from the play period. Also, as in the above example, the cheering period in this example is set to two times. In this way, when multiple cheering periods are set, the win or loss of the cheering level for each of the first player and the second player may be determined for each cheering period. In this case, the result of the cheering win or loss in the previous cheering period may be reflected in the parameters for the subsequent play period.

[0084] The cheering periods may occur irregularly, and the time may be set as appropriate, with no restrictions on length. For example, short cheering periods of about 10 seconds may occur irregularly, allowing viewers cheering for a first player and viewers cheering for a second player to compete in cheering. By incorporating such a system of winning and losing or superiority / inferiority in cheering between viewers, it is easy to feel a sense of involvement in the game.

[0085] In this example, the lengths of the two support periods are set to be equal to each other. However, when the support period is set multiple times, the support periods may be set to different lengths.

[0086] In this example, no change-imparting period is set between the start CS and end CE of the cheering period. The change-imparting period is set between the end CE of the cheering period and the stop period SP. In other words, the start AS of the change-imparting period is after the end CE of the cheering period, and is depicted in FIG. 10 as being set to coincide with the end CE. The end AE of the change-imparting period is set before the stop period SP. In this way, the change-imparting period may be set to a period that is offset from both the cheering period and the play period.

[0087] The timing of the change imparting may be, for example, only once after each cheering period. For example, in this example, in the change imparting period set after the cheering period, after a series of cheering periods t(n) from the start time CS to the end time CE, as shown in FIG. 11, the change imparting process is performed only once at the timing A(n) after the end time CE.

[0088] Furthermore, if the cheering period is set to an arbitrary fixed time as in this example, before the cheering period begins, an image displaying a countdown to the start of the cheering period (hereinafter referred to as a countdown display image) 83 may be displayed on the viewer terminal 15 as shown in FIG. 12(A). In FIG. 12, the cheering period is displayed as "cheering time." The point at which the countdown passes through 2, 1, and reaches 0 (zero) corresponds to the start CS of the cheering period. In this example, the start of the cheering period is indicated by a countdown display image 83 displaying "START," as shown in FIG. 12(B). In this example, this countdown display image 83 is generated by the control unit 37 and sent to the viewer terminal 15 via the display image generation unit 33.

[0089] When the cheering period is set to an arbitrary fixed time as in this example, the cheering meter 80 (see FIGS. 8, 12, etc.) may be hidden for a predetermined time during the cheering period until the end CE (see FIGS. 10 and 11). For example, instead of the cheering meter 80, a countdown display image 85 until the end of the cheering period may be displayed on the viewer terminal 15, as shown in FIG. 13. Hiding the cheering meter 80 just before the end of the cheering period increases the viewer's sense of tension and increases their sense of excitement about sending cheering information.

[0090] If the cheering period is set to an arbitrary fixed time as in this example, the cheering level up to that point may be displayed by the cheering meter 80 as shown in FIG. 14 after the end time CE of the cheering period. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, a display image of the win / loss result determined for the cheering levels for the first player and the second player may be displayed on the viewer terminal 15 as a cheering result display image 87. In this case, the result of the win / loss in the previous cheering period may be reflected in the parameters for a subsequent play. In this example, the countdown display image 85 and the cheering result display image 87 are generated by the control unit 37 and sent to the viewer terminal 15 via the display image generation unit 33.

[0091] When one of the first player and the second player is in the lead, as shown in Fig. 15, a lead effect image 91 indicating the lead may be displayed on at least one of the player terminal 14 of the lead player and the viewer terminal 15. This example shows an image displayed on the first player terminal 14a (see Figs. 1 and 3) when the first player is in the lead over the second player.

[0092] Furthermore, when one of the first and second players is at a disadvantage, as shown in FIG. 16, a disadvantage effect image 93 indicating the disadvantage may be displayed on at least one of the player terminal 14 of the player at a disadvantage and the viewer terminal 15. This example shows an image displayed on the second player terminal 14b (see FIGS. 1 and 3) when the first player is at a disadvantage compared to the second player. By displaying such a superiority effect image 91 or inferiority effect image 93, viewers can feel a greater sense of unity with the player they are rooting for, and are more likely to feel involved in the game. Note that it is preferable that the superiority effect image 91 and inferiority effect image 93 are images that do not obstruct the visibility of the play image. For example, in this example, the superiority effect image 91 is a nearly transparent image that is barely visible, and the inferiority effect image 93 disappears shortly after it is displayed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10 Game Information Processing System 11. Communications Networks 14 Player terminal 15 Viewer terminal 16 servers 18 Host terminal 20 Cheering Objects 31 Development Section 32 Play image generation unit 33 Display image generation unit 36 Support Information Acquisition Department 37 Control Unit 40 Terminal Management Unit 41 Storage section 80 Cheer Meter 80a, 80b Meter section 83,85 Countdown display image 87 Support result display image 91 Advantageous Performance Image 93 Disadvantageous performance image

Claims

1. a cheering information acquisition unit that acquires cheering information for a player of a game currently being played from a plurality of terminals that display game play images; a control unit that performs a change imparting process to impart a change to a development element that develops the game during a period that is set based on the support information; An information processing device comprising:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls at least one of the period and the expansion element that provides the change based on the support information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs the change imparting process at a timing corresponding to a cheering period set for the game, based on the cheering information acquired during the cheering period.

4. the development elements are predetermined parameters of the game, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the magnitude of the change in the predetermined parameter based on the support information.

5. the cheering information acquisition unit acquires first cheering information for a first player of the game, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes development elements of the game for the first player or a second player playing the game together with the first player.

6. the cheering information acquisition unit acquires second cheering information for the second player; 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit, based on a comparison between the first support information and the second support information, changes development elements that develop the game so as to give an advantage to either the first player or the second player.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit provides the plurality of terminals with an image that quantitatively compares the first support information and the second support information.

8. a cheering information acquisition step of acquiring cheering information for a player of the game currently being played from a plurality of terminals displaying game play images; a control step of performing a change imparting process to impart a change to a development element that develops the game for a period that is set based on the obtained support information; An information processing program that causes a computer to execute the above.

Images