Game programs, game systems, and management methods

Abstract

To make it easier for users in the same party to participate in the same quest together. [Solution] The game progression unit 100 progresses the game, including quests, and the registration unit 101 registers users to the party. The management unit 102 manages users' participation in quests. When a first registered user U1, who is registered in the party, participates in a quest, the management unit manages user participation in quests so that a second registered user U2, who is registered in the party along with the first registered user U1, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user U1 is participating, with priority given to the unregistered user U5, who is not registered in the party.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a game program, a game system, and a management method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of players form a group.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a plurality of users form a party by registering in the same party, from the viewpoints of improving the sense of solidarity and camaraderie among the users in the party, it is desirable to make it easier for the users registered in the same party to participate in the same quest together.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to make it easier for users registered in the same party to participate in the same quest together.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The first aspect is a computer system having one or a plurality of cooperating computers, a game progress unit that progresses a game including quests, a registration unit that registers users in a party, functioning as a management unit that manages the participation of the users in the quest, The management unit manages the participation of users in the quest so that when a first registered user, who is a user registered in the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered in the party along with the first registered user, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user is participating, with priority given to the second registered user, who is a user registered in the party, over unregistered users, who are users not registered in the party. This is a game program.

[0007] In the first embodiment, The aforementioned participation quest may have participation conditions set for taking part in it. The aforementioned management department, If the unregistered user meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest, the unregistered user may be permitted to participate in the participation quest. Regardless of whether the second registered user meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest, the second registered user may be permitted to participate in the participation quest.

[0008] In the first embodiment, The aforementioned participation conditions may include at least one of the following: the condition that a password set for the participation quest is entered, and the condition that participation in the participation quest is approved.

[0009] In the first embodiment, The registration of the first registered user to the party may be continued even after the completion of the participation quest.

[0010] In the first embodiment, The management unit sends a participation notification to the second registered user when the first registered user participates in the participation quest, but does not have to send the participation notification to the unregistered user.

[0011] In the first embodiment, The management unit may issue multiple participation notifications to the second registered user, corresponding to each of the multiple participation quests, when multiple first registered users each participate in multiple participation quests.

[0012] In the first embodiment, The aforementioned participation notification includes application instructions for applying to participate in the aforementioned participation quest. The management unit may, upon receiving a reply from the second registered user containing the application instructions included in the participation notification sent to the second registered user, permit the second registered user to participate in the participation quest.

[0013] The second aspect is, The game progression section handles the progression of the game, including quests. A registration section for registering users to a party, The system includes a management unit that manages the user's participation in the aforementioned quest, The management unit manages the participation of users in the quest so that when a first registered user, who is a user registered in the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered in the party along with the first registered user, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user is participating, with priority given to the second registered user, who is a user registered in the party, over unregistered users, who are users not registered in the party. This is the game system.

[0014] The third aspect is, A management method for managing user participation in quests included in a game, The registration step to add a user to the party, When a first registered user, who is a user registered in the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered in the party together with the first registered user, can participate in the participation quest, which is the quest in which the first registered user participates, preferentially over an unregistered user who is a user not registered in the party. The method includes a management step of managing the participation of the user in the quest. It is a management method.

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily make users registered in the same party participate in the same quest together.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the game system of the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the game device. [Figure 3] It is a diagram illustrating a link party menu image. [Figure 4] It is a diagram illustrating a link party list image. [Figure 5] It is a diagram illustrating a candidate member list image. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram showing a specific example 1 of the processing flow in the game system. [Figure 7] It is a diagram illustrating the game image displayed in the specific example 1. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram showing a specific example 2 of the processing flow in the game system. [Figure 9] It is a diagram illustrating the game image displayed in the specific example 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0018] (Explanation of terms) First, let's explain the terminology used in the following explanation. The terms used below include "game," "game medium," and "object."

[0019] A "game" refers to a game (video game) that takes place in a virtual space called a game space. This virtual space can be three-dimensional or two-dimensional. The virtual space is displayed as an image on a display device.

[0020] An example of the above type of game is an action game in which a character controlled by the user (player character) defeats enemy characters. In action games, the player character can equip items such as weapons and armor, and use items such as healing potions to restore their health.

[0021] The games mentioned above include quests. Quests are in-game events with set objectives to be achieved. Quests include both pre-prepared quests and quests created in response to user actions. Additionally, some quests have participation requirements. Examples of participation requirements include entering a password set for the quest or being approved to participate in the quest.

[0022] "Game media" refers to virtual media used in the aforementioned games. Examples of game media include items used within the game space (weapons, armor, tools, etc.), characters, vehicles ridden by characters (horses, cars, etc.), and character skills. Users can obtain the above game media through direct purchase via in-game currency, completing quests, or through a lottery system called "gacha."

[0023] An "object" is a virtual medium placed within the game space described above. Examples of objects include player characters, enemy characters (such as monsters), non-player characters, and vehicles.

[0024] In the above game, any game media obtained by a player character through user actions is assigned to the player character. Specifically, information about game media assigned to a player character in the game is registered in a database associated with that player character. A user can create at least one player character, and the user ID assigned to a user is associated with information about at least one player character. Therefore, the database may also include the user ID of the user associated with the player character. In this embodiment, we illustrate a game that may unfold with a third-person perspective image in which the player character is displayed in the game space, but this can also be applied to a game that may unfold with a first-person perspective image in which the player character is not displayed in the game space. In the case of a first-person perspective, game media can be assigned to the user, and "assigned (owned) by the user" is synonymous with "associated with the user."

[0025] For the sake of explanation, the following explanation will use the example of a game where "the player character defeats monsters, which are enemy characters."

[0026] (Game System) Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of a game system 1 according to an embodiment. The game system 1 comprises a server device 10 and a plurality of game devices 15. In the game system 1, the server device 10 and the game devices 15 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network 5. Examples of the communication network 5 include the internet and LANs.

[0027] [Server equipment] The server device 10 manages the game system. For example, the server device 10 is managed by the operator that provides the game. In this example, the server device 10 comprises a network interface 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The network interface 11 and the storage unit 12 are electrically connected to the control unit 13 via a bus 14.

[0028] The network interface 11 is connected to other information processing devices (e.g., game device 15) via a communication network 5 in a way that allows it to communicate with other information processing devices (e.g., game device 15) in order to send and receive various kinds of information and data with them.

[0029] The storage unit 12 stores various information and data. The storage unit 12 is composed of an HDD, SSD, RAM, ROM, etc. In this example, the storage unit 12 stores game programs and game data for running the game, user account information (ID and password) for users playing the game, etc. The game data includes image data for generating various images, audio data for generating various sounds, control data used to control processing by the server device 10 (e.g., setting values ​​such as thresholds), and information and data for managing game progress and users (e.g., management information such as lists and tables, and data showing the results of game progress).

[0030] The control unit 13 controls the operation of the server device 10. The control unit 13 sends and receives various information and data, and processes various information and data. The control unit 13 has a CPU (microcomputer) and memory. The memory stores programs for operating the CPU, etc.

[0031] [Game device] Figure 2 illustrates the configuration of the game device 15. The game device 15 executes the game in response to user input. The game progresses based on the installed game program and game data. The game devices 15 can communicate with each other using a communication network 5 or a short-range wireless communication device (not shown).

[0032] Examples of game devices 15 include game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, all of which have a display, speakers, and controllers that are either externally connected or built-in. In the following example, game device 15 is described as a "game console with a display, speakers, and controllers that are either externally connected or built-in." Game device 15 comprises a game console 20, a display 31, speakers 32, and a controller 33.

[0033] The game console 20 comprises a network interface 21, a graphics processing unit 22, an audio processing unit 23, an operation processing unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit 26. The network interface 21, the graphics processing unit 22, the audio processing unit 23, the operation processing unit 24, and the storage unit 25 are electrically connected to the control unit 26 via a bus 27.

[0034] The network interface 21 is connected to other information processing devices via the communication network 5 in a way that allows it to communicate with other information processing devices (for example, the server device 10 and other game devices 15) in order to send and receive various kinds of information and data with them.

[0035] A display 31 is connected to the graphics processing unit 22. The graphics processing unit 22 displays various images (moving images rendered in video format) on the display 31 according to the various image information output from the control unit 26. The display 31 is a display used by the user and is an example of a display device that displays images to the user.

[0036] A speaker 32 is connected to the audio processing unit 23. The audio processing unit 23 outputs various sounds to the speaker 32 according to the various audio information output from the control unit 26. The speaker 32 is a speaker used by the user and is an example of an audio device that outputs sound towards the user.

[0037] The controller 33 is connected to the operation processing unit 24. The operation processing unit 24 sends and receives data related to operation input to and from the controller 33. The operation processing unit 24 then transmits operation information indicating the operation input to the controller 33 to the control unit 26. The controller 33 is a controller used by the user and is an example of an operation unit operated by the user.

[0038] For example, the user inputs an operation signal to the game device 15 by operating the controller 33. That is, when the controller 33 receives an operation from the user, it transmits an operation signal corresponding to the user's operation to the operation processing unit 24. The operation processing unit 24 generates operation information based on the operation signal and transmits that operation information to the control unit 26.

[0039] The storage unit 25 stores various information and data. The storage unit 25 is composed of an HDD, SSD, RAM, ROM, etc. In this example, the storage unit 25 stores game programs and game data for running the game, user account information (ID and password) for users of the game device 15, a database for managing game media assigned to users, and the like. The game data includes image data for generating various images displayed on the display 31, audio data for generating various sounds output from the speaker 32, control data used to control processing by the game device 15 (e.g., setting values ​​such as thresholds), and information and data for managing game progress and users (e.g., management information such as lists and tables, and data showing the results of game progress).

[0040] The control unit 26 controls the operation of the game device 15. The control unit 26 sends and receives various information and data, and processes various information and data. The control unit 26 has a CPU (microcomputer) and memory. The memory stores programs for operating the CPU, etc. In this example, the control unit 26 controls the display 31 and speaker 32 by controlling the graphics processing unit 22 and the audio processing unit 23.

[0041] [Functional configuration of the control unit in a server device] As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 has a game progress unit 100, a registration unit 101, and a management unit 102. Specifically, the control unit 13 functions as the game progress unit 100, registration unit 101, and management unit 102 by having its CPU execute various programs. This program is an example of a game program.

[0042] <Game Management Team> The game progression unit 100 controls the game, including quests, and advances the game. In this example, the game progression unit 100 receives various types of information, such as operation information, generates game data for executing the game, and transmits game data.

[0043] <Registration Department> The registration unit 101 performs various types of registration. In this example, the registration unit 101 registers users to lists such as the linked party list, which will be described later. The linked party list is an example of a party list in which users who form a party are registered.

[0044] In the following example, we will show a case where the "username" is displayed as a member of the Link Party, but the "player character name" corresponding to the data the user is currently playing may also be displayed as a member of the Link Party. In this case as well, it is equivalent to the "user" being registered in the Link Party. For example, if multiple player characters are created and the user selects which player character to play before playing, the player character displayed as a member of the Link Party will differ depending on which player character the user selects. In this case, even if the player character controlled by the user is not always the same, the user controlling it is the same person, so it can be said that the "user" is registered in the Link Party list.

[0045] <Management Department> The management unit 102 performs various management tasks. In this example, the management unit 102 manages user participation in quests, among other things.

[0046] [Explanation of Link Party] In the following explanation, "Link Party" refers to a party (group) formed by users registered on the Link Party list. This type of party formation is designed to facilitate the participation of users in the same party in the same quest. However, Link Parties also allow users in the same party to participate in different quests separately. Thus, Link Parties provide a way for users to connect who want to participate in different quests separately, but also who want to participate in the same quest together.

[0047] Additionally, a leader (host) is set for each Link Party. The user who is the leader of the Link Party has the authority to invite other users to join the Link Party, register other users to join the Link Party, and remove users from the Link Party.

[0048] Furthermore, users who are members of a Link Party have the authority to view the status (activity logs) of other users who are members of the Link Party, and to leave the Link Party. If the user who is the leader of a Link Party leaves the Link Party, one of the remaining members of the Link Party (for example, the user who has been in the Link Party the longest) will be set as the new leader.

[0049] Furthermore, joining and leaving a Link Party is possible even while playing a quest. Note that even if you leave a Link Party, the quest will continue.

[0050] Furthermore, when a user who is a member of a Link Party starts a quest, a notification is sent to other users who are members of that Link Party to invite them to participate in the quest. The quest may be one that is pre-prepared in the game, or it may be a quest created in response to user actions. The notification inviting participation in a quest is an example of a participation notification indicating that a user who is a member of a Link Party will participate in the quest.

[0051] Additionally, users who are members of a Link Party may "recruit participants for a quest." Both the Link Party leader (host) and members (guests) can recruit participants for a quest. The notification of recruitment for a quest is an example of a participation notification indicating that a user who is a member of a Link Party will participate in the quest.

[0052] Furthermore, if a quest in which a user who is a member of a Link Party participates is a "quest with participation conditions set," other users who are other members of the Link Party can participate in the quest regardless of whether they meet the participation conditions. Examples of participation conditions include entering a password set for the quest, or being approved to participate in the quest.

[0053] Furthermore, if a quest in which a user who is a member of a Link Party participates has a "maximum number of participants set," even if the number of users who are members of that Link Party (the number of people participating in the quest) exceeds the maximum number of participants set for that quest, the user may still be allowed to participate in that quest. In other words, the number of participants set by the user may take precedence over the maximum number of participants set for that quest. The "maximum number of participants set for a quest" mentioned above is just one example of a participation condition set for a quest.

[0054] The "maximum number of participants" mentioned above is less than the maximum number of participants pre-set for the quest. If the number of users who are members of a Link Party (the number of people participating in the quest) exceeds the maximum number of participants for the quest, the user's participation in the quest may be refused. In other words, the number of users who can participate in the quest may be limited to or less than the maximum number of participants for the quest. In this case, when the number of users participating in the quest reaches the maximum number of participants set for the quest, the acceptance of user participation in the quest may be terminated.

[0055] Furthermore, if a quest in which a user who is a member of a Link Party participates is a "quest that only allows non-player characters to accompany it," then other users who are other members of that Link Party may also be allowed to participate in the aforementioned quest. The "restrictions on the types of characters allowed to participate in quests" mentioned above are just one example of the participation conditions set for a quest.

[0056] Furthermore, if a quest in which a user who is a member of a Link Party participates requires that the platform on which the game is played (one of 20 types of game consoles) be of a specific type, then even if another user who is a member of that Link Party is a user who plays the game on a platform of a different type than the one required in the quest, that other user may still be permitted to participate in the quest.

[0057] Specifically, the server device 10 is capable of performing the process of simultaneously running a common game among multiple game devices 15, each with a different platform type (type of game console 20) (cross-play). In addition, quests include quests for which cross-play is prohibited. Quests for which cross-play is prohibited are an example of the "quests that require the type of platform on which the game is played to be of a specific type" mentioned above. Also, the "restrictions on the types of platforms allowed to participate in the quest" mentioned above are an example of the participation conditions set for a quest.

[0058] Furthermore, users who can form a Link Party may be users who control player characters placed in a waiting area (lobby) within the game space, or users who control player characters placed in other locations (for example, the field) that are not part of the aforementioned waiting area.

[0059] Furthermore, in the waiting area (lobby) described above, player characters operated by users who are members of a Link Party may be associated with a display element (for example, a predetermined icon) that indicates that the user is a member of a Link Party. Also, in the waiting area (lobby) described above, the display priority of player characters operated by users who are members of a Link Party may be higher than the display priority of player characters operated by users who are not members of a Link Party.

[0060] Furthermore, player characters controlled by users who are members of a Link Party may have a display element (for example, a predetermined icon) associated with them that indicates the user is a member of the Link Party, even when they are not playing a quest.

[0061] Furthermore, Link Party formations will continue even after the quest ends. Users who form a Link Party should maintain the formation without disbanding it after the quest is over. However, Link Parties may be disbanded after logging out.

[0062] Additionally, it is prohibited for a single user to belong to different Link Parties simultaneously.

[0063] The formation of the link parties described above is achieved through processing by the management unit 102 (link party management processing). The link party management processing will be explained in detail later.

[0064] [Explanation of environmental links] In the following explanation, "Environment Link" refers to a state where the gameplay environment (gameplay conditions) for each of multiple users is set to a common environment. Users participating in Environment Link play the game under the common environment of Environment Link. On the other hand, users not participating in Environment Link play the game under individual environments that correspond to their game progress. Examples of gameplay environments include the type of field, the type and level of enemy characters, etc.

[0065] In this example, participation in the environmental link takes place within the link party. A user who is a member of the link party can invite other users who are members of that link party to participate in the environmental link.

[0066] [Processing performed within the game system] In this example, game system 1 performs processes such as login, game progression, image display, invitation, invitation confirmation, link party registration, link party departure, leader transfer, link party exclusion, quest invitation approval, environment link invitation approval, environment link departure, and link party management.

[0067] [Login process] The login process is the process performed to start the game. During the login process, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 responds to the user's input (an operation to start the login process) on the controller 33 and sends the user's account information to the server device 10. The control unit 13 (game progress unit 100) of the server device 10 performs user authentication based on the account information sent from the game device 15 and the account information that has been registered in advance. Once user authentication allows access to the game device 15, the server device 10 and the game device 15 communicate and the game starts.

[0068] Furthermore, the game progress unit 100 can manage (verify) which game device 15 a user is operating and which player character they are controlling, based on the results of user authentication during the login process (which user is using the game device 15 that has been granted access).

[0069] [Game progress processing] The game progression process is the process for advancing the game and is performed after the login process has granted access to the game device 15 (access to the server device 10).

[0070] During the game progression process, the control unit 13 (game progression unit 100) of the server device 10 transmits game data for executing the game to the game device 15. Based on the game data transmitted from the server device 10, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 outputs images and sounds related to the game to the display 31 and speaker 32. The user operates the controller 33 in accordance with the images and sounds output from the display 31 and speaker 32.

[0071] The control unit 26 of the game device 15 transmits operation information indicating the operation input to the controller 33 to the server device 10. The control unit 13 (game progress unit 100) of the server device 10 generates game data that reflects the operation information transmitted from the game device 15, and transmits that game data to the game device 15.

[0072] The game progresses as the above process (the process of sending and receiving game data and operation information between the control unit 13 of the server device 10 and the control unit 26 of the game device 15) is repeated.

[0073] For example, the game progression unit 100 advances the game by making the player character move within the game space in response to user input. The game progression unit 100 also makes non-player characters and predetermined objects (such as vehicles) move within the game space. For example, the game progression unit 100 controls the movements of non-player characters and predetermined objects using AI (artificial intelligence), and advances the game in accordance with the movements of the player character and non-player characters.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 can manage (confirm) the position and movement of the player character in the virtual space based on the game data generated by the game progress unit 100 and / or the operation information transmitted from the game device 15.

[0075] [Image display processing] Image display processing is the process of displaying various images on the display 31. In image display processing, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 displays the desired image on the display 31 in response to user operations (operations to display a desired image) input to the controller 33. In this example, the images displayed by the image display processing include an image showing the Link Party menu and an image showing the Link Party list.

[0076] <Image of Link Party menu> Figure 3 illustrates image P11, which shows the Link Party menu. In this example, the Link Party menu includes six items related to Link Party. Hereafter, the process of "an operation to select one item from the Link Party menu is input to the controller 33" will be simply referred to as "when one item is selected from the Link Party menu." Note that Figure 3 illustrates image P11 as it appears on the display 31 of the game device 15 of the user who is the leader (host) of the Link Party.

[0077] When the first option, "Invite to Link Party," is selected, the process of inviting the user to a Link Party (Link Party invitation process) is started. When the second option, "View Link Party Members," is selected, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 displays an image P21 (see Figure 4) showing the Link Party list on the display 31.

[0078] When the third item, "View Solicitation Notice List," is selected, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 displays an image P12 on the display 31 that shows a submenu related to solicitation notices.

[0079] When the fourth option, "Return from Environment Link," is selected, the process of removing the user from the Environment Link (Environment Link Departure Process) begins. When the fifth option, "Invite Everyone to Environment Link," is selected, the process of inviting all users registered in the Link Party List to the Environment Link (Environment Link Invitation Process) begins. When the sixth option, "Leave Link Party," is selected, the process of removing the user from the Link Party List (Link Party Departure Process) begins.

[0080] In the example in Figure 3, the submenu list shown in image P12 includes three sub-items related to solicitation notifications. Hereafter, the process of "an operation to select one sub-item from the submenu is input to the controller 33" will be simply referred to as "when one sub-item is selected from the submenu."

[0081] When the first sub-item, "Link Party Invitation Notification," is selected, the process to confirm the invitation to a link party (Link Party Invitation Confirmation Process) begins. When the second sub-item, "Quest Invitation Notification," is selected, the process to confirm the invitation to a quest (Quest Invitation Confirmation Process) begins. When the third sub-item, "Environment Link Invitation Notification," is selected, the process to confirm the invitation to an environment link (Environment Link Invitation Confirmation Process) begins.

[0082] Furthermore, if the image P11 showing the above Link Party menu is displayed on the display 31 of the game device 15 of a user who is not the Link Party leader (host), the first item, "Invite to Link Party," will be omitted.

[0083] <Image of Link Party List> Figure 4 illustrates image P21, which shows a link party list. The link party list shows a list of users who make up a link party. In the example in Figure 4, four users are registered as users who make up a link party. In this example, the link party list created for each link party leader (host) is stored in the storage unit 12 of the server device 10.

[0084] The Link Party List registers the names, user IDs, ranks, and statuses of the users forming the Link Party as a single record. The "Status" field displays the user's current status (activity log). Examples of the above statuses include "Questing" (indicating participation in a quest), "Quest Invitation" (indicating invitations to participate in a quest), "Environment Linking" (indicating participation in an environment link), and "Environment Link Invitation" (indicating invitations to participate in an environment link).

[0085] For example, the link party list is stored in the storage unit 12 of the server device 10. When the controller 33 receives an input from the control unit 26 of the game device 15 to display the link party list image P21, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 sends a transmission request to the server device 10 requesting the transmission of the link party list. In response to the transmission request, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 transmits the link party list stored in the storage unit 12 to the game device 15. The control unit 26 of the game device 15 receives the link party list transmitted from the server device 10 and displays the image P21 representing the link party list on the display 31.

[0086] Furthermore, when an operation (for example, a predetermined button operation) is input to the controller 33 to select one of the users registered in the Link Party list, the control unit 26 displays an image P22 on the display 31 showing a submenu related to the selected user. In the example in Figure 4, the submenu includes three sub-items. Figure 4 illustrates the image P22 displayed on the display 31 of the game device 15 of the user who is the leader (host) of the Link Party.

[0087] When the first sub-item, "Delegate Link Party Leadership," is selected, the process of changing the user who is the leader of the Link Party to another user (leader delegation process) is started. When the second sub-item, "Remove from Link Party," is selected, the process of removing the user from the Link Party (link party exclusion process) is started.

[0088] When the third sub-item, "View Profile," is selected, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 displays a profile image (not shown) on the display 31, which represents the profile of the selected user (the user corresponding to the above sub-menu). This profile image includes information about the player character the user is currently playing, such as the name of the player character, various images related to the player character, information about the equipped armor and weapons, and the user's total play time.

[0089] Furthermore, if image P22, which shows the above submenu, is displayed on the display 31 of the game device 15 of a user who is not the Link Party leader (host), the first sub-item, "Transfer Link Party Leadership," and the second sub-item, "Remove from Link Party," will be omitted.

[0090] [Solicitation Processing] The recruitment process includes a link party recruitment process for inviting users to a link party, a quest recruitment process for inviting users to a quest, and an environment link recruitment process for inviting users to an environment link. Below, the user doing the recruiting will be referred to as the "recruiting user," and the user being recruited will be referred to as the "recruited user."

[0091] <Link Party Invitation Processing> The Link Party invitation process is performed by the user who will be the leader (host) of the Link Party. In this example, when the controller 33 receives input to select the first item, "Invite to Link Party," shown in image P11 in Figure 3, the Link Party invitation process begins.

[0092] In the Link Party invitation process, the inviting user's game device 15 displays an image on the display 31 showing a list of potential members who could be invited to the Link Party. For example, potential users for invitation include users who have previously played quests with the inviting user, and users who have many commonalities or similarities with the inviting user in their profile, such as rank. Potential users for invitation can be identified based on their past game progress (history).

[0093] Figure 5 illustrates image P31, which shows a list of candidate members. In the example in Figure 5, six users are registered as candidates for invitation to the Link Party. The member list registers the name, user ID, rank, status, etc., of each candidate user as a single record. The status is displayed as "Inviting to Link Party" if the candidate user has already been invited to the Link Party, and as "Not Invited" if the candidate user has not yet been invited to the Link Party. In this example, the list of candidate members is stored in the memory unit 25 of the game device 15.

[0094] When the controller 33 receives an input (for example, a predetermined button press) from the recruiting user's game device 15 to select one user from the "Not Recruited" list of candidate members, the control unit 26 sends recruitment information to the server device 10 indicating that the recruiting user is recruiting the selected user (the recruited user) to the Link Party. The control unit 26 also changes the status of the recruited user in the candidate member list from "Not Registered" to "Currently Being Recruited to Link Party."

[0095] The control unit 13 of the server device 10 transfers the invitation notification information to the game device 15 of the invited user indicated in the invitation information. On the invited user's game device 15, the control unit 26 registers the inviting user indicated in the invitation notification information in the Link Party invitation notification list (not shown). The Link Party invitation notification list shows a list of users who are inviting others to Link Party (which users are inviting others to Link Party). In this example, the Link Party invitation notification list is stored in the storage unit 25 of the game device 15 and used in the Link Party invitation confirmation process described later.

[0096] Furthermore, when the controller 33 of the recruiting user's game device 15 inputs an operation (for example, a predetermined button operation) to select one user from the "Currently recruiting for Link Party" list in the member list, the control unit 26 displays an image P23 on the display 31 showing a submenu "Cancel Link Party invitation". When an operation to select a submenu is input to the controller 33, the control unit 26 sends invitation cancellation information to the server device 10 indicating that the recruiting user has canceled the invitation to the Link Party for the selected user (the recruited user corresponding to the above submenu). The control unit 26 also changes the status of the recruited user in the candidate member list from "Currently recruiting for Link Party" to "Not recruited".

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 transfers the solicitation cancellation information to the game device 15 of the solicited user indicated in the solicitation cancellation information. On the solicited user's game device 15, the control unit 26 removes the soliciting user indicated in the solicitation cancellation information from the Link Party solicitation notification list (not shown).

[0098] <Quest invitation processing> Quest invitation processing is performed by any user. The flow of quest invitation processing is the same as the flow of link party invitation processing. During quest invitation processing, the candidate member list (not shown) which shows a list of users who are candidates for invitation to the quest is updated on the game device 15 of the inviting user, and the quest invitation notification list (not shown) which shows a list of users who are inviting others to the quest is updated on the game device 15 of the invited user.

[0099] <Environmental Link Solicitation Processing> The environmental link invitation process is performed by users registered in the link party list. In this example, when the controller 33 receives input to select the item "Invite everyone to environmental link" in the fifth row shown in image P11 of Figure 3, the environmental link invitation process begins.

[0100] The process for inviting users to join an environmental link is the same as the process for inviting users to join a link party. In the environmental link invitation process, one of the users registered in the link party list becomes the inviting user, and the remaining users from the link party list, excluding the inviting user, become the invited users. In the environmental link invitation process, the candidate member list (not shown) which shows a list of users who are candidates for invitation to join an environmental link is updated in the inviting user's game device 15, and the environmental link invitation notification list (not shown) which shows a list of users who are inviting others to join an environmental link is updated in the invited users' game device 15.

[0101] [Solicitation Confirmation Process] The invitation confirmation process includes link party invitation confirmation, quest invitation confirmation, and environment link invitation confirmation. These processes are performed by any user (the invited user).

[0102] <Link Party Invitation Confirmation Process> The Link Party invitation confirmation process is performed on the game device 15 used by the invited user. The control unit 26 displays an image (not shown) of the Link Party invitation notification list on the display 31. The Link Party invitation notification list shows a list of inviting users who invite the invited user to a Link Party. When an operation to select a "user to approve the invitation" from the Link Party invitation notification list is input to the controller 33, the Link Party registration process starts.

[0103] <Quest invitation confirmation process> The quest invitation confirmation process is the same as the link party invitation confirmation process. In the quest invitation confirmation process, a quest invitation notification list (not shown in the diagram) is displayed, which shows a list of inviting users who will invite the invited user to the quest. When an operation to select a "user to approve the invitation" from the quest invitation notification list is input to controller 33, the quest invitation approval process begins.

[0104] <Environmental Link Solicitation Confirmation Process> The flow of the Environmental Link Invitation Confirmation Process is the same as the flow of the Link Party Invitation Confirmation Process. In the Environmental Link Invitation Confirmation Process, an Environmental Link Invitation Notification List (not shown in the diagram) is displayed, which shows a list of inviting users who invite the invited user to join Environmental Link. When an operation to select a "user to approve the invitation" from the Environmental Link Invitation Notification List is input to the controller 33, the Environmental Link Invitation Approval Process starts.

[0105] [Link Party Registration Process] The Link Party registration process is performed by the user who has been invited to join the Link Party. The Link Party registration process is an example of a registration step in the process performed by Game System 1 (a management method for managing user participation in quests).

[0106] In the Link Party registration process, the control unit 26 in the game device 15 of a user who has been invited to a Link Party (invited user) sends Link Party invitation approval information to the server device 10, indicating the user selected as the "user who approves the invitation" (inviting user) from the Link Party invitation notification list (not shown). The Link Party invitation approval information indicates the invited user who approved the invitation to the Link Party and the inviting user who made the invitation to the Link Party. The control unit 26 also removes the inviting user from the Link Party invitation notification list.

[0107] The control unit 13 (registration unit 101) of the server device 10 detects the link party list in which the inviting user indicated in the link party invitation approval information is registered from the storage unit 12, and registers the approved user indicated in the invitation approval information to that link party list. In this example, a record including the approved user's "name," "user ID," "rank," and "status (activity log)" is registered in the link party list. In this way, the registration unit 101 registers the user in the link party list.

[0108] Next, the control unit 13 (registration unit 101) of the server device 10 sends registration completion information to the recruiting user's game device 15, indicating that a new user (recruited user) has been registered in the link party list to which the recruiting user is registered. In the recruiting user's game device 15, the control unit 26 deletes the record related to the recruited user indicated in the registration completion information from the candidate member list (see Figure 5).

[0109] [Link Party Disconnection Process] The Link Party Departure process is performed by users registered in the Link Party List (see Figure 4). In the Link Party Departure process, the game device 15 inputs an operation to leave the Link Party to the controller 33, and the control unit 26 sends Link Party Departure Information indicating the user leaving the Link Party to the server device 10. The control unit 13 of the server device 10 detects the Link Party List in the storage unit 12 to which the user indicated in the Link Party Departure Information is registered, and deletes the record related to "the user indicated in the Link Party Departure Information" from that Link Party List.

[0110] Furthermore, if the user leaving the Link Party is the "leader of that Link Party," the control unit 13 (registration unit 101) sets another user (excluding the leader) registered in the Link Party list along with the leader of that Link Party as the "new leader of that Link Party."

[0111] [Leadership delegation process] The leader delegation process is performed by the user who will become the leader of the Link Party. In the leader delegation process, the game device 15 of the user who will become the leader of the Link Party inputs an operation to the controller 33 to select a user who will become the "new leader of the Link Party" from the Link Party list (see Figure 4), and the control unit 26 sends leader change information indicating the user selected as the new leader to the server device 10. The leader change information indicates the user who was the leader before the change (old leader user) and the user who will be the leader after the change (new leader user).

[0112] The control unit 13 of the server device 10 detects the link party list corresponding to the old leader user indicated in the leader change information from the storage unit 12, and changes the leader of the link party in that link party list from the "old leader user" to the "new leader user". In the example in Figure 4, if the user registered in the first stage corresponds to the "link party leader", and the link party leader changes from "User A" to "User B", the record related to "User A" registered in the first stage and the record related to "User B" registered in the second stage are swapped.

[0113] [Link Party Exclusion Process] Link party exclusion processing is performed by the user who is the leader of the link party. In link party exclusion processing, the game device 15 of the user who is the leader of the link party inputs an operation to the controller 33 to select "users to be excluded from the link party" from the link party list (see Figure 4), and the control unit 26 transmits link party exclusion information indicating the users selected to be excluded to the server device 10.

[0114] The control unit 13 of the server device 10 detects the link party list in the storage unit 12 to which the user indicated in the link party exclusion information is registered, and deletes the record related to the "user indicated in the link party exclusion information" from that link party list.

[0115] [Quest invitation approval process] The quest invitation approval process is performed by the user who has been invited to the quest (the invited user). In the quest invitation approval process, the invited user's game device 15 sends quest invitation approval information to the server device 10, indicating the user selected as the "user who approves the invitation" (the inviting user) from the quest invitation notification list (not shown). The quest invitation approval information indicates the invited user who approved the invitation to the quest and the inviting user who made the invitation to the quest. The control unit 26 then removes the inviting user from the quest invitation notification list.

[0116] The control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 permits the invited user indicated in the quest invitation approval information to participate in the "quest invited by the inviting user indicated in the quest invitation approval information." As a result, the invited user can play the quest.

[0117] Next, the control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 transmits quest participation information to the recruiting user's game device 15, indicating that the recruited user will participate in the "quest recruited by the recruiting user." In the recruiting user's game device 15, the control unit 26 deletes the record related to the recruited user indicated in the quest participation information from the candidate member list (not shown), which shows a list of users who are candidates to be recruited to the quest.

[0118] [Environmental Link Solicitation Approval Process] The Environmental Link invitation approval process is performed by the user who has been invited to join the Environmental Link (the invited user). In the Environmental Link invitation approval process, the invited user's game device 15 sends Environmental Link invitation approval information to the server device 10, indicating the user selected as the "user who approves the invitation" (the inviting user) from the Environmental Link invitation notification list (not shown). The Environmental Link invitation approval information indicates the invited user who approved the invitation to join the Environmental Link and the inviting user who made the invitation to join the Environmental Link. The control unit 26 then removes the above-mentioned inviting user from the Environmental Link invitation notification list.

[0119] The control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 initiates the participation of the invited user, as indicated in the Environmental Link Invitation Approval Information, in the "Environmental Link invited by the inviting user indicated in the Environmental Link Invitation Approval Information." As a result, the invited user can play the game under the common environment (gameplay conditions) of the Environmental Link.

[0120] Next, the control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 transmits environment link participation information to the recruiting user's game device 15, indicating that the recruited user will participate in the "environment link recruited by the recruiting user." In the recruiting user's game device 15, the control unit 26 deletes the record related to the recruited user indicated in the environment link participation information from the candidate member list (not shown), which shows a list of users who are candidates for recruitment to the environment link.

[0121] [Environmental link disconnection process] The process of leaving the environment link is performed by the user participating in the environment link. In the environment link departure process, the control unit 26 of the game device 15 transmits environment link departure information to the server device 10, indicating the user who is leaving the environment link (the user using this game device 15). The control unit 13 of the server device 10 cancels the user's participation in the environment link as indicated in the environment link departure information. As a result, the user who has left the environment link can play the game in an individual environment according to the game's progress, rather than in the common environment of the environment link.

[0122] [Link Party Management Process] Link party management processing is a management process related to users registered in the link party list (see Figure 4). Link party management processing is an example of a management step in the processing by game system 1 (a management method for managing user participation in quests).

[0123] In the following explanation, one of the users registered in the Link Party List will be referred to as "First Registered User U1," a user registered in the Link Party List together with First Registered User U1 will be referred to as "Second Registered User U2," and a user not registered in the Link Party List to which First Registered User U1 is registered will be referred to as "Unregistered User U5."

[0124] In the link party management process, the control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 manages user participation in quests so that when the first registered user U1 participates in a quest, the second registered user U2 can participate in the quest more preferentially than the unregistered user U5.

[0125] The above participation quests have participation conditions set for them. These conditions include at least one of the following: the password set for the participation quest must be entered, and participation in the participation quest must be approved.

[0126] In the link party management process, the management unit 102 permits unregistered user U5 to participate in a quest if U5 meets the participation conditions set for the quest. In addition, the management unit 102 permits second registered user U2 to participate in a quest regardless of whether U2 meets the participation conditions set for the quest.

[0127] Furthermore, in the link party management process, when the first registered user U1 participates in a quest, the management unit 102 sends a participation notification to the second registered user U2 to inform them that the first registered user U1 will participate in the quest, but does not send a participation notification to the unregistered user U5.

[0128] Furthermore, in the link party management process, when multiple first registered users U1 each participate in multiple participation quests, the management unit 102 sends multiple participation notifications to the second registered user U2, corresponding to each of the multiple participation quests.

[0129] The participation notification mentioned above includes application instructions for applying to participate in the participation quest. When the management unit 102 receives a reply from the second registered user U2 with the application instructions included in the participation notification sent to the second registered user U2, it will permit the second registered user U2 to participate in the participation quest.

[0130] Furthermore, the registration of the first registered user U1 to the Link Party List will remain even after the completion of the participation quest. Management Unit 102 will maintain the registration of the first registered user U1 to the Link Party List without deleting it after the completion of the participation quest. The same applies to the registration of the second registered user U2 to the Link Party List.

[0131] [Example 1 of Link Party Management Processing] Next, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, we will explain the flow of the link party management process with specific examples. In the example in Figure 6, four users, "User A" through "User D," are registered in the link party list indicating "Link Party A," while "User E" is not registered in the above link party list. Examples of User E include a user registered in a different link party list other than "Link Party A," or a user not registered in any link party list.

[0132] <(1) Participate in a quest> As shown in Figure 6, when "User A" inputs an operation to request participation in "Quest A" to "User A" on the game device 15 to the controller 33, the control unit 26 sends a participation request indicating "User A"'s request to participate in "Quest A" to the server device 10. The control unit 13 (management unit 102) of the server device 10 responds to the participation request and permits "User A" to participate in "Quest A". In this way, "User A" participates in "Quest A".

[0133] <(2) Participation notification> Next, in the server device 10, the management unit 102 refers to the link party list (the link party list in which "User A" is registered) stored in the memory unit 12, and sends "Participation Notice A," which is a participation notice indicating that User A will participate in Quest A, to the respective game devices 15 of "User B," "User C," and "User D," who are registered in the link party list. In this example, Participation Notice A includes an application instruction to apply to participate in "Quest A." The management unit 102 does not send "Participation Notice A" to the game device 15 of "User E."

[0134] In the example in Figure 6, "User A" corresponds to the first registered user U1, "User B," "User C," and "User D" correspond to the second registered user U2, "User E" corresponds to the unregistered user U5, and "Quest A" corresponds to the quest to be participated in.

[0135] Figure 7 illustrates the game image P10 displayed on the display 31 of User B's game device 15. As shown in Figure 7, User B's display 31 displays the game image P10 along with a participation notification 50 that includes the message, "User A of Link Party A has joined Quest A."

[0136] (3) Quest Participation: No participation restrictions Next, when the controller 33 receives an input from "User B" to request participation in "Quest A" on "User B's" game device 15, the control unit 26 sends a participation request indicating "User B's" request to participate in "Quest A" to the server device 10.

[0137] In the server device 10, the management unit 102 determines whether the user indicated in the participation application (the user applying to participate in the participation quest) is registered in the link party list indicating "Link Party A". Since "User B" is registered in the above link party list, the management unit 102 permits "User B" to participate in "Quest A" regardless of whether "User B" meets the participation conditions set for "Quest A". In this way, "User B" participates in "Quest A".

[0138] In this example, as shown in Figure 7, the participation notification 50 displayed on "User B's" display 31 includes a shortcut display element 51 and a time display element 52.

[0139] The shortcut display element 51 is a display element that instructs the user to reply to the application instruction (reply to the management unit 102) for applying to participate in a "participation quest". In the example in Figure 7, the shortcut display element 51 is a start button labeled "START", which can be selected by operating the controller 33.

[0140] When an operation to select the shortcut display element 51 is input to the controller 33 on the game device 15 of "User B", the control unit 26 detects an application instruction to apply for participation in the "Participation Quest" from the participation notification A and automatically sends the application instruction to the server device 10. On the server device 10, the management unit 102 receives the application instruction returned from the game device 15 of "User B". In this way, the management unit 102 accepts the application from "User B" to participate in "Quest A".

[0141] In this example, the operation by "User B" to request participation in "Quest A" is the operation (shortcut operation) to select the shortcut display element 51. The participation request indicating "User B"'s request to participate in "Quest A" is a participation instruction sent back from "User B"'s game device 15 to request participation in the "Participation Quest".

[0142] To request "User B" to participate in "Quest A" without using shortcuts, it is necessary to perform the following steps: display the menu screen image (not shown), select "Request Quest" from that menu screen image, and select "User B" as the target of the participation request for "Quest A". On the other hand, if shortcuts are used, "User B" can request to participate in "Quest A" with just the shortcut operation.

[0143] The time display element 52 is a time element that indicates the display time of the participation notification 50 (the remaining time until the display ends). In the example in Figure 7, the time display element 52 is a playback bar, which is a bar-shaped display element that extends horizontally across the game image P10. The length of the time display element 52 changes according to the remaining time of the participation notification 50 display (the remaining time until the display ends).

[0144] (4) Quest participation: Participation is restricted. Furthermore, when the controller 33 receives an input from "User E" to request participation in "Quest A" on "User E's" game device 15, the control unit 26 sends a participation request indicating "User E's" request to participate in "Quest A" to the server device 10.

[0145] In the server device 10, the management unit 102 determines whether the user indicated in the participation application (the user applying to participate in the participation quest) is registered in the link party list indicating "Link Party A". Since "User E" is not registered in the above link party list, the management unit 102 determines whether "User E" meets the participation conditions set for "Quest A". Then, if "User E" meets the participation conditions set for "Quest A", the management unit 102 permits "User E" to participate in "Quest A". In this way, "User E" participates in "Quest A".

[0146] [Example 2 of Link Party Management Processing] Next, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, we will explain the flow of the link party management process with specific examples. Similar to the example in Figure 6, in the example in Figure 8, the four users "User A" through "User D" are registered in the link party list indicating "Link Party A," while "User E" is not registered in the above link party list.

[0147] As shown in Figure 8, when "User A" participates in "Quest A", "User B" participates in "Quest B", and "User C" participates in "Quest C", the management unit 102 sends "Participation Notification A", which indicates that User A is participating in Quest A, "Participation Notification B", which indicates that User B is participating in Quest B, and "Participation Notification C", which indicates that User C is participating in Quest C, to "User D's" game device 15.

[0148] In the example in Figure 8, "User A," "User B," and "User C" correspond to the first registered user U1. "User D" corresponds to the second registered user U2. "Quest A," "Quest B," and "Quest C" correspond to either participation or quests.

[0149] Furthermore, participation notification A may be sent not only to "User D's" game device 15, but also to the respective game devices 15 of "User B" and "User C". In this case, "User B" and "User C" are the second registered users U2 registered in the link party list indicating "Link Party A" together with "User A", who is the first registered user U1. Similarly, participation notification B may be sent to the respective game devices 15 of "User A" and "User C", and participation notification C may be sent to the respective game devices 15 of "User A" and "User B".

[0150] Figure 9 illustrates the game image P10 displayed on the display 31 of the game device 15 of "User D". As shown in Figure 9, "User D"'s display 31 displays the game image P10 along with a first participation notification 50a containing the message "User A of Link Party A has joined Quest A", a second participation notification 50b containing the message "User B of Link Party A has joined Quest B", and a third participation notification 50c containing the message "User C of Link Party A has joined Quest C".

[0151] Similar to the participation notification 50 shown in Figure 7, each of the three participation notifications 50 shown in Figure 9 (first participation notification 50a, second participation notification 50b, and third participation notification 50c) includes a shortcut display element 51 and a time display element 52. In the example in Figure 9, the three participation notifications 50 are arranged vertically on the game image P10.

[0152] [Summary of Embodiments] In summary, the game program of the embodiment causes a computer system having one or more cooperating computers (control units 13) to function as a game progression unit 100 that advances a game including quests, a registration unit 101 that registers users to a party (link party list), and a management unit 103 that manages user participation in quests. The management unit 103 manages user participation in quests so that when a first registered user U1, who is registered in the party, participates in a quest, a second registered user U2, who is registered in the party together with the first registered user U1, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user U1 is participating, with priority over an unregistered user U5, who is not registered in the party.

[0153] The game system of this embodiment comprises the game progress unit 100, the registration unit 101, and the management unit 102.

[0154] The management method of the embodiment is a management method for managing user participation in quests included in the game, and comprises a registration step (link party registration process) and a management step (link party management process). In the registration step, users are registered to a party (link party list). In the management step, when a first registered user U1, who is registered in the party, participates in a quest, the management method manages user participation in the quest so that a second registered user U2, who is registered in the party together with the first registered user U1, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user U1 participates, with priority given to the first registered user U5, who is not registered in the party.

[0155] [Effects of the Embodiment] As described above, in this embodiment, by managing user participation in quests so that the second registered user U2 can participate in quests preferentially over the unregistered user U5, it is possible to make it easier for the second registered user U2 to participate in quests than the unregistered user U5. This makes it easier for users registered in the same party to participate in the same quest together.

[0156] In this embodiment, participation conditions are set for each participation quest. The management unit 102 allows unregistered user U5 to participate in the participation quest if U5 meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest. The management unit 102 also allows second registered user U2 to participate in the participation quest regardless of whether U2 meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest.

[0157] In the above configuration, participation restrictions can be set for unregistered user U5 (restrictions on meeting the participation conditions for joining the participation quest), while participation restrictions can be waived for second registered user U2. This makes it easier for second registered user U2 to participate in the participation quest than for unregistered user U5.

[0158] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the participation conditions include at least one of the following: the condition that a password set for the participation quest is entered, and the condition that participation in the participation quest is approved.

[0159] In the above configuration, participation restrictions can be set for unregistered users U5 by requiring them to enter a password and / or obtain approval to participate in the participation quest.

[0160] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the registration of the first registered user U1 to the party continues even after the completion of the participation quest.

[0161] Unlike typical party formations that disband after a quest, the above configuration allows the first registered user U1 and the second registered user U2 to continue being in the same party even after the quest has ended. This maintains the effect of making it easier for users registered in the same party to participate in the same quest together.

[0162] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the first registered user U1 participates in a participation quest, the management unit 102 sends a participation notification to the second registered user U2 to inform the first registered user U1 of their participation in the participation quest, but does not send a participation notification to the unregistered user U5.

[0163] In the above configuration, by sending participation notifications to the second registered user U2 while not sending them to the unregistered user U5, it becomes easier to get the second registered user U2 to participate in the participation quest than the unregistered user U5.

[0164] In addition, in this embodiment, when multiple first registered users U1 each participate in multiple participation quests, the management unit 102 sends multiple participation notifications to the second registered user U2, each corresponding to one of the multiple participation quests.

[0165] In the above configuration, the second registered user U2 can be made aware that multiple first registered users U1 are each participating in multiple quests. This allows the second registered user U2 to select which of the multiple quests to participate in.

[0166] In addition, in this embodiment, the participation notification includes an application instruction for applying to participate in the participation quest. When the management unit 102 receives a reply from the second registered user U2 containing the application instruction included in the participation notification sent to the second registered user U2, it permits the second registered user U2 to participate in the participation quest.

[0167] The above configuration simplifies the process by which the second registered user, U2, is permitted to participate in the quest.

[0168] (Other embodiments) In the above explanation, the following configuration or processing may be used.

[0169] While I used the example of a quest having participation requirements, this is not the only example. For instance, a quest may not have any participation requirements.

[0170] The example given is one where the participation notification includes participation instructions, but it is not limited to this. For example, the participation notification does not have to include participation instructions. The participation notification 50 displayed on the display 31 does not have to include the shortcut display element 51, nor does it have to include the time display element 52.

[0171] While the example of user registration being performed by registering with a list such as a link party was given, it is not limited to this. Registration and management of link parties may be carried out by means other than a list format.

[0172] The game program may be implemented to be executed by multiple cooperating computers. For example, the processing performed in the control unit 13 may be distributed among multiple computers located in a single server device 10, or among multiple computers included in multiple server devices 10 connected via a communication network 5.

[0173] For example, in the above embodiment, it was illustrated that a database for managing game media, various data and lists related to Link Party such as a Link Party invitation notification list, etc., are stored in the storage unit 25 of the game device 15, but these may also be stored in the storage unit 12 of the server device 10.

[0174] The effects and benefits of the present invention will also be achieved when these other embodiments are adopted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine these embodiments with other embodiments, and with other embodiments as appropriate. The above embodiments are essentially preferred examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0175] 1. Game System 10 Server devices 11 Network Interfaces 12 Storage section 13 Control Unit 15 Game Devices 20 game consoles 21 Network Interfaces 22 Graphics Processing Unit 23 Audio Processing Unit 24 Operation Processing Unit 25 Memory section 26 Control Unit 31 displays 32 speakers 33 Controllers 100 Game Management Department 101 Registration Department 102 Management Department U1 First Registered User U2 Second Registered User U5 Unregistered Users

Claims

1. A computer system having one or more cooperating computers, The game progression section handles the progression of the game, including quests. A registration section for registering users to a party, It will function as a management unit that manages the participation of the aforementioned users in the aforementioned quest. The management unit manages the participation of users in the quest so that when a first registered user, who is a user registered with the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered with the party along with the first registered user, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user is participating, with priority given to the second registered user, who is a user registered with the party, over unregistered users, who are users not registered with the party. Game program.

2. In the game program of claim 1, The aforementioned participation quest has participation conditions set for taking part in it. The aforementioned management department, If the aforementioned unregistered user meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest, the unregistered user's participation in the participation quest is permitted. Regardless of whether the second registered user meets the participation conditions set for the participation quest, permission is granted for the second registered user to participate in the participation quest. Game program.

3. In the game program of claim 2, The aforementioned participation conditions include at least one of the following: the condition that a password set for the participation quest is entered, and the condition that participation in the participation quest is approved. Game program.

4. In the game program of claim 1, The registration of the first registered user to the aforementioned party will continue even after the completion of the participation quest. Game program.

5. In the game program of claim 1, The management unit sends a participation notification to the second registered user when the first registered user participates in the participation quest, but does not send the participation notification to the unregistered user. Game program.

6. In the game program of claim 5, When multiple first registered users each participate in multiple participation quests, the management unit sends multiple participation notifications to the second registered user, corresponding to each of the multiple participation quests. Game program.

7. In the game program of claim 5, The aforementioned participation notification includes instructions for applying to participate in the aforementioned participation quest. When the management unit receives a reply from the second registered user containing the application instructions included in the participation notification sent to the second registered user, it will permit the second registered user to participate in the participation quest. Game program.

8. The game progression section handles the progression of the game, including quests. A registration section for registering users to a party, The system includes a management unit that manages the user's participation in the aforementioned quest, The management unit manages the participation of users in the quest so that when a first registered user, who is a user registered with the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered with the party along with the first registered user, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user is participating, with priority given to the second registered user, who is a user registered with the party, over unregistered users, who are users not registered with the party. Game system.

9. A management method for managing user participation in quests included in a game, The registration step to add a user to the party, The system includes a management step for managing the participation of users in a quest, such that when a first registered user, who is a user registered with the party, participates in the quest, a second registered user, who is a user registered with the party along with the first registered user, can participate in the quest in which the first registered user is participating, with priority given to the second registered user, who is a user registered with the party, over an unregistered user, who is a user not registered with the party. Management method.

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