Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can control the appropriate number of digital content releases based on the performance of the players. [Solution] The information processing device includes an issuing control unit that issues digital content corresponding to athletes in a predetermined sport, and the issuing control unit controls the number of digital contents issued in a second period, which includes a period after the first period, based on the athletes' performance in the first period.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system for selling and managing digital content such as game items, videos, or cards representing characters in comics or anime works using blockchain technology has been known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). By using blockchain for managing digital content, it becomes easy to manage the number of distributions of digital content.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, the value of content, such as its scarcity, is affected by the number of distributions in the market. However, when selling content with a limited quantity, it is common for the issuer of the content to determine the number of issues. For example, when the content corresponds to a professional sports player or the like, although the value among the consumers of the content corresponding to the player varies according to the player's performance, in the conventional system, the number of issues of the content cannot reflect the player's performance, and there is a risk that the value of the content will deviate from the evaluation by the consumers.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to control the appropriate number of issues of digital content according to the performance of the player. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an issuing control unit that issues digital content corresponding to a player in a predetermined sport, and the issuing control unit controls the number of digital contents to be issued in a second period, including a period after the first period, based on the player's performance in the first period. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the appropriate number of digital content releases can be controlled according to the performance of the players. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an information processing system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a digital content display screen. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the first, second, and third periods. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the first notification screen. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the second notification screen. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the functions of an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of user information. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of player information. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of digital content information. [Figure 10] This figure shows the information processing flow related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an information processing flow according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. That is, the present invention can be modified or improved upon from the embodiments described below, without departing from its spirit. Naturally, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0010] Furthermore, the screen examples described in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration and design, the content of the displayed information, and the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed and modified as appropriate according to the system design specifications and the preferences of the viewer.

[0011] Furthermore, the term "user" in this specification refers to a user of the information processing device of the present invention, that is, a user of the services provided by the information processing device of the present invention, and specifically, a person who may own the digital content provided by the information processing device of the present invention. In addition, a user is the unit to which a service usage account is assigned.

[0012] <Overview of the system according to this embodiment> The communication system shown in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as the information processing system S) is a communication system that includes an information processing device (hereinafter referred to as the server 10) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system S is a computer system that is responsible for the overall management of digital content corresponding to athletes in a given sport, and provides users with services related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content. In this embodiment, blockchain technology, which manages transaction history in a decentralized manner, is used as the technology for recording digital content in order to avoid unauthorized data tampering. However, other distributed ledger technologies may be used as the technology for recording digital content, and other technologies may be used as long as they can prevent unauthorized data tampering.

[0013] A competition is a game in which players compete in terms of superiority or inferiority of skills or abilities according to certain rules, such as computer games or sports. Examples of competitions include actual professional sports or amateur sports such as baseball, soccer, boxing, swimming, track and field, or races that are actually held. Note that the competition may be an individual competition or a team competition. In addition, competitions include e-sports (electronic sports), which are battle games in which players compete with each other in computer games. The game genre of e-sports is not particularly limited and may be any game genre. Note that e-sports may be a game in which humans compete against each other as players, or a game in which a human competes against a computer (for example, AI or a robot, etc.).

[0014] A competitor in a competition is a player who plays in the above-mentioned competition. For example, it includes baseball players, soccer players, boxers, swimmers, track and field athletes, racers, racing cars, jockeys, racehorses, or gamers, etc. The competitor may be a professional or an amateur. In addition, the competitor is not limited to an individual and may be a team or a combination. For example, one professional baseball team, etc. may be regarded as one competitor, or a doubles combination or a combination of a jockey and a racehorse, etc. may be regarded as one competitor.

[0015] Digital content is unique data that cannot be replaced as a digital asset, and includes data corresponding to trading cards on which information such as the names, photos, affiliations, back numbers, positions, achievements, and profiles of actual players in a given competition is recorded, so-called digital trading cards. In addition, the digital content may be data corresponding to an actual player in a given competition. For example, it may be a play video of several seconds to several minutes including scenes of the player's activities, or an off-shot video of the player, etc. Digital content cannot be copied, altered, etc., and individual users can purchase their own unique digital content and make it their own property. The user who has become the owner can freely use the digital content they own, such as appreciating, viewing, publicly releasing, or transferring it, at any time.

[0016] As an example of digital content, non-fungible tokens, which are managed as data on a known blockchain, that is, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) called Non-Fungible Tokens are applicable. The digital content of this embodiment has a unique identifier (content ID) for the purpose of being able to distinguish it from other digital content, like an NFT, and has a unique value that differentiates it from other digital content. Also, like an NFT, the digital content can be traded on a blockchain, and the transaction history of the digital content can be recorded using a blockchain or other distributed ledger technology, etc. Also, using a blockchain or other distributed ledger technology, etc., the owner and ownership history (information about past owners) of the digital content are also recorded.

[0017] As shown in, for example, FIG. 2, in addition to the name and photo of the athlete, the nationality, jersey number, affiliated team, height, date of birth, achievements, and profile, etc. of the athlete are displayed. Also, a content ID (for example, 1001), which indicates that it is unique digital data, is displayed. This content ID is a unique one that does not have the same number for digital content of the same athlete and functions as a unique identifier.

[0018] As described above, the digital content in this embodiment is irreplaceable data, and therefore its scarcity depends on the number of copies issued. In this embodiment, the number of copies of the digital content issued is determined based on the players' performance over a predetermined period. Specifically, the number of copies of the digital content issued in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, is determined based on the players' performance over the first period.

[0019] For example, as shown in Figure 3(A), if the first period is set from January to December 2021 and the second period from January to December 2022, and the number of digital contents to be issued this year (this season) is determined based on the players' performance in the previous year (last season), then for players who performed well in the first period, there is a high possibility that their popularity among users will increase in the future. Therefore, in order to increase the rarity of the digital contents corresponding to those players, the number of digital contents to be issued in the second period will be set low after the end of the first period or before the start of the second period. On the other hand, for players who did not perform well in the first period, there is a low possibility that their popularity among users will increase, so there is no need to increase the rarity of the digital contents corresponding to those players, and the number of digital contents to be issued in the second period will be set high.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(B), if the first period is set as January to June 2022, the second period as July to December 2022, and the third period as January to December 2022, and the planned number of digital content releases for this year (this season) has already been determined based on the players' performance in the previous year (last season), and the number of digital content releases for the second half of this season will be determined before the start of the second half of this season based on the players' performance in the first half of this season, and the planned number of digital content releases for the third period is divided into 12 parts and the same number is regularly released each month from January 2022, then the number of digital content releases for the second period will be controlled based on the number of digital content releases already made during the third period (excluding the second period) and the players' performance in the first period. It is recommended that the planned number of releases be set higher for players with little experience, such as rookies, and lower for players with sufficient experience and popularity.

[0021] Specifically, the number of issues issued in the second period may be prioritized and the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period (more precisely, the planned number of issues excluding the number of digital content already issued) may be changed, or the number of issues issued in the second period may be prioritized and the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period may be changed. For example, if the planned number of digital contents to be issued in the third period is 1200, and 100 are issued each month from January to December 2022, then as of July 2022, the number of digital contents already issued will be 600, and the planned number of contents to be issued for the remaining period corresponding to the second period (July to December 2022) will be 600. In this case, if the number of digital contents to be issued in the second period, which was determined based on the players' performance in the first period, is 500, then the planned number of contents to be issued in the third period may be changed from 1200 to 1100 (500 for the unissued portion) prioritizing the number of contents issued in the second period, or the number of contents to be issued in the second period may be changed from 500 to 600 prioritizing the planned number of contents to be issued in the third period. Furthermore, the planned number of issuances for the third period may be calculated by dividing the number of issuances for the second period (e.g., 500) by the remaining number of months in the third period (e.g., 6 months) and multiplying that number by the total duration of the third period (e.g., 12 months).

[0022] Furthermore, if the number of digital content issues in the second period is less than the planned number of issues in the third period, the issue count in the second period may be prioritized. Conversely, if the number of digital content issues in the second period is greater than the planned number of issues in the third period, the planned number of issues in the third period may be prioritized. For example, if the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period is 1200, and the planned number of issues to be issued in the remaining period corresponding to the second period (July to December 2022) is 600, and the number of digital content issues issued in the second period is 500, then the number of issues issued in the second period will take precedence and the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period will be changed from 1200 to 1100 (500 for unissued items). If the number of digital content issues issued in the second period is 700, then the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period will take precedence and the number of issues to be issued in the second period will be changed from 700 to 600.

[0023] The above examples show cases where the first and second periods do not overlap. However, the first and second periods may partially overlap, for example, the first period (January-June 2022) and the second period (March-August 2022). Also, the first and / or second periods may span outside the third period, for example, the first period (January-June 2022), the second period (July-December 2022), and the third period (April-October 2022). The first period may be outside of the third period, for example, (January to December 2022). Furthermore, while the above uses monthly periods, periods can also be defined by individual matches or other criteria.

[0024] In this embodiment, playing performance is determined by the amount of points awarded to each player based on their performance over a predetermined period. Specifically, a predetermined value is determined for each player based on the number of digital content items issued for that player during the first period, the player's position, or the player's performance in periods prior to the first period. Then, the points awarded to the player during the first period are compared with this predetermined value. If the points are greater than the predetermined value, it is determined that the player's popularity will increase, and the number of digital content items issued during the second period will be set to be less than or equal to the number issued during the first period. On the other hand, if the points are less than the predetermined value, the number of digital content items issued during the second period will be set to be greater than or equal to the number issued during the first period. Furthermore, instead of comparing with a predetermined value, the number of digital content issued may simply be reduced if the points are high, and conversely, the number of digital content issued may be increased if the points are low. Also, the unit (period) for evaluating a player's performance in order to award points may be monthly, weekly, or match-based (one or more matches).

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, any digital content that has been issued in excess will be recalled. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 3(B) above, if the number of digital content copies issued during the first period (periods other than the second period) exceeds the number of digital content copies planned for the third period, as a result of the number of digital content copies issued during the second period being adjusted accordingly, the excess digital content will be collected from users who own the issued digital content. For example, if the planned number of issues for the third period is 3600, and the number of issues for the second period is changed to 600, then dividing that by the remaining six months of the third period (100) and multiplying that by the total number of months in the third period (12 months) changes the planned number of issues for the third period to 1200. In this case, the number of digital content issues issued between January and June is 1800 (assuming 300 issues per month), so by July, there are already 600 excess digital content issues. Therefore, these 600 excess digital content issues will be recalled. Specifically, if a new player suddenly performs well, it is likely that the digital content corresponding to that player will need to be recalled. After recall, the data of the digital content will be deleted, and no one will be able to own that digital content thereafter.

[0026] At this time, users who own digital content subject to recall due to over-issuance will be offered exchangeable content that can be selected from among the digital content still available for issuance in the second period, based on predetermined criteria, to encourage exchange. For example, digital content whose number of available issues in the second period is less than a predetermined value (predetermined issuance quantity), or digital content whose planned issuance quantity in the third period is within a predetermined range compared to the recalled content, i.e., digital content with a similar level of rarity, will be selected as exchangeable content. Furthermore, if the number of digital content copies issued during the first period exceeds the number of copies planned for the third period, exchanges will be permitted. However, if the number of digital content copies issued during the first period is less than or equal to the number of copies planned for the third period, exchanges will not be permitted. In other words, digital content exchanges will be possible until all excess copies have been collected.

[0027] Users can freely use their owned digital content at any time, including viewing, watching, publishing, or transferring it. Therefore, it is also possible to trade their owned digital content with other users, that is, users can determine the price of the digital content and transfer ownership of the digital content to other users at that price. In this embodiment, virtual currency is used for transactions, and the transaction of digital content is completed by exchanging it for virtual currency. Transactions include not only paid transactions but also transfers free of charge.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to stimulate the digital content trading market, the number of digital content items scheduled to be issued in the third period, determined based on the player's performance during at least a portion of the first period, is notified to the user before the start of the second period. Specifically, the user is notified in advance of how much digital content will be issued based on the player's performance. For example, as shown in Figure 4, a notification is sent to the user before the start of the second period, i.e., before the digital content is published, including information indicating the planned number of copies of the decided digital content to be published (e.g., 1000) and a link to a place where the content of that digital content can be viewed.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to revitalize the digital content trading market, if the number of digital content issued changes during the second period, a notification will be sent to the user who owns the digital content to encourage trading with other users. Specifically, the user who owns the content will be notified that the number of issued items may decrease and the price may rise, or that the number of issued items may increase and the price may plummet. For example, as shown in Figure 5, a notification is sent to the user who owns the digital content, including information indicating the planned number of copies to be published of the modified digital content (e.g., from 1000 to 500) and a link to a location where the content can be viewed.

[0030] <Configuration of the information processing device and user terminal according to this embodiment> Next, the configuration of the information processing device and various terminals related to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to this embodiment consists of a server 10 (hereinafter referred to as "server 10") which functions as a full node server that holds all the data of a blockchain that manages transactions of digital content using distributed ledger technology. Server 10 is an example of a computer and, as shown in Figure 1, is connected to multiple user terminals 12 via a network 14 so as to be able to communicate with them, and together with the user terminals 12 it constructs an information processing system S. Network 14 is, for example, a communication network consisting of the Internet or a mobile communication network, and may include LANs (Local Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks), and intranets.

[0031] The blockchain in this embodiment is a blockchain formed by linking together multiple blocks that store issuer information to identify the issuer (publisher) of digital content, rule information that defines the rules for trading digital content, information about virtual currencies used in trading digital content, information associated with digital content, and the transaction history of digital content. Regarding other details about blockchain technology, we will omit a detailed explanation here, as it utilizes existing, well-known technologies.

[0032] In the information processing system S of this embodiment, the server 10 and the user terminal 12 cooperate to perform processes such as the issuance, retrieval, and trading of digital content. Specifically, the server 10 performs some of the issuance, retrieval, and trading processes for digital content, while the user terminal 12 performs some of the graphics processing. For example, the server 10 executes a program that includes certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the user terminal 12 proceeds with the issuance, retrieval, and trading of digital content in synchronization with the server 10, using the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 10.

[0033] Server 10 is an example of the "information processing device" of the present invention, and is a computer that performs various information processing, such as generating and transmitting data necessary for the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content. Specifically, Server 10 distributes information necessary for the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content to user terminals 12 operated by each user, and also collects and stores information from user terminals 12 operated by each user.

[0034] In this embodiment, the server 10 is preferably composed of multiple computers distributed in parallel, but it may also be composed of a single computer. Furthermore, the server 10 may be a server computer for SNS (Social Network Service), ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, a series of information processing steps (excluding information input and display) are performed by the server 10, and the user terminal 12 performs tasks such as inputting information to be handed over to the server 10 and displaying information distributed from the server 10.

[0035] As hardware, the server 10 has a processor 21, memory 22, communication interface 23, and storage 24, as shown in Figure 1, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 25. The server 10 also has an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program for processing information related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content installed as software. These programs correspond to the "program" of the present invention. By operating the processor 21 according to the above program, the server 10 functions as an information processing device of the present invention and performs a series of processes related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content. The program of the present invention may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or it may be obtained (downloaded) via a network 14 such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0036] The processor 21 may consist of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0037] The memory 22 may be composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0038] The communication interface 23 may be configured, for example, by a network interface card or a communication interface board. The data communication standard using the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited and may include wireless LAN communication, 3G to 5G or later generation mobile communication systems, or LTE (Long Term Evolution) based communication.

[0039] Storage 24 includes flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), and CD. The storage may consist of a Compact Disc, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), etc. In this embodiment, blockchain technology is used, but the storage 24 may be built into the server 10 or attached to the server body as an external device. Furthermore, the storage 24 may consist of an external computer (for example, a database server) that is connected to the server body in a communicative manner.

[0040] User terminal 12 is a client terminal that the user operates to acquire digital content (including both paid purchases and free acquisitions) and to view, watch, publish, or transfer the acquired digital content at any time. The user terminal 12 consists of, for example, a personal computer, smartphone, mobile phone, tablet device, game console, television receiver capable of inputting information, and wearable device. Although Figure 1 shows four user terminals 12 for illustrative purposes, in reality, there are, of course, the number of user terminals 12 corresponding to the number of users.

[0041] The user terminal 12 receives data from the server 10 and displays the image (video) indicated by that data on the user terminal 12's display or on a display device such as a TV connected to the user terminal 12, or outputs sound from a speaker or the like. In other words, in this embodiment, the user terminal 12 functions as a display unit and an audio output unit. For example, the user terminal 12 displays a digital content display screen G1, a first notification screen G2, a second notification screen G3, etc.

[0042] Furthermore, the user terminal 12 receives user operations, such as operations to acquire, view, watch, publish, or transfer digital content, and transmits information corresponding to the content of the operation to the server 10. In addition to the operations mentioned above, the user may perform any other operations on the user terminal 12 necessary to enjoy the services provided by the information processing system S of this embodiment.

[0043] <Functions of an information processing device according to the present invention> The configuration of the server 10, which is an information processing device according to this embodiment, will be explained again in terms of its functionality. As shown in Figure 6, the server 10 includes a storage unit 30, an information acquisition unit 31, a display control unit 32, a point management unit 33, an issuance control unit 34, a retrieval control unit 35, a transaction control unit 36, a first notification unit 37, and a second notification unit 38. Of these, the storage unit 30 is implemented by memory 22 or storage 24, and the other functional units are implemented by the cooperation of the hardware equipment constituting the server 10 and the program installed on the server 10. If the server 10 is composed of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function from the others. The following sections will provide a detailed explanation of each functional component.

[0044] (Storage part) The memory unit 30 stores various types of information necessary for performing services related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content. Specifically, it stores information about users who are users of the service, information about athletes in a specified sport that is the subject of the digital content, and information about digital content issued in relation to athletes in the specified sport. In addition, it stores various other types of information, such as information about other sports (not shown) and information about the blockchain.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, user information is stored for each user, with various pieces of information linked to identification information (such as a user ID) that identifies each user. For example, the user information field includes information such as the user's name, attributes, owned cryptocurrencies, owned digital content, and transaction history of digital content. Information indicating the name includes the user's real name, nickname, or account name. Information indicating attributes includes the user's gender and age. Information indicating owned cryptocurrencies includes the type and amount of cryptocurrencies owned by the user. Information indicating owned digital content includes the number of digital content items currently owned by the user and information to identify those items (such as content IDs). Information indicating the transaction history of digital content includes information to identify the digital content traded (such as content IDs), transaction date and time, trading partner, transaction details, transaction amount, and number of transactions for digital content that the user has traded in the past (including both currently owned and currently unowned digital content). In addition, other information, such as contact information and profile, may also be included in the user information.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8, information about athletes in a given sport (athlete information) is stored for each athlete, with various pieces of information linked to identification information (athlete ID, etc.) that identifies each athlete. For example, the player information section may include the player's name, photo, sport, profile, playing record, and information such as the price, number of copies issued, and issuance history of the corresponding digital content. Profile information may include the team the player belongs to, jersey number, position, statistics, and a brief introduction. Playing record information may include the value of points awarded based on play over a specified period. Digital content price information may include the price at the time of digital content creation (initial price). Digital content number of copies issued information may include the number of copies issued or planned to be issued based on the playing record. Digital content issuance history information may include the total number of digital content copies already issued, the number of copies of digital content that have been deleted, the number of issuances, and the timing of issuance. In addition, other information, such as personal information of the player, such as contact information, may also be included in the player information.

[0047] As shown in Figure 9, information regarding digital content (digital content information) is stored for each digital content item, with various pieces of information linked to identification information that identifies the digital content issued in accordance with each player (for example, a content ID, which is a unique identifier that enables distinction from other digital content). For example, the digital content information section may include information indicating the player corresponding to the digital content, the owner of the digital content, and the ownership history. The player information includes information to identify the player corresponding to the digital content (e.g., player ID). The owner information includes information to identify the user who owns that specific digital content (e.g., user ID). The ownership history information includes records from the time the specific digital content was issued up to the present, i.e., information about past owners such as when and who owned it. In addition, other information, such as information identifying the issuer (publisher) or the date of issue of the digital content, may also be included in the digital content information.

[0048] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information (data) based on operations performed by the user on the user terminal 12 by communicating with the user terminal 12. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 includes, for example, information based on operations performed by the user to acquire, view, watch, publish, or transfer digital content. In addition to the above information, the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31 also includes information based on various selections, specifications, instructions, requests, orders, permissions or denials, registrations, and other input operations performed by the user when providing services related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content.

[0049] (Display Control Unit) The display control unit 32 controls the user terminal 12 and displays various information necessary for providing services related to the issuance, collection, and trading of digital content on the screen of the user terminal 12. Specifically, the display control unit 32 generates display data for displaying the results of information processing by the issuance control unit 34, collection control unit 35, transaction control unit 36, first notification unit 37, second notification unit 38, etc., which will be described later, and transmits the generated display data to the user terminal 12 via the network 14. For example, the display control unit 32 displays the digital content display screen G1, the first notification screen G2, or the second notification screen G3, etc., on the user terminal 12.

[0050] (Point Management Department) The points management unit 33 awards points to each player based on their performance during a predetermined period and manages the awarded points. Specifically, the point management unit 33 calculates points (including negative points) based on a player's performance over a predetermined period, stores these points in the memory unit 30 in association with the player, and updates the player information to manage and award points to the player. For example, a player might receive +10 points for scoring a goal, +5 points for assisting a goal, +10 points for preventing a goal, or +2 points for playing the entire match. In addition, a player might receive 200 points if they win the MVP award. On the other hand, a player might receive -5 points for making a serious mistake during a match, or -20 points for being absent for an extended period, i.e., points might be revoked.

[0051] Furthermore, the point management unit 33 determines a predetermined value that serves as the basis for setting the number of digital contents to be issued for each player, based on the number of digital contents issued for the player during the first period, the player's position, or the player's performance in periods prior to the first period. Specifically, a predetermined value for points determined based on the above conditions is stored in the memory unit 30 in association with the player, and the player information is updated, thereby setting a predetermined value for each player. For example, if the number of digital contents issued in the first period is large, if the position is a supportive position where it is difficult to score goals, or if the player's performance record in periods prior to the first period is low, the predetermined value is set low. On the other hand, if the number of digital contents issued in the first period is small, if the position is a central position where it is easy to score goals, or if the player's performance record in periods prior to the first period is high, the predetermined value is set high.

[0052] (Issuance Control Unit) The issuing control unit 34 controls the number of digital content to be issued in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, based on the players' performance in the first period, and issues the digital content according to that number. Specifically, if the points earned in the first period exceed a predetermined value set for each player, it is determined that the player's popularity will increase, and in order to increase the rarity of the digital content corresponding to that player, the number of digital content issues in the second period is set to be less than or equal to the number issued in the first period. Then, the number of issues is associated with the player and stored in the memory unit 30, and the player information is updated, thereby setting the number of digital content issues for each player. On the other hand, if the points earned in the first period are less than a predetermined value set for each player, the number of digital content issues in the second period is set to be greater than or equal to the number issued in the first period, and the number of issues is associated with the player and stored in the memory unit 30, and the player information is updated, thereby setting the number of digital content issues for each player. Furthermore, when setting the number of digital content issues to be published, if it is decided to increase or decrease the initial value, the initial value may be the same for all players, or it may be different for each player, for example, by setting a lower initial value for rookie players.

[0053] Furthermore, if the number of digital content to be issued in the third period, which includes the second period, is set, the issuance control unit 34 controls the number of digital content to be issued in the second period based on the number of digital content already issued in the third period other than the second period. Also, if the third period includes the first and second periods, the issuance control unit 34 changes the number of digital content to be issued in the third period based on the play record of the first period. In other words, if the third period includes the first and second periods, the number of digital content to be issued in the third period is ultimately changed based on the play record of the first period. Specifically, the number of digital contents to be issued is changed based on the number of digital contents already issued during the third period (excluding the second period) and the number of digital contents to be issued during the second period. This information is then stored in the memory unit 30 in association with the player, and the player information is updated, thereby changing the number of digital contents to be issued for each player.

[0054] (Recovery Control Unit) If the third period includes the first and second periods, and the number of digital content issued in the first period is greater than the number of digital content to be issued in the third period, the recovery control unit 35 executes a recovery process to recover and write off the digital content from users who own the issued digital content. Specifically, the association between the retrieved published digital content and the user who owned that digital content will be removed, and the data of the retrieved digital content will be deleted, or it will not be permitted to be associated with other users in the future.

[0055] Furthermore, when collecting digital content, the collection control unit 35 selects exchangeable content that can be exchanged for the collected content and, in cooperation with the display control unit 32, presents it to the user. Specifically, the recovery control unit 35 selects, as content to be exchanged, digital content selected from among the digital content that can still be issued in the second period based on predetermined criteria, such as digital content whose number of issues that can be issued in the second period is less than a predetermined number of issues (predetermined value), or digital content whose difference in the number of issues that are scheduled to be issued in the third period is within a predetermined range with respect to the content to be recovered. Furthermore, the retrieval control unit 35 controls the system to enable exchange if the number of digital content issued in the first period is equal to or greater than the number of digital content to be issued in the third period, and to disable exchange if the number of digital content issued in the first period is equal to or less than the number of digital content to be issued in the third period. In other words, the system allows the exchange of digital content until all excess digital content has been retrieved.

[0056] (Transaction Control Section) The transaction control unit 36 ​​controls the transaction of digital content between users. Specifically, when a transaction of digital content is completed between users, the transferor user is unlinked from the digital content, the transferee user is linked to the digital content whose ownership has been transferred to the transferee user, and this information is stored in the storage unit 30 to update the user information of both the transferor and the transferee user. In the case of a paid transfer, the transferee user is unlinked from the virtual currency equivalent to the price of the digital content, the transferor user is linked to the virtual currency equivalent to the price of the digital content, this information is stored in the storage unit 30 to update the user information of both the transferor and the transferee user.

[0057] (First Notification Department) The first notification unit 37 communicates with the user terminal 12 to notify the user, before the start of the second period, of the planned number of digital content releases for the third period, which is determined based on the player's performance during at least a portion of the first period. Specifically, the issuing control unit 34 generates notification data that includes information indicating the planned number of digital content to be issued and a link to a location where the content of the digital content can be viewed. This generated notification data is then transmitted via the network 14 to the user's terminal 12 before the digital content for the second period is issued.

[0058] (Second Notification Department) The second notification unit 38 communicates with the user terminal 12 and, if the number of digital content issues during the second period is changed, sends a notification to the user who owns that digital content to encourage them to trade with other users. Specifically, when the number of issued digital content is changed by the issuing control unit 34, notification data is generated that includes information indicating the number of issued digital content before and after the change, or a link to a location where information regarding the number of issued digital content can be checked. This generated notification data is then transmitted via the network 14 to the user terminal 12 of the user who owns the relevant digital content.

[0059] The configurations of server 10 and user terminal 12 have been described above. While server 10 and user terminal 12 generally possess various other functions, only the characteristic functions that contribute to the effectiveness of the information processing system S in this invention will be described here. Other known functions will not be illustrated or described.

[0060] <Information processing flow related to one embodiment of the present invention> Next, with reference to Figures 11 and 12, the flow of information processing performed in the information processing system S having the above configuration (hereinafter referred to as the information processing flow) will be described. The information processing flow employs the information processing method of the present invention and is realized by using the information processing system S, which functions as a computer system. In other words, each step in the information processing flow corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention. Note that the information processing flow described below is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps added, or the order of execution of steps changed, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0061] (Information processing flow) This information processing flow is the core information processing of the present invention, which controls the number of digital contents issued in the second period, including the period after the first period, based on the players' performance in the first period, and proceeds, for example, according to the flow shown in Figure 10. Here, we will explain how the number of digital content releases for this season will be determined based on the players' performance in the previous year (last season) before the start of this season, with last season designated as Period 1 and this season as Period 2.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, first, the computer server 10 sets a predetermined value that serves as a basis for setting the number of digital contents to be issued for each player, based on the number of digital contents issued for the player in the first period, the player's position, or the player's playing record in periods prior to the first period (S101). The server 10 then assigns points to each player by storing the points calculated according to the players' performance during the first period (for example, 10 points for scoring a goal) in the memory unit 30, associating them with the players (S102).

[0063] Next, if server 10 determines that the points awarded to players based on their performance in the first period are greater than a predetermined value set for each player (S103: YES), it sets the number of digital content issued in the second period to be less than or equal to the number issued in the first period (S104). On the other hand, if server 10 determines that the points awarded to players based on their performance in the first period are less than a predetermined value set for each player (S103: NO), it sets the number of digital content issued in the second period to be greater than or equal to the number issued in the first period (S105).

[0064] The server 10 then generates display data to display information about the digital content for which the number of copies to be issued has been determined, and makes the generated display data viewable to the user, thereby issuing the digital content for the second period (S106), and ending the process. The above is an example of the information processing flow of the present invention.

[0065] Another example is the process shown in Figure 11. The following explanation assumes that the planned number of digital content releases for this year has already been determined based on the players' performance in the previous year, and that the number of digital content releases for the second half of this season will be determined before the start of the second half of this season, based on the players' performance in the first half. Specifically, the first half of this season (January to June 2022) will be designated as Period 1, the second half of this season (July to December 2022) as Period 2, and the entire season (January to December 2022) as Period 3. Furthermore, the planned number of digital content releases for Period 3 will be divided into 12 parts, with the same number being released regularly each month starting from January 2022.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, first, the computer server 10 sets a predetermined value that serves as a basis for setting the number of digital contents to be issued for each player, based on the number of digital contents issued for the player in the first period, the player's position, or the player's playing record in periods prior to the first period (S201). The server 10 then assigns points to each player by storing the points calculated based on the players' performance during the first period, i.e., the players' achievements, in the memory unit 30, associating them with the players (S202).

[0067] Next, if server 10 determines that the points awarded to players based on their performance in the first period are greater than a predetermined value set for each player (S203:YES), it sets the number of digital content issued in the second period to be less than or equal to the number issued in the first period (S204). On the other hand, if server 10 determines that the points awarded to players based on their performance in the first period are less than a predetermined value set for each player (S203:NO), it sets the number of digital content issued in the second period to be greater than or equal to the number issued in the first period (S205).

[0068] Then, server 10 changes the number of digital content titles scheduled for publication in the third period that have not yet been published, that is, the number of digital content titles that were scheduled for publication in the second period (July-December 2022), to the number of titles newly set for publication in the second period, through processing in S204 or S205 (S206). Furthermore, if server 10 determines that the planned number of digital content to be issued in the third period, which has been changed in conjunction with the change in the number of content issued in the second period, is less than or equal to the number of digital content already issued in the third period, or more precisely, the period from January to June 2022, which corresponds to the third period excluding the second period (S207: YES), server 10 retrieves the digital content equivalent to the amount that has been issued in excess of the revised planned number of content to be issued in the third period (S208) and deletes the retrieved digital content (S209). Specifically, server 10 unlinks the retrieved issued digital content from the user who owned that digital content, deletes the data of the retrieved digital content, or prevents future association with other users. Also, when retrieving digital content, server 10 selects exchangeable content that can be exchanged for the retrieved content and sends the selected exchangeable content to the user terminal 12 of the relevant user. If it is determined that the planned number of issues to be issued in the third period is greater than or equal to the number of digital contents already issued in the third period (S207:NO), the process will proceed to the next step without executing the processes in S208 and S209 above.

[0069] The server 10 then generates display data to display information about the digital content for which the number of copies to be issued has been determined, and makes the generated display data viewable to the user, thereby issuing the digital content for the second period (S210), and ending the process. The above is another example of the information processing flow of the present invention.

[0070] <Other Embodiments> To date, the information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program of the present invention have been described with specific examples. However, the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments; other embodiments are also conceivable.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the digital content has a strong connotation of being a collection; however, digital content may also be used as characters that operate within the game or as items used within the game. For example, digital content can be used in a game that reflects real-world sports matches, allowing users to earn points within the game. Specifically, users, as players of the game, own digital content corresponding to athletes of their favorite sports. When athletes corresponding to the digital content owned by the user perform well in real-world sports matches, the user can earn points. Those with the highest point totals are then rewarded with virtual currency or other rewards. In this scenario, digital content corresponding to frequently performing athletes becomes advantageous in the game, and coupled with the limited number of issued digital content, it becomes highly sought after in the trading market, leading to price increases. In this case, it is advisable to set up a separate game server within the information processing system S to provide the game to users.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the server 10 functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but the invention is not limited to this, and some of the functions of the server 10 may be provided on the user terminal 12. For example, some or all of the functions of the point management unit 33, the transaction control unit 36, the first notification unit 37, or the second notification unit 38 may be provided on the user terminal 12.

[0073] In the above embodiment, user information, player information, and digital content information are stored on the server 10. However, a separate database server (not shown) may be provided to store all of this information in that database server, or the information may be stored on the user terminal 12.

[0074] In the above embodiment, users can, in principle, enjoy all functions free of charge. However, some functions may be limited, and users may be able to use those limited functions by paying a predetermined usage fee. Furthermore, for paying users who pay a predetermined usage fee, various conditions may be set to make them more advantageous in transactions involving digital content, such as priority notification of information on rare digital content, discounts when purchasing digital content, or the inclusion of bonuses. This usage fee may be based on a pay-per-use system, or it may be a subscription model where a one-time payment has an effect on the viewer for a certain period (e.g., one month or one year).

[0075] <Summary> One of the problems related to one embodiment of the present invention is to determine the rarity of the digital content to be issued according to the playing record of the player to whom the digital content corresponds. For example, if the digital content corresponds to a player in a sport, the rarity of the digital content may be determined according to the playing record of the player to whom it corresponds. The main features of the information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program according to the embodiment described above are as follows.

[0076] [1] The information processing device according to this embodiment includes an issuing control unit that issues digital content corresponding to a player in a predetermined sport, and the issuing control unit controls the number of digital contents to be issued in a second period, which includes a period after the first period, based on the player's performance in the first period. According to the above information processing device, the number of digital content issues in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, is controlled based on the players' performance in the first period. This allows for the appropriate number of digital content issues to be controlled according to the players' performance.

[0077] [2] The above-mentioned information processing device includes a point management unit that manages points awarded to each player according to the player's performance over a predetermined period, and the issuance control unit controls the number of digital content issued in the second period to be less than or equal to the number issued in the first period if the points in the first period are greater than a predetermined value, and controls the number of digital content issued in the second period to be greater than or equal to the number issued in the first period if the points in the first period are less than a predetermined value. In this way, by converting players' performance over a predetermined period into points and comparing them to a predetermined value, the number of digital content issues can be controlled more accurately and simply, in accordance with the players' performance.

[0078] [3] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the point management unit determines a predetermined value for each player based on the number of digital contents issued during the first period, or the play record in periods prior to the first period. By setting a predetermined point value as a benchmark for each player in this way, it becomes possible to control the appropriate number of digital content releases in accordance with the player's performance in a more accurate and simpler manner.

[0079] [4] In the above-mentioned information processing device, if the planned number of digital content to be issued in the third period, which includes the second period, is set, the issuance control unit controls the number of digital content to be issued in the second period based on the number of digital content already issued in the third period other than the second period. In this way, the number of issues issued in the second period, which is included in the third period for which the planned number of issues has already been set, is controlled based on the number of issues already issued in the periods of the third period other than the second period. This allows for changes to the number of issues issued in the second period while maintaining the planned number of issues for the third period, enabling more accurate control of the appropriate number of digital content issues in accordance with the players' performance.

[0080] [5] The above-mentioned information processing device includes a retrieval control unit, the third period includes the first period and the second period, the issuance control unit changes the planned number of digital content to be issued in the third period based on the play record of the first period, and the retrieval control unit executes a retrieval process to retrieve the digital content from users who possess it if the number of digital content issued in the first period is greater than the planned number of digital content to be issued in the third period. Thus, in the third period, which includes the first and second periods, if the number of digital content issued in the second period is changed based on the play performance in the first period, and the number of digital content already issued in the first period exceeds the number of digital content planned for issuance in the third period, the excess digital content will be recalled. Therefore, it is possible to control the appropriate number of digital content issued in accordance with the players' performance with even greater accuracy.

[0081] [6] In the above-described information processing device, the recovery control unit presents the user with the content to be exchanged for the digital content during the recovery process, and the content to be exchanged is selected from the digital content available for publication in the second period based on predetermined criteria. In this way, when recalling excess digital content, users are presented with exchangeable content selected based on predetermined criteria, thus incentivizing them to exchange their digital content. As a result, the recall process proceeds more smoothly, and the number of digital content issued can be controlled more accurately and appropriately in accordance with the players' performance.

[0082] [7] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the content to be exchanged is digital content that can be issued in the second period, and the number of digital content that can be issued in the second period is less than a predetermined value. In this way, when recalling excess digital content, the exchange targets are high-value digital content whose issuance quantity is less than a predetermined value during the second period, thus incentivizing users to exchange their digital content. As a result, the recall process proceeds more smoothly, and the appropriate number of digital content issued can be controlled more accurately in accordance with the players' performance.

[0083] [8] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the content to be exchanged is digital content that can be issued in the second period and whose difference in the number of planned issues to be issued in the third period is within a predetermined range from the content to be recalled. In this way, when recalling excess digital content, the exchange content is of equal value to the recalled content, thus incentivizing users to exchange their digital content. As a result, the recall process becomes smoother, and the appropriate number of digital content issues can be controlled more accurately in accordance with the players' performance.

[0084] [9] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the recovery control unit shall allow exchange if the number of digital content issued in the first period is equal to or greater than the number of digital content to be issued in the third period, and shall not allow exchange if the number of digital content issued in the first period is equal to or less than the number of digital content to be issued in the third period. In this way, by making it possible to exchange all excess digital content until it is recovered, it becomes possible to control the appropriate number of digital content issued in accordance with the players' performance with even greater accuracy.

[0085]

[10] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the recovery control unit deletes the issued digital content after it has been exchanged. In this way, by deleting the digital content after it has been collected, it becomes impossible to exchange it thereafter, and no one can own that digital content. This allows for more precise control over the number of digital contents issued in accordance with the players' performance.

[0086]

[11] The above-mentioned information processing device includes a first notification unit that notifies the user before the start of the second period of the planned number of digital content releases for the third period, which is determined based on the players' performance during at least a portion of the first period. In this way, by notifying users in advance of the planned number of digital content releases, it becomes possible to incentivize users to purchase or trade digital content, and to stimulate the digital content trading market by controlling the appropriate number of digital content releases in accordance with the performance of the players.

[0087]

[12] The above-mentioned information processing device further includes a second notification unit that, if the number of digital content issued in the second period is changed, notifies users who possess the digital content to encourage them to trade with other users. In this way, by changing the number of digital content issues issued, users who own that digital content are notified to encourage them to trade with other users, thereby incentivizing users to trade the digital content. This allows for the appropriate control of the number of digital content issues issued in accordance with the performance of the players, and revitalizes the digital content trading market.

[0088]

[13] The information processing method according to this embodiment involves a computer issuing digital content corresponding to a player in a predetermined sport, and the computer controlling the number of digital contents issued in a second period, which includes a period after the first period, based on the player's performance in the first period. According to the above information processing method, the number of digital content issues in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, is controlled based on the players' performance in the first period. This allows for the appropriate number of digital content issues to be controlled according to the players' performance.

[0089]

[14] The program according to this embodiment causes a computer to issue digital content corresponding to a player in a predetermined sport, and to control the number of digital contents issued in a second period, which includes a period after the first period, based on the player's performance in the first period. According to the program described above, the number of digital content issues in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, is controlled based on the players' performance in the first period. This allows for the appropriate number of digital content issues to be controlled according to the players' performance. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 10 Server 12 User terminal 14 Network 21 Processor 22 Memory 23 Communication interface 24 Storage 25 Bus 30 Storage unit 31 Information acquisition unit 32 Display control unit 33 Point management unit 34 Issuance control unit 35 Collection control unit 36 ​​Transaction control unit 37 First notification unit 38 Second notification unit G1 Digital content display screen G2 First notification screen G3 Second notification screen S Information processing system

Claims

[Claim 1] It includes a publishing control unit that issues digital content corresponding to athletes in a specified sport, The issuance control unit controls the number of digital contents to be issued in the second period, which includes the period after the first period, based on the player's performance in the first period. Information processing device.

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