Programs, information processing terminals, and servers

Abstract

The objective is to provide a program, information processing terminal, and server capable of increasing players' anticipation for in-game lotteries. [Solution] The player's information processing terminal is made to accept an operation to conduct a lottery in which an object usable in the game can be obtained. When the operation is accepted, the information processing terminal is made to execute a lottery result display process that displays the object obtained by the lottery. If the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object that increases the number of lottery attempts, the lottery result display process displays the number of objects obtained by the lottery equal to the number of attempts increased by the acquisition of the specific object.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In games such as online games, it is already known to perform a lottery according to a player's request and grant an object (for example, a character available in the game) selected in the lottery to the player. For example, the player can perform a lottery a corresponding number of times according to the item by obtaining a lottery item as the consideration and consuming it during the game (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above lottery, the player can obtain an object by lottery a corresponding number of times according to the lottery item. However, it is not always possible to obtain the object desired by the user by lottery a corresponding number of times according to the lottery item.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enhance the player's sense of expectation for the lottery performed in the game.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program executed by a computer, characterized in that the computer receives an operation to perform a lottery for obtaining an object usable in a game, and when the operation is received, the computer performs a process to display the object obtained by the lottery, and when the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object that increases the number of lottery attempts, the process causes the computer to display the number of lottery attempts increased by the acquisition of the specific object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, if a specific object is obtained in the lottery, the number of lottery draws increases, thereby raising the player's expectation of obtaining the desired object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows a game communication system comprising an information processing terminal and a server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hardware configuration of an information processing terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram of the functions of an information processing terminal relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure (1) shows an example of data recorded in an information processing terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure (part 2) shows an example of data recorded in an information processing terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the hardware configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram of the server's functions in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of data recorded on a server relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram of the process for displaying the lottery results when a specific object is selected. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the flow of the processing related to the lottery. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the flow of the lottery result display data generation process, which is part of the lottery processing flow. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (this embodiment) will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described below are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. That is, the present invention can be modified or improved from the embodiments described below without departing from its spirit. Naturally, the present invention includes equivalents. Furthermore, the screen designs described in the following description and drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration, displayed information, and specific content of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) can be appropriately modified according to the intended use of the present invention and the needs of the user.

[0010] <<Configuration of the game communication system>> First, the game communication system, which consists of the information processing device and server according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the game communication system.

[0011] The game communication system (hereinafter referred to as "Game System S") is a system built for players to play games using information processing terminals. Here, games include single-player games for a single user and multiplayer games for multiple users. Multiplayer games include competitive games where users compete against each other and cooperative games where multiple users cooperate. Furthermore, games include social games that can be used with only a web browser and an SNS (Social Networking Service) account.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the game system S is composed of an information processing terminal (hereinafter referred to as the player terminal 10) owned by a player and a server 12. The player terminal 10 is composed of a computer and is operated by the player during the game play. The server 12 provides game progress data and manages the accounts of each player. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration, only one player terminal 10 is shown, but the number of player terminals 10 constituting the game system S is not particularly limited, and at least one or more are sufficient.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the player terminal 10 and the server 12 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network 14. The communication network 14 includes the Internet, an intranet, a mobile communication network, and the like. Note that a plurality of player terminals 10 may be connected to the server 12 at the same time, or only one player terminal 10 may be connected.

[0014] By the way, in the game played using the player terminal 10, the player can conduct a lottery. The lottery is an event during the game in which an object available in the game can be obtained, and is carried out in response to the player's request during the game play. There are various forms of lotteries, for example, a "single-shot type" lottery carried out only once, an "N-consecutive type" lottery in which N lotteries (N is a natural number of 2 or more) are continuously carried out, a "free type" lottery carried out by consuming a lottery item that can be obtained for free, and a "paid type" lottery carried out by consuming a lottery item purchased for a fee, etc. are included.

[0015] Here, the object is, for example, a character that moves according to the player's operation in the game, and an item for promoting the game advantageously. The object can increase the number of holdings according to the result of the lottery (winning), etc., while the number of holdings can be reduced by consuming or discarding it in the game.

[0016] Also, in this embodiment, multiple types of objects are prepared, and each type of object is grouped according to its rarity (strictly speaking, the winning probability in the lottery). Specifically, the object with the highest rarity belongs to the highest rarity group, the object with the second highest rarity belongs to the high rarity group, the object with the third highest rarity belongs to the medium rarity group, and the object with the fourth highest rarity (the object with the lowest rarity) belongs to the low rarity group. Note that the above grouping is merely an example, and the number of groups and the grouping format are not limited to the above content.

[0017] Also, in this embodiment, among the types of objects obtained by the lottery, there are specific objects that increase the number of lottery draws. These specific objects can be obtained with a certain winning probability in the lottery. The specific objects will be described later.

[0018] <<Configuration of Player Terminal>> Next, the player terminal 10 that constitutes the game system S will be described. The player terminal 10 corresponds to the "computer" of the present invention and can receive operations by the player during game play. For example, it is composed of a smartphone, mobile phone, PC, tablet terminal, wearable terminal, or game dedicated device equipped with a communication function that the player owns. As shown in FIG. 2, the player terminal 10 has a processor 101, a memory 102, a communication interface 103, a storage 104, an input device 105, and an output device 106, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 107. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the player terminal 10.

[0019] The processor 101 performs various data processing by executing programs installed on the player terminal 10. The programs executed by the processor 101 correspond to the "program" of the present invention, and specifically include the OS (Operating System), which is system software for controlling the entire player terminal 10, and application programs for gameplay. The processor 101 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc.

[0020] Memory 102 is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and provides a workspace to the processor 101 by temporarily storing programs and data, as well as temporarily storing various data generated by the data processing performed by the processor 101.

[0021] The communication interface 103 is composed of, for example, a communication interface board, and controls the transmission and reception of various data in the player terminal 10. The data communication standard using the communication interface 103 is not particularly limited and includes communication via wireless LAN based on Wi-Fi (registered trademark), communication via 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication systems, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution). Furthermore, data communication using the communication interface 103 is not limited to wireless methods but may also be wired.

[0022] Storage 104 stores various data related to the game and is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical Disc), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

[0023] The input device 105 is a device that accepts player input during gameplay, and can utilize, for example, control keys and buttons, a microphone for sound collection, and a camera for image capture provided on the player terminal 10.

[0024] The output device 106 is a device that displays the screen and images during gameplay and emits sounds during gameplay. It can be a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display, a head-mounted display, or a speaker provided on the player terminal 10. In this embodiment, the output device 106 has at least a display 108. The display 108 may be a display that has the functions of both the input device 105 and the output device 106, such as a touch panel display.

[0025] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the configuration of the player terminal 10 will be explained again from a functional standpoint. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of the player terminal 10. The player terminal 10 comprises multiple functional units as shown in Figure 3, specifically, an operation reception unit 111, a terminal-side recording unit 112, a terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113, a terminal-side data generation unit 114, and a display processing unit 115. These functional units are realized through the cooperation of the aforementioned hardware equipment of the player terminal 10 and the software program stored in the player terminal 10.

[0026] The operation reception unit 111 receives various operations performed by the player during gameplay. The operations accepted by the operation reception unit 111 include lottery item purchase operations and lottery request operations. A lottery item purchase operation is an operation performed by the player to purchase a paid lottery item. For example, this is done by displaying an item purchase screen (not shown) on the display 108 during gameplay, allowing the player to specify a lottery item on the screen and confirm the purchase of the specified item on the same screen. A lottery request operation is an operation performed by the player to conduct a lottery using a lottery item they own. To put it simply, it is an operation to request the execution of a lottery. For example, this is done by displaying a lottery execution screen (not shown) on the display 108 during gameplay, allowing the player to specify the type of lottery (specifically, either single-draw or multi-draw) on the screen and confirming the execution of the lottery according to the specified type on the same screen.

[0027] The terminal-side recording unit 112 records various types of game-related data. The data recorded in the terminal-side recording unit 112 includes, for example, personal account data including the player's identification ID and login password, data on various game settings, data on scores earned during the game, and game progress data received from the server 12.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal-side recording unit 112 also records data related to the lottery items shown in Figure 4, and data related to the possessed objects shown in Figure 5. Figures 4 and 5 show examples of data recorded in the terminal-side recording unit 112.

[0029] The data related to lottery items refers to the types of lottery items a player possesses, and the current number of each type of lottery item held. The type of lottery item is associated with the type of lottery that can be performed by consuming that item. For example, item A shown in Figure 4 is a paid lottery item that is consumed when performing N consecutive lotteries. The current number of lottery items held represents the number of lottery items a player currently possesses, and is increased when lottery items are obtained or purchased during gameplay, and decreased when lottery items are consumed to perform lotteries.

[0030] Data regarding owned objects includes the types and groups (rarity) of objects owned by the player, as well as the current number of each type of object owned. As mentioned above, the current number of owned objects is increased when the same object is won in a lottery, and decreased when the same object is consumed or discarded in the game.

[0031] The terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 receives data sent from the server 12 and transmits data generated by the terminal-side data generation unit 114 to the server 12. Among the data that the terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 receives from the server 12 is lottery result display data. This lottery result display data is data that causes the processor 101 of the player terminal 10 to execute the process of displaying the object obtained through the lottery.

[0032] The terminal-side data generation unit 114 generates data to be sent to the server 12 based on the player's operations received by the operation reception unit 111. The data generated by the terminal-side data generation unit 114 includes item purchase data, lottery request data, and synchronization data, etc.

[0033] Item purchase data is generated when the operation reception unit 111 receives the aforementioned lottery item purchase operation, and it indicates the type of lottery item to be purchased and the number of items specified by the player. Lottery request data is generated when the operation reception unit 111 receives the aforementioned lottery request operation, and it indicates the type of lottery being requested to be performed (in other words, the type of lottery item to be consumed). Synchronization data is data used to synchronize information recorded on both the player terminal 10 and the server 12 (for example, the current number of owned objects and lottery items), and is generated, for example, when the operation reception unit 111 receives an operation performed by the player to consume or acquire an object or lottery item. In other words, synchronization data is generated when the current number of owned objects or the current number of lottery items recorded on the player terminal 10 is added or subtracted. The player's identification ID is incorporated into each of the three types of data described above.

[0034] The display processing unit 115 expands the data received from the server 12 by the terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 and uses the functions of a web browser to execute a process to display the information or images (including UI) indicated by the received data. For example, when the terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 receives the aforementioned lottery result display data, the display processing unit 115 executes a process to display the objects obtained by the lottery (hereinafter referred to as the lottery result display process). In the lottery result display process, the processor 101 of the player terminal 10 is instructed to perform a display effect that displays each object obtained by the lottery.

[0035] Here, "display effects" refer to visual effects that display objects obtained through a lottery in a manner different from the normal display manner (for example, the display manner used when displaying objects to check owned objects during gameplay). Examples of effects used in display effects include, for example, an initial winning effect when an object is obtained for the first time, a second and subsequent winning effect when an object that has been obtained before is obtained for the second time or more, and a highest rarity winning effect when an object belonging to the highest rarity group is obtained.

[0036] <<Server Configuration>> Next, the server 12, which constitutes the game system S together with the player terminal 10, will be described. The server 12 is composed of a server computer that functions as an SNS server, for example, and provides players with data for game progression and manages each player's account and current status. The server 12 also charges players who purchase lottery items and performs data processing to request payment procedures (settlement procedures) for the charged amount from a designated institution (for example, a credit card company or a bank). The server 12 may consist of one server computer or multiple server computers.

[0037] The hardware configuration of the server 12 according to this embodiment is similar to that of a server computer commonly used as an SNS server. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, it has a processor 201, memory 202, communication interface 203, and storage 204, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 205. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 12.

[0038] The processor 201 performs various data processing tasks by executing programs installed on the server 12. These programs include the operating system (OS), which is the system software for controlling the entire server 12, and programs that enable the server 12 to function as an SNS server and distribute game progress data from the server 12. The processor 201 is composed of a CPU, MPU, GPU, and DSP, among other components.

[0039] Memory 202 is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, and provides a workspace to the processor 201 by temporarily storing programs and data, and also temporarily stores various data generated by data processing by the processor 201.

[0040] The communication interface 203 is configured, for example, by a communication interface board, and controls the transmission and reception of various data on the server 12. The data communication standard using the communication interface 203 is not particularly limited and includes communication via Wi-Fi®-based wireless LAN, communication via 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication systems, or communication based on LTE. Furthermore, data communication using the communication interface 203 is not limited to wireless methods but may also be wired.

[0041] Storage 204 stores various game-related data and player information, and is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical Disc), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digitalcard), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory). Alternatively, a database server connected to server 12 via a communication network 14 may be used as storage 204.

[0042] Next, the configuration of server 12 will be explained again from a functional standpoint with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of server 12. Server 12 comprises multiple functional units as shown in Figure 7, specifically a server-side recording unit 211, a server-side data transmission / reception unit 212, a terminal identification unit 213, a server-side data generation unit 214, and a billing processing unit 215. These functional units are realized through the cooperation of the hardware equipment of server 12 and the software programs stored in server 12. If server 12 is composed of multiple devices (server computers), the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple devices performs different functions from each other.

[0043] The server-side recording unit 211 records various data for game progress, as well as data related to each player. Player-related data includes, for example, player management information, play history, number of lottery items held, and object ownership status, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of data recorded in the server-side recording unit 211.

[0044] Player management information includes, for example, the player's identification ID, login password, name, and payment method used when purchasing items. Play history includes the game's play history, including win / loss results, and includes, for example, total play time, number of logins, win / loss record, growth level, number of draws performed, and the types and number of objects acquired (number of wins) in the past. The number of draw items held includes, for example, the types of draw items the player currently possesses and the current number of each. Object possession status includes, for example, the types of each object the player currently possesses, the group to which they belong, and the current number of each object. Note that data regarding play history, draw item possession, and object possession status is recorded for each player and is specifically linked to the player's identification ID.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server-side recording unit 211 also records data related to candidate objects and data related to display effects. The data related to candidate objects is data that defines the type of object (hereinafter referred to as a candidate object) that can be obtained by lottery and the probability of winning for each object. Note that the type of candidate object and the probability of winning may be changed depending on the form of the lottery.

[0046] The data relating to display effects is data that defines the display effects used when displaying winning objects in the lottery result display process, which displays objects obtained through the lottery (hereinafter also referred to as winning objects). Examples of display effects include, as mentioned above, the first-time winning effect, the second and subsequent winning effects, and the highest rarity winning effect. In addition, in this embodiment, the effects include effects specific to particular objects. An effect specific to a particular object is an effect set individually for a particular object, and is performed when that particular object is displayed when it is obtained (won) through the lottery.

[0047] The server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 functions as a data reception unit and receives data sent from the player terminal 10. The data received from the player terminal 10 includes the aforementioned item purchase data, lottery request data, and synchronization data. The server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 also functions as a data transmission unit and sends data generated by the server-side data generation unit 214 to the player terminal 10. The data sent to the player terminal 10 includes the aforementioned lottery result display data.

[0048] The terminal identification unit 213 identifies the player terminal 10 that is the source of the data received by the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212. For example, when the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 receives lottery request data, the terminal identification unit 213 identifies the player terminal 10 that is the source of that data, in other words, the player terminal 10 that accepted the lottery request operation.

[0049] The server-side data generation unit 214 generates data to be sent to the player terminal 10 identified by the terminal identification unit 213. For example, if the player terminal 10 that received the lottery request operation is identified by the terminal identification unit 213, the server-side data generation unit 214 generates lottery result display data to be sent to the identified player terminal 10.

[0050] To briefly explain the procedure for generating the lottery result display data, the server-side data generation unit 214 first analyzes the lottery request data received by the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 and identifies the type of lottery requested by the player (specifically, either a single draw or a multi-draw type).

[0051] Next, the server-side data generation unit 214 refers to the data on candidate objects recorded in the server-side recording unit 211 and determines the object to be obtained by lottery (i.e., the winning object) based on the probability of winning each of the multiple types of candidate objects. At this time, if the lottery is a single-draw type, one winning object is determined, and if the lottery is an N-consecutive-draw type, N winning objects are determined. Furthermore, if N winning objects are determined, a display order is set for each winning object.

[0052] Subsequently, the server-side data generation unit 214 refers to the data about the player to whom the winning object is assigned, among the player data recorded in the server-side recording unit 211, to identify the number of times the winning object has been acquired in the past (i.e., the number of wins), and sets the animation according to the identified number of wins. For example, if the identified number of past wins for a certain winning object is 0, the first-time win animation is set as the animation for that winning object. If N winning objects are determined, an animation is set for each winning object.

[0053] Finally, the server-side data generation unit 214 generates data to display the winning objects with the configured animation, and this data becomes the lottery result display data. If N winning objects are selected, the lottery result display data generates data to perform a display animation that shows each of the N winning objects in the order they are displayed, displaying each winning object individually.

[0054] The billing processing unit 215 performs billing for players who have purchased lottery items. Specifically, when the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 receives item purchase data, the terminal identification unit 213 identifies the player terminal 10 that sent the data. The billing processing unit 215 then identifies the type and quantity of the extracted items to be purchased from the item purchase data and calculates the price based on that identification result. The billing processing unit 215 then requests a designated institution to perform a settlement process for the player who possesses the player terminal 10 identified by the terminal identification unit 213, specifically a withdrawal process from a pre-registered bank account or a settlement process using a pre-registered credit card, according to the calculated price.

[0055] Upon successful payment, the purchased type and quantity of lottery items are granted to the player whose terminal 10 is identified by the terminal identification unit 213. Accordingly, the data recorded in the server-side recording unit 211 regarding the player to whom the lottery items were granted is updated to increase the number of lottery items held by that player by the number purchased.

[0056] <<Regarding specific objects>> The specific object is one of the objects obtained through a lottery, and is a character or item that increases the number of times the lottery is performed. More specifically, when a predetermined number of lotteries are performed, specifically when N consecutive lotteries (N-type lotteries) are performed, if the specific object is included among the objects obtained through the lottery (winning objects), the number of times the lottery is performed increases by a number corresponding to the predetermined number N. In this embodiment, it increases by the same number as the predetermined number N (i.e., +N times). However, the number of times the lottery is increased by obtaining the specific object is not limited to the same number as the predetermined number N, but may be set to any number, however, it is more preferable that it be a number determined according to the predetermined number N, for example, a number equivalent to half of the predetermined number N, or a number equivalent to the difference when a predetermined number is subtracted from the predetermined number N. The predetermined number N mentioned above is a number of 2 or more.

[0057] As described above, when the winning object is a specific object, the number of draws increases. Therefore, the draw result display process executed on the player terminal 10 will display the object obtained from the draws totaling the number of draws increased by obtaining the specific object plus the original number of draws.

[0058] To explain in more detail, in the lottery result display process when a specific object is included among the winning objects in an N-type lottery, as shown in Figure 9, the object OJ obtained from the lottery a predetermined number of times N, the specific object OJX, and the object OJ obtained from the lottery a number of times equal to the predetermined number N are displayed. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the lottery result display process when a specific object is obtained, and shows an example of the image displayed on the display 108 of the player terminal 10 when the lottery result display process is executed. Note that in the case shown in Figure 9, the predetermined number N is set to 5 times, but it is not limited to this, and the contents described above and below can of course also be applied when the predetermined number N is any number of 2 or more.

[0059] Furthermore, in the lottery result display process when an N-type lottery is conducted, normally a display animation is performed to show the winning objects obtained from the N lotteries, one for each object. However, when a specific object is included among the winning objects in the N lotteries, a display animation set individually for that specific object is performed in the above-mentioned display animation. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, when displaying a specific object OJX on display 108, a different animation is performed than when displaying other objects OJ. For example, a visual animation is performed that stimulates the player's excitement, such as displaying messages and images that are not displayed for other objects OJ.

[0060] To further explain the specific object, if a specific object is obtained (won) multiple times when an N-type lottery is performed, the number of lottery attempts will increase by a number corresponding to the number of specific objects obtained. Specifically, this increase will be the number obtained by multiplying the number of attempts that increases when a specific object is obtained once by the number of specific objects obtained.

[0061] Furthermore, in the lottery draws that increase due to the acquisition of a specific object, the specific object may be acquired again (re-winning). In this case, the lottery result display process will show the objects obtained from the lottery draws that increase due to the re-acquisition of the specific object. For example, if a specific object is acquired once by performing an N-type lottery, and then acquired again once in the lottery draws that increase due to that acquisition, the number of lottery draws will increase by the number of times the specific object was acquired twice. In this case, the lottery result display process will show the winning objects from the lottery draws that total the original number of draws plus the number of draws that increased due to the acquisition of the specific object.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the number of draws increases each time a specific object is acquired, and in the draw result display process, all objects obtained through the draws corresponding to the increased number of draws (number of winners) are displayed.

[0063] By making the specific objects described above obtainable through a lottery, this embodiment can increase the player's anticipation for the lottery, thereby improving the game's appeal.

[0064] In addition, in this embodiment, a specific object can be obtained with a certain probability through a lottery, and a specific object is also granted if either of the following conditions (1) or (2) is met in the lottery. Condition (1): The number of times the same target object has been obtained multiple times through the lottery is equal to or greater than a threshold. Condition (2): A target object that the player already possesses is obtained through the lottery, and the sum of the number of the target object currently possessed by the player and the number of the target object obtained through the lottery is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0065] The target objects in the above-mentioned conditions (1) and (2) are objects obtained by lottery that are predetermined by server 12 (excluding specific objects), for example, a predetermined character or item.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, if the same object (target object) is obtained more than a threshold number of times through the lottery, or if the number of objects the player possesses exceeds a threshold due to obtaining the same object through the lottery as an object already owned by the player, a specific object is granted as compensation. This makes it possible to further enhance the player's sense of anticipation for the lottery without diminishing it, even when the same object is obtained more than a threshold number of times through the lottery, or when the player wins the same object as an object already owned by the player.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the target object in the above-described conditions (1) and (2) is an object belonging to a rarity group lower than the highest rarity (for example, a medium rarity group or a low rarity group). In this case, although the player's expectations may be diminished due to duplicate acquisition of the target object, such a situation can be effectively avoided by granting a specific object. However, the group (rarity) to which the target object belongs is not particularly limited and may be the highest rarity group or the high rarity group.

[0068] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned conditions (1) or (2) are met, there may be restrictions on the number of times a specific object can be granted. For example, when performing one N-type lottery, the number of times a specific object can be granted upon fulfillment of condition (1) or (2) may be limited to one, or it may be unlimited. Also, when a specific object is granted upon fulfillment of condition (1) or (2), the target object obtained through the lottery, or the target object currently possessed by the player, may be consumed in conjunction with the granting of the specific object, or it may remain as is.

[0069] <<Regarding the processing flow for the lottery>> Next, the processing flow related to the lottery (hereinafter referred to as the lottery flow) will be explained with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the flow of the lottery flow. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the flow of the lottery result display data generation process in the lottery flow. In the following, we will explain using the case of conducting an N-type lottery as a specific example, and in that case, it will be assumed that the player requesting the lottery possesses the lottery item necessary to conduct an N-type lottery. Also, in the following, the player who requests the lottery will be referred to as the "requesting player" for convenience.

[0070] As shown in Figure 10, the lottery flow begins with the requesting player operating their player terminal 10 to perform a lottery request operation, and the operation reception unit 111 of the player terminal 10 receiving the lottery request operation (S001). As mentioned above, the lottery request operation is assumed to be for an N-type lottery (i.e., a predetermined number of lotteries).

[0071] Next, the terminal-side data generation unit 114 of the player terminal 10 is instructed to generate lottery request data in response to the received lottery request operation (S002). The lottery request data generated at this time is data for requesting the execution of an N-type lottery.

[0072] The generated lottery request data is transmitted by the terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 of the player terminal 10, and the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 of the server 12 receives the lottery request data via the communication network 14 (S003, S004).

[0073] Subsequently, the terminal identification unit 213 of server 12 identifies the player terminal 10 that is the source of the received lottery request data, that is, the player terminal 10 owned by the requesting player (S005). Also, the server-side data generation unit 214 of server 12 generates lottery result display data based on the received lottery request data (S006). The lottery result display data generated at this time is data that causes the player terminal 10 to execute a process to display the lottery result (specifically, the winning object) when an N-type lottery is performed.

[0074] The generated lottery result display data is transmitted from the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 of server 12 to the player terminal 10 identified in step S005, and is received by the terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 113 of that player terminal 10 (S007, S008).

[0075] Subsequently, the display processing unit 115 of the player terminal 10 is instructed to perform a lottery result display process based on the received lottery result display data, and the lottery results when an N-type lottery is performed are displayed (S009). Note that the lottery result display process is executed in response to the lottery request operation received in step S001, so in this embodiment, the player terminal 10 is instructed to perform the lottery result display process when the operation reception unit 111 receives the lottery request operation.

[0076] Furthermore, in the lottery result display process, as described above, the display processing unit 115 of the player terminal 10 is instructed to perform a display animation that shows the winning objects one by one. As a result, the display 108 of the player terminal 10 shows each winning object in the order they are displayed, and when each winning object is displayed, an animation is performed according to the number of wins for each winning object (see Figure 9).

[0077] To explain step S006 of the lottery flow, which generates the lottery result display data, in detail, as shown in Figure 11, the server-side data generation unit 214 of the server 12 determines the objects to be obtained in each of the N lotteries, i.e., N winning objects, from among the candidate objects (S021). At this time, the server-side data generation unit 214 determines the winning objects based on the winning probability of each candidate object.

[0078] Next, the server-side data generation unit 214 determines whether the specific object is included among the N winning objects determined in step S021 (S022). If the server-side data generation unit 214 determines that the specific object is included, the process proceeds to step S023. If the server-side data generation unit 214 determines that the specific object is not included, the process proceeds to step S024.

[0079] If the process proceeds to step S023, that is, if a specific object is included among the winning objects, the number of draws increases by obtaining the specific object, for example by +N times. In this case, the server-side data generation unit 214 determines the winning objects for the increased number of draws from among the candidate objects (S023).

[0080] After step S023 is completed, the process returns to step S022, where the server-side data generation unit 214 again determines whether the specific object is included in the winning objects in the lottery for the number of attempts increased by the acquisition of the specific object (S022).

[0081] Then, if the specific object is again included in the winning objects in the increased number of draws, the number of draws increases by another +N times due to the reacquisition of the specific object, and the server-side data generation unit 214 further determines the winning objects in the draws for the increased number of draws due to the reacquisition of the specific object (S023). Thereafter, each time the specific object is acquired (in other words, each time Yes is answered in step S022), step S023, which determines the winning objects in the draws for the increased number of draws due to the acquisition of that specific object, is repeated.

[0082] In step S024, the server-side data generation unit 214 determines whether the aforementioned condition (1) is met, that is, whether the number of times the same target object has been obtained by lottery is equal to or greater than a threshold. To explain in simpler terms, in step S024, it is determined whether the same target object is included multiple times among the winning objects determined in steps S021 and S023, and if the same target object is included multiple times, it is determined whether the number of acquisitions (i.e., duplicates) is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0083] If the server-side data generation unit 214 determines that the number of times the same target object has been obtained through the lottery is greater than or equal to a threshold, the specific object is assigned to the requesting player (S025). In that case, the process proceeds to step S023, where the winning object for the number of lotteries increased by the assignment of the specific object is determined. After step S023 is completed, the process returns to step S022 as described above, but in subsequent flows, step S024 may be omitted without being performed again.

[0084] If it is determined in step S024 that the number of identical target objects obtained is less than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S026, where the server-side data generation unit 214 determines whether the aforementioned condition (2) is met. Specifically, it determines whether the player obtains the same target object through the lottery as an object already possessed by the player, and whether the sum of the player's current possession of the target object and the number of the target object obtained through the lottery is equal to or greater than the threshold. In making the above determination, the server-side data generation unit 214 refers to the object possession status of the requesting player from the player data recorded in the server-side recording unit 211, compares the types and number of target objects currently possessed by the requesting player with the types and number of winning objects determined in steps S021 and S023, and makes the above determination based on the comparison result.

[0085] If the server-side data generation unit 214 determines that the sum of the number of target objects currently owned by the player and the number of target objects acquired in the lottery is less than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S027.

[0086] On the other hand, if the server-side data generation unit 214 determines that the above total value is equal to or greater than the threshold, a specific object is assigned to the requesting player (S025). In that case, the process moves to step S023, where the winning object for the number of draws increased by the assignment of the specific object is determined. After step S023 is completed, the process returns to step S022 as described above, but in subsequent flows, step S026 may be omitted without being performed again.

[0087] After the series of steps described above are completed, the server-side data generation unit 214 sets the display order and display effects for each of the winning objects determined in steps S021 and S023 (S027).

[0088] Then, the server-side data generation unit 214 generates data for displaying the winning objects determined in steps S021 and S023 according to their respective display order and presentation, i.e., lottery result display data (S028). When the lottery result display data is generated, step S006, which generates the lottery result display data, is completed.

[0089] Based on the lottery result display data generated by the procedure described above, when the lottery result display process is executed on the requesting player's player terminal 10, the objects obtained by the lottery (winning objects) are displayed on the display 108. Furthermore, if a specific object is obtained, the lottery result display process displays the winning objects from the original number of lotteries (i.e., N lotteries) and the winning objects from the number of lotteries increased by the acquisition of the specific object. Here, the acquisition of a specific object includes not only the acquisition of a specific object by lottery, but also the granting of a specific object upon fulfillment of the aforementioned conditions (1) or (2). In other words, in the extraction result display process when condition (1) is fulfilled, the winning objects from the number of lotteries increased by the granting of a specific object upon the number of times the same target object was obtained by lottery (number of acquisitions) exceeding a threshold are displayed. Also, in the lottery result display process when condition (2) is fulfilled, the winning objects from the number of lotteries increased by the granting of a specific object upon the sum of the current number of target objects already possessed by the player and the number of target objects acquired in the lottery exceeding a threshold are displayed.

[0090] As described above, in this embodiment, the number of times a lottery is conducted can be increased by obtaining a specific object through the lottery, thereby increasing the player's anticipation for the lottery and improving the game's appeal.

[0091] <<Summary>> The program according to this embodiment is executed by the player terminal 10 and causes the player terminal 10 to accept a lottery request operation. Furthermore, when the lottery request operation is accepted, the program causes the player terminal 10 to execute a lottery result display process that displays the object obtained by the lottery (winning object). When the winning object is a specific object that increases the number of lottery attempts, the lottery result display process causes the player terminal 10 to display the objects obtained by the lottery for the number of attempts increased by the acquisition of the specific object. According to the above program, it is possible to increase the player's anticipation for the lottery.

[0092] The above program may be obtained by reading it from a recording medium (media) that the player terminal 10 can read, or by receiving (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0093] Furthermore, regarding the above program, a suitable configuration is as follows: If the specific object is reacquired through a lottery that increases the number of attempts due to the acquisition of the specific object, the lottery result display process should display the objects obtained through the lottery that increases the number of attempts due to the reacquisition of the specific object on the player terminal 10. In this case, since the number of lottery attempts increases again due to the reacquisition of the specific object, the player's anticipation for the lottery can be further heightened.

[0094] Furthermore, regarding the above program, a suitable configuration would be as follows: The program would cause the player terminal 10 to accept an operation requesting N consecutive draws (N-type draws), and in the draw result display process, the player terminal 10 would perform a display animation showing each object obtained through the N-type draws. When a specific object is included among the objects obtained through the N-type draws, the display animation would then perform an animation individually set for that specific object. In this case, the acquisition of a specific object can be easily recognized by the player, and the animation when displaying the specific object can heighten the player's sense of excitement.

[0095] Furthermore, a more suitable configuration for the above program would be for the specific object to be an object that increases the number of draws by a number corresponding to the number of times the N-type draw has been performed (i.e., N times). In this case, the draw result display process can display on the player terminal 10 the object obtained from the N draws, the specific object, and the object obtained from the draws that have been increased by a number corresponding to N times. In this case, if the specific object is obtained in the N-type draw, the number of draws will increase by a number corresponding to N times, which can further heighten the player's anticipation for the draw.

[0096] Furthermore, regarding the above program, a more suitable configuration is that the number of times the N-type lottery is performed (i.e., N times) may be at least two. Also, if the number of times the same target object is obtained through the lottery exceeds a threshold, a specific object may be assigned. In this case, the lottery result display process can display the objects obtained through the lottery for the number of times increased due to the assignment of a specific object when the number of acquired target objects exceeds the threshold on the player terminal 10. In this case, even if the same target object is acquired multiple times in the lottery, the player's sense of anticipation for the lottery can be maintained and even increased.

[0097] Furthermore, a more suitable configuration for the above program is as follows: If a player obtains a target object they already possess through a lottery, and the sum of the number of target objects the player currently possesses and the number of target objects obtained through the lottery is greater than or equal to a threshold, a specific object may be assigned to the player. In this case, the lottery result display process can display the objects obtained through the lottery for the number of draws increased by the number of draws due to the assignment of a specific object resulting from the sum exceeding the threshold. In this case, even if the player obtains the same target object they already possess through the lottery, it is possible to enhance the player's sense of anticipation for the lottery without diminishing it.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above configuration, objects are grouped according to their rarity, and it is preferable that the target object belongs to a group with a rarity lower than the highest rarity. In this case, there is a possibility that the player's expectations may be dampened by obtaining duplicate target objects, so the effect of avoiding such a situation by assigning specific objects becomes more meaningful.

[0099] Furthermore, the player terminal 10 according to this embodiment is an information processing terminal capable of receiving operations from the player, and includes an operation reception unit 111 that receives lottery request operations, and a display processing unit 115 that executes lottery result display processing when a lottery request operation is received by the operation reception unit 111. When the winning object is a specific object, the display processing unit 115 displays the objects obtained by the lottery for the number of times increased by the acquisition of the specific object in the lottery result display processing. The above-described player terminal 10 can increase the player's sense of anticipation for the lottery.

[0100] Furthermore, the server 12 according to this embodiment is a server capable of communicating with a player terminal 10, and includes a terminal identification unit 213 that identifies the player terminal 10 that has received a lottery request operation, and a server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 that transmits lottery result display data to the player terminal 10 identified by the terminal identification unit 213. When the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object, the server-side data transmission / reception unit 212 transmits data as lottery result display data to execute a lottery result display process that displays the objects obtained by the lottery for the number of attempts increased by the acquisition of the specific object. According to the above server 12, it is possible to increase the player's anticipation for the lottery.

[0101] <<Other Embodiments>> To date, specific examples of the program, information processing terminal, and server of the present invention have been described. However, the embodiments described above are merely examples, and other embodiments are also conceivable. For example, a specific object is not limited to being acquired in a lottery conducted N times consecutively (a lottery of the N-series type), but may also be acquired in a single lottery conducted only once.

[0102] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, when multiple winning objects are obtained through the lottery, the lottery result display process displays each winning object one by one on the display 108 of the player terminal 10. However, it is not limited to this, and multiple obtained winning objects may be displayed simultaneously on the display 108.

[0103] Furthermore, the probability of winning a specific object in the lottery may be constant, or it may be varied for each player according to their play time, or it may be set higher than usual during campaigns and promotional events. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0104] 10 Player Terminals (Information Processing Terminals) 12 servers 14 Communications Network S Game System 101,201 processors 102,202 memory 103,203 Communication Interfaces 104,204 storage 105 Input Devices 106 Output Devices Buses 107 and 205 108 displays 111 Operation Reception Unit 112 Terminal side recording unit 113 Terminal-side data transmission / reception unit 114 Terminal-side data generation unit 115 Display Processing Unit 211 Server-side recording unit 212 Server-side data transmission / reception unit (data transmission unit) 213 Terminal Identification Section 214 Server-side data generation unit 215 Billing Processing Unit OJ object OJX Specific Object

Claims

1. A program executed by a computer, which causes the computer to accept an operation to conduct a lottery for obtaining an object usable in the game. When the above operation is accepted, the computer is instructed to perform a process to display the object obtained by the lottery. When the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object that increases the number of times the lottery is performed, the program is characterized in that the process causes the computer to display the number of objects obtained by the lottery equal to the number of times the lottery has been performed increased by the acquisition of the specific object.

2. The program according to claim 1, in which, if the specific object is reacquired by the lottery for the number of times increased by the acquisition of the specific object, the process causes the computer to further display the object obtained by the lottery for the number of times increased by the reacquisition of the specific object.

3. The computer receives the operation requesting the aforementioned lottery a predetermined number of times, In the process described above, the computer is instructed to perform a display animation that shows each of the objects obtained by the lottery a predetermined number of times. The program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the objects obtained by the lottery for the specified number of times include the specific object, the program causes the display to perform an effect that is individually set for the specific object.

4. The program according to claim 3, wherein the specific object is an object that increases the number of draws performed by a number corresponding to the predetermined number, and in the process, causes the computer to display the object obtained by the draws performed a predetermined number of times, the specific object, and the object obtained by the draws performed a number of times increased by a number corresponding to the predetermined number.

5. The aforementioned number of times is at least two or more. The program according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if the number of times the same target object is obtained by the lottery is greater than or equal to a threshold, the specific object is assigned, and in the process, the computer displays to the computer the number of times the objects obtained by the lottery have been assigned due to the assignment of the specific object resulting from the number of acquisitions of the target object being greater than or equal to the threshold.

6. The program according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if a target object already possessed by the player is obtained through the lottery, and the sum of the number of target objects currently possessed by the player and the number of target objects obtained through the lottery is equal to or greater than a threshold, the specific object is granted, and in the process, the program displays the number of times the object obtained through the lottery has been increased due to the granting of the specific object resulting from the sum being equal to or greater than the threshold.

7. The aforementioned objects are grouped according to their rarity. The program according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the target object belongs to a group of rarities lower than the highest rarity.

8. An information processing terminal capable of accepting input from a player, An operation reception unit that receives player inputs in order to conduct a lottery to obtain objects usable in the game, The system includes a display processing unit that, when the operation is received by the operation receiving unit, executes a process to display the object obtained by the lottery, When the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object that increases the number of times the lottery is performed, the display processing unit displays the number of objects obtained by the lottery equal to the number of times the lottery has been performed due to the acquisition of the specific object.

9. A server that can communicate with an information processing terminal capable of accepting input from a player, A terminal identification unit identifies the information processing terminal that received the operation to conduct a lottery for obtaining an object usable in the game, The system includes a data transmission unit that transmits data to the information processing terminal identified by the terminal identification unit, causing the information processing terminal to perform a process to display the object obtained by the lottery, A server characterized in that, when the object obtained by the lottery is a specific object that increases the number of times the lottery is performed, the data transmission unit transmits data to perform a process that displays the objects obtained by the lottery for the number of times the lottery has been performed increased by the acquisition of the specific object.

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