Program, information processing device, and information processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a program, an information processing device, and an information processing method that can prevent users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of games in which that specific competitor is participating. [Means for solving the problem] When a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, the program causes the processor to execute a notification process that notifies users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of gameplay videos of the game competition in which that specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of that competitor's appearance in the predetermined schedule.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a system that distributes play videos of players (competitors) participating in game tournaments such as e-sports to users (viewers), and the users can view the play videos. Some of them also allow players and users to communicate with each other. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses acquiring specific information for identifying the destination of a player who plays a game and feedback information on the game play by the player, and transmitting the acquired feedback information to the destination of the player identified based on the specific information, so that a user who views video content can transmit feedback information on the game play by the player to the player.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that a user may miss the distribution of the play video of a game tournament in which a favorite player participates.

[0005] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to prevent a user having a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing the play video of a game competition in which the specific competitor participates.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a processor to execute a notification process that, when a game competition is held on a predetermined schedule, notifies a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of a video of the game competition in which the specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of the specific competitor's appearance on the predetermined schedule. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user who has established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor can be prevented from missing gameplay videos of a game competition in which that specific competitor is participating. [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 diagram shows an overview of the gaming tournament. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a notification screen. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the server's hardware configuration. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of the player terminal and the user terminal. [Figure 6] This figure shows the functions of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of game tournament information. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of athlete information. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of user information. [Figure 10] This figure shows the information processing flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows the functions of the information processing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows the information processing flow according to the second 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 attached drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit it. In other words, the present invention can be modified or improved upon from the embodiments described below, without departing from its spirit. Naturally, the present invention also 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 user preferences.

[0011] <Regarding the game competition to which this invention applies> 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 handles all operations related to the conduct of a game competition (hereinafter simply referred to as the game), and provides game and other game-related services to competitors (individuals or teams) who participate in the game as players, and to users who watch the competitors' gameplay. Specifically, it provides competitors with an environment for playing the game, and users with an environment for watching the game.

[0012] A game is a competition, such as a computer game or a sport, in which competitors compete to determine superiority or inferiority in skills or abilities according to certain rules, and includes game tournaments that consist of one or more matches. When multiple matches are held, the method for determining the winner or ranking may be a tournament system (knockout), a league system (round-robin), a combination of a tournament system and a league system, or a system derived from these, or any other method. Furthermore, when multiple matches are held, a game is not limited to multiple matches of the same sport, but may also consist of multiple matches of different sports. A game may also consist of a main tournament and a preliminary round (qualifying tournament) to select participants for the main tournament. Typically, in games, competitors are awarded rewards according to the game results, such as the final ranking, the results of each match, or the content of the matches.

[0013] In this embodiment, as an example of a game, we will describe an e-sports (electronic sports) tournament, which is a competitive computer game in which players compete against each other to determine the winner. The game genre of e-sports is not particularly limited and may be any game genre. For example, it may be a fighting game, sports game, shooting game, racing game, puzzle game, word game, card game, board game, role-playing game, or simulation game. Furthermore, e-sports may be an individual competition or a team competition. It may also involve human players competing against each other, or a human player competing against a computer (e.g., AI or a robot).

[0014] The esports of this embodiment is an online game provided using the information processing system S. Specifically, when a competitor such as a professional gamer who participates in the game as a player performs a game play operation on the player terminal 11, the player terminal 11 receives game progress data distributed from the server computer of the game providing company (hereinafter referred to as server 10). On the player terminal 11, video and audio corresponding to the received data are output, and the competitor proceeds with the game while checking the output video and audio. In addition, the player terminal 11 transmits data indicating the operation content of the player such as a game play operation to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits game progress data corresponding to the operation content of the competitor to the player terminal 11. Such data transmission and reception between the server 10 and the player terminal 11 is repeatedly performed until the competitor finishes playing the game (match) or until the game tournament ends.

[0015] On the other hand, a user who is a viewer (spectator) of the game does not participate in the game tournament and actually play the game like a competitor, but watches a video (play video) in which the state of the competitor playing the game is reflected on the user terminal 12. Specifically, the user terminal 12 receives game progress data distributed from the server 10. On the user terminal 12, video and audio corresponding to the received data are output, and the user watches the output video and audio. In addition, the user terminal 12 transmits data indicating the operation content of the user such as a competitor designation operation for designating the competitor to support and a game selection operation for selecting the game (match) to watch to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits game progress data corresponding to the operation content of the user to the user terminal 12. Such data transmission and reception between the server 10 and the user terminal 12 is repeatedly performed until the competitor finishes playing the game (match) or until the game tournament ends.

[0016] In this embodiment, a对战 game among multiple players is taken as an example, specifically a game tournament in which a plurality of matches are held according to a preset schedule. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the game tournament is a tournament in which 32 players (P01 to P32) participate, and is composed of a preliminary round (preliminary league) and a main round (final tournament). The players who rank first in each block of the preliminary round can advance to the main round, and the player who finally remains after winning three tournament battles in the main round tournament wins. The matches are carried out according to a preset schedule. In the preliminary league of round-robin matches, 3 matches are carried out for each player, 6 matches are carried out for each block, and a total of 48 matches are carried out in the entire preliminary round. In the knockout final tournament, 6 matches including the first round, semi-final, and final are carried out. In addition, the matches are divided and carried out in a plurality of venues (4 venues of X, Y, Z, and W), and it is possible that a plurality of matches are held simultaneously at the same time.

[0017] In this embodiment, since a plurality of matches are carried out according to a preset schedule, the play videos of the entire game tournament are not always distributed. Instead, for users, the play videos of the matches in which specific players participate are distributed pinpointedly. Therefore, in order to prevent users from missing the matches they desire, for users with a specific relationship set with a specific player, at the timing when the specific player with the set specific relationship participates (for example, it may be a predetermined time before the start of the match of the specific player, and as an example, it may be 5 minutes before or 120 seconds before the start of the match), a notification is sent to the effect that the distribution of the play video of the match in which the specific player with the set specific relationship participates will start.

[0018] Specifically, as the start time of a match for a specific competitor with whom a predetermined relationship has been established approaches and it is just before the match begins, the user is notified via a notification banner such as a toast message that the match of that specific competitor with the predetermined relationship will soon begin. For example, a notification screen G, as shown in Figure 3, is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 12 as a notification banner. The notification screen G contains a link to a location where the user can watch a gameplay video of the match in which the competitor is participating. Upon receiving the start notification, the user can switch to the competitor's gameplay screen (match video) by tapping the notification screen G, and watch the gameplay video of the competitor's match. Note that the notification method is not limited to the above; it may also consist of a message only (without a link), or it may display the gameplay video itself.

[0019] Furthermore, the notification format is not uniform; the notification format, including highlighting (size, design), display time (always on, flashing), presence or absence of sound, and volume, changes based on the priority of the athletes or matches for which a predetermined relationship has been established. For example, if a large number of athletes have a predetermined relationship with the user, they will be highlighted.

[0020] Furthermore, notifications may be sent to users if a specific competitor who meets a predetermined relationship has remaining matches they can play, i.e., if they are still competing, and if they have won their matches. If a specific competitor has no remaining matches they can play, i.e., if they have already been eliminated, the user may not be notified about the distribution of the match video. In addition, the presence or absence of notifications may be set according to the importance of the match. For example, notifications may be sent only for the main tournament and not for the qualifying rounds.

[0021] The specified relationships include, for example, the following relationships. Note that a user is not limited to having only one specific athlete with whom a specified relationship has been established. Also, if there are multiple specific athletes with whom a specified relationship has been established, the user may arbitrarily set a priority for each specific athlete, or the priority may be automatically set based on the strength of the relationship. Note that the priority is set for each user. (a) Relationship between a user and the competitors the user has added to their favorites, etc. (b) A relationship of mutual recognition between the user and the competitor (so-called friends) (c) Relationship between users and competitors belonging to the same group (chat group, etc.) (d) Relationships automatically set based on common attributes (such as game play history or support history)

[0022] In this embodiment, since the match is a competitive game, multiple (two) players participate in one match. Therefore, users who have a predetermined relationship with at least one of the multiple players will be notified that the gameplay video will begin streaming. Alternatively, users who have a predetermined relationship with both players may also be notified that the gameplay video will begin streaming.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since multiple matches may be held simultaneously, there may be instances where matches featuring competitors with whom a predetermined relationship has been established for the user overlap. In such cases, the match to be notified preferentially (the match with higher priority) will be determined based on the rules exemplified below. Methods for prioritizing notification include notifying only about matches with higher priority, displaying matches with higher priority more prominently than those with lower priority, and increasing the frequency of notifications for matches with higher priority. (a) If the number of players in the first competitive game with whom the user has a predetermined relationship (e.g., 2 players) is greater than the number of players in the second competitive game with whom the user has a predetermined relationship (e.g., 1 player), the user will be notified of the distribution of gameplay video A for the first competitive game with priority over the distribution of gameplay video B for the second competitive game. (b) If, among multiple competitors in which a predetermined relationship has been established, the priority assigned to the first competitor is higher than the priority assigned to the second competitor, the distribution of play video A of the match in which the first competitor is participating will be notified with priority over the distribution of play video B of the match in which the second competitor is participating.

[0024] Specifically, under the above conditions, when the distribution of gameplay video A begins, if the user is not watching gameplay videos (including gameplay video A), a notification will be sent to the user. If the user is watching gameplay video B or another gameplay video, a notification will be sent to the user when gameplay video A is released. However, if the user is watching gameplay video A, no notification will be sent to the user when gameplay video A is released. On the other hand, when the distribution of gameplay video B begins, if the user is watching gameplay video A, no notification will be sent to the user when gameplay video B is released.

[0025] Furthermore, when multiple users (the first user and the second user) jointly view gameplay videos on a large monitor or similar device, the priority of a competitor who has a predetermined relationship with both the first and second users will be higher than the priority of a competitor who has a predetermined relationship with either the first or second user.

[0026] Furthermore, if a user has established a specific relationship, such as a friendship, with a particular competitor in a designated game other than competitive gaming, the game will notify the user of the streaming of the gameplay video while they are playing that designated game.

[0027] The "designated game" is content that a user plays by operating the user terminal 12 while viewing the game screen on the user terminal 12. In this embodiment, it is an online game (electronic game) provided using the information processing system S. Online games include browser games using a web browser, social games provided on SNS (Social Networking Service), games that can be played by downloading dedicated application software such as mobile games, and regularly updated online games such as play-by-web (PBW). The genre (classification) of the designated game is not particularly limited. It may be the same game played by competitors in a game competition, or it may be a completely different genre of game, including games provided by different businesses or games distributed from servers other than server 10.

[0028] Furthermore, while a user may play the game alone, it is also possible for multiple users, such as friends, to operate their respective user terminals 12 to simultaneously play common quests or other content in a so-called multiplayer mode (hereinafter referred to as cooperative play). Cooperative play is conducted through the communication function of each user's user terminal 12, and once a cooperative relationship is formed, the progress of the game is synchronized among the users participating in cooperative play. Cooperative play may be either a cooperative game in which multiple users work together, or a competitive game in which players compete against each other.

[0029] <Regarding the first embodiment of the present invention> Next, the configuration of the information processing device and various terminals according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to this embodiment is composed of a computer for game data distribution, more precisely a server computer (hereinafter referred to as server 10). Server 10 is an example of a computer and, as shown in Figure 1, is connected to a plurality of player terminals 11 and user terminals 12 via a network 14 so as to be able to communicate with them, and together with the player terminals 11 and user terminals 12, it constructs an information processing system S. The network 14 is a communication network consisting of, for example, the Internet or a mobile communication network, and may include LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and intranet.

[0030] In the information processing system S of this embodiment, the game or game tournament progresses through the cooperation of the server 10, the player terminal 11, and the user terminal 12, as described above. Specifically, the server 10 performs some of the game progression processing, while the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 perform some of the graphics processing, etc. For example, the server 10 executes a program that includes certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 proceed with the game in synchronization with the server 10, using the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed on the server 10. Hereafter, the term "game" includes a predetermined game unless otherwise specified.

[0031] Server 10 is an example of the "information processing device" of the present invention, and is a computer that performs various information processing related to game progression, such as generating and sending / receiving data necessary for game progression, and more specifically, is an SNS server in this embodiment. Server 10 may consist of a single computer, or it may consist of multiple computers in parallel distribution. Furthermore, Server 10 may be a server computer for 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 related to game progression (excluding information input and display) are performed by Server 10, so the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 only need to input information to be handed over to Server 10 and display information distributed from Server 10.

[0032] As hardware, the server 10 has a processor 21, memory 22, communication interface 23, and storage 24, as shown in Figure 4, 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 game installed as software. These programs correspond to the "program" of the present invention. The processor 21 operates according to the above program, allowing the server 10 to function as an information processing device of the present invention and execute a series of processes related to the progress of the game. The program of the present invention may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium (media), or it may be obtained (downloaded) via a network 14 such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0033] The processor 21 may consist of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0034] The memory 22 may be composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0035] 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 communication via Wi-Fi® wireless LAN, communication via 3G to 5G or later generations of mobile communication systems, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0036] The storage 24 may consist of 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), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), etc. 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 (e.g., a database server) connected to the server body in a communicative manner. In addition, distributed ledger technology such as blockchain may be used as the technology for recording various types of data to prevent unauthorized data tampering.

[0037] Server 10 distributes information necessary for the game's progress to each competitor and user, and also collects and stores information from each competitor and user. The information stored by Server 10 includes information about the game tournament, information about each competitor, and information about each user. In addition, Server 10 performs various other information processing related to the game's progress.

[0038] The player terminal 11 is a client terminal operated by the competitor to play the game. The user terminal 12 is a client terminal operated by the user to watch the game or play a designated game. The player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 can be made up of, for example, a personal computer, smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, game console, television receiver capable of inputting information, and wearable device. Although Figure 1 shows two player terminals 11 and three user terminals 12 for illustrative purposes, in reality, there will be a number of player terminals 11 and user terminals 12 corresponding to the number of competitors and users.

[0039] The player terminal 11 and user terminal 12, as hardware devices, have a processor 31, memory 32, communication interface 33, storage 34, input device 35, and output device 36, as shown in Figure 5, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 37. In addition, the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 have an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program (app) for processing information related to the game installed as software. The processor 31, memory 32, communication interface 33, and storage 34 have a configuration that is generally similar to the processor 21, memory 22, communication interface 23, and storage 24 of the server 10.

[0040] The input device 35 is a device that accepts game operations from the player or user, and may consist of operation buttons, a touch panel, a sound-collecting microphone provided on the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12, as well as a keyboard, mouse, and controller connected to the player terminal 11 and the user terminal 12.

[0041] The output device 36 is a device that displays the game screen and plays sound, and includes displays and speakers provided on the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12. The output device 26 may be integrated with the input device 35, such as a touch panel display. The displays may be connected to the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 by wire or wireless means, and a head-mounted display or the like can be used as a wirelessly connected display.

[0042] The player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 in the above configuration receive game progress data from the server 10, and display the images (videos) indicated by that data on the display of the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12, or on a display device such as a TV connected to the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12, or output sound from a speaker or the like. In other words, in this embodiment, the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 function as a display unit and an audio output unit. For example, the player terminal 11 displays a game play screen (not shown), etc. In addition to the game play screen (not shown), the user terminal 12 displays a notification screen G (Figure 3), etc.

[0043] Furthermore, the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12 receive operations performed by the competitor or user during gameplay and transmit information corresponding to those operations to the server 10. For example, a competitor performs gameplay operations on the player terminal 11 to play the game and transmits information based on those operations to the server 10. On the other hand, a user performs competitor selection operations to specify which competitor to support, game selection operations to select which game (match) to watch, and predetermined gameplay operations to play a predetermined game on the user terminal 12 and transmits information based on those operations to the server 10. In addition to the operations described above, competitors and users may also perform operations on the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12 as necessary to enjoy the services provided by the information processing system S of this embodiment.

[0044] The configuration of the server 10 and user terminal 12, which are information processing devices according to this embodiment, will be explained again in terms of their functions.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, Server 10 includes a storage unit 40, an information acquisition unit 41, a display control unit 42, a setting unit 43, a notification unit 44, and a game control unit 45. Of these, the storage unit 40 is implemented by memory 22 or storage 24, while the other functional units are implemented through the cooperation of the hardware devices constituting Server 10 and the programs installed on Server 10. If Server 10 is composed of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs different functions from one another. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0046] (Storage part) The memory unit 40 stores various types of information necessary for playing the game. Specifically, it stores information about the game tournament, information about the competitors, and information about the user. It also stores various other types of information.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, information regarding game tournaments (game tournament information) is stored for each tournament, with various pieces of information linked to an identification information (such as an identification ID) that identifies each tournament. For example, the game tournament information items include information such as the name (title), duration, schedule (match schedule), prize money, game content, competitors, and tournament results. The information showing the match schedule includes all information related to the schedule, such as the match pairings and the date, time, and location of the matches. The information showing the game content includes information to identify the games played in the tournament. The information showing the competitors includes information to identify the competitors participating in the tournament. The information showing the results includes information such as the tournament winner, the winners and losers of each match, and the scores of each match (including interim results).

[0048] As shown in Figure 8, information about competitors (competitor information) is stored for each competitor, with various pieces of information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID or game account name) that identifies each competitor. For example, the competitor information items include the competitor's name, rank, affiliation and other attributes, game play history, and information indicating users with whom a predetermined relationship has been established. Information indicating game play history includes information indicating past performance such as the number of tournaments participated in, the number of matches played, tournament results, match results, and usage history of the game medium. Information indicating users with whom a predetermined relationship has been established includes information to identify the competitor and the user with whom a predetermined relationship has been established. In addition, other information, such as the competitor's personal information such as contact information, the character used in the game, the group to which they belong, and other social relationships, may also be included in the competitor information.

[0049] User information, as shown in Figure 9, is stored for each user, with various pieces of information linked to identification information (such as an identification ID or game account name) that identifies each user. For example, user information items include information indicating competitors with whom a predetermined relationship has been established, viewing history, designated games, and friends. Information indicating competitors with whom a predetermined relationship has been established includes information to identify the competitors with whom the user has a predetermined relationship. Information indicating viewing history includes information indicating the number of times a game tournament or game (match) was viewed, the date and time of viewing, and the duration of viewing. Information indicating designated games includes the play history of designated games, for example, identification information of the designated game, and information indicating whether or not the game was played, the date and time of play, the duration of play, the number of times it was played, the number of times it was cleared, and the number of times the game medium was used. Information indicating friends includes information to identify other users with whom the user has a friend relationship. In addition, user information may also include other information, such as the user's personal information such as contact information, and billing history showing the number of times and amount of money that has been charged for the game.

[0050] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 41 acquires information (data) based on operations performed by the competitor and user on the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12 by communicating with the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41 includes, for example, information based on game play operations, information based on competitor designation operations, information based on game selection operations, and information based on predetermined game play operations. In addition to the above information, the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41 also includes information based on various selections, designations, instructions, requests, commands, permissions or denials, registrations, and other input operations performed by the competitor or user at each stage of the game.

[0051] (Display Control Unit) The display control unit 42 controls the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12 and displays information for game progress on the screen of the player terminal 11 or user terminal 12. Specifically, the display control unit 42 generates display data to display the results of information processing by the setting unit 43, notification unit 44, and game control unit 45, 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 42 distributes a game play screen (including a video of the competitor's game play) that reflects the results of information processing by the game control unit 45 and displays it on the player terminal 11 and user terminal 12.

[0052] (Settings section) The setting unit 43 sets a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and a user. Specifically, it sets a predetermined relationship between an athlete and a user by associating the athlete with the user who specified that athlete through the athlete selection operation and storing this information in the storage unit 40. Furthermore, it sets a predetermined relationship between an athlete and a user by automatically combining the athlete and the user based on their attributes, associating them with each other and storing this information in the storage unit 40.

[0053] (Notification Department) The notification unit 44 communicates with the user terminal 12 to notify users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific athlete that the distribution of gameplay videos of matches in which the specific athlete is participating will begin according to the predetermined schedule. Specifically, it generates notification data that includes a link to a place where the gameplay videos of matches in which the specific athlete is participating can be viewed, and transmits the generated notification data to the user terminal 12 of the user who has established the predetermined relationship via the network 14.

[0054] The notification unit 44 controls the system to notify users of gameplay videos if a particular competitor has games remaining that they can play in the game competition, and does not notify users of the distribution of gameplay videos if there are no games remaining that a particular competitor can play in the game competition. In other words, it generates notification data about the competitor and sends notifications to users who have been set to receive notifications, until the competitor is eliminated and there are no more matches that the competitor can play.

[0055] The notification unit 44, in the case of a game competition involving multiple competitors, notifies users who have a predetermined relationship with at least one or more of the competitors of the game about the distribution of gameplay videos. In this case, if the number of competitors in the first game with a predetermined relationship with the user is greater than the number of competitors in the second game with a predetermined relationship with the user, the notification unit 44 prioritizes notifying the user about the distribution of gameplay videos for the first game over those for the second game. For example, it may notify only about the first game, display the first game more prominently than the second game in the notification, or increase the frequency of notifications for the first game.

[0056] The notification unit 44 notifies users who are not watching a gameplay video of the distribution of the gameplay video, and if priority is set for the gameplay videos based on the relationship with the competitor, the notification is made according to that priority. Specifically, if a particular competitor includes both a first competitor and a second competitor, and the priority of the first competitor is higher than that of the second competitor, then when the user is watching the second competitor's gameplay video, the notification is made of the distribution of the first competitor's gameplay video, and when the user is watching the first competitor's gameplay video, the notification is not made of the second competitor's gameplay video. Furthermore, when both the first user and the second user are watching a gameplay video, the priority of a competitor with whom a predetermined relationship has been set for both the first user and the second user is set higher than the priority of a competitor with whom a predetermined relationship has been set for either the first user or the second user.

[0057] The notification unit 44 determines the notification format, such as size, design, display time, presence or absence of sound, or volume, according to the number of competitors with whom the user has a predetermined relationship among multiple competitors. It also determines the notification format according to the priority of the competitors. Furthermore, the notification unit 44 also notifies users who are currently playing a predetermined game by displaying a notification on the game's play screen or by generating a notification sound.

[0058] (Game Control Unit) The game control unit 45 performs information processing necessary for the progress of the game, and advances the game or a predetermined game according to the various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41. Specifically, it advances the game according to the actions taken by the competitor or user, and implements effects that correspond to those actions. It also changes the settings of various parameters according to the progress of the game. For example, in the case of a competitive fighting game, it controls the movement of the character controlled by the competitor or attacks other characters based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 41. If an attack by a character hits another character, it reduces parameters such as the health of the other character based on the attack power of the character and the defense power of the other character.

[0059] As shown in Figure 6, the user terminal 12 includes a storage unit 50, an operation reception unit 51, an information acquisition unit 52, and a display and playback unit 53. Of these, the storage unit 50 is implemented by memory 32 or storage 34, while the other functional units are implemented through the cooperation of the hardware equipment constituting the user terminal 12 and the program installed on the user terminal 12. Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

[0060] (Storage part) The memory unit 50 stores various data necessary for game progression. The memory unit 50 also temporarily stores streamed gameplay videos.

[0061] (Operation reception desk) The operation reception unit 51 receives various operations performed by the user through the user terminal 12. User operations received by the operation reception unit 51 include athlete selection operations to specify which athlete to support, game selection operations to select which game (match) to watch, and predetermined game play operations to play a predetermined game.

[0062] (Information acquisition department) The information acquisition unit 52 acquires various types of information (data) distributed from the server 10 by communicating with the server 10. The information acquired by the information acquisition unit 52 includes, for example, information related to gameplay videos and information related to notifications.

[0063] (Display playback section) The display and playback unit 53 displays gameplay videos on the display and plays audio or background music through the speaker. It also displays notification screen G on the display and plays notification sounds through the speaker.

[0064] The configurations of the server 10, player terminal 11, and user terminal 12 have been described above. While the server 10, player terminal 11, 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.

[0065] <About the information processing flow according to the first embodiment of the present invention> Next, with reference to Figure 10, the flow of information processing performed in the information processing system S according to the first embodiment of the present invention (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.

[0066] (Information processing flow) This information processing flow is the core of the present invention and includes a notification process that, when a game is held on a predetermined schedule, notifies users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of gameplay videos of the game in which the specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of the specific competitor's appearance on the predetermined schedule. For example, it proceeds according to the flow shown in Figure 10. Note that each step of the information processing flow according to the first embodiment is executed by the processor 21 of the server 10.

[0067] As shown in Figure 10, first, the server 10, which is a computer, establishes a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and a user by associating the athlete with the user (S101).

[0068] Next, Server 10 determines that, as a result of the game tournament progressing according to the predetermined schedule, the start time of a game (match) in which a specific competitor with a predetermined relationship has been established is approaching (S102: YES), and further determines that a user with a predetermined relationship with that specific competitor has not watched a gameplay video in which that specific competitor is participating (S103: YES), and further determines that for a user with a predetermined relationship with that specific competitor, the priority of that specific competitor or the match in which that specific competitor is participating, i.e., the priority of the gameplay video, is higher than the priority of other gameplay videos. If this occurs (S104:YES), the notification method is determined based on the number of specific competitors with whom a predetermined relationship has been established among the multiple competitors participating in the match (S105), and notification data is generated to notify that the distribution of the game play video of the match in which that specific competitor is participating has begun, by displaying predetermined information including a link to a place (site, etc.) where the game play video can be viewed. The generated notification data is then sent to the user terminal 12 of the user with whom a predetermined relationship has been established with that specific competitor, thereby notifying the user terminal 12 of the distribution of the game play video of the game in which that specific competitor is participating (S106).

[0069] Then, when the server 10 determines that the user who received the notification has accessed the above link (game selection operation) and has accepted the video distribution instruction (S107:YES), it sends (distributes) the distribution data of the game play video of the match in which the specific competitor who has the predetermined relationship set is participating to the user terminal 12, thereby displaying the game play video of the specific competitor on the user terminal 12 (S108), and then terminates the process.

[0070] On the other hand, if server 10 determines that the start time of a game (match) in which a particular competitor is participating is not approaching (S102: NO), if it determines that a user with a predetermined relationship with a particular competitor is watching a gameplay video in which that particular competitor is participating (S103: NO), if it determines that the gameplay video is not a high priority for the user with the predetermined relationship with that particular competitor, i.e., there are other gameplay videos with higher priority (S104: NO), or if it determines that it has not received a video streaming instruction (S107: NO), it terminates processing. The above is an example of the information processing flow in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] <Regarding a second embodiment of the present invention> In the first embodiment described above, the server 10 constitutes the information processing device of the present invention, but the invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which each user's user terminal 12 constitutes the information processing device of the present invention is also conceivable. Such a configuration will be referred to as the second embodiment of the present invention and will be described below with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0072] In the following description, we will primarily focus on the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment, and will simplify or omit explanations of aspects common to both embodiments. Furthermore, in Figure 5, functional parts common to both embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 5.

[0073] In the second embodiment, each user's user terminal 12 constitutes an information processing device. Specifically, each user terminal 12 performs the functions of the information processing device of the present invention as described above when a game program (app) installed on each user's user terminal 12 is executed. Specifically, some or all of the processing of the setting unit 43, notification unit 44, and game control unit 45 that was executed on the server 10 is executed on the user terminal 12 side.

[0074] In the second embodiment, the user terminal 12, as shown in Figure 11, has a storage unit 60, an operation reception unit 61, an information acquisition unit 62, a display and playback unit 63, a setting unit 64, a notification unit 65, and a game progress unit 66. Of these, the storage unit 50 is realized by memory 32 or storage 34, and the other functional units are realized by the cooperation of the hardware equipment constituting the user terminal 12 and the program installed on the user terminal 12. Below, the setting unit 64, the notification unit 65, and the game progress unit 66, which are functional units of the user terminal 12, will be described. Note that the functions of the storage unit 60, the operation reception unit 61, the information acquisition unit 62, and the display and playback unit 63 are substantially the same as those of the storage unit 50, the operation reception unit 51, the information acquisition unit 52, and the display and playback unit 53 in the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0075] (Settings section) The setting unit 64 sets a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and a user. Specifically, it sets a predetermined relationship between an athlete and a user by associating the athlete with the user who specified that athlete through the athlete selection operation and storing this information in the storage unit 60. Furthermore, it sets a predetermined relationship between an athlete and a user by automatically combining the athlete and the user based on their attributes, associating them with each other and storing this information in the storage unit 40.

[0076] (Notification Department) The notification unit 65 communicates with the server 10 to recognize when a specific competitor, who has a predetermined relationship set in a predetermined schedule, will participate, and notifies the server that the distribution of gameplay videos of the matches in which the specific competitor with the predetermined relationship will participate will begin at that time. Specifically, it generates notification data that includes a link to a place where the gameplay videos of the matches in which the specific competitor will participate can be viewed, and the display and playback unit 63 displays and plays the generated notification data. Note that other notification conditions and notification content are the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation is omitted.

[0077] (Game Management Team) The game progression unit 66 performs information processing necessary for the progress of a predetermined game, and advances the predetermined game in accordance with user operations received by the operation reception unit 61. Specifically, it makes selections in accordance with user operations and changes the settings of various parameters according to the progress of the game, etc. The predetermined game may also be advanced by communicating with other game servers (not shown) other than server 10.

[0078] <About the information processing flow according to the second embodiment of the present invention>

[0079] Next, the information processing flow according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 12. The information processing flow according to the second embodiment also employs the information processing method of the present invention, and each step in the information processing flow shown in Figure 12 corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention.

[0080] (Information processing flow) This information processing flow is the core information processing of the present invention, and when a game is held on a predetermined schedule, it includes a notification process that notifies users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of gameplay videos of the game in which the specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of the specific competitor's appearance on the predetermined schedule. For example, it proceeds according to the flow shown in Figure 12. Note that each step of the information processing flow according to the second embodiment is executed by the processor 31 of the user terminal 12.

[0081] As shown in Figure 12, first, the user terminal 12, which is a computer, establishes a predetermined relationship between a specific athlete and the user by associating the athlete with the user (S201).

[0082] Next, the user terminal 12, through communication with the server 10, determines that as a result of the game tournament progressing according to a predetermined schedule, the start time of a game (match) in which a specific competitor with a predetermined relationship has been set is approaching (S202:YES), and further determines that the user has not watched the game play video in which that specific competitor is participating (S203:YES), and further determines that the priority of that specific competitor or the match in which that specific competitor is participating, i.e., the priority of the game play video, is higher for the user than the priority of other game play videos (S204:YES), then determines the notification method based on the number of specific competitors with a predetermined relationship among the multiple competitors participating in that match (S205), displays predetermined information including a link to a place (site, etc.) where the game play video can be viewed, generates notification data to notify that the distribution of the game play video in the match in which that specific competitor is participating has begun, and displays and plays the generated notification data to notify the user of the distribution of the game play video in which the specific competitor is participating (S206).

[0083] Then, when the user terminal 12 determines that the user has performed an operation to access the above link (game selection operation) and has received a video distribution instruction (S207:YES), it sends a video distribution instruction based on the above operation to the server 10 via communication with the server 10 (S208). As a result, it receives distribution data of a game play video of a match in which a specific competitor with the predetermined relationship has been set is participating from the server 10 (S209), displays and plays the received game play video of the specific competitor (S210), and terminates the process.

[0084] On the other hand, if user terminal 12 determines that the start time of a game (match) in which a particular competitor is participating is not approaching (S202: NO), determines that it is watching a gameplay video in which that particular competitor is participating (S203: NO), determines that the gameplay video is not a high priority for the user, i.e., that there are other gameplay videos with higher priority (S204: NO), or determines that it has not received a video streaming instruction (S207: NO), it terminates processing. The above is an example of an information processing flow in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] <Other Embodiments> To date, the program, information processing apparatus, and information processing method 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.

[0086] In the above embodiment, game tournament information, competitor information, and user information are stored on server 10. However, a separate database server (not shown) may be provided to store all the information in that database server, or the information may be stored on the user terminal 12.

[0087] In the above embodiment, users can, in principle, enjoy all functions free of charge, but some functions may be limited, and users may be able to use those limited functions by paying a predetermined usage fee. In addition, gameplay videos may be made available to paying users who pay a predetermined viewing fee, and various other conditions may be set to give paying users an advantage in viewing gameplay videos. For example, paying users may be able to view gameplay videos that have been filmed from special angles or edited in a special way, depending on the amount they pay. This usage fee may be based on a pay-per-use system, or it may be a subscription system where a one-time payment is effective for a certain period (for example, one month or one year) for that user.

[0088] <Summary> The main features of the program, information processing apparatus, and information processing method according to the embodiment described above are as follows.

[0089] [1] The program according to this embodiment causes the processor to execute a notification process to notify a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, of the distribution of a video of the game in which the specific competitor is participating, in accordance with the timing of the specific competitor's participation in the predetermined schedule. According to the program described above, it is possible to prevent users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of games in which that competitor is participating.

[0090] [2] In the above program, the notification process controls whether a game can be notified to the user if there are games remaining that a particular competitor can play in the game competition, and does not notify the user of the distribution of a game video if there are no games remaining that a particular competitor can play in the game competition. This allows notifications of gameplay videos of competitive games to be suppressed for users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor, provided that there are no remaining matches in which that competitor is participating. This enables efficient notification of gameplay videos of competitive games in which specific competitors are participating to be delivered to users.

[0091] [3] In the above program, if the game competition is a game with multiple competitors, the notification process will notify users who have a predetermined relationship with at least one of the multiple competitors that a gameplay video will be streamed. This makes it possible to prevent users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of that competitor, even in competitive games involving multiple players.

[0092] [4] In the above program, if the game competition is a game played by multiple players, the notification process will, if the number of players in the first game with whom the user has a predetermined relationship is greater than the number of players in the second game with whom the user has a predetermined relationship, notify the user of the distribution of the gameplay video for the first game with priority over the distribution of the gameplay video for the second game. This allows for the streaming of gameplay videos of multiple competitive matches, even when multiple players are competing against each other, to be guided to the game based on its importance to the user.

[0093] [5] In the above program, the notification process determines the notification method according to the number of competitors among multiple competitors with whom the user has a predetermined relationship. This makes it possible to prevent users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of games in which that competitor is participating, and also allows for the guidance of gameplay videos of competitive games in a way that identifies the level of importance to the user.

[0094] [6] In the above program, the notification process notifies the user that a gameplay video is available if the user has not yet watched the gameplay video. This allows users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor to be notified of the streaming of gameplay videos of that competitor participating in a game competition at a time that does not interrupt their viewing of other gameplay videos.

[0095] [7] In the above program, if a specific competitor includes a first competitor and a second competitor, and the priority of the first competitor is higher than the priority of the second competitor, the notification process will notify the user of the distribution of the first competitor's gameplay video when the user is watching the second competitor's gameplay video, and will not notify the user of the distribution of the second competitor's gameplay video when the user is watching the first competitor's gameplay video. This allows the system to guide users to watch gameplay videos of more important games than the one they are currently watching, and to suppress guidance to watch less important gameplay videos if they are available. This effectively prevents users from missing important game streams.

[0096] [8] In the above program, when both the first user and the second user watch the gameplay video, the priority of a competitor for whom a predetermined relationship has been set with both the first user and the second user is higher than the priority of a competitor for whom a predetermined relationship has been set with either the first user or the second user. This allows for more efficient notifications, even when multiple users are watching gameplay videos together. It prevents users with a predetermined relationship to a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of that competitor's games. It also prevents users from missing important gameplay videos of competitive matches that they don't want to miss.

[0097] [9] In the above program, if a specific relationship is established with a particular competitor in a designated game other than a game competition, the notification process will notify the distribution of a gameplay video within the designated game. This makes it possible to prevent users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of competitions in which that specific competitor is participating, even if they are playing a designated game.

[0098]

[10] The information processing device according to this embodiment has a notification unit that, when a game competition is held on a predetermined schedule, notifies a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of a video of the game in which the specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of the specific competitor's participation on the predetermined schedule. According to the above information processing device, it is possible to prevent users who have established a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of games in which that specific competitor is participating.

[0099]

[11] In the information processing method according to this embodiment, when a game competition is held on a predetermined schedule, the processor executes a notification process to notify a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor of the distribution of a video of the game competition in which the specific competitor is participating, according to the timing of the specific competitor's participation on the predetermined schedule. According to the above information processing method, it is possible to prevent users who have a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor from missing gameplay videos of games in which that specific competitor is participating. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 10 servers 11 Player terminals 12 User terminals 14 Networks 21 processors 22 memory 23 Communication Interfaces 24 storage 25 buses 31 processors 32 memory 33. Communication Interfaces 34 storage 35 Input device 36 Output device 37 Bus 40 Storage section 41 Information Acquisition Department 42 Display Control Unit 43 Settings section 44 Notification Department 45 Game Control Unit 50 Storage section 51 Operation reception unit 52 Information Acquisition Department 53 Display playback section 60 Storage section 61 Operation Reception Section 62 Information Acquisition Department 63 Display playback section 64 Settings Section 65 Notification Department 66 Game Progression Section G Notification screen S Information Processing System

Claims

[Claim 1] A program that causes a processor to execute a notification process to notify a user who has a predetermined relationship with a specific competitor, when a game competition is held according to a predetermined schedule, of the distribution of a video of the game in which the specific competitor is participating, in accordance with the timing of the specific competitor's participation in the game competition according to the predetermined schedule.

Images