Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To inform players of an easy way to obtain characters they do not own. [Solution] An information processing device is provided, comprising: a storage unit that stores characters owned by the player; and a display control unit that, when the player requests the display of information about a predetermined character, displays a notification screen to notify the player of an event in which a character satisfying a predetermined condition can be obtained, provided that the character satisfying the predetermined condition is a character that can be obtained in the event and is not owned by the user.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There is known a game in which a mission called a quest is cleared using a team composed of a plurality of characters called a deck. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for identifying a type of lottery game in which the maximum required points among the required points that can be reached by the end of the play period are set based on the points acquired by the user up to the current point, the points that can be acquired by satisfying the point acquisition conditions by the end of the play period, and the required points for each lottery game, and giving a user a notice recommending playing the identified type of lottery game.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] To form a deck, a plurality of characters are required. Further, in order to proceed with quests advantageously, it is desirable for the player to own various characters and compile a deck according to the characteristics of the quests to play the quests.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to notify a player of a method by which a character that the player does not own can be easily obtained.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a storage unit that stores characters owned by a player, and a display control unit that, when it receives an operation from the player to display information of a predetermined character, displays a notification screen to notify the player of an event in which a character satisfying a predetermined condition can be obtained, provided that the predetermined character includes a character that satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein the character satisfying the predetermined condition is a character that can be obtained in the event and is not owned by the player. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, players can be notified of a method to easily obtain characters they do not own. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of the game system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a game server and terminal. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional block structure of a game server. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a player management database and a character ownership management database. [Figure 5] This figure shows examples of a deck management database, a used deck history database, a character status management database, and an event setting database. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of the functional block configuration of a terminal. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the processing steps performed by the game server. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a game screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the game system 1 according to this embodiment. The game system 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a game server 10 (game device) and a plurality of terminals 20. The game server 10 and the terminals 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network N such as the Internet, intranet, wireless LAN, or mobile communication.

[0011] The game server 10 is a device that performs some of the functions necessary for the terminal 20 to provide the game, such as managing various information about the player or executing some of the game's processing. The game server 10 may consist of one or more information processing devices, or it may be configured using a virtual server (such as a cloud server).

[0012] Terminal 20 is an information processing device that provides the game to the player, and the player can execute the game according to this embodiment by operating Terminal 20. Terminal 20 is, for example, a computer such as a mobile phone (including a smartphone), tablet, personal computer, arcade game machine, or consumer game machine. Terminal 20 notifies the game server 10 of its own location detected using GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

[0013] <Game Overview> Next, an overview of the game provided by the game system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the game provided by the game system 1 (hereinafter referred to as "this game"), the player can obtain new characters and items by forming a deck with a character selected from a plurality of owned characters and clearing quests using the formed deck. In addition, the player can grow into a stronger character by synthesizing a plurality of obtained characters, or challenge quests with a higher difficulty level by strengthening the attributes of the character using items.

[0014] Here, a quest is a term that means a mission whose clear condition is to satisfy a predetermined certain condition. A quest may also be called an exploration or a task. A player who participates in a quest can clear the quest by satisfying the certain condition, and when the quest is cleared, a reward is given to the player or the story of this game progresses.

[0015] Also, a deck is a term that means a group combining a plurality of characters. When executing a quest, the player selects a character having an ability suitable for clearing the quest to form a deck and execute the quest. The game server 10 can store a plurality of decks formed by the player, and the player can also select one deck from the plurality of stored decks and execute the quest when executing the quest.

[0016] When the player executes a quest, a predetermined parameter of the player called "stamina" is consumed. The amount of stamina consumed differs for each quest. Also, the upper limit of stamina is determined according to the player's level, experience value, etc. The stamina consumed by playing a quest automatically recovers over time.

[0017] A player can establish a predetermined relationship (hereinafter referred to as "friend relationship") with other players. The friend relationship can be established by mutual approval of the players. A list of other players in the friend relationship is displayed on the player's game screen.

[0018] The deck is composed of the characters selected by the player from the characters owned by the player himself / herself and the characters owned by other players. Each player presets the characters (hereinafter referred to as "friend-use characters") that can be included in the decks of other players in advance. When a player executes a quest, the player composes the deck to be used for the quest and selects one other player from among a plurality of other players listed on the game screen. When the player selects one other player, the friend-use characters of the selected other player are set in the deck and the quest is started. Note that the plurality of other players listed on the game screen are players in the friend relationship or other players arbitrarily selected by the game server 10.

[0019] In addition, a player can rent (borrow) the characters owned by a player in the friend relationship from the player in the friend relationship. The player who rents a character can incorporate the rented character into the deck and execute a quest for a predetermined period.

[0020] Players can obtain characters in various ways during the game (for example, by clearing quests). They can also obtain characters through in-game events (such as gacha, hereafter referred to as "events"). The characters obtained vary from event to event; typically, one character is randomly selected from a pre-assigned set of characters for each event. Some events may have a higher probability of drawing certain characters (i.e., certain characters are easier to obtain). Multiple events may run simultaneously in this game.

[0021] In this game, when the player requests on the game screen to display information about a specified character, and if that specified character includes a character obtainable through an event that the player does not currently own (hereinafter referred to as "a character that meets the specified conditions"), a screen (hereinafter referred to as "event notification screen") will be displayed to notify the player of the event in which that character can be obtained. Here, "specified character" refers to a selection of characters that appear in this game and meet certain conditions. For example, a specified character may be a character newly added to this game, a character whose stats are above a specified value, or a character with a specific attribute. It may also be a popular character and / or a character whose popularity is rapidly increasing, as described later. This allows the player to recognize when an event is being held (or is currently being held) in which they can obtain a character they do not own.

[0022] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a game server 10 and a terminal 20. The game server 10 and terminal 20 have a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, memory, a storage device 12 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication interface 13 for wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for receiving input operations, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse and / or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display and / or a speaker.

[0023] <Functional Block Configuration> (Game Server) Figure 3 shows an example of the functional block configuration of the game server 10. The game server 10 includes a storage unit 100 and a game control unit 110. The storage unit 100 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by the game server 10. The game control unit 110 can be implemented by the processor 11 of the game server 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory stick or a CD-ROM.

[0024] The memory unit 100 stores player management DB 100a, owned character management DB 100b, deck management DB 100c, used deck history DB 100d, character status management DB 100e, and event setting DB 100f.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of the Player Management DB 100a and the Owned Character Management DB 100b. The Player Management DB 100a manages the game data owned by each player. The Player Management DB 100a also stores friend characters that can be included in other players' decks from among the characters owned by the player. The Player Management DB 100a stores, for example, a player ID that uniquely identifies the player, the player's nickname, the player IDs of other players registered as friends, the current location of the terminal 20 used by the player, the player's experience points, the player's rank and stamina, and the number of items owned that are consumed when executing events (event execution items).

[0026] The Character Ownership Management DB100b manages the characters owned by the player. The Character Ownership Management DB100b stores a player ID that uniquely identifies the player, a character ID that uniquely identifies the character, a rank indicating whether the character is easy or difficult to obtain, and various parameters indicating the character's strength (level, luck, HP (hit points), attack power, speed, etc.).

[0027] Figure 5 shows an example of the deck management DB100c, used deck history DB100d, character status management DB100e, and event setting DB100f.

[0028] The deck management DB100c manages the characters that make up each deck. The deck management DB100c stores, for example, an ID that uniquely identifies the player (player ID), an ID that uniquely identifies each player's deck (deck ID), and an ID that uniquely identifies the characters that make up each deck (character ID), all associated with each other.

[0029] The Used Deck History DB100d records a history of which decks each player used to complete each quest in the past. The Used Deck History DB100d stores, for example, a player ID that uniquely identifies the player, a quest ID that uniquely identifies the quest, and the history of the one or more characters (character IDs) that comprised the decks used when the quest was completed. The Used Deck (Previous) field stores the characters from the deck used when the quest was completed last time. The Used Deck (Two Times Ago) field stores the characters from the deck used when the quest was completed two times ago.

[0030] The Character Status Management DB100e manages information indicating the status of each character appearing in this game. The "Popular Character Ranking" stores a predetermined number of character IDs (e.g., the top 10) of popular characters in this game, in order of popularity. Specifically, popular characters may be a predetermined number of characters, ordered by the total number of times they were used in quests played by each player during a predetermined period. In addition, the "Rapidly Rising Popularity Character Ranking" stores a predetermined number of character IDs (e.g., the top 10) of characters whose popularity ranking has risen significantly during a predetermined period.

[0031] The Event Settings DB100f manages information about events held in this game. The Event Settings DB100f contains an ID that uniquely identifies the event (Event ID), the event period, characters that can be obtained during the event (characters that can be obtained through a lottery), and characters among the obtainable characters that are of a certain rank or higher and have a high probability of being drawn (hereinafter referred to as "Featured Characters").

[0032] Returning to Figure 3, let's continue the explanation. The game control unit 110 provides various functions necessary to run this game. The game control unit 110 includes a reception unit 111, an execution unit 112, and a display control unit 113.

[0033] The reception unit 111 accepts requests from the player to select a quest to perform, to select a deck to use for the quest, etc. The reception unit 111 also accepts requests from the player to operate a screen to display information on a specified character. The information on a specified character refers to information on certain characters that meet certain conditions among the characters that appear in this game. For example, the information on a specified character may be information showing a ranking of popular characters or information showing a ranking of characters whose popularity is rapidly increasing.

[0034] The execution unit 112 executes the quest received by the reception unit 111.

[0035] When the reception unit 111 receives an operation from the player to display information about a predetermined character, the display control unit 113 displays an event notification screen (a screen for notifying information about an event in which a character that meets the predetermined conditions can be obtained) if the predetermined character includes a character that meets a predetermined condition.

[0036] (terminal) Figure 6 shows an example of the functional block configuration of terminal 20. Terminal 20 includes a storage unit 200, a communication unit 201, a UI (User Interface) unit 202, and a game control unit 203. The storage unit 200 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by terminal 20. The communication unit 201, the UI unit 202, and the game control unit 203 can be implemented by the processor 11 of terminal 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. The non-temporary storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0037] The memory unit 200 stores the game data necessary for the game control unit 203 to run the game. The game data includes character image data, game scenarios, and the like.

[0038] The communication unit 201 has the function of performing various types of communication with the game server 10 using the communication IF 13.

[0039] The UI unit 202 has the function of receiving various inputs from the player and displaying various game screens on the display. The UI unit 202 also displays game screens according to instructions from the game server 10.

[0040] The game control unit 203 works in conjunction with the game server 10 to provide various functions necessary to run the game. For example, the game control unit 203 provides functions such as obtaining various information (icon image data, text data, etc.) from the game server 10 for drawing on the game screen.

[0041] Regarding the functional block configuration described above, it is also possible to configure the game control unit 203 of the terminal 20 to include all or part of the reception unit 111, execution unit 112, and display control unit 113 included in the game server 10.

[0042] <Processing Procedure> Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed by the game server 10. When the reception unit 111 receives a screen operation from the player to display information about a predetermined character, the processing procedure shown in Figure 7 is initiated.

[0043] First, the display control unit 113 acquires information about a character that corresponds to a predetermined character among the characters appearing in the game (S10). For example, if the predetermined character is a popular character or a character whose popularity is rapidly increasing, the display control unit 113 acquires information about the popular character or character whose popularity is rapidly increasing by referring to the character status management DB.

[0044] Next, the display control unit 113 obtains characters that are available in currently running or upcoming events by referring to the event setting DB (S11). Then, the display control unit 113 determines whether or not a character that satisfies predetermined conditions is included among the predetermined characters (S12). If a character that satisfies the predetermined conditions is included (S12-YES), the display control unit 113 displays the event notification screen on the terminal 20's display (S13). If a character that satisfies the predetermined conditions is not included (S12-NO), the display control unit 113 terminates the process without displaying the event notification screen.

[0045] Figure 8 shows an example of a game screen. When button B10 on the screen shown in Figure 8(a) is pressed, the screen transitions to the screen shown in Figure 8(b). When button B20 is pressed on the screen in Figure 8(b), the top 10 most popular characters are displayed in display area B21, and the top 10 characters with rapidly rising popularity are displayed in display area B22. Pressing button B10 on the screen shown in Figure 8(a) corresponds to accepting screen input from the player to display information about a specified character.

[0046] The screen in Figure 8(b) displays character icon C1. Character icon C1 indicates that there is a character among the top 10 most popular characters that meets certain conditions. When character icon C1 is pressed, the screen transitions to the screen shown in Figure 8(c). The screen in Figure 8(c) displays a message encouraging the player to participate in an event where they can obtain a character that meets the conditions. When button B30 is pressed, the screen transitions to Figure 8(d), which is the screen for executing the event (for example, the gacha screen). In Figure 8(d), the icons of the characters obtainable through the event are displayed in display area B40. It will be done.

[0047] The event notification screen may correspond to the screen shown in Figure 8(c). Alternatively, the event notification screen may correspond to the screen shown in Figure 8(b), which displays icon C1 indicating the presence of a character that meets predetermined conditions.

[0048] In the example shown in Figure 8, the screen transitions are not limited to those described above. For example, when button B10 on the screen shown in Figure 8(a) is pressed, the screen may transition to the screen shown in Figure 8(c) without showing Figure 8(b). Also, the screen in Figure 8(b) is not limited to displaying popular characters and characters whose popularity is rapidly rising. Any screen that can display multiple predetermined characters side by side may be used.

[0049] <Variations of the processing procedure> [Variation (Part 1)] Characters that meet the specified conditions may also be featured characters (characters of a specified rank or higher that can be obtained in the event, and which have a higher probability of being drawn among characters of that specified rank or higher). Featured characters are often powerful characters that can give players an advantage in quests (however, this embodiment is not limited to this). This makes it easier for players to obtain featured characters from among the characters they do not own.

[0050] Furthermore, characters that meet the predetermined conditions may also be characters from the featured characters that have a predetermined relationship with a predetermined number of quests that the player has not yet played. The predetermined relationship may be a character that is predefined as a character that can help the player progress through the quest advantageously, based on the character's stats or the character's own attributes. For example, when playing a quest in which many monsters with the wood attribute appear, it is assumed that including a character with the fire attribute in the deck will allow the player to progress through the quest advantageously. In this case, the display control unit 113 may notify the terminal 20 of an event in which the character can be obtained if the quest that the player has not yet played is a quest in which many monsters with the wood attribute appear, and a character with the fire attribute is among the featured characters.

[0051] Furthermore, the specified relationship may refer to characters that are among the top specified number (e.g., top 1-3) in the data compiled from the number of times each character was used when another player cleared a quest that the player has not yet cleared. For example, suppose that for quest A, which the player has not yet cleared, the characters in the deck of another character C1 when they cleared quest A were characters U1-U4, and the characters in the deck of another character C2 when they cleared quest A were characters U4-U7. In this case, the usage count for characters U1-U3 would be calculated as 1, the usage count for character U4 would be calculated as 2, and the usage count for characters U5-U7 would be calculated as 1.

[0052] This will make it easier for players to acquire featured characters that they don't already own, but which are relevant to quests they will be playing in the future.

[0053] [Modified form (part 2)] Characters that meet certain conditions may also be popular characters (a predetermined number of characters, ranked by the total number of times they have been used in quests during a specified period). This makes it easier for players to acquire characters they do not yet own that are frequently used in quests.

[0054] [Variation (Part 3)] Characters that meet the specified conditions may be characters owned by other players (for example, characters used by friends) or characters rented from other players that were included in decks previously used by the player in quests. This makes it easy for players to obtain characters that were included in decks previously used in quests and are identical to characters owned or rented by other players.

[0055] [Modification (Part 4)] A character that meets the specified conditions may be a character used by another player who successfully completed a quest that the player was unable to complete. The character used by the other player when they completed the quest is assumed to be a character that provides advantageous effects when completing that quest. This makes it easier for the player to complete quests that they were previously unable to complete.

[0056] [Supplementary information on variations (1-4)] In this embodiment, characters may be able to gain experience points by being used in quests or be combined with other characters to transform into other, more powerful characters (hereinafter referred to as "evolution").

[0057] In this case, the "characters that satisfy the predetermined conditions" in the modified versions (versions 1 to 4) may include characters that are obtainable through events and are not owned by the player, and that, upon evolution, satisfy the conditions shown in the modified versions (versions 1 to 4) (i.e., conditions other than being obtainable through events and not owned by the player). For example, suppose there is a character m that evolves into character M. Also, suppose character m is a character that is obtainable through events and is not owned by the player. In this case, if character M is a friend's character, the display control unit 113 may treat character m as corresponding to modified version (version 3) and display the event notification screen on the terminal 20's display.

[0058] [Variation (Part 5)] The featured character may be set to appear periodically and repeatedly during the event. Furthermore, if the player executes an event after the notification screen is displayed, the display control unit 113 may redisplay the event notification screen when the featured character (the character with a high probability of being drawn) is set as the featured character again (when the probability of being drawn is set to high again). Also, if the player does not execute an event after the event notification screen is displayed, the display control unit 113 may not display the event notification screen even when the featured character is set as the featured character again.

[0059] For example, let's assume an event where characters A, B, and C are available, and character A is set as the featured character in weeks 1, 4, and 7, character B is set as the featured character in weeks 2, 5, and 8, and character C is set as the featured character in weeks 3, 6, and 9, so that the same featured character appears repeatedly in a periodic manner.

[0060] Furthermore, suppose the player does not own character A, and the display control unit 113 displays an event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) indicating that character A is available in the event during the first week when character A is set as the featured character. In this case, if the player performs the event (i.e., sees the event notification screen, decides they want to obtain character A, and performs the gacha), the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) indicating that character A is available in the event may also be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the fourth and seventh weeks.

[0061] On the other hand, if the player does not participate in the event (i.e., even after seeing the event notification screen, they do not feel the need to obtain character A and therefore do not perform the gacha), the event notification screen indicating that character A is available in the event (for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c)) may not be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the 4th and 7th weeks. This makes it possible to switch whether or not to notify the player again about the event depending on whether or not the player participated in the event, in events where featured characters can be obtained periodically with a high probability.

[0062] In the modified example (5) described above, the display control unit 113 may, after displaying the event notification screen on the player's terminal 20, switch whether or not to display the event notification screen again depending on the number of times the player has performed the event, the number of characters the player possesses, the parameters of those characters, and / or their usage in quests. For example, suppose the player does not possess character A, and the display control unit 113 displays an event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) indicating that character A is available in the event during the first week when character A is set as a featured character.

[0063] In this case, suppose the player has performed the event a predetermined number of times (1 time, 2 times, 3 times, etc.). In this case, for the 4th and 7th weeks as well, an event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) indicating that character A can be obtained through the event may be displayed on the player's terminal 20.

[0064] Furthermore, in this case, suppose the player has performed the event a predetermined number of times and obtained a predetermined number of character A (1, 2, 3, etc.). In this case, the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) may also be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the 4th and 7th weeks.

[0065] In this case, the player has performed the event a predetermined number of times or more, obtained a predetermined number of character A, and the parameters of at least one of the character A are above a predetermined level (i.e., the player has strengthened the obtained character A in some way). In this case, the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) may also be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the 4th and 7th weeks.

[0066] In this case, the player has performed the event more than a predetermined number of times, obtained more than a predetermined number of character A, and used character A in quests more than a predetermined number of times (i.e., the player has used the obtained character A in quests). In this case, the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) may also be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the 4th and 7th weeks.

[0067] In this case, the player has performed the event a predetermined number of times or more, obtained a predetermined number of character A, the parameters of at least one of character A are above a predetermined level, and used character A in quests a predetermined number of times or more. In this case, the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) may also be displayed on the player's terminal 20 during the 4th and 7th weeks.

[0068] Furthermore, in this case, if the player has not performed the event more than a predetermined number of times, the display control unit 113 may choose not to display the event notification screen (for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c)) on the player's terminal 20 during the fourth and seventh weeks.

[0069] Furthermore, in this case, if the player has acquired a predetermined number of character A but subsequently sells them or otherwise does not possess them, the display control unit 113 may choose not to display the event notification screen (for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c)) on the player's terminal 20 during the fourth and seventh weeks.

[0070] Furthermore, in this case, if the player has acquired a predetermined number of character A but has not changed any of the parameters of character A (i.e., has not strengthened character A), the display control unit 113 may choose not to display the event notification screen (for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c)) on the player's terminal 20 during the fourth and seventh weeks.

[0071] Furthermore, in this case, if the player has obtained a predetermined number of Character A characters but has not used any of them in a quest (i.e., has not strengthened any of the Character A characters), the display control unit 113 may choose not to display the event notification screen (for example, the screen shown in Figure 8(c)) on the player's terminal 20 during the fourth and seventh weeks.

[0072] On the other hand, suppose the player performed the event but was unable to obtain character A. In this case, for weeks 4 and 7, the event notification screen (for example, the screen in Figure 8(c)) indicating that character A is obtainable through the event may not be displayed on the player's terminal 20.

[0073] [Modification (Part 6)] The display control unit 113 may change the appearance of the event notification screen depending on whether there are multiple characters that satisfy the predetermined conditions or only one character that satisfies the predetermined conditions.

[0074] For example, in step S12 of Figure 7, if there are multiple characters among the given characters that satisfy a predetermined condition, the display control unit 113 may display a screen capable of displaying multiple characters as an event notification screen, as shown in Figure 8(b). Furthermore, the event notification screen may display multiple icons (for example, icons in the shape of character icon C1) indicating characters that satisfy the predetermined condition. When an icon is pressed, an event notification screen (shown in Figure 8(c)) corresponding to the event in which the character indicated by that icon can be obtained may be displayed. Also, if there are multiple characters that satisfy the predetermined condition, the shape of icon C1 may be changed to a shape indicating the existence of multiple characters that satisfy the predetermined condition (for example, "!!" if there are two characters). Note that in the screen of Figure 8(b), one icon C1 is assigned to each character, so if "!!" is displayed, two "!!" icons will be displayed in the screen of Figure 8(b). Similarly, if "!!!" is displayed, three "!!!" icons will be displayed in the screen of Figure 8(b). This makes the icon stand out more.

[0075] Furthermore, if there are multiple characters among the given characters that meet predetermined conditions, and each character is obtainable through a different event, the display control unit 113 may display the event notification screen in a manner that allows identification of the event through which the character can be obtained. For example, in the screen shown in Figure 8(b), the icon "A" may be displayed for characters obtainable through event A, and the icon "B" may be displayed for characters obtainable through event B.

[0076] On the other hand, if there is one character among the predetermined characters that satisfies a predetermined condition, the display control unit 113 may display a screen that simply shows a message encouraging the player to perform the event (a message encouraging gacha) as the event notification screen, as shown in Figure 8(c). Alternatively, the display control unit 113 may display a screen for performing the event (a screen for drawing gacha) as the event notification screen, as shown in Figure 8(d).

[0077] This makes it easy for players to see if there are multiple characters they don't own that are available for acquisition.

[0078] [Modification (Part 7)] The display control unit 113 may, when it receives a screen operation from the player to display information about a predetermined character (for example, when button B10 in Figure 8(a) is pressed), display a character list screen that displays information about the predetermined character (for example, the screen in Figure 8(b)), and when a predetermined operation is performed on the character list screen (for example, when character icon C1 is pressed on the screen in Figure 8(b)), it may display an event notification screen (the screen in Figure 8(c)).

[0079] Furthermore, the display control unit 113 may display an event notification screen when the operation to select a character that meets predetermined conditions is performed for the first time on the character list screen, but may not display the same event notification screen when the operation to select a character is performed for the second time or later on the character list screen.

[0080] For example, suppose button B10 is pressed on the screen shown in Figure 8(a), and the screen shown in Figure 8(b) is displayed. Also, suppose character icon C1 is pressed on the screen shown in Figure 8(b), and the screen shown in Figure 8(c) is displayed. Furthermore, suppose button B30 is pressed on the screen shown in Figure 8(c), and the screen shown in Figure 8(d) is displayed. In this case, suppose some screen operation is performed, and the screen shown in Figure 8(b) is displayed again. In this case, if character icon C1 is pressed on the screen shown in Figure 8(b), the screen shown in Figure 8(d) may be displayed instead of the screen shown in Figure 8(c). This makes it possible to prevent the same event notification screen from being displayed multiple times. It also makes it possible to prevent the player from feeling annoyed by being shown the same event notification screen multiple times.

[0081] [Modification (Part 8)] The display control unit 113 may, in the character list screen described in Modification (7), display predetermined characters separately into at least characters that do not meet the predetermined conditions and characters that do meet the predetermined conditions.

[0082] Furthermore, the display control unit 113 may, when a character that does not meet the predetermined conditions is selected on the character list screen, display information about the character that does not meet the predetermined conditions on the terminal 20, and when a character that does meet the predetermined conditions is selected, display an event notification screen on the terminal 20. The information about the character that does not meet the predetermined conditions may be a screen that displays the character's status details (spec details).

[0083] For example, the character list screen may be as shown in Figure 8(b), with the top 10 most popular characters displayed in display area B21 and the top 10 characters with rapidly rising popularity displayed in display area B22. The display control unit 113 may display each character shown in Figure 8(b) in a manner that allows for the identification of characters that meet predetermined conditions and characters that do not meet predetermined conditions.

[0084] Furthermore, the display control unit 113 may also display predetermined characters in the character list screen described in the modified example (No. 7) in the following three patterns.

[0085] Pattern 1: "A character that is obtainable through an event, is not owned by the player, and is designated as a featured character in that event." Pattern 2: "Characters that are obtainable through an event but are not owned by the player and are not designated as featured characters in that event," and "Characters that are not obtainable through an event and are not owned by the player." Pattern 3: "Characters owned by the player" This makes it easy for players to understand whether or not each character displayed on the character list screen meets the specified conditions.

[0086] [Modification (Part 9)] An event may include multiple events, and the display control unit 113 may extract one or more events from the multiple events that the player can execute and that allow the player to obtain a character that meets predetermined conditions, depending on the number of items the player possesses that are necessary to execute the event, and display a screen that notifies the player of the information of the extracted one or more events.

[0087] For example, let's assume that 5 items are consumed to perform event A, and 10 items are consumed to perform event B. Let's also assume that the player possesses 8 items. Furthermore, let's assume that there are two characters, Character A and Character B, that meet certain conditions, and that Character A is obtainable through event A, and Character B is obtainable through event B. In this case, since the player only possesses 8 items, they can perform event A, but they cannot perform event B. Therefore, the display control unit 113 may display an event notification screen on the terminal 20 that notifies the player of event A, which they can perform. Also, when displaying the character list screen described in Modification (7), the display control unit 113 may display Character A as a character that meets the predetermined conditions, and Character B as a character that does not meet the predetermined conditions, on the character list screen.

[0088] Furthermore, let's assume, for example, that 5 items are consumed to perform events A and B. Also, let's assume that there are characters X, Y, and Z that meet certain conditions, and that characters X and Y are obtainable in event A, and character Z is obtainable in event B. If the player has 10 or more items, the display control unit 113 may display an event notification screen on the terminal 20 that notifies the player of both events A and B that they can perform.

[0089] On the other hand, if the player has 5 to 9 items, the display control unit 113 may display an event notification screen on the terminal 20 notifying the player of either event A or event B as an actionable event. The event to be notified may be determined randomly or based on a predetermined priority. The predetermined priority may be, for example, the order of events in which the most obtainable characters among those that meet the predetermined conditions are obtained. In this case, event A allows the acquisition of two characters, X and Y, while event B allows the acquisition of only one character, Z. Therefore, the display control unit 113 may display an event notification screen on the terminal 20 notifying the player of event A, which allows the acquisition of the most obtainable characters among those that meet the predetermined conditions.

[0090] This allows players to be notified of available events based on the number of items they possess that are required to perform the event.

[0091] [Modification (Part 10)] The event notified on the event notification screen may be the event in which players can obtain characters through a lottery and which has the most characters that meet the specified conditions. This makes it easy for players to identify the event with the most characters that meet the specified conditions.

[0092] <Summary> According to the embodiments described above, it becomes possible to notify players of a way to easily obtain characters they do not own.

[0093] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements, and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined.

[0094] <Note> <Note 1> A memory unit that stores the characters owned by the player, The system includes a display control unit that, upon receiving an operation from the player to display information about a predetermined character, displays a notification screen to notify the player of an event in which a character satisfying a predetermined condition can be obtained, if the predetermined character includes a character that satisfies a predetermined condition. A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is a character obtainable in the aforementioned event and is not owned by the aforementioned player. Information processing device.

[0095] According to Appendix 1, it will be possible to notify players of easy ways to obtain characters they do not own.

[0096] <Note 2> A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is further a character of a predetermined rank or higher, and among characters of that predetermined rank or higher, it is a character with a higher probability of being drawn. The information processing device described in Appendix 1.

[0097] According to Appendix 2, players will be able to easily acquire characters of a certain rank or higher that they do not already own.

[0098] <Note 3> The characters that satisfy the aforementioned predetermined conditions are further characters that have a predetermined relationship with a quest that the player has not yet played, among the characters for which the lottery probability is set to be high. The information processing device described in Appendix 2.

[0099] According to Appendix 3, players will be able to easily acquire characters they do not currently own that are of a certain rank or higher and are relevant to quests they will be playing in the future.

[0100] <Note 4> The characters with a high probability of being drawn are set to appear repeatedly and periodically in the event. The display control unit, After the notification screen is displayed, if the player performs the event, the notification screen will be displayed again at a time when the character with the high probability of being drawn has the high probability of being drawn again. If the player has not executed the event after the notification screen has been displayed, the notification screen will not be displayed. The information processing device described in Appendix 2 or 3.

[0101] According to Appendix 4, in events where characters of a certain rank or higher can be obtained periodically with a high probability, it becomes possible to switch whether or not to notify the player of the event again, depending on whether or not the player has participated in the event.

[0102] <Note 5> The characters that satisfy the aforementioned predetermined conditions are further a predetermined number of characters, ordered by the total number of times they have been used in quests during a predetermined period. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0103] According to Appendix 5, players will be able to easily acquire characters they do not own that are frequently used in quests.

[0104] <Note 6> A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is further a character owned by another player or rented from another player that was included in a deck previously used by the player in a quest. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0105] According to Appendix 6, players will be able to easily obtain characters that were previously included in decks used in quests, as well as characters owned or rented by other players.

[0106] <Note 7> A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is also a character used by another player who cleared a quest that the aforementioned player was unable to clear. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0107] According to Appendix 7, players will be able to easily obtain characters that enable them to complete quests they were previously unable to clear.

[0108] <Note 8> The display control unit changes the appearance of the notification screen depending on whether there are multiple characters that satisfy the predetermined conditions or only one character that satisfies the predetermined conditions. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7.

[0109] According to Appendix 8, players will be able to easily determine whether or not there are multiple characters they do not own that are available for acquisition.

[0110] <Note 9> The display control unit, When the above operation is accepted, a character list screen displaying information about a specified character is displayed. On the character list screen, if the operation to select a character that meets the predetermined conditions is performed for the first time, the notification screen will be displayed; however, if the operation to select a character is performed for the second time or later on the character list screen, the notification screen will not be displayed. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0111] According to Appendix 9, it will be possible to prevent the same notification screen from being displayed multiple times.

[0112] <Note 10> The display control unit, In the character list screen, the predetermined characters are displayed separately, divided into at least characters that do not meet the predetermined conditions and characters that do meet the predetermined conditions. If a character that does not meet the predetermined conditions is selected, information about the character that does not meet the predetermined conditions will be displayed; if a character that meets the predetermined conditions is selected, the notification screen will be displayed. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 9.

[0113] According to Appendix 10, players will be able to grasp different information depending on whether or not the character meets certain conditions.

[0114] <Note 11> The aforementioned event includes multiple events, The display control unit extracts one or more events from the plurality of events that the player can execute and that allow the player to obtain a character that satisfies the predetermined conditions, according to the number of items the player possesses that are necessary for the player to execute the event, and displays a screen that notifies the player of the information of the extracted one or more events. An information processing device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 10.

[0115] According to Appendix 11, it becomes possible to notify players of available events based on the number of items they possess that are required to perform the event.

[0116] <Note 12> An information processing method performed by an information processing device, The steps include storing the player's characters in the memory unit, The system includes the step of, when the player requests the display of information about a predetermined character, and if the predetermined character includes a character that satisfies a predetermined condition, displaying a notification screen to notify the player of an event in which the character satisfying the predetermined condition can be obtained. A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is a character obtainable in the aforementioned event and is not owned by the aforementioned player. Information processing methods.

[0117] According to Appendix 12, it will be possible to notify players of easy ways to obtain characters they do not own.

[0118] <Note 13> On the computer, The steps include storing the player's characters in the memory unit, When the player requests the display of information about a predetermined character, and if the predetermined character includes a character that satisfies a predetermined condition, the player is instructed to display a notification screen to inform the player of an event in which the character satisfying the predetermined condition can be obtained. A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is a character obtainable in the aforementioned event and is not owned by the aforementioned player. program.

[0119] According to Appendix 13, it will be possible to notify players of easy ways to obtain characters they do not own. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 1...Game system, 10...Game server, 11...Processor, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication interface, 14...Input device, 15...Output device, 20...Terminal, 100...Storage unit, 100a...Player management DB, 100b...Owned character management DB, 100c...Deck management DB, 100d...Deck usage history DB, 100e...Character status management DB, 100f...Event setting DB, 110...Game control unit, 111...Reception unit, 112...Execution unit, 113...Display control unit, 200...Storage unit, 201...Communication unit, 202...UI unit, 203...Game control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A memory unit that stores the characters owned by the player, The system includes a display control unit that, upon receiving an operation from the player to display information about a predetermined character, displays a notification screen to notify the player of an event in which a character satisfying a predetermined condition can be obtained, if the predetermined character includes a character that satisfies a predetermined condition. A character that satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions is a character obtainable in the aforementioned event and is not owned by the aforementioned player. Information processing device.

Images