GAME SYSTEM, GAME SERVER, GAME PROGRAM, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING GAME SERVICES

Abstract

To provide a game system, etc. that allow a player to appropriately acquire a mission achievement privilege, etc.SOLUTION: A game system includes: a group organizing unit for associating a plurality of players constituting a group with each other; a game option setting unit for setting a game option related to a common mission for each player; a game control unit for progressing a game for each player on the basis of the set game option; a mission achievement determination unit for determining whether or not the common mission has been achieved on the basis of game play data on players constituting the group; and a privilege determination unit for determining a privilege associated with the player on the basis of a common mission achievement status and a game option setting status.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game system, a game server, and a game program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In the past, in games in which multiple players aim to accomplish a common mission, there have been games in which a bonus is given to a player upon accomplishing the mission (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-239237 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned games, because each player has a different playing style and skill, several game options (such as difficulty level) are set in advance for the game, and each player applies for matching by specifying a game option that suits his or her own playing style and skill. Players who have the same specified game options are then matched up to play the game.

[0005] However, when the number of players who want a particular game option is extremely small, it is difficult to achieve matching with that game option. In this case, some players may try to make it easier to achieve matching by playing the game with a game option that does not suit their game style or skill, making it difficult for such players to obtain the rewards for completing the mission.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a game system, game server, and game program that enable players to appropriately obtain rewards for completing missions, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The present invention relates to a game system for playing a game in which a group of players aims to accomplish a common mission, the game system including a group organization unit that associates the players of the group with each other, a game option setting unit that sets game options related to the common mission for each player, a game control unit that progresses the game for each player based on the set game options, a mission achievement determination unit that determines whether the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of the players of the group, and a benefit determination unit that determines a benefit to be associated with the player based on the achievement status of the common mission and the setting status of the game options. The present invention also relates to a game server including the above-mentioned units. The present invention also relates to a game program for causing a computer to function as the above-mentioned units. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable information storage medium that stores the above-mentioned game program.

[0008] According to the present invention, a player can appropriately obtain rewards according to the progress of common missions and the setting status of game options, and can enjoy game play with game options that suit his / her own game style and ability.

[0009] (2) In addition, in the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine a common benefit to be associated with the player based on the achievement status of the common mission, and may determine a special benefit to be associated with the player based on the setting status of the game option.

[0010] According to the present invention, a player can obtain not only common benefits according to the achievement status of a common mission, but also special benefits according to the setting status of game options, and can enjoy game play with game options that suit his / her own game style and ability.

[0011] (3) In addition, in the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine the benefit based on the setting status of the game option when the common mission is accomplished.

[0012] According to the present invention, when a player accomplishes a common mission, the player can obtain a benefit according to the setting status of the game options, and can enjoy playing the game with game options that suit his / her own game style and ability.

[0013] (4) In addition, in the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the mission achievement determination unit may determine whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of each of the multiple players constituting the group.

[0014] According to the present invention, whether or not a common mission has been accomplished is determined based on the game play data of each of the multiple players constituting a group, so that players can enjoy a game in which they cooperate with other players constituting the group to accomplish a common mission.

[0015] (5) In addition, in the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the mission achievement determination unit may determine that the common mission has been accomplished when game play data of each of the multiple players constituting the group satisfies a given condition.

[0016] According to the present invention, when the game play data of each of the multiple players constituting a group satisfies given conditions, it is determined that a common mission has been accomplished, and thus the player can enjoy a game in which the player cooperates with the other players constituting the group to accomplish the common mission.

[0017] (6) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the group formation unit may allow association of players who do not have the same set of game options.

[0018] According to the present invention, since a match will not be prevented by setting a specific game option, a player can enjoy playing the game with game options that suit his / her own game style and ability.

[0019] (7) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine the benefit based on the setting status of the game option that was set before the game was executed.

[0020] According to the present invention, a player can appropriately obtain a benefit according to a game option set before playing a game.

[0021] (8) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the benefit determination unit may present to the player the content of the benefit determined before the game is executed.

[0022] According to the present invention, the player can check the contents of the benefit determined according to the game options that he or she has set, and determine whether or not to apply for matching.

[0023] (9) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine whether or not to provide a benefit based on a setting history of the game options.

[0024] According to the present invention, a player can appropriately obtain a benefit according to the setting history of game options.

[0025] (10) In addition, in the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium of the present invention, the benefit determination unit may give preferential treatment to the content of the benefit when the game result is better than the game result of a player for whom a different game option was set.

[0026] According to the present invention, a player can appropriately obtain a benefit according to the setting status of game options and the game result.

[0027] (11) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the game option setting unit may set information relating to difficulty level as the game option.

[0028] According to the present invention, players can appropriately obtain rewards according to their progress in completing common missions and the difficulty level settings, and can enjoy gameplay at a difficulty level that suits their own gaming style and ability.

[0029] (12) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the benefit determination unit may give preferential treatment to the content of the benefit as the set difficulty level becomes higher.

[0030] According to the present invention, the player can appropriately obtain benefits according to the difficulty level setting.

[0031] (13) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine the benefit based on attributes and / or the number of players in the group.

[0032] According to the present invention, a player can appropriately obtain a benefit according to the attributes and number of players constituting the group.

[0033] (14) In the game system, game server, game program, and information storage medium according to the present invention, the benefit determination unit may determine the benefit based on a type of the common mission.

[0034] According to the present invention, the player can appropriately obtain a benefit depending on the type of common mission. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a server according to the embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 13 shows a game screen displayed on the display unit of a player's terminal when applying for matching. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a table for storing information on a team made up of a plurality of matched players. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a game screen displayed on the display unit of each matched player's terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the characters of each player on a team and an enemy character arranged in a game space. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the game system of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The present embodiment will be described below. Note that the present embodiment described below does not unduly limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily necessary configurations of the present invention.

[0037] 1. Configuration Fig. 1 shows a game system according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the game system is configured with a plurality of terminals 10 and a server 20 (server system). That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the game system according to the present embodiment is configured such that the server 20 (game server) that provides a service and the terminals 10 (10A, 10B, 10C, etc.) can be connected to a network.

[0038] The server 20 is an information processing device that provides online game services in response to requests from the terminals 10. The server 20 can be composed of one or more servers (authentication server, matching server, game processing server, communication server, billing server, database server, etc.).

[0039] In this embodiment, the game is executed on the terminal 10, and the server 20 executes a process of matching players with each other, a process of controlling the progress of the game executed on the terminal 10, a process of granting benefits to players, etc. The server 20 also manages information such as the player's account information, the game results of the game executed on the terminal 10, and game media (virtual cards representing characters, items, in-game currency, etc.) that can be used in the game.

[0040] The terminal 10 is an information processing device such as a mobile terminal (smartphone, mobile phone, portable game machine, etc.), a personal computer (PC), a game device, an image generating device, etc., and is a device that can be connected to the server 20 via a network such as the Internet (WAN) or a LAN. The communication line between the terminal 10 and the server 20 may be wired or wireless.

[0041] An example of a functional block diagram of the server 20 of this embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. Note that the server of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (units) of Fig. 2 are omitted.

[0042] The storage unit 270 stores programs and various data for causing the computer to function as each unit of the processing unit 200, and also functions as a work area for the processing unit 200. can be realized by a hard disk, a RAM, etc. The memory unit 270 includes a storage unit 272 (for example, a database).

[0043] The storage unit 272 stores player information for each of a plurality of players participating in an online game executed in the game system of this embodiment. For example, the storage unit 272 stores, as player information, a player name (player account), a password, destination information (IP address, etc.) of the terminal 10, etc., in association with player identification information (player ID, terminal ID used by the player, etc.) for each of a plurality of players. The storage unit 272 also stores, as player information, information for identifying other players who are in a friend relationship (an example of a predetermined relationship) with the player. The storage unit 272 also stores, as player information, information on game media owned by the player in association with the player identification information. The storage unit 272 stores, as player information, game play data (game status, game result, etc.) for each player in association with the player identification information.

[0044] The communication unit 296 performs various controls for communicating with the terminal 10 and other servers, and the functions thereof can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, or programs.

[0045] The processing unit 200 (processor) performs various processes such as player information management, login / logout processing, and communication control processing based on data, programs, etc. transmitted from the terminal 10 and received via the communication unit 296. The processing unit 200 performs various processes using the storage unit 270 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 200 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASIC (gate array, etc.), or by programs.

[0046] In the game system of the present embodiment, a game is executed in which a group of players form a group and aim to accomplish a common mission. The game may be a game in which players in a group cooperate to take on a common mission. Hereinafter, a group in which players cooperate is also referred to as a "team." For example, the game may be a game in which teams compete against each other (for example, a game in which the common mission is to defeat an enemy team), or a game in which teams compete against NPCs (multiple or single NPCs) (for example, a game in which the common mission is to defeat an enemy NPC). The game may also be a game in which players in a group compete against each other (for example, a game in which the common mission is to defeat other players in the group). In this case, the game may be a game in which only players compete against each other, or a game in which an NPC that interferes with the players' competition or an NPC that helps the players is present. The game of the present embodiment can be applied to, for example, shooting games (TPS and FPS), action games, puzzle games, racing games, RPGs, and rhythm games.

[0047] The common mission may be a mission common only to players in a team, or a mission common to players outside the team (players on the enemy team, players on a team competing against other teams, or other players playing the game). The common mission may be a mission that is completed if any player in the team completes it (for example, defeating an enemy boss, acquiring a specific item, etc.), or a mission that cannot be completed without cooperation within the team (for example, all members of the team clear it, all members survive, the whole team acquires a number of points that cannot be acquired by one person, etc.). In addition, the success or failure of the mission completion may be determined for each individual player. For example, the mission may be completed if a player defeats a predetermined number of enemies before other players, or if a player acquires a predetermined number of points (score, etc.) before other players. Examples of common missions include defeating a specific enemy (for example, a boss NPC), defeating an enemy (a player or NPC on the enemy team, a group of players, or a group of players), and defeating a specific enemy (a player or NPC on the enemy team, a group of players, or a group of players). These goals include defeating a certain number of enemy NPCs, surviving until the time limit is up (for example, in a game where the team with the most surviving players wins), defeating all enemy NPCs, defeating all enemy players, obtaining a specific item, reaching the goal before the enemy, occupying the enemy's base, defending your own base, obtaining a certain number of points or items, clearing a stage with the number of failures or stamina remaining (for example, in the case of a rhythm game, playing until the end of the song), etc.

[0048] The processing unit 200 includes a group formation unit 210 , a game option setting unit 212 , a game control unit 214 , a mission achievement determination unit 216 , and a benefit determination unit 218 .

[0049] The group formation unit 210 performs a process of associating (matching) players constituting a group. Information associating players (information identifying each player belonging to a group) is stored in the storage unit 272. The group formation unit 210 may automatically match players, or may match players who have applied for matching when a matching application is received from a player. In addition, the group formation unit 210 may accept a member recruitment from a player and an application for the member recruitment, and when a player who has made the member recruitment approves another player who has applied for the member recruitment, match the player and the other player. In addition, the matching process may not be performed by the server 20, but may be performed between terminals 10 connected by short-distance wireless or the like.

[0050] Furthermore, the group formation unit 210 may allow matching between players who do not share the same set game options (described later) (matching may be performed without considering the set game options). The group formation unit 210 may match players who share a common attribute other than the game option (attributes that cannot be arbitrarily set by the player, such as level, game play history, ranking, age, and gender), or may perform matching without considering the attribute. A group may include multiple players, and may further include an NPC in addition to the multiple players.

[0051] The game option setting unit 212 sets game options related to common missions for each player based on the player's operation. Setting information of the game options for each player is stored in the storage unit 272. Note that "setting game options based on the player's operation" may mean setting a game option designated by the operation, or may mean automatically (for example, randomly) determining and setting a game option according to the operation. For example, when a player performs an operation for making a matching application or performs a given operation (for example, operates a button such as a "game option setting button"), a game option may be randomly determined and set, or when a player performs a given operation (for example, operates a button such as a "preference setting button"), a game option may be automatically determined and set according to the player's past setting tendency (for example, sets a game option that has been set by the player many times (or frequently) in the past). The game option setting unit 212 may set game options for each player based on the operation of each player before the game is executed. In addition, the game option setting unit 212 may set information (options) related to the difficulty level of the game as a game option. Depending on the set difficulty level, for example, the number and abilities (attack power, defense power, stamina, etc.) of enemies in the game, the abilities of the player character, the length of the time limit, the speed at which blocks fall in a puzzle game, and the number and appearance of notes in a rhythm game may change. Note that as game options, the difficulty level itself (high, medium, low, etc.) may be set, or options that affect the difficulty level may be set. For example, as game options, the characters used in the game, the types and attributes of the characters used (attributes such as fire attribute, occupation, etc.), items used (weapons, etc.), the number of enemies appearing in the game, Capabilities, time limits, etc. may be set. As game options, whether to use automatic aiming (auto aim) or manual aiming (manual aim) may be set, and the camera angle (whether to use an angle close to the target object or an angle far from it, whether to change the angle automatically or manually, etc.) may be set. As game options, the game start position or the start point in the game space (whether a point with many enemies or a point with few enemies, a point that is difficult to attack or a point that is easy to attack) may be set. As game options, the part in charge (what to be in charge of in the game, the character's occupation, etc.) may be set. As a case where the difficulty level (how difficult it is to inflict damage, how easily it is to receive damage) differs for each part of the enemy boss character, the part of the boss character (the part in charge of attacking) may be set as a game option. As a game option, a handicap in the game may be set. As a case where different types of games can be played, the type of game to be played may be set as a game option.

[0052] The game control unit 214 controls the progress of the game for each player based on the game options set for each player. The game control unit 214 receives input information from the terminal 10 of a player belonging to a group (team), transmits the input information to the terminal 10 of another player belonging to the group (in the case of a team vs. team match, further to the terminal 10 of a player belonging to the opponent team), and generates information for progressing the game executed in the terminal 10 of the player according to the game options (difficulty level, etc.) set in association with the player, and transmits the information to the terminal 10. The game control unit 214 also updates the game play data of each player stored in the storage unit 272 based on game result information, etc. transmitted from the terminal 10 of each player who played the game.

[0053] The mission achievement determination unit 216 determines whether or not a common mission has been achieved by the group based on gameplay data of the players constituting the group (team) (enemies defeated, number of enemies defeated, items acquired, number of points and items acquired, success or failure of clearing the game or occupying the enemy base, success or failure of reaching the goal or surviving, etc.). The mission achievement determination unit 216 may determine whether or not a common mission has been achieved based on gameplay data of each of the multiple players constituting the group (i.e., as a result of the multiple players cooperating). For example, it may be determined that a common mission has been achieved when gameplay data of each of the multiple players constituting the group satisfies a given condition (e.g., each of the multiple players has cleared the game or survived).

[0054] The benefit determination unit 218 determines a benefit to be associated with the player based on the achievement status of the common mission and the setting status of the game options. A benefit (including a common benefit and a special benefit described later) may be to grant game media (such as a character, a card, an item, or in-game currency) or to change the parameters of the game media owned by the player (for example, to strengthen an ability such as an attack power, to grant a new ability (such as a skill), to improve rarity, to strengthen equipment such as a weapon, or to change the appearance). In addition, the benefit may be to change the ease of accomplishing a common mission in a game to be played next or later (for example, reducing the abilities of enemies to be defeated, reducing the number of enemies to be defeated, reducing the number of points or items to be acquired, improving the method of calculating acquired points or adding a specified number of points to the acquired points, making it easier to acquire items, or lengthening the time limit), or to change the ease of accomplishing a common mission in a game played currently (making it appear as if the mission has been accomplished, even though it has not been accomplished, by reducing the number of enemies to be defeated, the number of points or items to be acquired, or adding a specified number of points to the acquired points).

[0055] The benefit determination unit 218 may determine a common benefit to be associated with a player based on the achievement status of a common mission. A common benefit may be given to players in a team who have completed the mission. In this case, the content of the common benefit given to each player in the team may be common to each player (equally given to each player in the team). In addition, the content of the common benefit may be differentiated according to the contribution of each player in the team to the completion of the mission (for example, the number of enemies defeated, the amount of damage inflicted on enemies, the number of items or points acquired), etc., and the more the contribution of a player, the more favorable the content of the common benefit given to that player (for example, giving game media with higher abilities or rarity, giving more game media, increasing the parameters of the game media owned by the player, or giving the benefit earlier). In addition, a common benefit may be given to players in a team even if the common mission is not completed. In this case, the content of the common benefit given to a player when the common mission is completed may be more favorable than when the common mission is not completed. In addition, when judging whether or not a mission has been completed for each individual player, the common benefit may be awarded only to players who have completed the common mission, or the common benefit may be awarded regardless of whether or not the common mission has been completed, but the content of the common benefit awarded to players who have completed the common mission may be more favorable than the content of the common benefit awarded to players who have not completed the common mission.

[0056] The benefit determination unit 218 may also determine a special benefit associated with a player based on the setting status of a game option. For example, when a difficulty level is set as a game option, the higher the difficulty level set for a player, the more favorable the content of the special benefit to be given to the player. When an option that affects the difficulty level is set as a game option, the more favorable the content of the special benefit to be given to a player who has set an option that increases the difficulty level (for example, a character with low ability is set as the character to be used, an enemy with high ability is set as the enemy appearing in the game, a short time is set as the time limit, manual aiming is set, or a point with many enemies or a point that is difficult to attack is set as the game start point), the more favorable the content of the special benefit to be given to the player.

[0057] In addition, granting a special benefit to a player may mean changing (e.g., giving preferential treatment to) the content of the common benefit granted to the player. Also, giving preferential treatment to the content of the special benefit may mean, instead of (or in addition to) giving preferential treatment to the content of the special benefit granted to the player, giving preferential treatment to the content of the common benefit granted to the player (including changing the common benefit from not being granted to being granted to being granted, and not degrading (not diminishing) the content of the common benefit), or may mean giving preferential treatment to the content of the benefit granted to another player (e.g., another player who is a friend of the player).

[0058] In addition, the benefit determination unit 218 may determine a special benefit to be associated with a player (a player in the team that has achieved the mission, or a player who has achieved the mission) based on the setting status of the game option when the common mission is achieved. In this case, only the special benefit may be granted (simply granted as a "benefit") without granting the common benefit. In this case, the content of the "benefit" granted to the player may be more favorable for a player with a higher set difficulty level. In addition, a special benefit may be granted to a player even if the common mission is not achieved. In this case, the content of the special benefit granted to the player may be more favorable when the common mission is achieved than when it is not achieved. In addition, a special benefit may be granted to a player when the achievement status of the common mission satisfies a given condition. For example, if some of the players in a team (e.g., 4 out of 5 players) complete a common mission, each player in the team may be given only a common benefit, whereas if all the players in a team (e.g., 5 out of 5 players) complete a common mission, each player in the team may be given a special benefit in addition to the common benefit. Also, the special benefit may be given after a predetermined time has elapsed since the completion of the common mission. Also, the special benefit may not be given when the common mission is completed. In addition to granting a special bonus to a player who has completed a common mission, a special bonus may be additionally granted after a predetermined time has elapsed since the completion of the mission. The additional special bonus may be granted when the completion rate of the common mission (or other missions) is low after the completion of the common mission. In addition, when there is another player who has set the same game option as the player who has completed the common mission, a special bonus determined according to the game option may be distributed and granted to the multiple players who have set the game option.

[0059] The bonus determination unit 218 may also give preferential treatment to the content of the special bonus associated with a player when the game result of the player is excellent. For example, when the player plays a game with a high level of difficulty (for example, defeats an enemy by attacking a specific part of the enemy (for example, by a headshot) in a shooting game), helps (follows) another player in the game, or follows up on another player's mistake), the bonus may be given preferentially to the content of the special bonus given to the player. When the player plays a game in which the player supports another player outside the team who will play the same mission game later (for example, buries an item so that it can be taken out later), the bonus may be given to the player in an additional special bonus after a predetermined time has elapsed since the mission was accomplished (or when another player has received the support). When the game result of the player is superior to the game result of another player who has a higher difficulty level than the player, the bonus may be given preferentially to the player.

[0060] The benefit determination unit 218 may also determine whether to give preferential treatment to the content of the special benefit associated with the player based on the setting history of the game options of the player. For example, when the number of times the player has set a game option in the past is less than a predetermined value (for example, when the game option is set for the first time), the content of the special benefit to be given to the player may be given preferential treatment. In this case, even if the difficulty level set as the game option is low or the game result of the player is not excellent, the content of the special benefit may be given preferential treatment when the game option is set for the first time. Also, when the player wins games consecutively (has a winning streak) with the same game option set, the content of the special benefit to be given to the player may be given preferential treatment.

[0061] The benefit determination unit 218 may also determine a benefit (a special benefit, or a "benefit" when no common benefit is given) associated with a player based on the setting status of the game options of the player set before the game is executed. In this case, the benefit determination unit 218 may present the determined benefit to the player before the game is executed (display it on the display unit of the player's terminal 10). In addition, when the special benefit is to be given preferential treatment when a given condition is satisfied (for example, when a common mission is accomplished), the benefit determination unit 218 may present this to the player before the game is executed.

[0062] The benefit determination unit 218 may also determine a benefit (common benefit and / or special benefit) to be associated with a player based on information about a common mission (information that cannot be set individually by a player). For example, the benefit to be granted to a player belonging to a group (team) aiming to achieve a common mission may be determined according to the number of players belonging to the group, and the benefit may be given more favorably the smaller the number of players (or the smaller the ratio of the actual number of participants to a predetermined maximum number of players). In addition, when a group does not include an NPC, the benefit to be granted to a player belonging to the group may be given more favorably than when an NPC is included. In addition, the benefit to be granted to a player belonging to the group may be determined according to the attributes (level, game play history, ranking, age, gender, etc.) of the players belonging to the group. In addition, the benefit to be granted to a player belonging to the group may be determined according to the number of players belonging to each attribute in the group. The bonus to be given to the player belonging to the group may be determined based on the number of players with high levels and the number of players with long game playing experience among the players belonging to the group. The bonus to be given to the player who aims to achieve the mission may be determined based on the type of the common mission (the type of the game itself related to the common mission, the length of time to play the game, whether or not a specific object is placed in the game, etc.). When one mission is selected from multiple missions and played, the bonus may be determined based on the number of missions selected, and the more popular the mission is with a larger number of selections (or the less popular the mission is with a smaller number of selections), the more favorable the bonus to be given to the player who plays the game with the mission.

[0063] An example of a functional block diagram of the terminal 10 of this embodiment is shown in Fig. 3. Note that the game device of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (sections) of Fig. 3 are omitted.

[0064] The input unit 150 is a device for inputting (detecting) input information from a player, and outputs the player's input information (operation input) to the processing unit 100. The functions of the input unit 150 can be realized by input devices such as a touch panel, a touch pad, a mouse, directional keys or buttons, and a keyboard.

[0065] The storage unit 170 stores programs and various data for causing the computer to function as each unit of the processing unit 100, and also functions as a work area for the processing unit 100, the function of which can be realized by a hard disk, RAM, or the like.

[0066] The display unit 190 outputs the game image generated by the processing unit 100, and the function thereof can be realized by a display such as a touch panel, LCD, or HMD (head mounted display) that also functions as the input unit 150.

[0067] The sound output unit 192 outputs the sound generated by the processing unit 100, and the function thereof can be realized by a speaker, a headphone, or the like.

[0068] The communication unit 196 performs various controls for communicating with the server 20 and other terminals 10, and the functions thereof can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, and the like.

[0069] Note that the programs and various data for causing a computer to function as each part of the processing unit 100, which are stored in an information storage medium or storage unit possessed by the server 20, may be received via a network, and the received programs and data may be stored in the storage unit 170. Such cases in which a terminal is caused to function by receiving programs and various data are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0070] The processing unit 100 (processor) performs processes such as game processing, image generation processing, and sound generation processing based on input information (operation information) from the input unit 150, a program, data received via the communication unit 196, and the like. The functions of the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASIC (gate array, etc.), and by a program. When a player operates to apply for matching or to instruct the setting of a game option, the processing unit 100 transmits instruction information to that effect to the server 20, and also transmits input information of the player during game execution, etc. to the server 20. The processing unit 100 includes a game processing unit 110, an image generation unit 120, and a sound generation unit 130.

[0071] The game processing unit 110 processes input information from the input unit 150 and information received from the server 20 (information for progressing the game according to the set game options, input information of other players, etc. The game is executed in which a group consisting of the player and other players aims to accomplish a common mission based on the player's unique information (such as force information).

[0072] The image generation unit 120 performs drawing processing based on the results of various processes performed by the processing unit 100, thereby generating a game image, and outputs it to the display unit 190. The image generation unit 120 may generate an image (a so-called three-dimensional image) that can be seen from a virtual camera (a given viewpoint) in the object space (game space).

[0073] The sound generation unit 130 performs sound processing based on the results of various processes performed by the processing unit 100 , generates game sounds such as background music, sound effects, or voices, and outputs them to the sound output unit 192 .

[0074] Furthermore, when the game is started, the processing unit 100 transmits information to the server 20 to notify the server 20 that the game has been started, and when the game is ended, the processing unit 100 transmits game result information (information on the game media owned by the player, game progress status, etc.) on the game result and various game parameters to the server 20. The server 20 performs an update process of various data associated with each player based on the game result information transmitted from the game device (terminal 10). The example is not limited to the case where the game result information generated on the terminal 10 side is transmitted to the server 20, but the game result information may be generated on the server 20 side based on various information sequentially transmitted from the terminal 10 to the server 20 during game execution. Also, whether the game is ended may be determined on the terminal 10 side or on the server 20 side.

[0075] The game system of this embodiment may be configured as a server system. The server system may be configured with one or more servers (authentication server, game processing server, communication server, billing server, database server, etc.). In this case, the server system performs processing of the game processing unit 110 based on operation input (data input to an input unit of a terminal) transmitted from one or more terminals (e.g., a smartphone, a mobile phone, a portable game machine, etc.) connected via a network, generates image generation data for generating an image, and transmits the generated image generation data to each terminal. Here, the image generation data is data for displaying an image generated by the method of this embodiment on each terminal, and may be image data itself or various data (object data, game processing result data, etc.) used by each terminal to generate an image. In this way, the processing of the group formation unit 210, the game option setting unit 212, the game control unit 214, the mission achievement determination unit 216, the benefit determination unit 218, and the game processing unit 110 may be configured to be executed all by the server, may be configured to be executed all by the terminal, or may be configured to be executed in a distributed manner between the server and the terminal. The present invention can be applied to game apps executed on smartphones, game software for home game consoles, game software for PCs, browser games for smartphones and PCs, and commercial game machines.

[0076] 2. Method of the Present Invention Next, the method of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0077] In the game system of the present embodiment, a game is executed in which a plurality of players form a team and the players in the team cooperate to accomplish a common mission. Here, a game in which the team plays against an NPC and the common mission is to defeat an enemy NPC will be described as an example.

[0078] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a game screen GI displayed on the display unit 190 (touch panel) of the player's terminal 10 when applying for matching. The game screen GI shown in FIG. 4 displays three setting buttons BH, BM, and BL for setting the difficulty level (one example of a game option), and an application button BA for executing the matching application. The setting button BH is for setting the difficulty level, The setting button BH is a button for setting the difficulty level to "high", the setting button BM is a button for setting the difficulty level to "medium", and the setting button BL is a button for setting the difficulty level to "low". The three setting buttons BH, BM, and BL each display the contents of the benefit (special benefit) that will be given to the player when the common mission is accomplished. In this example, an item "A" is determined as the special benefit corresponding to the difficulty level "high", an item "B" that is less valuable (such as ability or rarity) than the item "A" is determined as the special benefit corresponding to the difficulty level "medium", and an item "C" that is less valuable than the item "B" is determined as the special benefit corresponding to the difficulty level "low". In other words, the player can obtain the item "A" as the special benefit by defeating an enemy when the difficulty level is set to "high", can obtain the item "B" as the special benefit by defeating an enemy when the difficulty level is set to "medium", and can obtain the item "C" as the special benefit by defeating an enemy when the difficulty level is set to "low". Here, when applying for matching, the contents of the special bonus determined according to the difficulty level are presented to the player, so that the player can confirm the contents of the special bonus and apply for matching. After applying for matching, the contents of the special bonus determined according to the difficulty level set by the player may be presented to the player, so that the player can confirm the contents of the special bonus and cancel the application for matching.

[0079] When a player operates (selects) one of the three setting buttons BH, BM, or BL and then operates the application button BA, a matching application including information on the selected difficulty level is accepted by the server 20, and the server 20 matches (matches) the player with other players who have also made matching applications.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a table that stores information on a team consisting of a plurality of matched players. This table is stored in the storage unit 272. The table 300 stores, in association with the team ID 310 of the team, the player ID 320 of each player belonging to the team and the difficulty level 330 (game option setting status) set by each player. In this example, the team "A" is composed of three players "a", "b", and "c", and the player "a" sets the difficulty level to "high", and the players "b" and "c" set the difficulty level to "low". In this way, in this embodiment, matching between players who have set different difficulty levels is permitted.

[0081] When matching is established, as shown in FIG. 6, a game screen GI indicating that matching has been established is displayed on the display unit 190 of the terminal 10 of each of the matched players. In this example, a game screen GI indicating the player name of each player constituting team "A" is displayed on the display unit 190 of each of the terminals 10 of the three players "a", "b", and "c" constituting team "A". The game screen shown in FIG. 6 displays an execution button BR for starting execution of the game. When each matched player operates the execution button BR, a game is executed on the terminal 10 of each of the matched players in which team "A" competes against an enemy NPC.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the characters of each player in a team and enemy characters arranged in the game space. In the game space, enemy characters EN, which are enemy NPCs, and characters of each player in a team (character Pa of player "a", character Pb of player "b", and character Pc of player "c" in team "A") are arranged. The enemy character EN is composed of three parts: head HD (upper part), torso BD (middle part), and foot FT (lower part), and the part that each player's character will be responsible for attacking is determined according to the difficulty level set by each player. The higher the difficulty level set by a player, the stronger the part that the player's character will be responsible for. Specifically, the character of a player who has set the difficulty level "high" will be responsible for the head HD, which has the highest attack power and defense power, the character of a player who has set the difficulty level "medium" will be responsible for the torso BD, which has the next highest attack power and defense power, and the character of a player who has set the difficulty level "low" will be responsible for the foot FT, which has the lowest attack power and defense power. Here, among the characters of the players in team "A," character Pa of player "a" who set the difficulty level to "high" is placed on the top platform S1 and is in charge of the head HD, and characters Pb and Pc of players "b" and "c" who set the difficulty level to "low" are placed on the bottom platform S3 and are in charge of the feet FT. If a player in the team set the difficulty level to "medium," the character of that player is placed on the middle platform S2 and is in charge of the torso BD.

[0083] When the game starts, the characters Pa, Pb, and Pc of each player attack the enemy character EN (the body part that each character is responsible for) based on the operation of each player in the team, and the vitality value of the enemy character EN decreases according to the attack power of the character Pa who attacked the head HD and the defensive power of the head HD, the vitality value of the enemy character EN decreases according to the attack power of the character Pb who attacked the foot FT and the defensive power of the foot FT, and the vitality value of the enemy character EN decreases according to the attack power of the character Pc who attacked the foot FT and the defensive power of the foot FT. Each body part of the enemy character EN is destroyed when it receives a certain amount of damage. Also, if the torso BD or foot FT of the enemy character EN is destroyed before the head HD of the enemy character EN, the attack power and defensive power of the head HD are reduced, and if the foot FT is destroyed before the torso BD, the attack power and defensive power of the torso BD are reduced. In other words, by destroying the lower parts of the enemy character EN before the upper parts, the battle with the enemy character EN can be advantageously advanced. Furthermore, the enemy character EN attacks the characters Pa, Pb, and Pc according to a given algorithm, and the physical strength value of the character Pa is reduced according to the attacking power of the enemy character EN (head HD) that attacked the character Pa and the defensive power of the character Pa, the physical strength value of the character Pb is reduced according to the attacking power of the enemy character EN (foot FT) that attacked the character Pb and the defensive power of the character Pb, and the physical strength value of the character Pc is reduced according to the attacking power of the enemy character EN (foot FT) that attacked the character Pc and the defensive power of the character Pc. Then, before the physical strength values ​​of the characters Pa, Pb, and Pc become a predetermined value (for example, 0) or less (or before the time limit has elapsed), if the physical strength value of the enemy character EN becomes a predetermined value or less (if the total amount of damage inflicted by the characters Pa, Pb, and Pc to the enemy character EN becomes a predetermined value or more), or if all parts of the enemy character EN are destroyed, the enemy character EN is defeated, and the common mission of team "A" to defeat the enemy character EN is accomplished.

[0084] When the common mission of team "A" is accomplished, a common benefit is given to each player "a", "b", and "c" in team "A". Here, the same benefit may be given to each player in the team as the common benefit, or different benefits may be given as the common benefit depending on the contribution of each player to the accomplishment of the mission. For example, the greater the amount of damage inflicted by a player's character on an enemy character EN, the more favorable the content of the common benefit given to that player may be (for example, more valuable game media may be given, or more game media may be given).

[0085] Furthermore, when the common mission of team "A" is accomplished, each of players "a", "b", and "c" in team "A" is granted a special privilege determined based on the set difficulty level. That is, as presented in the game screen GI shown in FIG. 4, player "a" who set the difficulty level to "high" is granted item "A" as a special privilege, and players "b" and "c" who set the difficulty level to "low" are granted item "C" as a special privilege. In addition, if the game result of a player is superior to the game results of other players who set a difficulty level higher than that of the player, the content of the special privilege granted to the player may be preferential. For example, if the character Pc of player "C" who set the difficulty level to "low" destroys the foot part FT before the character Pa of player "A" who set the difficulty level to "high" destroys the head HD, the attack power and attack power of the head HD are reduced. Therefore, the game result of player "C" is determined to be superior, and player "C" is granted item "C" as a special privilege. An item of high value (item "B" or item "A", or an item of higher value than these) may be given.

[0086] According to this embodiment, matching between players with different difficulty settings is permitted, and when a team accomplishes a common mission, the players can obtain a common benefit as well as a special benefit according to the set difficulty, so that the players can enjoy playing the game at a difficulty level that suits their own game style and ability. In addition, by giving preferential treatment to the content of the special benefit according to the game results of the players, the players can appropriately obtain benefits according to the difficulty setting and the game results. In addition, the content of the special benefit determined according to the difficulty setting is presented to the players before the start of the game, so that the players can check the content of the special benefit before applying for matching.

[0087] 3. Processing Next, an example of the processing of the game system (server 20) of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0088] First, the group formation unit 210 judges whether or not a matching application has been received from the player's terminal 10 (step S10). If a matching application has been received (Y in step S10), the group formation unit 210 accepts the matching application from the player, and the game option setting unit 212 sets the game options designated by the player at the time of the matching application in association with the player (step S11). Next, the benefit determination unit 218 determines a special benefit to be given to the player based on the setting status of the game options of the player, and presents the content of the determined special benefit to the player (step S12). That is, information for displaying the content of the determined special benefit on the display unit 190 of the player's terminal 10 is transmitted to the terminal 10. Next, the group formation unit 210 judges whether or not matching is possible (the number of players who have applied for matching but have not been matched has reached a predetermined number) (step S13), and if matching is not possible (N in step S13), the group formation unit 210 proceeds to step S10. If matching is possible (Y in step S13), the group formation unit 210 matches the players who have applied for matching with each other, and registers the player ID of each matched player and the game options set for each player in table 300 in association with the group ID (team ID) (step S14).

[0089] Next, the game control unit 214 judges whether or not it has received information instructing the start of the game from the terminal 10 of each matched player (within the group) (step S15), and if it has received the information (Y in step S15), it controls the game to proceed for each player based on the game options set for each player in the group (step S16). That is, it generates information for proceeding the game executed in the terminal 10 of each player according to the game options set for each player, and transmits it to the terminal 10 of each player. Next, the game control unit 214 judges whether or not it has received a notification of the end of the game from the terminal 10 of a player in the group (step S17), and if it has received the notification (Y in step S17), it updates and acquires the game play data of each player based on the game result information transmitted from the terminal 10 of each player in the group (step S18).

[0090] Next, the mission achievement determination unit 216 determines whether the group's common mission has been achieved based on the acquired game play data (step S19). If the mission has been achieved (step S20), the benefit determination unit 218 grants a common benefit to each player in the group (step S21) and provides each player in the group with the special benefit determined in step S12 (based on the game option settings of each player). The bonus is granted (step S22).

[0091] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, a term cited as a broadly defined or synonymous term in the description in the specification or drawings can be replaced with a broadly defined or synonymous term in other descriptions in the specification or drawings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10... terminal, 20... server, 100... processing unit, 110... game processing unit, 120... image generation unit, 130... sound generation unit, 150... input unit, 170... storage unit, 190... display unit, 192... sound output unit, 196... communication unit, 200... processing unit, 210... group formation unit, 212... game option setting unit, 214... game control unit, 216... mission achievement determination unit, 218... benefit determination unit, 270... storage unit, 272... storage unit, 296... communication unit

Claims

1. A game system for executing a game in which a group of multiple players aims to accomplish a common mission, a group formation unit that associates a plurality of players that constitute the group with each other; a game option setting unit that sets game options related to the common mission for each player based on an operation of the player; a game control unit that progresses the game for each player based on the set game options; a mission achievement determination unit that determines whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of the players constituting the group; a benefit determination unit that determines a benefit to be assigned to the player based on an achievement status of the common mission and a setting status of the game option, The group formation unit includes: allowing players to be associated with each other who do not share the set game options; The game option setting unit includes: Setting information regarding difficulty as the game option, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a high set difficulty level are given more preferential treatment than the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a low set difficulty level.

2. In claim 1, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that a common benefit associated with the player is determined based on the achievement status of the common mission, and a special benefit associated with the player is determined based on the setting status of the game option.

3. In claim 1 or 2, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that, when the common mission is accomplished, the benefit is determined based on the setting status of the game option.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The mission achievement determination unit A game system comprising: a game player group that determines whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of each of the plurality of players that make up the group.

5. In any one of claims 1 to 4, The mission achievement determination unit A game system characterized in that, when game play data of each of the plurality of players constituting the group satisfies a given condition, it is determined that the common mission has been accomplished.

6. In any one of claims 1 to 5, The benefit determination unit, A game system that determines the benefit based on the setting status of the game option that was set before the game was executed.

7. In any one of claims 1 to 6, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that the contents of the benefit determined before the game is executed are presented to the player.

8. In any one of claims 1 to 7, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that it determines whether or not to provide a preferential treatment for the content of the benefit based on a setting history of the game options.

9. In any one of claims 1 to 8, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that, when a game result is better than the game result of a player to whom a different game option is set, the content of the bonus is given preferentially.

10. In any one of claims 1 to 9, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that the higher the set difficulty level, the more favorable the content of the benefit.

11. In any one of claims 1 to 10, The benefit determination unit, A game system characterized in that the benefit is determined based on the attributes and / or number of players constituting the group.

12. In any one of claims 1 to 11, The benefit determination unit, A game system that determines the benefit based on the type of the common mission.

13. A game server that executes a game in which a group of multiple players aims to accomplish a common mission, a group formation unit that associates a plurality of players that constitute the group with each other; a game option setting unit that sets game options related to the common mission for each player based on an operation of the player on a terminal; a game control unit that progresses the game for each player based on the set game options; a mission achievement determination unit that determines whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of the players constituting the group; a benefit determination unit that determines a benefit to be assigned to the player based on an achievement status of the common mission and a setting status of the game option, The group formation unit includes: allowing players to be associated with each other who do not share the set game options; The game option setting unit includes: Setting information regarding difficulty as the game option, The benefit determination unit, A game server characterized in that the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a high set difficulty level are given more preferential treatment than the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a low set difficulty level.

14. A game program for executing a game in which a group of multiple players aims to accomplish a common mission, a group formation unit that associates a plurality of players that constitute the group with each other; a game option setting unit that sets game options related to the common mission for each player based on an operation of the player; a game control unit that progresses the game for each player based on the set game options; a mission achievement determination unit that determines whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of the players constituting the group; causing a computer to function as a benefit determination unit that determines a benefit to be assigned to the player based on the achievement status of the common mission and the setting status of the game option; The group formation unit includes: allowing players to be associated with each other who do not share the set game options; The game option setting unit includes: Setting information regarding difficulty as the game option, The benefit determination unit, A game program characterized in that the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a high set difficulty level are given more preferential treatment than the contents of the bonus associated with a player having a low set difficulty level.

15. A game service providing method, comprising: a server that executes a game in which a group of multiple players aims to accomplish a common mission; and provides a game service in response to a request from a terminal, the method comprising: The server, a group formation unit that associates a plurality of players that constitute the group with each other; a game option setting unit that sets game options related to the common mission for each player based on an operation of the player; a game control unit that progresses the game for each player based on the set game options; a mission achievement determination unit that determines whether or not the common mission has been accomplished based on game play data of the players constituting the group; a benefit determination unit that determines a benefit to be assigned to the player based on the achievement status of the common mission and the setting status of the game option; and The group formation unit, allowing players to be associated with each other who do not share the set game options; The game option setting unit, Setting information regarding difficulty as the game option, The benefit determination unit, In a case where the content of the benefit associated with a player having a high set difficulty level is given more preferential treatment than the content of the benefit associated with a player having a low set difficulty level, A method for providing a game service, comprising the steps of: transmitting information regarding an operation for designating the game option accepted at the terminal to the server.

Images