Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a mechanism of a game that hardly gets boring.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a management part and a control part. The management part manages a character included in a first character group as a first character in association with a user on the basis of a play result of a first game. The control part enables use of the first character associated with the user in a second game to be selected, and controls the selection propriety of the use of the first character after the play of the second game on the basis of a play result of the second game.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There are games that are played using a deck made up of a combination of game objects such as virtual cards. For example, a game is known in which the outcome of a competitive game is determined using parameter values ​​of each game object that constitutes the deck (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5336670 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a game in which a user selects a character from a plurality of characters and organizes a deck, some of the characters are more advantageous in progressing through the game than other characters. When a user obtains a character that is more advantageous in progressing through the game, the user may continue to use that character, which may cause the characters in the deck to become fixed, resulting in a monotonous gaming experience and boredom.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that provide a game mechanism that does not easily become boring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided that includes a management unit and a control unit, wherein the management unit manages a character included in a first character group as a first character by associating it with a user based on a result of playing a first game, and the control unit enables the selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controls whether or not to select use of the first character after playing the second game based on the result of playing the second game. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a game mechanism that does not easily become boring. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system 100 including an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing device 1 and a terminal 3. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the stage configuration of the game and an outline of the game. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an activity diagram showing the flow of operations of the information processing device 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a stage details screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a deck composition screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 shows an example of a character selection screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. In particular, in this specification, a "unit" can include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in a broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, this embodiment handles various information (programs, various contents, etc.), but this information is represented by high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1, and communication and calculation can be performed on a circuit in a broad sense.

[0010] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. In other words, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0011] 1. Overall structure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system 100 including an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the system 100 includes the information processing device 1 and a plurality of terminals, terminals 3-1 to 3-n. The information processing device 1 and the terminals 3-1 to 3-n are capable of communicating with each other via a network 2 such as the Internet.

[0012] As shown in the figure, the information processing device 1 has a processing unit 11, a memory unit 12, a temporary memory unit 13, an external device connection unit 14, and a communication unit 15, and these components are electrically connected within the information processing device 1 via a communication bus 16.

[0013] The processing unit 11 is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), and operates according to a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 12 to realize various functions.

[0014] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores various information. This is realized by a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 12 can also be arranged in another device that can communicate with the information processing device 1.

[0015] The temporary storage unit 13 is a volatile storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM). The memory is realized by a memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), and stores information (arguments, arrays, etc.) temporarily required when the processing unit 11 operates.

[0016] The external device connection unit 14 is a connection unit that conforms to standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), and allows input devices such as a keyboard and display devices such as a monitor to be connected.

[0017] The communication unit 15 is a communication means conforming to, for example, a local area network (LAN) standard, and realizes communication between the information processing device 1 and the network 2.

[0018] It should be noted that the information processing device 1 can be implemented using a general-purpose server computer or the like, and the information processing device 1 can also be configured using a plurality of computers.

[0019] Moreover, the terminals 3-1 to 3-n are terminals having communication means such as smartphones, tablet terminals, personal computers, etc. These are general-purpose devices, so detailed explanations will be omitted here.

[0020] 2. Functions of the information processing device 1 Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing device 1 and a terminal 3. The terminal 3 shown in the figure is any one of the terminals 3-1 to 3-n shown in Fig. 1. Each unit shown in Fig. 2 is realized by executing a program in each of the information processing device 1 and the terminal 3.

[0021] 2, the information processing device 1 includes a management unit 101, a control unit 102, and a presentation unit 103. The terminal 3 includes a game processing unit 301, a screen display unit 302, and an operation input unit 303.

[0022] The management unit 101 manages a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user based on the play result of the first game. The character is an object to be operated by the user in the game, and a plurality of types are prepared. The first character group includes a predetermined number of characters among these plurality of characters. For example, the first character group may include two or more characters. The first character is a character that may be usable when the user plays the game. Among the characters included in the first character group, a character selected by the user from among the characters not managed by the management unit 101 as the first character is usable when the user plays the game. That is, the first character is a character acquired from the first character group according to the play result of the first game by the user. Then, the user can select a character to be used in the game play from among the acquired characters. On the other hand, the user cannot use a character not acquired by the user as the first character in the game play from the first character group. Note that whether or not the first character is usable is controlled by the control unit 102.

[0023] Specifically, when the user plays and clears the first game, the management unit 101 manages a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user. From the user's perspective, the first character is obtained as a reward for clearing the first game. Note that the management unit 101 does not necessarily manage a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user when the user plays and clears the first game, and may manage at least one character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user when the user has challenged the first game a predetermined number of times.

[0024] The management unit 101 manages, as first characters, characters selected by the user from the first character group, which are less than a predetermined number included in the first character group, in association with the user. That is, the user can select some characters included in the first character group as the first character, but cannot select all characters included in the first character group as the first character. When the user selects the first character, the first character may be selectable from all characters included in the first character group, or the first character may be selectable from some characters included in the first character group. The some characters included in the first character group may be characters set in advance or characters selected by lottery or the like. The selection of the first character by the user may also include a formal selection with no room for choice, for example, a case where the number of characters to be selected is the same as the number of characters that the user can select.

[0025] Furthermore, the management unit 101 manages a character included in the second character group as a second character in association with the user based on the play result of the second game. It is preferable that the character included in the first character group and the character included in the second character group are different characters. The second character is a character that can be used when the user plays the game. Among the characters included in the second character group, a character selected by the user from among the characters not managed by the management unit 101 as the second character can be used when the user plays the game. That is, the second character is a character acquired from the second character group according to the play result of the second game by the user. Then, the user can select a character to be used in the game play from among the acquired characters. On the other hand, the user cannot use a character from the second character group that the user has not acquired as the second character in the game play. Whether or not the second character is available is controlled by the control unit 102.

[0026] If the characters obtainable in the first game and the second game are made different, the variety of character combinations available to the player will increase as the game progresses, which increases the options for characters that the user can use when playing the game, and increases the variety of the game.

[0027] The control unit 102 allows the user to select the use of the first character associated with the user in the second game, and controls whether or not the first character can be selected after the second game is played, based on the result of playing the second game. Note that "allowing the user to select the use of the first character in the second game" means that the user can select whether or not to use the first character in playing the second game. For example, in a game in which a deck including one or more characters is organized and played, it means that the first character can be organized in a deck to be used in the second game. Specifically, the control unit 102 controls the first character managed by the management unit 101 in association with the user to be selected when the user plays the second game, and makes the subsequent selection impossible if the user fails to clear the second game. For example, if the user fails to clear the second game, the first character may be made impossible to organize in a deck in games played by the user thereafter. Note that the control by the control unit 102 is not limited to this, and for example, when the result of the second game is a failure to clear a predetermined number of times in succession, or when the result of the second game is a success rate of clearing less than 50%, control may be performed to disable the selection of the use of the character in the subsequent games. Furthermore, when the user fails to clear the second game, the control unit 102 may disable the selection of the use of all first characters associated with the user, or may disable the selection of only the first character that the user selected and used when he or she failed to clear the game.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 102 disables the selection of the use of the first character based on the play result of the second game, and then enables the selection of the use of any of the characters included in the first character group based on the play result of the first game by the user. This allows the user to play the second game again even if the user fails to clear the second game. Specifically, the control unit 102 disables the selection of the use of the character when the user fails to clear the second game, but enables the selection of the use of the character on the condition that the user succeeds in clearing the first game again. This condition can be changed to, for example, succeeding in clearing the first game a predetermined number of times or more. Specifically, when the second game is a game that can be played after the first game is cleared, and the game system allows the first game to be restarted from the beginning if the user fails to clear the second game, the first character acquired by the user up to that point is reset after the user fails to clear the second game. Then, the user restarts the first game from the beginning again and acquires a new first character.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit 102 allows the user to select the use of the first character and the second character in the third game that can be played after the second game is played, and controls whether the user can select the use of the second character after playing the third game based on the result of playing the third game, and allows the user to play the second game. Specifically, the control unit 102 controls the first character and the second character that are managed by the management unit 101 in association with the user to be selectable when the user plays the third game, and makes the second character unavailable for selection thereafter if the user fails to clear the third game. At this time, the management unit 101 may not control the first character, or the management unit 101 may update the first character managed in association with the user to any of the characters included in the first character group when the user cannot select the use of the second character based on the result of playing the third game. The character may be updated by selecting a character included in the first character group by lottery or the like, regardless of the first character associated with the user, or may be selected from the characters included in the first character group excluding the first character associated with the user. Specifically, the third game is a game that can be played after the second game is cleared, and in a game system in which the second game is restarted from the beginning after failing to clear the third game, the second character acquired by the user up to that point is reset after failing to clear the third game. On the other hand, for the first character that can be acquired in the first game, a character selected from the characters included in the first character group according to a predetermined criterion (for example, random) is stored in association with the user as a new first character. This allows the user to select the use of the updated first character when playing the second game again after failing to clear the third game.

[0030] Note that the control by the control unit 102 is not limited to this, and for example, when the result of the third game is a failure to clear a predetermined number of times in succession, or when the result of the third game is a success rate of clearing less than 50%, control may be performed to disable the selection of the use of the character in the subsequent games. Furthermore, when the user fails to clear the third game, the control unit 102 may disable the selection of the use of all second characters associated with the user, or may disable the selection of only the second character that the user selected and used when he or she failed to clear the game.

[0031] The presenting unit 103 presents characters included in the first character group to the user before the user plays the first game. For example, when a plurality of first games are prepared and the user is allowed to select the first game to play, the presentation of characters by the presenting unit 103 serves as a guide for the selection. Note that the presenting unit 103 may present characters managed based on the results of playing the second game to the user before the user plays the second game.

[0032] The terminal 3 also includes a game processing unit 301 , a screen display unit 302 , and an operation input unit 303 .

[0033] The game processing unit 301 performs general processing of games including the first game and the second game. The processing performed by the game processing unit 301 is basically performed under the control of the information processing device 1, but it can also be configured to perform processing independently within the scope permitted by the information processing device 1. Specifically, the game processing unit 301 controls the progress of the first game using a deck organized according to the user's selection from among predetermined characters associated with the user in the initial state. Then, the game processing unit 301 controls the progress of the second game using a deck organized according to the user's selection from among the predetermined characters and the first characters. Then, the game processing unit 301 controls the progress of the third game using a deck organized according to the user's selection from among the predetermined characters, the first characters, and the second characters.

[0034] The screen display unit 302 performs screen display based on the processing by the game processing unit 301 .

[0035] The operation input unit 303 accepts input of operation instructions from the user.

[0036] 3. Game Overview Next, an example of the flow of a game provided by the information processing device 1 will be described. In the example described below, the game provided by the information processing device 1 is composed of a first game, a second game, and a third game. In principle, the user plays the first game, the second game, and the third game in this order. The order of playing the games does not necessarily have to be the first game, the second game, and the third game, but the third game can be played after playing the second game. In the example described below, the character acquired by the user by playing the first game is the first character, and the character acquired by the user by playing the second game is the second character. For example, the first character is available in the second game, and the first and second characters are available in the third game. However, if the user fails to clear the first game, at least a part of the first characters acquired by the user up to that point is reset, and the user may be controlled to start over from the beginning (or midway) of the first game. Furthermore, if the user fails to clear the second game, at least a part of the second characters that the user has acquired up to that point may be reset, and the user may be controlled to restart the second game from the beginning (or partway through).

[0037] Furthermore, in principle, the games provided by the information processing device 1 consist of a first game, a second game, and a third game, but each of the first game, the second game, and the third game can also include multiple stages.

[0038] Here, an example of the stage configuration of the game provided by the information processing device 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the stage configuration of the game and an outline of the game. The game described here is a game in which the user clears a plurality of stages in stages, and can play from stage 1 to stage 9. Stages 1 to 3 correspond to the first game, stages 4 to 6 correspond to the second game, and stages 7 to 9 correspond to the third game. Note that the configuration of the game is not limited to that shown here, and the number of stages, etc. can be changed as appropriate. Note that the solid arrows shown in FIG. 3 indicate the flow when the user clears the game, and the dashed arrows indicate the flow when the user fails to clear the game.

[0039] (1) Stage 1 Stage 1 is a stage played using a minimum number of characters prepared in advance (for example, only one type of deck can be organized), and after clearing the stage, a character included in the first character group is associated with the user as the first character. From the user's perspective, clearing the stage results in obtaining the first character. The character managed as the first character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from predetermined candidates among the characters included in the first character group. If the user fails to clear the stage, he or she can play stage 1 again.

[0040] (2) Stage 2 Stage 2 is a stage in which a deck is organized from the first character obtained after clearing stage 1, and the stage is played using the organized deck, and after clearing stage 2, a character included in the first character group is associated with the user as the first character. From the user's perspective, clearing stage 2 results in the first character being obtained. Note that the character used when playing stage 1 may be used for deck organization.

[0041] In addition, two stages, stage 2A and stage 2B, are prepared for stage 2, and the user can play either one. The character managed as the first character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from predetermined candidates among the characters included in the first character group, but these characters will be different when stage 2A is cleared from when stage 2B is cleared. However, if there are multiple characters managed as the first character, some characters may overlap when stage 2A is cleared and when stage 2B is cleared. Note that if the user fails to clear stage 2, the user can play stage 2 again, or may start playing from stage 1. However, when playing from stage 1, the number of first characters will not increase even if stage 1 is cleared.

[0042] (3) Stage 3 Stage 3 is a stage in which a deck is organized from the first characters obtained after clearing stage 1 and stage 2, and the stage is played using the organized deck, and after clearing stage 3, a character included in the first character group is associated with the user as the first character. From the user's perspective, clearing stage 3 means that the first character is obtained. Note that the character used when playing stage 1 may be used for deck organization.

[0043] In addition, two stages, stage 3A and stage 3B, are prepared for stage 3, and the user can play either one. The character managed as the first character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from a predetermined candidate among the characters included in the first character group, but these characters are different when stage 3A is cleared from when stage 3B is cleared. However, if there are multiple characters managed as the first character, some characters may overlap when stage 3A is cleared and when stage 3B is cleared. If the user fails to clear the stage, the user can play stage 3 again, and may play from stage 1 or stage 2. However, if the user starts playing from stage 1, the number of first characters will not increase even if stage 1 is cleared. If the user starts playing from stage 2, only the stage that has been cleared between stage 2A and stage 2B can be played, and the number of first characters will not increase even if the stage is cleared. Of stage 2A and stage 2B, a stage that has not been cleared may be made playable, but even in this case, the number of first characters will not increase.

[0044] (4) Stage 4 Stage 4 is a stage in which a deck is organized from the first character obtained after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3), and the user plays using the organized deck, and after clearing the stage, a character included in the second character group is associated with the user as the second character. From the user's perspective, clearing the stage results in the acquisition of the second character. Note that the character used when playing stage 1 may be used to organize the deck.

[0045] Stage 4 is divided into three stages, Stage 4A, Stage 4B, and Stage 4C, and the user can play any one of them. The character managed as the second character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from predetermined candidates among the characters included in the second character group, and these characters will be different when Stage 4A, Stage 4B, and Stage 4C are cleared. However, when there are multiple characters managed as the second character, some characters may overlap.

[0046] If the user fails to clear the game, the first character cannot be used in deck organization. Therefore, the user must play the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3. If the characters used in stage 1 can be used in deck organization, the user can retry stage 4 using only these characters.

[0047] In this way, the user's availability to use the first character acquired in the past is controlled according to the game play results. Therefore, the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed. Therefore, the user is more likely to use a variety of characters when playing the game, and the user is less likely to get bored of the game even if he or she continues to fail to clear the game.

[0048] When the user plays the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3, the user may select either stage 2A or stage 2B, or stage 3A or stage 3B. When the user clears the first game, a character corresponding to each stage is associated with the user as a first character. Note that when the user plays the first game again, only the same stage as the one previously cleared may be playable.

[0049] Even if the use of a previously acquired first character is made unavailable based on the results of playing the second game, the first character can be used again by playing the first game again. This reduces the chance that failure to clear the game will cause the user to abandon the game.

[0050] (5) Stage 5 Stage 5 is a stage in which a deck is organized from the first character obtained after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and the second character obtained after clearing stage 4, and the user plays using the organized deck, and after clearing the stage, a character included in the second character group is associated with the user as the second character. From the user's perspective, clearing the stage results in the acquisition of the second character. Note that the character used when playing stage 1 may be used in deck organization.

[0051] Stage 5 is provided with three stages, stage 5A, stage 5B, and stage 5C, and the user can play any one of them. The character managed as the second character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from predetermined candidates among the characters included in the second character group, and these characters will be different when each of stage 5A, stage 5B, and stage 5C is cleared. However, when there are multiple characters managed as the second character, some characters may overlap.

[0052] If the user fails to clear the stage, the first character cannot be used in deck organization. Therefore, the user must either retry stage 5 with only the second character, or play the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3. If the characters used in stage 1 can be used in deck organization, these characters can be used in deck organization. The user can also play stage 4, but in this case, the number of second characters will not increase even if stage 4 is cleared.

[0053] When the user plays the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3, the user may select either stage 2A or stage 2B, or stage 3A or stage 3B. When the user clears the first game, a character corresponding to each stage is associated with the user as a first character. Note that when the user plays the first game again, only the same stage as the one previously cleared may be playable.

[0054] (6) Stage 6 Stage 6 is a stage in which a deck is organized from the first character obtained after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and the second character obtained after clearing stages 4 and 5, and the user plays using the organized deck, and after clearing the stage, a character included in the second character group is associated with the user as the second character. From the user's perspective, clearing the stage results in the acquisition of the second character. Note that the character used when playing stage 1 may be used in deck organization.

[0055] Stage 6 is provided with three stages, stage 6A, stage 6B, and stage 6C, and the user can play any one of them. The character managed as the second character is a predetermined character or a character selected by the user from predetermined candidates among the characters included in the second character group, and these characters will be different when each of stage 6A, stage 6B, and stage 6C is cleared. However, when there are multiple characters managed as the second character, some characters may overlap.

[0056] If the user fails to clear the stage, the first character cannot be used in deck organization. Therefore, the user must either retry stage 6 with only the second character, or play the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3. If the characters used in stage 1 can be used in deck organization, these characters can be used in deck organization. The user can also play stage 4 or stage 5, but in this case, the number of second characters will not increase even if stage 4 or stage 5 is cleared.

[0057] When the user plays the first game again, that is, from stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3, the user may select either stage 2A or stage 2B, or stage 3A or stage 3B. When the user clears the first game, a character corresponding to each stage is associated with the user as a first character. Note that when the user plays the first game again, only the same stage as the one previously cleared may be playable.

[0058] (7) Stage 7 Stage 7 is a stage in which you create a deck using the first character you obtain after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and the second character you obtain after clearing the second game (stage 4, stage 5, and stage 6), and play using the created deck.

[0059] If the user succeeds in clearing the stage, the user is able to challenge stage 8. On the other hand, if the user fails to clear the stage, the second character will no longer be available for deck organization, and the first character will be updated to one of the characters included in the first character group. Due to this update, the first character that the user can use for deck organization may be a character different from the character that was previously used as the first character. Of course, the same character may also become the first character.

[0060] The user can then retry the second game, that is, from stage 4, stage 5, or stage 6. In this retry, the user can obtain a second character by clearing the stage. However, even in a retry of the second game, the number of second characters does not increase by repeating the same stage. Note that, when the user replays the second game, the user can select any stage, but it may be possible to make it so that only the same stage as the one previously cleared can be played.

[0061] In this way, in the third game, the availability of the second characters, i.e., at least some of the characters acquired before playing the game, is controlled according to the results of playing the game, so the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed, increasing the possibility that the user will use characters that they have not used before when playing the game.

[0062] Furthermore, if the user fails to clear the third game and starts over from the second game, any character that can be acquired in the first game can be used without having to replay the first game, so when the user starts over from the second game, a different character may be available. In this case, the user may be able to play the game with a fresh feeling.

[0063] (8) Stage 8 Stage 8 is a stage in which you create a deck using the first character you obtain after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and the second character you obtain after clearing the second game (stage 4, stage 5, and stage 6), and play using the created deck.

[0064] If the user succeeds in clearing the stage, the user is able to challenge stage 9. On the other hand, if the user fails to clear the stage, the second character cannot be used in deck organization, and the first character is updated to one of the characters included in the first character group. Due to this update, the first character that the user can use in deck organization may be a character different from the character that was previously used as the first character. Of course, the same character may become the first character.

[0065] The user can then retry the second game, that is, from stage 4, stage 5, or stage 6. In this retry, the user can obtain a second character by clearing the stage. However, even in a retry of the second game, the number of second characters does not increase by repeating the same stage. Note that, when the user replays the second game, the user can select any stage, but it may be possible to make it so that only the same stage as the one previously cleared can be played.

[0066] (9) Stage 9 Stage 9 is a stage in which you create a deck using the first character you obtained after clearing the first game (stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3) and the second character you obtained after clearing the second game (stage 4, stage 5, and stage 6), and play using the created deck.

[0067] If the user succeeds in clearing the game, the game will be cleared in its entirety. On the other hand, if the user fails to clear the game, the second character will no longer be available for deck organization, and the first character will be updated to one of the characters included in the first character group. Due to this update, the first character that the user can use for deck organization may be a character different from the character that was previously used as the first character. Of course, the same character may become the first character.

[0068] The user can then retry the second game, that is, from stage 4, stage 5, or stage 6. In this retry, the user can obtain a second character by clearing the stage. However, even in a retry of the second game, the number of second characters does not increase by repeating the same stage. Note that, when the user replays the second game, the user can select any stage, but it may be possible to make it so that only the same stage as the one previously cleared can be played.

[0069] (10)Other The game described here is basically set so that the difficulty level increases from stage 1 to stage 9, but in reality, the difficulty level changes depending on the composition of the deck used, so that the difficulty level changes depending on the user's selection. In addition, in the above game, a plurality of characters that can be acquired at the time of clearing each stage may be set, and the user may select and acquire a portion (for example, one) of the plurality of characters set at the time of clearing each stage. In this way, the number of variations of characters available to the user increases as the stage progresses, and a game system that does not get boring can be realized. In addition, by making the characters that can be acquired set in each stage different from each other, the number of variations of characters available to the user can be increased compared to the case where at least a portion of the characters that can be acquired set in each stage are the same. Furthermore, in the above case, the selection of characters in the early stages affects the difficulty level of clearing the stages from the middle stage onwards, so that the strategic nature of the game can be enhanced.

[0070] 4. Operation of the information processing device 1 Next, a description will be given of an example of the operation of the information processing device 1. Fig. 4 is an activity diagram showing the flow of the operation of the information processing device 1.

[0071] When a game is started on the terminal 3, the information processing device 1 first notifies the terminal 3 of menu information (A101). The menu information is information for displaying a menu on the screen display unit 302 of the terminal 3. The menu displayed on the screen display unit 302 is, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0072] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen. The menu screen, like screen 501 shown in the figure, displays selection buttons 511, 512, and 513 for selecting a stage to be played. Selection buttons 511, 512, and 513 are each buttons for selecting a stage. However, games that the user cannot play are grayed out or hidden so that they cannot be selected.

[0073] For example, when selection button 512 is selected on screen 501, the menu displayed on screen display unit 302 changes to one as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen. Screen 502 shown in the figure is displayed when there are multiple stages selected on screen 501, and displays selection buttons 521 and 522 for selecting the stage to be played. Note that if there are not multiple stages selected on screen 501, the display of screen 502 is omitted.

[0074] When the user selects either the selection button 521 or the selection button 522, the menu displayed on the screen display unit 302 changes to one as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a stage details screen. The stage details screen displays a display field 531, a display field 532, and an instruction button 533, as in the screen 503 shown in the same figure. The display field 531 is a field in which characters who have a track record of clearing the stage are displayed, and the characters displayed here are based on information generated based on the track records of all users. The display field 532 is a field in which characters that will be managed by the management unit 101 when the user successfully clears the stage are displayed. Characters based on information generated by the presentation unit 103 are displayed here.

[0075] By displaying the characters in display field 532, the user can know in advance the characters that can be acquired. This may increase the user's enthusiasm for playing the game.

[0076] The instruction button 533 requests the display of a screen for organizing a deck, that is, a deck organization screen for selecting the first character or second character to be used by the user. When the instruction button 533 is pressed by the user, the information processing device 1 notifies the terminal 3 of deck organization information for displaying the deck organization screen on the screen display unit 302 of the terminal 3 based on the character information managed by the management unit 101 (A102).

[0077] The deck composition screen displayed on the screen display unit 302 of the terminal 3 based on the deck composition information is, for example, as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the deck composition screen. The deck composition screen displays a display field 541, a display field 542, and an instruction button 543, as in screen 504 shown in the same figure. The characters that compose the current deck, that is, the selected characters, are displayed in the display field 541, and the characters that are candidates for compiling the deck, that is, the characters that are not selected, are displayed in the display field 542. The characters that are controlled by the control unit 102 so that they cannot be selected for use are displayed in gray or are hidden in the display field 541 or the display field 542, and cannot be selected as characters that compose the deck.

[0078] The instruction button 543 is a button for instructing the start of a game, and when the user presses the instruction button 543, the terminal 3 requests the information processing device 1 to start playing, and the information processing device 1 acquires deck information and the like from the terminal 3 (A103). The deck information is information that indicates the character composition of the organized deck.

[0079] After that, the information processing device 1 executes the game in cooperation with the terminal 3 (A104). When the user successfully clears the game, the management unit 101 adds a character to be managed (A105). When it is necessary for the user to select a target character, the information processing device 1 displays a character selection screen as shown in FIG. 9 on the screen display unit 302 of the terminal 3. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the character selection screen. A display field 551 and an instruction button 552 are displayed on the screen 505 which is the character selection screen. The characters selectable by the user are displayed in the display field 551. Note that the characters displayed here are the same as the characters displayed in the display field 532 of the screen 503 before playing the game. The instruction button 552 is a button for deciding the user's selection, and when the user presses the instruction button 552, the selected one of the characters displayed in the display field 551 is added as a subject to be managed by the management unit 101.

[0080] In this way, the user selects and acquires a character that is a part of the character group, and the difficulty level of the second game changes according to the user's selection, which leads to a greater variety in the ways in which the user can conquer the game.

[0081] On the other hand, if the user fails to clear the game, the control unit 102 controls whether or not the user can select to use a character (A106).

[0082] Thus, the information processing method executed by the information processing device includes a management step and a control step. The management step manages a first character included in a first character group in association with a user based on a result of playing a first game. The control step enables a selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controls whether or not the first character can be selected for use after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game.

[0083] Furthermore, when the computer is operated as the information processing device 1, the program includes a management unit and a control unit. The management unit manages a first character included in a first character group in association with a user based on a result of playing a first game. The control unit enables the selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controls whether or not the first character can be selected for use after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game.

[0084] 4.Other The present invention may be provided in the following aspects.

[0085] An information processing device comprising a management unit and a control unit, wherein the management unit manages a character included in a first character group as a first character by associating it with a user based on a result of playing a first game, and the control unit enables the selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controls whether or not the first character can be selected for use after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game.

[0086] According to this aspect, the availability of the characters acquired by the user is controlled according to the play result, so the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed. This increases the possibility that the user can use a variety of characters when playing the game, and provides a game mechanism that the user will not tire of.

[0087] The information processing device, wherein the control unit disables the option of using the first character based on the results of playing the second game, and then enables the user to select the use of any character included in the first character group based on the results of playing the first game.

[0088] According to this embodiment, even if the use of a previously acquired character is disabled based on the results of playing the second game, the character can be made available for use based on the results of playing the first game again. This reduces the chance that failure to clear the game will cause the user to abandon the game, and increases the motivation to continue playing the game.

[0089] The information processing device further comprises a presentation unit, wherein the presentation unit presents characters included in the first character group to the user before the user plays the first game.

[0090] According to this aspect, since the characters are presented to the user before the user plays the game, the user can know in advance the characters that can be acquired, which can increase the user's motivation to play the game.

[0091] The information processing device, wherein the first character group includes a predetermined number of characters, and the management unit manages a number of characters selected by the user from the first character group that is less than the predetermined number, associating the number with the user as the first characters.

[0092] According to this embodiment, the user selects and acquires a character that is part of the character group, so that the difficulty level of the second game can be changed according to the user's selection, which diversifies the game strategy of the user and improves the user's satisfaction with the game.

[0093] The information processing device wherein the management unit manages a character included in a second character group as a second character in association with the user based on a result of playing the second game, and the control unit allows a selection of use of the first character and the second character in a third game that can be played after playing the second game, and controls whether or not the second character can be selected for use after playing the third game based on a result of playing the third game, and then makes the second character playable from the second game.

[0094] According to this aspect, the availability of at least some of the characters acquired before playing the game is controlled according to the game play results, so the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed. This increases the possibility that the user will use characters that they have not used before when playing the game, providing a game mechanism that the user will not tire of.

[0095] The information processing device, wherein when the option to use the second character becomes unavailable based on the results of playing the third game, the management unit updates the first character managed in association with the user to any one of the characters included in the first character group.

[0096] According to this embodiment, if the user fails to clear the third game and starts over from the second game, any character that can be acquired in the first game can be used without having to replay the first game. This may result in a case where a character different from the previous one can be used when the user starts over from the second game. This allows the user to play the game with a fresh feeling.

[0097] The information processing device, wherein the characters included in the first character group are different from the characters included in the second character group.

[0098] According to this embodiment, since the characters obtainable in the first game and the second game do not overlap, the variety of character combinations available to the player increases as the game progresses, which increases the options for characters that the user can use when playing the game, thereby increasing the variety of the game.

[0099] An information processing method executed by an information processing device, comprising a management step and a control step, in which the management step manages a first character included in a first character group by associating it with a user based on a result of playing a first game, and the control step enables the selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controls whether or not the first character can be selected for use after playing the second game based on the result of playing the second game.

[0100] According to this aspect, the availability of previously acquired characters is controlled according to the play results, so the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed. This increases the possibility that the user will be able to use a variety of characters when playing the game, providing a game mechanism that the user will not tire of.

[0101] A program for causing a computer to operate as an information processing device, the information processing device comprising a management unit and a control unit, the management unit managing a first character included in a first character group in association with a user based on a result of playing a first game, and the control unit enabling the selection of use of the first character associated with the user in a second game, and controlling whether or not the first character can be selected for use after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game.

[0102] According to this aspect, the availability of previously acquired characters is controlled according to the play results, so the characters available to the user in playing the game are not fixed. This increases the possibility that the user will be able to use a variety of characters when playing the game, providing a game mechanism that the user will not tire of.

[0103] Alternatively, the program may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. Of course, the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1: Information processing equipment 2: Network 3: Terminal 3-1: Terminal 3-n: Terminal 11: Processing section 12: Storage section 13:Temporary storage 14: External device connection 15: Communications Department 16: Communication bus 100: System 101: Management Department 102: Control unit 103:Presentation part 301: Game processing section 302:Screen display section 303: Operation input section 501: Screen 502: Screen 503: Screen 504: Screen 505: Screen 511: Selection button 512: Selection button 513: Selection button 521: Selection button 522: Selection button 531:Display field 532:Display field 533: Instruction button 541:Display field 542:Display field 543: Instruction button 551:Display field 552: Instruction button

Claims

1. a processor, the processor comprising: managing a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user based on a play result of the first game; managing a character included in a second character group as a second character in association with the user based on a play result of the second game; when it becomes impossible to select use of the second character based on a play result of the third game, updating the first character managed in association with the user to a character selected from among characters included in the first character group according to a predetermined criterion; enabling the user to select whether or not to use the first character associated with the user in the second game, and controlling whether or not to select whether or not to use the first character after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game; enabling a selection between the use of the first character and the second character in a third game that can be played after the second game is played, and controlling whether or not the use of the second character can be selected after the third game is played, without controlling whether or not the use of the first character can be selected, based on a result of playing the third game; Information processing device.

2. the processor manages a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user based on a play result of the first game; the processor manages a character included in a second character group as a second character in association with the user based on a play result of the second game; when it becomes impossible to select use of the second character based on a play result of the third game, a processor updates the first character managed in association with the user to a character selected from among characters included in the first character group according to a predetermined criterion; a processor that allows the user to select the use of the first character associated with the user in the second game, and controls whether or not the use of the first character after the second game is selected based on a result of playing the second game; a processor allows a selection of use of the first character and the second character in a third game that can be played after playing the second game, and controls whether or not to select whether or not to use the second character after playing the third game based on a result of playing the third game, without controlling whether or not to select whether or not to use the first character. Information processing methods.

3. causing the processor to manage a character included in the first character group as a first character in association with the user based on a play result of the first game; causing the processor to manage a character included in a second character group as a second character in association with the user based on a play result of the second game; when it becomes impossible to select use of the second character based on a play result of the third game, causing a processor to update the first character managed in association with the user to a character selected from among characters included in the first character group according to a predetermined criterion; causing a processor to select the use of the first character associated with the user in the second game, and to control whether or not the use of the first character after the second game has been played is selectable based on a result of playing the second game; allowing a processor to select between the use of the first character and the second character in a third game that can be played after the second game is played, and controlling whether or not the use of the second character can be selected after the third game is played, without controlling whether or not the use of the first character can be selected, based on a result of playing the third game; program.

4. A server and a terminal device are provided, The server, managing a character included in a first character group as a first character in association with the user based on a play result of the first game on the terminal device; managing a character included in a second character group as a second character in association with the user based on a play result of the second game on the terminal device; when it becomes impossible to select use of the second character based on a play result of the third game, updating the first character managed in association with the user to a character selected from among characters included in the first character group according to a predetermined criterion; enabling the user to select whether or not to use the first character associated with the user in the second game, and controlling whether or not to select whether or not to use the first character after playing the second game based on a result of playing the second game; enabling a selection of use of the first character and the second character in a third game that can be played after playing the second game, and controlling whether or not to select whether or not to use the second character after playing the third game based on a play result of the third game on the terminal device, without controlling whether or not to select whether or not to use the first character; system.

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