program
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2019003434
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2019-01-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2039-01-11
AI Technical Summary
【0010】 本発明によれば、ユーザのプレイスタイルに応じてスムーズにパートを進行させることができる。
Smart Images

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Figure 0007641085000003
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to P Logura To Regarding. [Background technology]
[0002] Some games express the game's story, world view, characters, etc. by presenting content such as stories, episodes, and conversations that combine text, audio, and images as the game progresses. In such games, users who view the content can deepen their understanding of the game through the content, which is expected to make them more engrossed in the game.
[0003] Furthermore, in some of these games, while content is being presented, the content may be skipped partway through in response to a user operation in order to enable the user to play the main game as quickly as possible. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]
[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Great Ace Attorney 2 - Ryunosuke Naruhodo's Resolve -" walkthrough", [online], [searched November 5, 2018], Internet<http: / / www.ne.jp / asahi / game / gyakusai / dai2 / chui.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] However, in order to skip content in the game of Non-Patent Document 1, the user needs to perform a predetermined operation each time. Also, the content cannot be skipped unless the content presentation has started. For this reason, for example, a user who mainly wants to play only the main game may feel that the game is complicated, and may lose interest in the game.
[0006] The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a method for smoothly adjusting a game in accordance with a user's playing style. part can proceed P Logura M The aim is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] According to one aspect of one embodiment of the present disclosure, ,Ko Executed on a computer P A program will be provided. P Logura M is , In a given part By reaching one of several timings, Of the contents related to a given part A first method for presenting content corresponding to the timing means and a second setting that does not allow the presentation of the content even if the timing is reached in response to an input operation from the user. means Execute the above and execute the first means teeth , No. 2 means When it is set that presentation of the content is not permitted by the setting, the content is not presented even when the timing arrives. Effect of the Invention
[0010] According to the present invention, the game can be smoothly played according to the user's play style. part can be progressed. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the game system. [Diagram 2] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of a user terminal and a server included in the game system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a user setting process. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user setting screen when a user setting process is being executed; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a flowchart of a content presentation process. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen relating to content presentation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] [Embodiment] The game system according to the present disclosure is a system for providing a game to multiple users. The game system will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included in the present invention. In the following description, the same elements in the description of the drawings are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will not be repeated.
[0013] <Hardware configuration of game system 1> 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a game system 1. As shown in the figure, the game system 1 includes a plurality of user terminals 100 and a server 200. Each user terminal 100 can be connected to the server 200 via a network 2. The network 2 is composed of the Internet and various mobile communication systems constructed by wireless base stations (not shown). Examples of such mobile communication systems include so-called 3G and 4G mobile communication systems, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and wireless networks (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) that can be connected to the Internet via a predetermined access point.
[0014] The server 200 (computer, information processing device) may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The server 200 includes a processor 20, a memory 21, a storage 22, a communication IF 23, and an input / output IF 24. These components of the server 200 are electrically connected to each other by a communication bus.
[0015] The user terminal 100 (computer, information processing device) may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a feature phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a tablet computer, so long as it is an information processing device. The user terminal 100 may be a game device suitable for playing games. As shown in the figure, the user terminal 100 includes a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, a communication interface (IF) 13, an input / output IF 14, a touch screen 15 (display unit), a camera 17, and a distance measurement sensor 18. These components of the user terminal 100 are electrically connected to each other by a communication bus. Note that the user terminal 100 may include an input / output IF 14 to which a display (display unit) configured separately from the user terminal 100 body can be connected, instead of or in addition to the touch screen 15.
[0016] 1, the user terminal 100 may be configured to be able to communicate with one or more controllers 1020. The controller 1020 establishes communication with the user terminal 100 in accordance with a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The controller 1020 may have one or more buttons, etc., and transmits output values based on user input operations on the buttons, etc., to the user terminal 100. The controller 1020 may also have various sensors, such as an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and transmits output values of the various sensors to the user terminal 100.
[0017] Instead of or in addition to the user terminal 100 being equipped with the camera 17 and the distance measurement sensor 18, the controller 1020 may have the camera 17 and the distance measurement sensor 18.
[0018] For example, at the start of a game, the user terminal 100 desirably causes the user using the controller 1020 to input user identification information, such as the user's name or login ID, via the controller 1020. This enables the user terminal 100 to link the controller 1020 with the user, and to identify which user the output value belongs to based on the source (controller 1020) of the received output value.
[0019] When the user terminal 100 communicates with multiple controllers 1020, each user holds a controller 1020, and the single user terminal 100 can realize a multiplay without communicating with other devices such as the server 200 via the network 2. Also, the user terminals 100 can realize a multiplay locally by connecting to each other via a wireless standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standard (connecting to communicate without going through the server 200). When the above-mentioned multiplay is realized locally by a single user terminal 100, the user terminal 100 may further include at least a part of various functions of the server 200, which will be described later. Also, when the above-mentioned multiplay is realized locally by multiple user terminals 100, the multiple user terminals 100 may include various functions of the server 200, which will be described later, in a distributed manner.
[0020] Even when the above-mentioned multiplay is realized locally, the user terminal 100 may communicate with the server 200. For example, information indicating a play result such as the score or win / loss in a certain game may be associated with user identification information and transmitted to the server 200.
[0021] Furthermore, the controller 1020 may be configured to be detachable from the user terminal 100. In this case, a coupling unit for the controller 1020 may be provided on at least one surface of the housing of the user terminal 100. When the user terminal 100 and the controller 1020 are coupled to each other via the coupling unit by a wire, the user terminal 100 and the controller 1020 transmit and receive signals via the wire.
[0022] 1, the user terminal 100 may accept the attachment of a storage medium 1030 such as an external memory card via the input / output IF 14. This allows the user terminal 100 to read programs and data recorded in the storage medium 1030. The program recorded in the storage medium 1030 is, for example, a game program.
[0023] The user terminal 100 may store in the memory 11 of the user terminal 100 a game program acquired by communicating with an external device such as the server 200, or may store in the memory 11 a game program acquired by reading it from the storage medium 1030.
[0024] As described above, the user terminal 100 includes the communication IF 13, the input / output IF 14, the touch screen 15, the camera 17, and the distance measurement sensor 18 as examples of mechanisms for inputting information to the user terminal 100. Each of the above-mentioned units as the input mechanism can be considered as an operation unit configured to receive an input operation by the user.
[0025] For example, when the operation unit is composed of at least one of the camera 17 and the distance measuring sensor 18, the operation unit detects an object 1010 in the vicinity of the user terminal 100 and identifies an input operation from the detection result of the object. As an example, a user's hand, a marker of a predetermined shape, or the like is detected as the object 1010, and the input operation is identified based on the color, shape, movement, or type of the object 1010 obtained as the detection result. More specifically, when the user's hand is detected from an image captured by the camera 17, the user terminal 100 identifies a gesture (a series of movements of the user's hand) detected based on the captured image as the user's input operation and accepts it. Note that the captured image may be a still image or a video.
[0026] Alternatively, when the operation unit is configured with the touch screen 15, the user terminal 100 identifies and accepts a user operation performed on the input unit 151 of the touch screen 15 as the user's input operation. Alternatively, when the operation unit is configured with the communication IF 13, the user terminal 100 identifies and accepts a signal (e.g., an output value) transmitted from the controller 1020 as the user's input operation. Alternatively, when the operation unit is configured with the input / output IF 14, the user terminal 100 identifies and accepts a signal output from an input device (not shown) connected to the input / output IF 14 and different from the controller 1020 as the user's input operation.
[0027] <Hardware components of each device> The processor 10 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 100. The processor 20 controls the overall operation of the server 200. The processors 10 and 20 each include a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU).
[0028] The processor 10 reads the program from the storage 12 and loads it in the memory 11. The processor 20 reads the program from the storage 22 and loads it in the memory 21. The processors 10 and 20 execute the loaded programs.
[0029] The memories 11 and 21 are main storage devices. The memories 11 and 21 are composed of storage devices such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 11 provides a working area for the processor 10 by temporarily storing programs and various data read by the processor 10 from the storage 12. The memory 11 also temporarily stores various data generated while the processor 10 is operating according to the programs. The memory 21 provides a working area for the processor 20 by temporarily storing various programs and data read by the processor 20 from the storage 22. The memory 21 also temporarily stores various data generated while the processor 20 is operating according to the programs.
[0030] In this embodiment, the program may be a game program for realizing a game by the user terminal 100. Alternatively, the program may be a game program for realizing the game through cooperation between the user terminal 100 and the server 200. Note that the game realized through cooperation between the user terminal 100 and the server 200 may be, for example, a game executed on a browser launched in the user terminal 100. Alternatively, the program may be a game program for realizing the game through cooperation between a plurality of user terminals 100. In addition, the various data include data related to the game, such as user information and game information, as well as instructions or notifications transmitted and received between the user terminal 100 and the server 200 or between a plurality of user terminals 100.
[0031] The storages 12 and 22 are auxiliary storage devices. The storages 12 and 22 are configured with storage devices such as flash memories or HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The storages 12 and 22 store various data related to games.
[0032] The communication IF 13 controls transmission and reception of various data in the user terminal 100. The communication IF 23 controls transmission and reception of various data in the server 200. The communication IFs 13 and 23 control, for example, communication via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Internet communication via a wired LAN, a wireless LAN, or a mobile phone network, and communication using short-range wireless communication or the like.
[0033] The input / output IF14 is an interface through which the user terminal 100 accepts input of data, and is also an interface through which the user terminal 100 outputs data. The input / output IF14 may input and output data via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like. The input / output IF14 may include, for example, a physical button, a camera, a microphone, or a speaker of the user terminal 100. The input / output IF24 of the server 200 is an interface through which the server 200 accepts input of data, and is also an interface through which the server 200 outputs data. The input / output IF24 may include, for example, an input unit that is an information input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and a display unit that is a device that displays and outputs an image.
[0034] The touch screen 15 of the user terminal 100 is an electronic component that combines an input unit 151 and a display unit 152. The input unit 151 is, for example, a touch-sensitive device, and is configured, for example, by a touch pad. The display unit 152 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or the like.
[0035] The input unit 151 has a function of detecting a position where a user operation (mainly a physical contact operation such as a touch operation, a slide operation, a swipe operation, or a tap operation) is input on the input surface, and transmitting information indicating the position as an input signal. The input unit 151 may include a touch sensing unit (not shown). The touch sensing unit may adopt any type of method, such as a capacitive type or a resistive film type.
[0036] Although not shown, the user terminal 100 may include one or more sensors for identifying the holding posture of the user terminal 100. The sensor may be, for example, an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor. When the user terminal 100 includes a sensor, the processor 10 may identify the holding posture of the user terminal 100 from the output of the sensor and perform processing according to the holding posture. For example, when the user terminal 100 is held vertically, the processor 10 may perform a portrait screen display in which a vertically long image is displayed on the display unit 152. On the other hand, when the user terminal 100 is held horizontally, the processor 10 may perform a landscape screen display in which a horizontally long image is displayed on the display unit. In this way, the processor 10 may be capable of switching between portrait screen display and landscape screen display according to the holding posture of the user terminal 100.
[0037] The camera 17 includes an image sensor and the like, and generates a captured image by converting incident light entering through a lens into an electrical signal.
[0038] The distance measuring sensor 18 is a sensor that measures the distance to a measurement object. The distance measuring sensor 18 includes, for example, a light source that emits pulse-converted light and a light receiving element that receives the light. The distance measuring sensor 18 measures the distance to the measurement object based on the timing of light emission from the light source and the timing of light reception of reflected light that occurs when the light emitted from the light source hits the measurement object and is reflected. The distance measuring sensor 18 may include a light source that emits directional light.
[0039] Here, an example will be further described in which the user terminal 100 receives a detection result of an object 1010 in the vicinity of the user terminal 100 using the camera 17 and the distance measurement sensor 18 as an input operation from the user. The camera 17 and the distance measurement sensor 18 may be provided, for example, on a side surface of the housing of the user terminal 100. The distance measurement sensor 18 may be provided near the camera 17. For example, an infrared camera may be used as the camera 17. In this case, a lighting device that irradiates infrared rays and a filter that blocks visible light may be provided in the camera 17. This can further improve the accuracy of object detection based on an image captured by the camera 17, regardless of whether the location is outdoors or indoors.
[0040] The processor 10 may perform, for example, one or more of the following processes (1) to (5) on the captured image of the camera 17. (1) The processor 10 performs an image recognition process on the captured image of the camera 17 to determine whether or not the captured image includes a user's hand. The processor 10 may use, for example, a pattern matching technique as an analysis technique employed in the above-mentioned image recognition process. (2) The processor 10 also detects a gesture of the user from the shape of the user's hand. For example, the processor 10 determines the number of fingers of the user (the number of extended fingers) from the shape of the user's hand detected from the captured image. The processor 10 further determines the gesture made by the user from the determined number of fingers. For example, when the number of fingers is five, the processor 10 determines that the user has made a "paper" gesture. When the number of fingers is zero (no fingers are detected), the processor 10 determines that the user has made a "rock" gesture. Furthermore, when the number of fingers is two, the processor 10 determines that the user has made a "scissors" gesture. (3) The processor 10 detects whether the user's fingers are in a state where only the index finger is raised or whether the user's fingers are flicking by performing an image recognition process on the image captured by the camera 17. (4) The processor 10 detects the distance between the object 1010 (such as the user's hand) near the user terminal 100 and the user terminal 100 based on at least one of the image recognition result of the image captured by the camera 17 and the output value of the distance measuring sensor 18. For example, the processor 10 detects whether the user's hand is near the user terminal 100 (e.g., a distance less than a predetermined value) or far away (e.g., a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined value) based on the size of the shape of the user's hand identified from the image captured by the camera 17. Note that when the captured image is a video, the processor 10 may detect whether the user's hand is approaching or moving away from the user terminal 100. (5) When the user's hand is detected based on the image recognition results of the image captured by camera 17, and it is determined that the distance between user terminal 100 and the user's hand is changing, processor 10 recognizes that the user is waving his / her hand in the direction of the camera 17.When the distance measuring sensor 18, which has a stronger directivity than the imaging range of the camera 17, detects an object in some cases but not in other cases, the processor 10 recognizes that the user is waving his / her hand in a direction perpendicular to the imaging direction of the camera.
[0041] In this way, the processor 10 detects whether the user has clenched his / her hand (whether it is a "rock" gesture or another gesture (e.g., "paper")) by image recognition of the image captured by the camera 17. The processor 10 also detects how the user is moving the hand along with the shape of the user's hand. The processor 10 also detects whether the user is moving the hand closer to or farther away from the user terminal 100. Such an operation can correspond to an operation using a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel. For example, the user terminal 100 moves a pointer on the touch screen 15 in response to the movement of the user's hand and detects the user's gesture of "rock". In this case, the user terminal 100 recognizes that the user is continuing the selection operation. The continuation of the selection operation corresponds, for example, to the mouse being clicked and kept pressed, or to the touch panel being kept touched after a touchdown operation. Furthermore, when the user moves his / her hand further while the user terminal 100 has detected the user gesture "rock", the user terminal 100 can recognize such a series of gestures as an operation corresponding to a swipe operation (or a drag operation). Furthermore, when the user terminal 100 detects a gesture of the user flicking fingers based on the detection result of the user's hand from the image captured by the camera 17, the user terminal 100 may recognize the gesture as an operation corresponding to a mouse click or a tap operation on a touch panel.
[0042] <Game Overview> The game executed by game system 1 (hereinafter referred to as this game) includes a game part for providing the main part of the game, an organization part for organizing characters and the like to be used in the progression of the game when starting a game part, and a content part for presenting content related to the game to the user at a predetermined timing.
[0043] The genre of the game may be any genre, such as sports-themed games such as tennis, table tennis, dodgeball, baseball, soccer, and hockey, puzzle games, quiz games, RPGs, adventure games, simulation games, mahjong games, card games using playing cards, training games, etc. The main part of the game refers to the part where gameplay according to the genre is carried out (such as a match against an opponent in tennis, or a scene where a quiz is answered in a quiz game).
[0044] In addition, the present game is not limited to a specific play format, and may be a game of any play format. For example, it may be a single-play game by a single user, a multiplayer game by multiple users, and even among multiplayer games, it may be a competitive game in which multiple users compete against each other, or a cooperative game in which multiple users cooperate with each other. The organization part is a part for setting and editing the character operated by the user in the main part of the game, and the equipment and items of the character.
[0045] The content is composed of character strings, images, videos, sounds, and any other output modes that the user terminal 100 can output, as well as combinations of these. In this embodiment, the content may represent the story, worldview, characters, and the like in this game. In this embodiment, the content is defined as content whose contents are unchanged regardless of the user's operation contents being presented, unless otherwise specified. For example, the content according to this embodiment includes content as a scenario in which a linear story is read, episodes related to characters appearing in the game (for example, a performance depicting events in the character's private life, memorable experiences, encounters with other characters, etc.), and content that advances conversations (lines) between multiple characters (for example, a performance explaining future game developments and goals to be aimed for through conversations, etc.). By providing the content, for example, it is possible to give the user a motivation to acquire characters appearing in the content, and to increase the user's attachment to the characters. In addition, it is possible to make the development of the main game easier to understand.
[0046] The timing of transitioning to the content part and presenting the content (presentation timing) may be at a predetermined timing according to the progress of the game, and may be unrelated to a quest, for example, at a predetermined timing between game parts, or at a predetermined timing during a game part, or at a predetermined timing before or after the formation part.
[0047] <Functional configuration of game system 1> 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 included in the game system 1. Each of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 may include a functional configuration (not shown) required to function as a general computer, and a functional configuration required to realize well-known functions in a game.
[0048] The user terminal 100 has a function as an input device that accepts input operations by the user and a function as an output device that outputs images and sounds of the game. The user terminal 100 functions as a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120 through cooperation of the processor 10, memory 11, storage 12, communication IF 13, input / output IF 14, etc.
[0049] The server 200 has a function of communicating with each user terminal 100 and supporting the progress of the game in the user terminal 100. If the game is a multiplayer game, the server 200 may have a function of communicating with each user terminal 100 participating in the game and mediating interactions between the user terminals 100. The server 200 functions as a control unit 210 and a storage unit 220 through cooperation of the processor 20, memory 21, storage 22, communication IF 23, input / output IF 24, etc.
[0050] The storage unit 220 stores a game program 231, game information 232, and user information 233. The game program 231 is a game program executed by the server 200. The server 200 executes the game program 231 to communicate with the user terminal 100 and perform processing for progressing the game. The game information 232 is data referenced by the control unit 210 when executing the game program. The user information 233 includes information managed for each user account and information collected from each user terminal 100.
[0051] The storage unit 120 stores a game program 131, game information 132, and user information 133. The game program 131 is a game program executed by the user terminal 100. By executing the game program 131, the user terminal 100 communicates with the server 200 and performs processing for progressing the game. The game information 132 is data referenced by the control unit 110 when executing the game program. The user information 133 stores information on an account corresponding to the user terminal 100, and the like.
[0052] (Content data) The game information 232 includes multiple types of content data 232A. The content data 232A is data related to content for presenting each of multiple types of content provided in the content part of the game to the user. The content data 232A stores data related to content in association with each presentation timing. The content data 232A includes, for each type of content, data indicating the data itself to be presented as content, such as character strings, images, videos, and sounds, and data defining the timing of presenting each component of the content, the wait time, and the like.
[0053] As the game progresses, the user terminal 100 communicates with the server 200 when the timing for providing content arrives, outputs request information to the server 200 for requesting content data for providing the content corresponding to the presentation timing, and provides the content based on the content data transmitted from the server 200 in response to the request information.
[0054] (Functional configuration of server 200) The control unit 210 performs overall control of the server 200 by executing the game program 231 stored in the storage unit 220. For example, the control unit 210 transmits various data, programs, and the like to the user terminal 100. The control unit 210 receives some or all of the game information or user information from the user terminal 100. If the game is a multiplayer game, the control unit 210 may receive a request for multiplayer synchronization from the user terminal 100 and transmit data for synchronization to the user terminal 100.
[0055] The control unit 210 functions as a transmission / reception unit 211, a server processing unit 212, and a data management unit 213 in accordance with the description of the game program 231. The control unit 210 can also function as other functional blocks (not shown) to support the progress of the game in the user terminal 100 in accordance with the nature of the game to be executed.
[0056] The transmission / reception unit 211 receives various data and requests from the user terminal 100. For example, the transmission / reception unit 211 receives part or all of the game information 132 or the user information 133 from the user terminal 100. The transmission / reception unit 211 also transmits various data and requests to the user terminal 100. For example, the transmission / reception unit 211 transmits part or all of the game information or user information to the user terminal 100.
[0057] The server processing unit 212 performs calculations necessary to provide a game. The server processing unit 212 instructs the transmission / reception unit 211 to transmit various data. The server processing unit 212 instructs the data management unit 213 to add, update, or delete various information included in the game information 232 and the user information 233.
[0058] The data management unit 213 manages data stored in the storage unit 220. The data management unit 213 adds, updates, or deletes various pieces of information included in the game information 232 and the user information 233 in response to instructions from the server processing unit 212. The data management unit 213 may read at least one of the game information 232 and the user information 233 from the storage unit 220 in response to instructions from the server processing unit 212. The data management unit 213 may read a portion of the game program 131 to be executed on a certain user terminal 100 from the storage unit 220 in response to instructions from the server processing unit 212, and transmit the portion to the user terminal 100 via the transmission / reception unit 211.
[0059] In addition, in response to request information (including presentation timing) requesting content from the user terminal 100, the data management unit 213 reads out content data from the content data 132A that corresponds to the presentation timing identified from the request information, and transmits the content data to the requesting user terminal 100 via the transmission / reception unit 211.
[0060] (Functional configuration of the user terminal 100) The control unit 110 executes the game program 131 stored in the storage unit 120 to comprehensively control the user terminal 100. For example, the control unit 110 progresses the game in accordance with the game program 131 and the user's operations. Furthermore, while the game is progressing, the control unit 110 communicates with the server 200 as necessary to transmit and receive information.
[0061] The control unit 110 functions as an operation reception unit 111, a game progression unit 112, a display control unit 113, and a communication unit 114 in accordance with the description of the game program 131. The control unit 110 can also function as other functional blocks (not shown) in order to progress the game in accordance with the nature of the game to be executed. The control unit 110 can also function as other functional blocks (not shown) in order to progress the game in accordance with the nature of the game to be executed.
[0062] The operation reception unit 111 detects and receives an input operation by the user to the input unit 151. The operation reception unit 111 determines what kind of input operation has been performed from the action performed by the user on the touch screen 15 and the console via the other input / output IF 14, and outputs the result to each element of the control unit 110.
[0063] The communication unit 114 transmits various data and requests to the server 200. For example, the communication unit 114 transmits part or all of the game information 132 or the user information 133 to the server 200. The communication unit 114 receives various data and requests from the server 200. For example, the communication unit 114 receives part or all of the game information 132 or the user information 133 from the server 200.
[0064] The game progression unit 112 performs various processes related to the progress of the game. For example, the game progression unit 112 identifies the user's instruction content based on the coordinates of the position of the input operation accepted by the operation acceptance unit 111, the type of operation, and the progress of the game. The game progression unit 112 also performs various determination processes related to the progress of the game. The game progression unit 112 also adds, updates, or deletes various pieces of information included in the game information 132 and user information 133 stored in the memory unit 120. The game progression unit 112 includes a presenting unit 112A, a skip processing unit 112B, an assigning unit 112C, and a notifying unit 112D.
[0065] The presentation unit 112A executes various processes related to the presentation of content. When the presentation timing for presenting content is reached according to the progress of the game, the presentation unit 112A communicates with the server 200, executes a process for identifying content data corresponding to the presentation timing, and presents the content (hereinafter also referred to as new presentation). In addition, the presentation unit 112A can present content that has already been presented in the progress of the game by a re-presentation operation to the operation reception unit 111 (hereinafter also referred to as re-presentation).
[0066] Furthermore, in response to an input operation to the operation receiving unit 111 in the user settings (such as a touch operation from the user), even when the presentation timing for presenting the content has arrived, the presentation unit 112A can perform a content skip setting so as not to present the content, without performing the process for identifying the content.
[0067] The skip processing unit 112B executes a process for shortening the time required for presenting the content (the time from start to end) of the content being presented. The skip processing unit 112B skips the content being presented from the middle (hereinafter, also referred to as midway skip) in response to an input operation to the operation receiving unit 111 (in response to a user's operation).
[0068] The granting unit 112C grants a benefit that is advantageous to the user in the progress of the game. The user's advantage is improved by being granted the benefit. The multiple types of content that can be presented include specific content that grants a benefit to the user. For example, the granting unit 112C grants the user a benefit corresponding to the specific content by reaching the timing of presenting the specific content. The content of the benefit granted to the user by the granting unit 112C is not particularly limited. For example, the granting unit 112C may grant the user a benefit directly or indirectly. Specifically, the granting unit 112C may grant the user at least one of valuable data, an item, and a game object that can be used in the game. In addition, the granting unit 112C may provide the user with data that can be used outside the game as a benefit, for example.
[0069] The notification unit 112D presents various notifications to the user. For example, the notification unit 112D instructs the display control unit 113 to display on the touch screen 15 a message corresponding to the notification from the presentation unit 112A and the skip processing unit 112B.
[0070] The display control unit 113 causes an image to be displayed on the display unit 152. The display control unit 113 generates an image including an object and a background image that serves as a background for the object, and causes the display unit 152 to display the image, for example.
[0071] The display control unit 113 may control 2D or 3D objects (UI objects) for constructing a UI (user interface). For example, the display control unit 113 may superimpose and display UI objects necessary for various game operations, such as icons, buttons, lists, and menu screens, on a background image. The UI objects are tools that allow the user to input to the user terminal 100 necessary for the progress of the game. The UI objects are tools that allow the user to obtain information output from the user terminal 100 during the progress of the game.
[0072] Note that the functions of the server 200 and the user terminal 100 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples. The server 200 may have at least a part of the functions of the user terminal 100. The user terminal 100 may have at least a part of the functions of the server 200. Furthermore, devices other than the user terminal 100 and the server 200 may be components of the game system 1, and the other devices may execute part of the processing in the game system 1. That is, in this embodiment, the computer that executes the game program may be any one of the user terminal 100, the server 200, and the other devices, or may be realized by a combination of a plurality of these devices.
[0073] <Processing Overview> (User settings) In this game, user settings can be made to customize game operations and the like according to the user's preferences. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a flowchart of a user setting process for making user settings. The user setting process is executed in the user terminal 100. The user setting process is included in the process by the game program 131, and is executed, for example, in response to an input operation on an icon for user setting on a game screen. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a user setting screen when the user setting process is being executed among the game screens displayed on the display unit 152.
[0074] On the user setting screen, as shown in FIG. 4(a) and the like, a "System" tab, a "Gameplay" tab, and a "Function" tab are displayed at the top of the screen, and below them, setting items corresponding to the selected tab are displayed. When the "System" tab is selected, items related to the system, such as the volume of sound effects and image resolution (reality), are displayed, and these items can be set. When it is determined in S01 of FIG. 3 that the "System" tab has been selected and system settings have been made, in S02, items related to the system are displayed, and user settings are made based on input operations for these items.
[0075] When the "Game Play" tab is selected, items related to the progress of the game, such as details and reference information related to the game, whether or not to allow skipping during the content presentation, etc., are displayed and the items can be set. When it is determined in S03 of Fig. 3 that the "Game Play" tab has been selected and game play settings have been made, items related to game play are displayed in S04, and user settings are made based on input operations for these items.
[0076] When it is determined in S05 of Fig. 3 that the "Function" tab has been selected and function settings have been made, items related to the functions are displayed in S06. As items related to the functions, as shown in Fig. 4(a) and the like, for example, a material library automatic allocation item, a follow block item, a content skip item, and the like are displayed, and the items can be set.
[0077] The material library automatic allocation item is an item for setting whether or not to allow the automatic allocation of newly acquired materials to the material library in the game part. The follow block item is an item for setting whether or not a user can be followed by other users without permission. The content skip item is an item for setting whether or not to skip the content from the beginning, without performing a process to identify the content, even if the time for presenting the content has arrived.
[0078] On the user setting screen, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the selected tab is displayed in white, and the other tabs are displayed in gray. Also, on the user setting screen, the current setting status of each item corresponding to the selected tab is displayed. For example, in Fig. 4(a), the content skip item is displayed as "OFF", which indicates that the setting is not to skip. The user can change the setting of the item by performing an input operation (touch operation) on the image showing the current setting status.
[0079] In S07, it is determined whether or not an input operation has been performed on the content skip item. That is, in FIG. 4(a), it is determined whether or not an input operation has been performed on the "OFF" icon indicating the setting status of the content skip item. When it is determined that an input operation has not been performed on the content skip item, in S09, a user setting is performed based on an input operation on an item other than the content skip item.
[0080] On the other hand, when it is determined that an input operation has been performed on the content skip item, in S08, a user setting for the content skip item is performed based on the input operation. FIG. 4(b) is an example of a screen when an input operation has been performed on the content skip item in the setting state of FIG. 4(a). When an input operation on the "OFF" icon is accepted in a state in which the content skip item is set to "OFF" as shown in FIG. 4(a), a window is displayed with a functional explanation of the content skip as shown in FIG. 4(b). The functional explanation of the content skip includes an explanation that the content will be skipped, such as "Skip the presentation of the content," and an explanation that the skipped content can be presented later, such as "The skipped content can be reread later." This allows the user to easily understand the content skip.
[0081] Also, by performing an input operation on the "OK" icon in Fig. 4(b), the content skip setting is completed, and as shown in Fig. 4(c), the current setting status corresponding to the content skip item becomes "ON", indicating that the content will be skipped without being presented even if the timing for presenting the content arrives. Note that by performing an input operation on the "ON" icon of the content skip item, the content skip setting can be reset to "OFF" again.
[0082] The information set in the user setting process is stored in the storage 12 as user information 133. As a result, when, for example, a content skip item is set in the user settings, information (for example, a flag) capable of specifying whether the content skip is ON or OFF is stored in a predetermined area of the storage 12.
[0083] (Content presentation) In this game, for example, by clearing a quest in the main game, the game can progress to the next quest stage. In this game, the game transitions to a content part at a presentation timing determined for each quest, and content corresponding to the presentation timing is presented. The presentation timing according to the quest refers to, for example, when starting a quest, a predetermined timing during a quest, when a quest is cleared, etc. A content type is set for each quest and presentation timing. Note that some quests do not have a set presentation timing.
[0084] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a flowchart of a content presentation process related to content presentation. The content presentation process is executed in the user terminal 100. The user setting process is included in the process by the game program 131, and is executed according to the progress of the game. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen related to content presentation among game screens displayed on the display unit 152.
[0085] In S20, it is determined whether or not a presentation timing determined according to the progress of the game has been reached. When it is determined that the presentation timing has been reached, the game screen for the game part is transitioned to the screen for the content part, and the background becomes solid black and a message such as "Communicating..." is displayed in the lower left column as shown in FIG. 6(a).
[0086] Also, when it is determined that the presentation timing has been reached, it is determined in S21 whether or not the content skip has been set, that is, whether or not the content skip item is set to "ON" in the user settings. When it is not determined in S21 that the content skip has been set, that is, when the setting is "OFF" and the content is not set to be skipped from the beginning, a content request process is performed in S22 to transmit request information for requesting the server 200 for content data corresponding to the presentation timing. The request information includes the presentation timing as information for identifying the requested content data. In addition, in the content request process, released content information that can identify that the requested content has been released is stored in the storage 12 as game information 132. This allows the user terminal 100 to identify the released content.
[0087] When the server 200 receives the request information, it reads out the content data corresponding to the presentation timing specified from the request information from the content data 132A, and transmits it to the user terminal 100 that is the request source via the transmission / reception unit 211. At this time, the server 200 stores content release information for specifying that the content has been released, as user information 233 corresponding to the user terminal 100 to which the content data is to be transmitted. The server 200 can also specify the type of content released (provided) for each user from the content release information. S23 is repeated until the content data is received, and it is determined whether the content data has been received or not.
[0088] When it is determined in S23 that the content data has been received, the content is presented based on the received content data in S24. In this way, when the content skip setting is not set to "ON", a process for identifying the content is performed when the presentation timing is reached, and the content corresponding to the presentation timing can be presented.
[0089] FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an example of a content presentation screen. FIG. 6(b) illustrates an example in which a story expressed at least in sentences is presented as the content. In FIG. 6(b), characters corresponding to the content are displayed in the upper half of the screen, and a conversation (lines) between the characters corresponding to the content is displayed in the lower half of the screen. The conversation between the characters is switched to the next conversation (lines) in response to an input operation (touch operation) from the user. When the display of all elements of the content is completed, the content is determined to be finished. When a user setting allows skipping on the way in the "game play" tab, an icon such as "SKIP>>" is displayed in the upper right of the content presentation screen as shown in FIG. 6(b). Even when the content is presented, the content being presented can be skipped from the middle in response to an input operation to the "SKIP>>" icon. When a user setting does not allow skipping on the way, the "SKIP>>" icon is not displayed, and control is performed so that skipping on the way cannot be performed. In S25, it is determined whether the presented content has finished. When it is determined that the content has finished, the process proceeds to S28.
[0090] On the other hand, when it is determined in S21 that the content skip setting has been made, that is, when the user setting has been made to skip the content from the beginning, a content release process is performed in S26 to release the content. In the content release process, content release information is transmitted to the server 200. The content release information is information for specifying that the presentation timing has been reached and that the content corresponding to the presentation timing has been released. When the server 200 receives the content release information, the server 200 stores the content release information for specifying that the content has been released as the user information 233 corresponding to the user terminal 100 to which the content data is to be transmitted. From the content release information, it becomes possible to specify the type of content that has already been released, including content that has not been presented to each user. In addition, in the content release process, released content information for specifying that the content has been released is stored in the storage 12 as the game information 132.
[0091] In S27, a skip notification is made to the effect that the content has been skipped due to the content skip setting. FIG. 6(c) is a diagram showing an example of a skip notification screen. As shown in FIG. 6(c), a window is displayed with an explanation including the fact that the content has been skipped. The explanation including the fact that the content has been skipped includes an explanation that the content has been skipped, such as "Content presentation has been skipped," and an explanation for changing the setting, such as "The setting can be changed from User Setting>Content Skip. Do you want to change it now?". When an input operation is performed on the "NO" icon at the bottom in the window display, the skip notification is terminated and the process proceeds to S28. As a result, when the content skip setting is set to "ON," even if the presentation timing is reached, the process for identifying the content is not performed, and the content corresponding to the presentation timing is not presented.
[0092] On the other hand, when an input operation is performed on the "YES" icon at the bottom in the window display, the screen transitions to the screen of FIG. 4(a) (S06 in FIG. 3) in which the "Function" tab of the user settings is selected. This allows the user to easily understand that the content will be skipped, and allows the user settings to be changed smoothly in accordance with the user's intention. After the transition from FIG. 6(c) to the screen of FIG. 4(a) and the user settings are completed, the screen transitions to S28 in FIG. 5. This allows the content presentation process to be continued after the user settings are made. When an input operation is performed on the "YES" icon in FIG. 6(c) and the content skip setting is set to "OFF", the content corresponding to the current presentation timing may be presented (i.e., the screen may transition to FIG. 6(c)).
[0093] In S28, it is determined whether the content corresponding to the presentation timing is a specific content accompanied by the grant of a benefit, and further whether the benefit has not yet been granted (not granted). When it is determined in S28 that the content is not a specific content, or when it is determined that the benefit corresponding to the specific content has already been granted, the content presentation process ends and the process proceeds to the game part. On the other hand, when it is determined in S28 that the content is a specific content and the benefit has not yet been granted, a benefit granting process for granting a benefit is performed in S29, the content presentation process ends, and the process proceeds to the game part. In the benefit granting process, the same benefit corresponding to the content is granted regardless of whether the specific content has been skipped.
[0094] Fig. 6(d) is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the bonus granting process. As shown in Fig. 6(d), a window is displayed with an explanation including the fact that a bonus will be granted. The explanation including the fact that a bonus will be granted includes an explanation such as "Your reward has arrived. Check your present." When an input operation is performed on "OK" at the bottom of the window display, the bonus to be granted, i.e., the content of the reward, is notified.
[0095] In the above, the processing contents when it is determined in S20 that the presentation timing has been reached have been described, but even if the presentation timing has not been reached, if the content has already reached its presentation timing and has been released, the content can be presented later. FIG. 6(e) is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen for re-presenting content in a game part. The screen for re-presenting content displays content that has not yet been released and content that has already reached its presentation timing and been released so that the content can be identified. The content that has not yet been released and the content that has already reached its presentation timing and been released are identified based on released content information stored in the storage 12 as game information 132 in the content request process in S22 and the content release process in S26.
[0096] 6(e) shows contents 4 to 7, of which contents 4 to 6 have already been released, and content 7 has not yet been released. For contents 4 to 6, a "re-present" image is displayed correspondingly to indicate that they have already been released, and for content 7, a "re-present" image is not displayed to indicate that the presentation timing has not yet arrived and therefore it has not yet been released.
[0097] When it is not determined in S20 that the presentation timing has been reached, it is determined in S31 whether or not an input operation (re-presentation operation) for re-presenting the content on the screen for content re-presentation has been accepted. The re-presentation operation may be a touch operation on any of the icons of the contents 4 to 6 on which the "re-presentation" image is displayed in Fig. 6(e). When it is not determined that the re-presentation operation has been accepted, the content presentation process is terminated.
[0098] On the other hand, when it is determined that a re-presentation operation has been received, a released content identification process is performed in S32 to identify the content data that is the target of re-presentation. If the content that is the target of re-presentation is a content that has already been received and presented (if the content data has already been received and stored in the storage 12), the content data of that content that is stored in the storage 12 as game information 132 is read out. On the other hand, if the content that is the target of re-presentation is a content that has been skipped due to a content skip setting (if the content data has not been received), a content request process is performed to request the content data of that content as in S22, and the corresponding content data is received from the server 200.
[0099] In S33, the content is presented based on the content data identified by the released content identification process in S32 (see FIG. 6(b) etc.). As a result, for content that has already reached its presentation timing, the content can be presented in response to a re-presentation operation from the user, regardless of whether the content was skipped by the content skip setting. In S34, it is determined whether the re-presented content has ended. If it is determined that the content has ended, the content presentation process ends without proceeding to S28.
[0100] <Effects of this embodiment> According to this embodiment, when the content skip setting is set to "OFF", the content is presented when the content presentation timing is reached according to the progress of the game or quest, whereas when the content skip setting is set to "ON", the content is not presented even when the content presentation timing is reached. In addition, the content skip setting can be set by the user's will in the user settings, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like. As a result, for a user whose play style is to enjoy not only the main game but also the story and episodes related to the game, conversations between characters, and other content, the content is provided by setting the content skip setting to "OFF", and for a user whose play style is to mainly enjoy the main game, the content is skipped from the beginning and the main game is provided by setting the content skip setting to "ON". As a result, the game (quest) can be progressed smoothly according to the user's play style, and the interest of the game can be improved.
[0101] Furthermore, when the content skip setting is set to "ON", the content request process in S22, that is, the process for receiving content data, is not executed as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, when the content skip setting is set to "ON", the process of receiving data that is currently unnecessary is not executed, and the processing load on the user terminal 100 can be reduced.
[0102] In addition, when the content skip setting is set to "OFF", when the presentation timing is reached and the content is presented, released content information capable of identifying that the content has been released is stored in the storage 12 as the game information 132 in S22 of FIG. 5. In addition, even when the content skip setting is set to "ON" and the content is not presented, released content information capable of identifying that the content has been released is stored in the storage 12 as the game information 132 in S26 of FIG. 5. As a result, regardless of the content skip setting, the content whose presentation timing has been reached is considered to be released. Therefore, on the screen for content re-presentation, regardless of the content skip setting, a "re-presentation" image can be uniformly displayed for the content whose presentation timing has been reached, and the processing load can be reduced compared to when the "re-presentation" image is displayed strictly depending on whether the content has been presented or not.
[0103] In addition, when the timing for presenting a specific content accompanied by the granting of a privilege arrives, the privilege is granted in S29 regardless of whether the content skip setting is set to "ON" as shown in Fig. 5. This makes it possible to prevent advantages and disadvantages from arising among users in the situation of the content skip setting set by the user.
[0104] Furthermore, when the presentation timing is reached but the content is not presented because the content skip setting is set to "ON", a skip notification (see FIG. 6(c)) is issued in S27 of FIG. 5 to inform the user that the content will not be presented and that the content skip setting can be changed by the user's settings. This prevents the user from feeling distrustful because the content is not presented, and also explains how to change the settings. Furthermore, by performing an input operation on the "YES" icon in the skip notification, the user can move to the content skip setting as a series of steps, improving user convenience.
[0105] In addition, when the content skip setting is set to "ON" in the user settings, as shown in Fig. 4(b), a notification is given that the content will not be presented due to the setting, and that the skipped content at the presentation timing can be presented later (for example, can be presented from a content re-presentation screen). This enhances the user's understanding of how the content will be handled when the content skip setting is set to "ON," and prevents the content skip setting from being performed contrary to the user's intention.
[0106] <Modification> Modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below.
[0107] (1) In the above embodiment, the content data received when the presentation timing is reached is stored in the storage 12 of the user terminal 100, and when the content is presented again, the content data stored in the storage 12 is read out and the content is presented. However, the content data received when the presentation timing is reached may be temporarily stored in the storage 12 of the user terminal 100, and the content data may be deleted when the content presentation is completed. In other words, the user terminal 100 may receive the corresponding content data from the server 200 every time the content is presented. This can reduce the amount of storage capacity used on the user terminal 100 side.
[0108] In the above embodiment, the content data is managed (stored) on the server 200 side, and when the presentation timing is reached according to the progress of the game, the user terminal 100 communicates with the server 200 to receive and present the corresponding content data. However, the content data may be managed (stored) on the user terminal 100 side, even if the content data has not yet reached the presentation timing. In this case, when the presentation timing is reached, the user terminal 100 may read (specify) the content data corresponding to the timing from the managed data and present it. This eliminates the need to communicate with the server 200 when presenting the content, and therefore the period from when the presentation timing is reached to when the content is presented can be shortened. Note that the user terminal 100 may communicate with the server 200 to receive the content data and store it in the storage 12, for example, when the game program is installed, or when the game program or the content that can be provided is updated.
[0109] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the content skip item can be set in the user settings immediately after the game program is installed and the game is started. However, important stories and episodes related to the main game are often presented as content from the start of the game until a predetermined stage is reached. For this reason, the content skip item may be made unavailable for setting in the user settings from the start of the game program and the start of the game until a predetermined stage is reached, and may be made available for setting in the user settings when the predetermined stage is reached. Specifically, the content skip item may not be displayed as a user setting screen when the "Function" tab is selected until a predetermined stage is reached, and the content skip item may be displayed and available for setting after the predetermined stage is reached. In addition, the predetermined stage may be, for example, a stage at which the tutorial is completed when a tutorial that allows the user to learn core operations (core actions) in the main game is presented as content, or may be a stage at which a quest is cleared up to a predetermined number of times.
[0110] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which, regardless of the type of content, when the content skip item is set to "ON" in the user settings, the content is not presented even if the presentation timing is reached. However, even when the content skip item is set to "ON" (regardless of the setting of the content skip item), a specific type of content among multiple types of content may be presented when the presentation timing is reached. The specific type of content may be, for example, a type of content that presents a tutorial to help the user learn core operations (core actions) in the main game, or a type of content that is presented in relation to a main quest among a main quest included in a quest and a sub quest in the process leading up to the main quest. In this way, the content presented to the user by the game program provider in the progress of the game can be presented to the user regardless of the user settings. In this case, when the content skip item is set to "ON" in the user settings, for example, a user setting screen in FIG. 4(b) may be configured to notify the user that some content will not be skipped.
[0111] (4) In the above embodiment, as described in relation to S22 and S26 in Fig. 5, an example has been described in which the presented content (content that has reached the presentation timing) can be identified from the released content information managed on the user terminal 100 side. For this reason, the server 200 may not perform processing for making it possible to identify the content presented to each user, and may not perform the content release processing in S26 when it is determined in S21 that the content skip setting has been made. This reduces the processing load.
[0112] (5) In the above embodiment, as shown in S20 and S21 in FIG. 5, an example was described in which it is determined whether the content presentation timing has arrived, and whether the content skip has been set at the presentation timing, and if the content skip has been set, the content is not presented without performing the specification process (S22, etc.) for specifying the content. However, it may be possible to first determine whether the content skip has been set, and only if the content skip has not been set, determine whether the content presentation timing has arrived, and present the corresponding content at the presentation timing, and if the content skip has been set, pass the content without even determining whether the presentation timing has arrived. In this case, even if the content has not been presented when the presentation timing has arrived, the skip notification in S27 in FIG. 5 may not be performed. This provides an environment in which a user with a play style of skipping content can progress through the game (quest) more smoothly.
[0113] (6) In the above embodiment, the bonus granting process (S29 in FIG. 5) has been described as an example in which the same bonus corresponding to the content is granted regardless of whether the specific content is skipped. However, in the bonus granting process, a bonus with a different degree of advantage for the user may be granted depending on whether the specific content is skipped. In addition, in the bonus granting process (S29 in FIG. 5), an example in which the same bonus corresponding to the content is granted regardless of whether the specific content is skipped in the middle is described. However, in the bonus granting process, a bonus with a different degree of advantage for the user may be granted depending on whether the specific content is skipped in the middle. Specifically, in the bonus granting process, a bonus with a higher degree of advantage for the user may be granted when the specific content is not skipped by the content skip setting than when the specific content is skipped by the content skip setting, and even when the specific content is not skipped by the content skip setting, a bonus with a higher degree of advantage for the user may be granted when the specific content is not skipped in the middle than when the specific content is skipped in the middle. This can motivate the user to view the specific content without skipping it.
[0114] (7) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the content to be skipped includes not only stories and episodes (moving images) but also conversations between characters (still images). However, the content to be skipped may be only moving images such as stories and episodes (i.e., still image content is not subject to content skipping), or may be only still images such as conversations between characters (i.e., moving image content is not subject to content skipping).
[0115] <Additional Notes> The matters described in the above embodiments will be supplemented below.
[0116] (Appendix 1): According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a game program executed on a computer (user terminal 100 of FIG. 1) having a processor, a memory, and an input unit, wherein a game based on the game program includes a game part that progresses the game and a content part that presents content related to the game, and the game program causes the processor to execute a first step (e.g., S22 to S25 of FIG. 5) of making it possible to present content corresponding to a plurality of timings by reaching the timing, and a second step (e.g., S08 of FIG. 3) of setting, in accordance with an input operation from a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached, and the first step presents content corresponding to the reached timing when the second step has not set that presentation of the content is not permitted, whereas when the second step has set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the content is not presented even when the timing is reached (transitioning to S26 of FIG. 5).
[0117] (Appendix 2): In (Supplementary Note 1), the first step includes a step of performing a specific processing for identifying content data for presenting the content (e.g., S22 in FIG. 5), and when the second step has not set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the specific processing is performed when one of the multiple timings is reached, content data for presenting the content corresponding to the reached timing is identified, and the content is presented based on the content data (e.g., S24 in FIG. 5). On the other hand, when the second step has set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the specific processing is not performed even when one of the multiple timings is reached, and the content is not presented (transition to S26 in FIG. 5).
[0118] (Appendix 3): In (Additional Note 2), the specific process is a process for receiving the content data from a predetermined server (for example, S22 in FIG. 5).
[0119] (Appendix 4): In any of (Supplementary Note 1) to (Supplementary Note 3), in the game part, a tutorial regarding the game is played along with the game until the game progresses to a predetermined stage, and the second step can be set in response to an input operation from a user to not allow the presentation of the content after the game has progressed to the predetermined stage (for example, (2) in the modified example).
[0120] (Appendix 5): In any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 4), the game program causes the processor to execute a fourth step (e.g., S26 in FIG. 5) in which, when any of the multiple timings is reached, content corresponding to that timing is presented, thereby setting presented information (e.g., released content information) corresponding to the content, and even when the content is not presented because the second step has been set to not allow presentation of the content, the fourth step sets the presented information.
[0121] (Appendix 6): In any of (Supplementary Note 1) to (Supplementary Note 5), the first step presents specific content that can grant a benefit to the user when a specific timing among the multiple timings is reached, and the game program causes the processor to execute a fifth step of granting a benefit when the specific content is presented, and granting the same benefit as when the specific content is presented, when the specific timing is reached, even when the second step has set that presentation of the content is not permitted and the specific content is not presented (e.g., S29 in Figure 5).
[0122] (Appendix 7): In any of (Supplementary Note 1) to (Supplementary Note 7), the game program causes the processor to execute a sixth step of notifying, when any of the plurality of timings is reached and the content is not presented because the second step has set the content not to be presented, that the content was not presented and that the setting not to allow the presentation of the content can be cancelled in response to an input operation by a user (e.g., Figure 6(c)).
[0123] (Appendix 8): In any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 7), when the game program causes the processor to set in the second step that presentation of the content is not permitted, the game program causes the processor to execute a seventh step of notifying the processor that the content will not be presented due to the setting and that the not-presented content may be presented later (e.g., FIG. 4(b)).
[0124] (Appendix 9): In any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 8), the game program causes the processor to execute an eighth step of presenting a specific type of content when a timing corresponding to the content is reached, regardless of whether the second step has been set to not allow the presentation of the content (e.g., variant example (3)).
[0125] (Appendix 10): According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a gaming method executed by a computer (user terminal 100 of FIG. 1) having a processor, a memory, an input unit, and a display unit, wherein a game based on the gaming method includes a game part that progresses the game and a content part that presents content related to the game, and the gaming method includes a first step (e.g., S22 to S25 of FIG. 5) in which the computer is enabled to present content corresponding to a plurality of timings by reaching the timing, and a second step (e.g., S08 of FIG. 3) in which the computer sets, in response to an input operation from a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached, and the first step presents content corresponding to the reached timing when the second step has not set that presentation of the content is not permitted, whereas the first step does not present the content even when the timing is reached when the second step has set that presentation of the content is not permitted (transition to S26 of FIG. 5).
[0126] (Appendix 11): According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an information processing device (user terminal 100 in FIG. 1) includes a control unit (control unit 110 in FIG. 2) that controls operation of the information processing device by executing the game program, and a game based on the game program includes a game part that progresses the game and a content part that presents content related to the game, and the control unit executes a first step (e.g., S22 to S25 in FIG. 5) of making it possible to present content corresponding to a plurality of timings when the timing is reached, and a second step (e.g., S08 in FIG. 3) of setting, in accordance with an input operation from a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached, and the first step presents content corresponding to the reached timing when the second step has not set that presentation of the content is not permitted, while when the second step has set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the content is not presented even when the timing is reached (transition to S26 in FIG. 5).
[0127] [Software implementation example] The control block of control unit 210 and the control block of control unit 110 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
[0128] In the latter case, an information processing device having the control unit 210 or the control unit 110, or both, includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as "recording media") in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or a CPU), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which the program is expanded. The object of the present invention is achieved by the computer (or the CPU) reading and executing the program from the recording medium. As the recording medium, a "non-transient tangible medium", for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, etc., can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) capable of transmitting the program. Note that one aspect of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.
[0129] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0130] 1 Game system, 2 Network, 10, 20 Processor, 11, 21 Memory, 12, 22 Storage, 13, 23 Communication IF (operation unit), 14, 24 Input / output IF (operation unit), 15 Touch screen (display unit, operation unit), 17 Camera (operation unit), 18 Distance measurement sensor (operation unit), 100 User terminal (information processing device), 110, 210 Control unit, 111 Operation reception unit, 112 Game progress unit, 112A Presentation unit, 112B Skip processing unit, 112C Granting unit, 112D Notification unit, 113 Display control unit, 114 Communication unit, 120, 220 Memory unit, 131, 231 Game program, 132, 232 Game information, 133, 233 User information, 151 Input unit (operation unit), 152 Display unit, 200 Server, 211 Transmitting / receiving unit, 212 server processing unit, 213 data management unit, 232A content, 1010 object, 1020 controller (operation unit), 1030 storage medium.
Claims
1. A program executed on a computer, The program is a first means for presenting a content corresponding to a plurality of timings among the content related to the game when the plurality of timings among the plurality of timings between games provided in a predetermined part is reached; and a second means for setting, in response to an input operation by a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached; In the game provided in the predetermined part, the player can progress to a next stage quest by clearing a current quest, the first means does not present the content even when the timing has arrived when the second means has set that presentation of the content is not permitted; the second means is capable of setting, in response to an input operation by a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted after the game provided in the predetermined part has progressed to a predetermined stage in which a predetermined number of quests have been cleared, A program in which the subject of presentation that will no longer be permitted in accordance with the setting by the second means is not the game provided in the specified part, but content that transitions at a specified timing between said games.
2. 2. The program of claim 1, further comprising: a user setting item screen capable of being displayed which can be set for each of a plurality of setting items in accordance with input operations from the user regardless of whether the game in the specified part has progressed to a specified stage, and the second means is capable of displaying, after the game has progressed to the specified stage, a plurality of setting items which can be set on the user setting item screen, including a presentation permission / denial setting item for setting that presentation of the content will not be permitted even if the timing is reached, and the program does not display the presentation permission / denial setting item on the plurality of setting items which can be set on the user setting item screen until the game has progressed to the specified stage.
3. A program executed on a computer, The program is a first means for presenting a content corresponding to a timing among a plurality of timings in a predetermined part when the timing reaches the predetermined part; and a second means for setting, in response to an input operation by a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached; The first means comprises: When the second means has set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the content is not presented even when the timing has arrived, presenting specific content that can provide a benefit to the user when a specific timing among the plurality of timings is reached; The program is a means for granting a privilege at a timing when the specific content is presented, and even when the second means sets that the presentation of the content is not permitted and the specific content is not presented, by reaching the specific timing, granting the same privilege as when the specific content is presented at the specific timing; a means for presenting a specific type of content when a timing corresponding to the content is reached, regardless of whether or not the second means has set that the content is not permitted to be presented; A program in which the presentation of which will no longer be permitted in accordance with the setting made by the second means is not a game in the specified part, but a content which transitions at a specified timing between said games.
4. A program executed on a computer, The program is a first means for presenting a content corresponding to a timing among a plurality of timings in a predetermined part when the timing reaches the predetermined part; and a second means for setting, in response to an input operation by a user, that presentation of the content is not permitted even when the timing is reached; The first means comprises: When the second means has set that presentation of the content is not permitted, the content is not presented even when the timing has arrived, presenting specific content that can provide a benefit to the user when a specific timing among the plurality of timings is reached; The program is a means for granting a privilege at a timing when the specific content is presented, and even when the second means has set that the presentation of the content is not permitted and the specific content is not presented, by reaching the specific timing, granting a privilege at the specific timing that has a degree of advantage for the user different from that when the specific content is presented; a means for presenting a specific type of content when a timing corresponding to the content is reached, regardless of whether or not the second means has set that the content is not permitted to be presented; A program in which the presentation of which will no longer be permitted in accordance with the setting made by the second means is not a game in the specified part, but a content which transitions at a specified timing between said games.
5. The first means comprises: a means for performing a process of identifying content data for presenting the content, When the second means has not set that the presentation of the content is not permitted, the specifying process is performed when any of the plurality of timings is reached, content data for presenting the content corresponding to the reached timing is specified, and the content is presented based on the content data, while A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the second means sets that presentation of the content is not permitted, the content is not presented by not performing the specific processing even when any of the multiple timings is reached.
6. 6. The program according to claim 5, wherein the specific process is a process for receiving the content data from a predetermined server.
7. The program is A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, which executes a fourth means for setting presented information corresponding to a content when any of the multiple timings is reached by presenting the content corresponding to that timing, and for setting the presented information even when the content is not presented because the second means has been set to not allow presentation of the content.
8. The program is A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, which executes a sixth means for notifying, when any of the plurality of timings is reached and the content is not presented because the second means has set the content not to be presented, that the content has not been presented and that the setting not to allow the presentation of the content can be canceled in response to an input operation by a user.
9. The program is A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, which, when the second means is set to not allow the presentation of the content, executes a seventh means for notifying that the content will not be presented due to the setting and that the not-presented content will be able to be presented later.