Processing device, program and method

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a viewing screen which is more interesting to a viewer. [Solution] A processing apparatus comprises: a memory configured to store viewing information, including information related to an operation input received during the execution of a game application in a first participant terminal device, and battle information, including information related to the result of the game application being executed on the basis of the operation input; and a processor configured to perform controls for receiving the viewing information and the battle information from the first participant terminal device via a communication interface and storing the viewing information and the battle information in the memory, transmitting the viewing information to a viewer terminal device via the communication interface, and transmitting the battle information to a second participant terminal device via the communication interface.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing device, a program, and a method for watching a game being executed on a participant terminal device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been known that has a spectator mode that allows one or more users to watch a game in progress as a spectator in a game in which other users participate as participants who progress the game. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that, in a game having a battle game mode and a spectator mode, makes it possible to selectively execute the spectator mode when a game in which the user participates as a player ends, and when the spectator mode is selected, displays a demo of the game in real time based on data received from a game device in which the user is competing as a participant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-290557 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In light of the above-mentioned technology, the present disclosure provides a processing device, a program, and a method that can provide a viewing screen that is more appealing to spectators through various embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a processing device including: a communication interface configured to communicatively connect via a network a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device as a spectator; a memory configured to store, in addition to a predetermined instruction command, spectating information including information regarding an operation input accepted during execution of the game application in the first participant terminal device, and match information including information regarding the result of execution of the game application based on the operation input; and a processor configured to receive the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and store them in the memory based on the predetermined instruction command, transmit the spectating information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface, and control the transmission of the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program that causes a computer including a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device as a spectator, to function as a processor configured to receive the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and store them in the memory, transmit the spectating information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface, and transmit the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for a computer including a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device as a spectator, the computer including a communication interface configured to communicatively connect via a network with the first participant terminal device, the second participant terminal device, and a memory configured to store, in addition to a predetermined instruction command, spectating information including information regarding an operation input accepted during execution of the game application in the first participant terminal device, and match information including information regarding a result of execution of the game application based on the operation input, the method being performed by a processor executing the predetermined instruction command, the method including the steps of receiving the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and storing them in the memory, transmitting the spectating information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface, and transmitting the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a processing device including: "a communication interface configured to communicatively connect via a network a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, and a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant; a memory configured to store spectating information different from match information including information regarding a result of execution of the game application based on the operation input in addition to a predetermined instruction command, and including information regarding an operation input received during execution of the game application in the first participant terminal device; an output interface configured to output a spectating screen of the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device; and a processor configured to receive the spectating information via the communication interface and store it in the memory, generate the spectating screen based on the spectating information stored in the memory, and control output of the generated spectating screen via the output interface." Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing device, a program, and a method capable of providing a viewing screen that is more appealing to spectators.

[0010] It should be noted that the above effects are merely illustrative for the convenience of explanation and are not limiting. In addition to or in place of the above effects, any effect described in this disclosure or any effect obvious to a person skilled in the art may be achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a spectator terminal device 100-1 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram conceptually illustrating a user information table stored in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram conceptually illustrating a unit game information table stored in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the server device 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the participant terminal device 100-2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the participant terminal device 100-3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which common elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0013] <Overview of the application related to this disclosure> In various embodiments of the game application of the present disclosure, one or more users can take part in a game as participants, and one or more other users can watch the progress of the game as spectators.

[0014] A typical example of such a game application is a battle game application in which one or more users or computers compete using virtual item objects owned by the users. More specifically, a card battle game application in which a player selects a desired card object from a plurality of card objects owned by the player and competes against an opponent user or computer based on parameter information set for the card object. However, the system according to the present disclosure can be suitably applied to various game applications such as sports games, racing games, puzzle games, combat games, and role-playing games. Although there is no intention to limit the system to a specific game application, the system according to the present disclosure will be outlined below using a card battle game application as an example unless otherwise specified.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a spectator terminal device 100-1 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to FIG. 1, a monitor screen of a card battle game application using card item objects owned as hands by a first participant (player U1) who is a host and a second participant (player U2) who is a guest is displayed on the display of the spectator terminal device 100-1. At the bottom of the battle screen, a stock area 13 in which card item objects that are the hand of the first participant (player U1) who is a host participant are stocked, a play area 14 in which card item objects that can activate effects (for example, take action such as attacking the character of the second participant (player U2) who is a guest participant) are arranged according to the elapsed time, and a waiting area 12 in which card item objects wait to be arranged in the play area 14 according to an operation input by the first participant (player U1) are displayed. In addition, a hit point gauge 11 indicating the remaining value of the current hit points associated with the character of the first participant is displayed. The remaining value of the hit points is subtracted by the activation of the effect of a card item object placed in the play area 18 of the second participant, who is the opponent. On the other hand, in the upper part of the battle screen, a stock area 17, a play area 18, a waiting area 16, and a hit point gauge 15, in which card objects of the second participant (player U2), who is a guest participant, are placed, are also displayed.

[0016] In the game application of the present disclosure, not only the result of each participant performing an operation input on the card item object to move the display position of the card item object or the result of the activation of the effect of the card item object, but also the operation input itself performed by each participant on the card item object is reproduced in the spectator terminal device 100-1 so that the user who is a spectator can watch the game. As an example, referring to FIG. 1, the trajectory of the first participant tapping the card item object placed in the waiting area 12 in response to the operation input inputted through the input interface of the participant terminal device 100-2 to move it to the play area 14, the trajectory of the card item object that was moved in the direction of the play area 14 but is then moved back to the waiting area 12, and the like are reproduced. In other words, it is possible to watch how each participant is undecided about which card item object to select, and the habit of the arrangement order of the card item objects placed in the waiting area 12 of each participant, so that the spectator can watch the game with a more realistic feeling. Furthermore, since it is not simply a direct reproduction of the screen displayed on the participant terminal device 100-2 or participant terminal device 100-2 of one of the participants, the orientation of the card item object of player U2, who is a guest participant, is also displayed in an appropriate orientation for watching (the same orientation as, rather than an orientation opposite to, the card item object of player U1, who is a host participant), making it easier to watch.

[0017] In this disclosure, a "game" is something that progresses by executing a game application, and is composed of one or more unit games that represent a single unit within the game (for example, one or more quests, scenarios, chapters, dungeons, missions, battles, matches, battles, stages, etc.). The game may be composed of one unit game, or may be composed of multiple unit games.

[0018] In addition, in the present disclosure, the terms "participant terminal device", "first participant terminal device", "second participant terminal device", "spectator terminal device", etc. are merely used to distinguish between the terminal devices as "participant", "spectator", "first participant", "second participant", etc. That is, the participant terminal device can function as a spectator terminal device, and the spectator terminal device can function as a participant terminal device, a first participant terminal device, or a second participant terminal device. The first participant terminal device can function as a second participant terminal device or a spectator terminal device, and the second participant terminal device can function as a first participant terminal device or a spectator terminal device. In addition, the terms "participant", "first participant", "second participant", and "spectator" are merely used to distinguish between the users, and each user can be in either position. Furthermore, each participant and the participant's terminal device may be expressed as a "guest participant" or a "host participant", but these expressions are merely used to distinguish between the two. That is, there may be no distinction between guests and hosts, and even if there is, each participant and the participant's terminal device can be either. Also, although "user" may be referred to as "player," this means a user who participates in a game application as a player, and is used merely to distinguish from a user who participates as a spectator.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the processing device may be any of the terminal devices 100, such as the spectator terminal device 100-1, the participant terminal device 100-2, the participant terminal device 100-3, etc., or the server device 200. The processing according to each embodiment described below can be implemented by either the terminal device 100 or the server device 200.

[0020] <Embodiments of the present disclosure> 1. Configuration of system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, the system 1 includes a spectator terminal device 100-1 that can be used by a user participating as a spectator, a participant terminal device 100-2 that can be used by a user participating as a first participant, a participant terminal device 100-3 that can be used by a user participating as a second participant, and a server device 200 that is communicatively connected via a network 300. The terminal devices including the spectator terminal device 100-1, the participant terminal device 100-2, the participant terminal device 100-3, and the like may also be referred to as terminal devices 100. In the system 1, the server device 200 and each terminal device 100 execute a program stored in a memory, thereby executing the processing of the game application according to this embodiment. The server device 200 and each terminal device 100 communicate with each other as needed to transmit and receive various information (for example, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B) and programs required for the progress of the game application.

[0021] 2, only three terminal devices 100 are shown, but it is possible to include four or more terminal devices 100. In other words, the spectator terminal device 100-1 can include more than one spectator terminal device. Similarly, the participant terminal device 100-2 and the participant terminal device 100-3 can include more than two participant terminal devices.

[0022] Furthermore, although the server device 200 is described as a single device, it is also possible to distribute the components and processes of the server device 200 to multiple server devices or cloud server devices. Furthermore, the game application according to this embodiment is executed by a system 1 including the server device 200 and the terminal device 100, but it is also possible to execute it by the terminal device 100 alone, without using the server device 200.

[0023] 2. Configuration of Terminal Device 100 Fig. 3A is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal device 100 does not need to include all of the components shown in Fig. 3A, and may have a configuration in which some components are omitted, or may include other components.

[0024] An example of the terminal device 100 is a stationary game machine. However, any other device capable of executing the game application according to the present disclosure, such as a portable terminal device capable of wireless communication, such as a smartphone, a portable game machine, a feature phone, a personal digital assistant, a PDA, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer, can be suitably applied. In addition, the terminal devices such as the spectator terminal device 100-1, the participant terminal device 100-2, and the participant terminal device 100-3 do not need to be the same or of the same type. For example, the spectator terminal device 100-1 may be a stationary game machine, the participant terminal device 100-2 may be a portable game machine, and the participant terminal device 100-3 may be a smartphone.

[0025] 3A, the terminal device 100 includes an output interface 111, a processor 112, a memory 113 including a RAM, a ROM, or a non-volatile memory (HDD in some cases), a communication interface 114 including a communication processing circuit and an antenna, and an input interface 115 including a touch panel 116, a hard key 117, etc. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines.

[0026] Processor 112 is composed of a CPU (microcomputer) and functions as a control unit that controls other connected components based on various programs stored in memory 113. Specifically, processor 112 reads out from memory 113 a program for executing a game application according to this embodiment and a program for executing an OS, and executes them.In this embodiment, the processor 112 performs the following operations: accepting operation input from the first participant and selecting a unit game in which to participate as a host; outputting a battle screen for executing the selected unit game via the output interface 111; accepting operation input from the first participant during execution of the selected unit game and performing movement, selection, confirmation, etc., of a game item object; receiving battle data from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113; changing the display of the battle screen based on the stored battle data; transmitting battle data to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 114; transmitting spectating data as a host to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 114; accepting operation input from the second participant for a unit game in which a participant is accepted as a guest and selecting participation; outputting a battle screen for executing a unit game in which the participant is to participate as a guest via the output interface 111; the process of accepting operation input from the second participant during the execution of a unit game to be played by the second participant and moving, selecting, deciding, etc., with respect to a game item object; the process of receiving match data from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113; the process of changing the display of the match screen based on the stored match data; the process of transmitting match data to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 114; the process of transmitting spectating data as a guest to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 114; the process of accepting operation input from the user and selecting a unit game in which to participate as a spectator; the process of receiving spectating information regarding the selected unit game from the first participant terminal device (the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant) or the second participant terminal device (the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant) via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113; the process of generating a spectating screen based on the spectating information stored in the memory 113;The processor 112 may be configured with a single CPU, or may be configured with multiple CPUs. In addition, other types of processors, such as a GPU specialized for image processing, may be appropriately combined. In addition, the above processes do not need to be executed in all terminal devices 100, and only some of the processes may be executed depending on the position of the user, such as a participant or a spectator.

[0027] The memory 113 is composed of a ROM, a RAM, a non-volatile memory, a HDD, etc., and functions as a storage unit. The ROM stores instructions for executing the game application and the OS according to this embodiment as a program. The RAM is a memory used for writing and reading data while the program stored in the ROM is being processed by the processor 112. The non-volatile memory is a memory into which data is written and read by the execution of the program, and the data written therein is stored even after the execution of the program has ended.In this embodiment, the memory 113 stores therein various memory functions, such as a process of accepting an operation input from a first participant and selecting a unit game in which to participate as a host, a process of outputting a battle screen for executing the selected unit game via the output interface 111, a process of accepting an operation input from the first participant during execution of the selected unit game and performing movement, selection, confirmation, etc., of a game item object, a process of receiving battle data from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113, a process of changing the display of the battle screen based on the stored battle data, a process of transmitting battle data to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 114, a process of transmitting spectating data as a host to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 114, a process of accepting an operation input from the second participant for a unit game in which a participant is accepted as a guest and selecting participation, a process of outputting a battle screen for executing a unit game in which the participant is to participate as a guest via the output interface 111, a process of receiving an operation input from the second participant for a unit game in which the participant is to participate as a guest, and a process of outputting a battle screen for executing a unit game in which the participant is to participate as a guest via the output interface 111. The memory 113 stores programs for a process of accepting operation input from the second participant during execution of a game and moving, selecting, deciding, etc., a process of receiving battle data from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113, a process of changing the display of a battle screen based on the stored battle data, a process of transmitting battle data to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 114, a process of transmitting spectating data as a guest to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 114, a process of accepting operation input from a user and selecting a unit game in which to participate as a spectator, a process of receiving spectating information regarding the selected unit game from the first participant terminal device (the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant) or the second participant terminal device (the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant) via the communication interface 114 and storing it in the memory 113, a process of generating a spectating screen based on the spectating information stored in the memory 113, and a process of outputting the generated spectating screen via the output interface.Although not specifically shown as the memory 113, it may be connected to a removable storage medium, a database, or the like via the input interface 115. Furthermore, the programs for the above processing do not need to be stored in all of the terminal devices 100, and only some of the programs may be stored depending on the user's position, such as a participant or a spectator.

[0028] The communication interface 114 functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from the server device 200 and other terminal devices installed remotely via a communication processing circuit and an antenna. The communication processing circuit performs processing to receive a program for executing the game application according to this embodiment, various information used in the game application, and the like from the server device 200 in accordance with the progress of the game application. It also performs processing to transmit the results of processing resulting from the execution of the game application to the server device 200. In this embodiment, in particular, spectating data and battle data are transmitted and received to and from the server device 200.

[0029] The communication processing circuit processes based on a wideband wireless communication system such as the LTE system, but it is also possible to process based on a system related to narrowband wireless communication such as wireless LAN such as IEEE802.11 or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, wired communication can be used instead of or in addition to wireless communication.

[0030] The input interface 115 is composed of a touch panel 116 and / or hard keys 117, etc., and accepts operation input from a user related to the execution of a game application. The touch panel 116 is arranged so as to cover the display as the output interface 111, and outputs information of position coordinates corresponding to image data displayed on the display to the processor 112. As the touch panel method, a known method such as a resistive film method, a capacitive coupling method, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, etc. can be used. In the present embodiment, as an example, the touch panel 116 detects a tap operation or a swipe operation for selecting or moving a card item object displayed on the display by a pointer. Note that the touch panel 116 is an example of an input interface, and naturally other types can also be used. It is also possible to use an input interface (a so-called controller type or keyboard type input interface) connected wirelessly or by wire to a main body including the processor 112, etc.

[0031] The output interface 111 functions as an output section that reads image information stored in the memory 113 in response to an instruction from the processor 112, and outputs various displays (e.g., FIGS. 12 to 14, etc.) generated by execution of the game application according to this embodiment. An example of the output interface 111 is a display configured with a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, but the terminal device 100 itself does not necessarily need to be equipped with a display. For example, the output interface 111 may output information for various displays to a display connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0032] 3. Configuration of the Server Device 200 Fig. 3B is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The server device 200 does not need to include all of the components shown in Fig. 3B, and may have a configuration in which some components are omitted, or may include other components.

[0033] 3B, the server device 200 includes a memory 211 including a RAM, a ROM, a non-volatile memory, an HDD, etc., a processor 212 including a CPU, etc., and a communication interface 213. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines.

[0034] The memory 211 includes a RAM, a ROM, a non-volatile memory, and a HDD, and functions as a storage unit. The memory 211 stores instructions for executing a game application and an OS according to this embodiment as a program. Such a program is loaded and executed by the processor 212. The memory 211 (particularly the RAM) is temporarily used to write and read data while the program is being executed by the processor 212. The memory 211 also stores the user information table shown in FIG. 4A and the unit game information table shown in FIG. 4B, as well as information on each item object arranged in a virtual game space formed by the execution of the game application, its drawing information, and the like. Furthermore, the memory 211 stores programs for executing processes such as receiving spectating data and match data as a host from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 213 and storing it in the memory 211, transmitting spectating data as a host to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 213, transmitting match data as a host to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 213, receiving spectating data and match data as a guest from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 213 and storing it in the memory 211, transmitting spectating data as a guest to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 213, and transmitting match data as a guest to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 213.

[0035] The processor 212 is composed of a CPU (microcomputer) and functions as a control unit for controlling other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory 211. In this embodiment, the processor 212 particularly executes a process of receiving spectating data and match data as a host from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 213 and storing them in the memory 211, a process of transmitting spectating data as a host to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 213, a process of transmitting match data as a host to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 213, a process of receiving spectating data and match data as a guest from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the second participant via the communication interface 213 and storing them in the memory 211, a process of transmitting spectating data as a guest to the spectator terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 213, a process of transmitting match data as a guest to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the first participant via the communication interface 213, and the like. The processor 212 may be configured with a single CPU, or may be configured with multiple CPUs.

[0036] As an example, the communication interface 213 performs processes such as modulation and demodulation in order to transmit and receive programs for executing the game application according to this embodiment, various information, and the like, between each terminal device 100 and the network 300, or between other server devices and the network 300. The communication interface 213 communicates with each terminal device and other server devices according to the above-mentioned wireless communication method or a known wired communication method. In this embodiment, in particular, the communication interface 213 transmits and receives spectating data and battle data between each terminal device and the other server devices.

[0037] 4. Information stored in each memory 4A is a diagram conceptually illustrating a user information table stored in server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information stored in the user information table is updated as the game application progresses, with new user ID information being generated each time a user who uses the game application is newly registered.

[0038] According to FIG. 4A, the user information table stores user ID information, user name information, character information, possessed card information, etc. in association with user ID information. The "user ID information" is information specific to each user for identifying each user. The user name information is information for identifying a name used by each user in a game application. The information can be arbitrarily set by each user at the time of the first execution of the game application, for example. The character information is information for identifying a character object held by each user as an avatar in the game application. Various parameter information (hit points, etc.) is stored in a separately stored character information table (not shown) in association with the character information identifying the character object. The possessed card information is information for identifying a card item object that each user can use in the game application. Various parameter information (hit points, attack power, defense power, special move, etc.) is stored in a separately stored card information table (not shown) in association with the possessed card information identifying the card item object. Although not specifically shown in FIG. 4A, various information such as each user's level, stamina, in-game currency, etc. may be stored in association with each user ID information.

[0039] 4B is a diagram conceptually illustrating a unit game information table stored in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information stored in the unit game information table is updated as the game application progresses.

[0040] According to FIG. 4B, the unit game application stores host participant information, guest participant information, spectator information, etc. in association with unit game ID information. The "unit game ID information" is generated each time a new game is stored, and is information for identifying each unit game with information unique to each unit game. Examples of such unit games include quests, scenarios, chapters, dungeons, missions, battles, matches, battles, and stages, but they may be prepared in advance, or may be newly generated by the host participant during the execution of the game application. The "host participant information" is user ID information of the participant who will be the host in each unit game. Note that the host is generally a user who first decides to participate in the unit game. When the host participant becomes a host participant, various settings for the progress of the unit game may be made. Specifically, the host participant may be able to set whether or not to recruit guest participants, whether or not to recruit spectators, and other settings such as the match time in the game and the number of rounds to be played. The "guest participant information" is user ID information of the participant who will be the guest in each unit game. A guest participant may make a participation request to a unit game for which the host participant is recruiting guest participants, and if the request is accepted, the guest participant's user ID information may be registered in the guest participant information. When the guest participant becomes a guest participant, the guest participant executes a game application as a player together with the host participant to control the progress of the unit game. "Spectator information" is user ID information of a user who becomes a spectator in each unit game. A spectator may make a participation request to a unit game for which the host participant is recruiting spectators, and if the request is accepted, the user ID information may be registered in the spectator information. When the spectator becomes a spectator, the spectator watches the unit game in which the host participant and the guest participant control the progress without substantially participating in the progress, but may also participate in the progress of the unit game by a desired method such as cheering, giving gifts, or tipping. Although not particularly illustrated in FIG. 4A, various information such as the settings, rules, the upper limit number of guest participants, and the upper limit number of spectators of each unit game may be stored in association with each unit game ID information.

[0041] 5. Information transmitted and received between each terminal device 100 and server device 200 Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received over the network 300 among the spectator terminal device 100-1, the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant, the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, and the server device 200 while a unit game is progressing by execution of a game application.

[0042] First, when a unit game is executed between the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant and the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, at predetermined intervals or each time a user operation input is received by the participant terminal device 100-2 or the participant terminal device 100-3, the participant terminal device 100-2 or the participant terminal device 100-3 transmits match data and spectating data to the server device 200. Then, the server device 200 transmits the match data to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant or the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant, who will be the opponent, and the spectating data to the spectator terminal device 100-1.

[0043] Specifically, it is as follows. First, when a predetermined time has elapsed or when the participant terminal device 100-2 accepts operational input from the host participant, the participant terminal device 100-2 transmits host match data and host spectating data to the server device 200 from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant. Also, when a predetermined time has elapsed or when the participant terminal device 100-3 accepts operational input from the guest participant, the participant terminal device 100-3 transmits guest match data and guest spectating data to the server device 200 from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant.

[0044] The server device 200 then transmits both the host match data and the guest-host match data to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant and the participant terminal device 100-3 of the opponent guest participant. The participant terminal devices 100-2 and 100-3 that receive this data execute match processing based on the received data. In addition to this, the server device 200 transmits the received host viewing data and guest viewing data to the spectator terminal device 100-1 of the user participating as a spectator.

[0045] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, when a predetermined time has passed or when the participant terminal device 100-2 accepts an operation input by the host participant, the information is transmitted as packet data from each participant terminal device to the server device 200, and is also transmitted from the server device 200 to each participant terminal device and the spectator terminal device 100-1.

[0046] According to FIG. 6, information designated as a "participant" as a transmission destination is information to be transmitted as battle data. Specifically, the battle data includes user ID information, user attribute information, card movement information, card parameter change information, and special move activation information. The "user ID information" is information for identifying a user who holds a terminal device that is a transmission source. The "user attribute information" is information indicating whether the user is participating in the unit game being executed as a host participant or a guest participant. The "card movement information" is coordinate information indicating a display position to which a card item object is moved as a result of the participant's operation input accepted in the participant terminal device. The "card parameter change information" is information indicating a parameter value after the change by changing parameter information (e.g., hit points, etc.) associated with the card item object as a result of the participant's operation input accepted in the participant terminal device. The "special move activation information" is information indicating that a special move has been activated from the card item object as a result of the participant's operation input accepted in the participant terminal device.

[0047] The observation data further includes operation log information, progress status information of each player, connection status information of each participant, etc., in addition to user ID information, user attribute information, card movement information, card parameter change information, special move activation information, etc. The "operation log information" is information indicating the operation input accepted by the participant terminal device of each participant. One example of this is input information of an indicator detected by the input interface 115. Specifically, it is log information that collects input key / button or position coordinates, input duration, operation type (tap, long tap, drag, double tap, etc.), or a combination thereof for a predetermined period. The "progress status information" is information indicating the progress status of a player in the unit game. For example, the progress status information includes waiting information indicating that a guest participant who will be the opponent in the unit game is waiting to join, start information indicating that the unit game has started, and running information indicating that the unit game is being run. The "connection status information" is information indicating the connection status of each participant to the network, and is transmitted when the connection status is disconnected or reconnected.

[0048] The match data and the spectator data do not necessarily have to be sent to the server device 200 at the same time, and may be sent simultaneously or separately. The match data and the spectator data include some overlapping information. This overlapping portion may be transmitted separately by preparing the same information for the match data and the spectator data, or may be transmitted simultaneously using the same information.

[0049] The information transmitted from each participant terminal device 100 to the server device 200, and the information transmitted from the server device 200 to each participant terminal device 100 and spectator terminal device are both described as match data or spectator data. However, this does not mean that they are exactly the same information. For example, the information transmitted from each participant terminal device 100 to the server device 200 and the information transmitted from the server device 200 to each participant terminal device 100 and spectator terminal device may be processed or have various information added thereto.

[0050] 6. Processing flow performed in the server device 200 Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 7 shows a process flow executed in the server device 200 when a game application is launched in any of the terminal devices 100 and a unit game match is selected.

[0051] According to FIG. 7, the processor 212 starts the processing flow by receiving an interrupt signal resulting from the acceptance of a match request for the unit game from the participant terminal device 100-2 held by the host participant via the communication interface 213 (S101). Upon accepting the match request, the processor 212 stores the user ID information of the host participant transmitted to the host participant information in the unit game information table. The processor 212 then transmits to the other terminal devices 100 via the communication interface 213 a notice that acceptance of participation as an opponent in the unit game has begun, the unit game ID information of the unit game, and the user ID information of the host participant (S102). At this time, it is not necessary to transmit the notice that acceptance of participation has begun to all the terminal devices 100. For example, the notice may be transmitted only to the terminal devices 100 held by a specific user (e.g., a user whose level is within a predetermined range) extracted based on the attribute information associated with each user ID information by referring to the user information table.

[0052] Next, the processor 212 determines whether or not an interrupt signal has been received due to a participation request received from any of the terminal devices 100 via the communication interface 213 for a unit game for which participation acceptance has begun (S103). The participation request includes at least the user ID information of the user who wishes to participate as a host, and unit game ID information that identifies the unit game in which the user wishes to participate. Then, upon receiving the participation request, the processor 212 stores the received user ID information in the host participant information of the unit game information table based on the received unit game ID information.

[0053] Next, the processor 212 transmits to the other terminal devices 100 via the communication interface 213 information indicating that acceptance as a spectator for the unit game has begun, the unit game ID information of the unit game, the user ID information of the host participant, the user ID information of the guest participant, and the like (S104). At this time, it is not necessary to transmit information indicating that acceptance of participation has begun to all terminal devices 100. For example, the information may be transmitted only to terminal devices 100 held by specific users (e.g., users whose levels are within a predetermined range) extracted based on attribute information associated with each user ID information by referring to the user information table.

[0054] After this, when a spectator request is received, an interrupt process is performed to register a spectator. Specifically, when the processor 212 receives an interrupt signal of a spectator request for a unit game for which spectator acceptance has started from any of the terminal devices 100 via the communication interface 213, the processor 212 performs spectator registration process. The spectator request includes at least the user ID information of the user who wishes to watch, and unit game ID information that identifies the unit game that the user wishes to watch. Therefore, when the processor 212 receives a spectator request, the processor 212 stores the received user ID information in the spectator information of the unit game information table based on the received unit game ID information. Note that this spectator acceptance can be performed at any time within a predetermined period (for example, until the end of the match).

[0055] Next, the processor 212 transmits match start information to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant and the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant via the communication interface 213 (S105). The match start information transmitted to the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant includes information such as the card item object first placed in the waiting area 12 of the host participant, the card item object first placed in the waiting area 16 of the guest participant, other card item objects owned by the host participant, and character information associated with each user of the host participant and the guest participant, which are read from the user information table and the unit game information table. Also, the match start information transmitted to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant includes information such as the card item object first placed in the waiting area 16 of the guest participant, the card item object first placed in the waiting area 12 of the host participant, other card item objects owned by the guest participant, and character information associated with each user of the guest participant and the host participant, which are read from the user information table and the unit game information table.

[0056] At this point, if the user is registered in the spectator information of the unit game information table, match start information is transmitted to the spectator terminal device 100-1 of the user associated with the registered user ID information.

[0057] Next, the processor 212 receives battle data and the like from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant and the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, and executes the battle process of the game application (S106). When the hit points of the character associated with any participant reach zero, the battle process ends and the result is notified to the participant terminal device 100-2 and the participant terminal device 100-3. The detailed process performed in this battle process will be described later.

[0058] 8 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the server device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows a process flow when a battle process is executed in the server device 200.

[0059] 8, the processor 212 starts the process flow by receiving an interrupt signal due to reception of game data from either the participant terminal device 100-2 held by the host participant or the participant terminal device 100-3 held by the guest participant via the communication interface 213 (S201). Note that the game data refers to information including at least one of match data and spectator data, unit game ID information, user ID information of the participant terminal device that transmitted the game data, etc.

[0060] When the game data is received, processor 212 stores the received game data in memory 211 (S202). Furthermore, when the received game data includes battle data, processor 212 performs processing to update parameter information of a character object associated with the participant's user ID information, parameter information associated with the participant's user ID information, and the like, based on the battle data.

[0061] Next, processor 212 refers to the unit game information table based on the received unit game ID information to determine whether or not the spectator is registered (S203). If the spectator is registered, processor 212 transmits the spectating data included in the received game data to spectator terminal device 100-1 of the user with the registered user ID information via communication interface 213 (S204). If the spectator is not registered, this process is skipped.

[0062] Then, the processor 212 transmits the battle data included in the game data to both the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant and the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant via the communication interface 213, regardless of whether the transmission source is the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant or the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant (S205). With this, the processing flow is completed.

[0063] 7. Processing flow performed by participant terminal device 100-2 Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 9 shows a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-2 when a predetermined time has elapsed or an operation input is detected in the input interface 115 while the match process is being executed. Note that, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a case where match data and spectator data are transmitted from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant, it is of course possible to transmit these data from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, and similar processes are performed.

[0064] According to FIG. 9, the processor 112 judges whether or not an operation input by the host participant is accepted in the input interface 115 of the participant terminal device 100-2 via the communication interface 114 (S301). When the processor 112 accepts the operation input, it stores the contents of the accepted operation input in the memory 113 as an operation log (corresponding to type 111 in FIG. 6) (S302). Specifically, the processor 112 associates the key / button or coordinate position inputted to the input interface 115, the duration of the input, the operation type (tap, long tap, drag, double tap, etc.), or a combination thereof with the unit game ID information and the user ID information and stores them. Then, the processor 112 executes a game application of the unit game according to the stored operation input (S303). Examples of such execution processing include, for example, moving the display position of a card item object, a special move activated using a card item object, and the like. Then, processor 112 stores in memory 113 the results of the above processing, such as the display position of the destination card item object (corresponding to type 13 in FIG. 6) and the special move to be activated (corresponding to type 15 in FIG. 6) (S304).

[0065] Next, the processor 112 refers to a timer (not shown) and determines whether a predetermined time has passed since the previous transmission of game data (S305). If the predetermined time has passed, the processor 112 transmits the operation log stored in S302 and the information related to the result stored in S304 as game data to the server device 200, together with unit game ID information of the unit game being executed in the participant terminal device 100-2, user ID information of the user of the participant terminal device 100-2, user attribute information, and the like. The information transmitted here corresponds to the information shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, card parameter change information, progress status information, connection status information, and the like may be transmitted in accordance with the progress of the game application.

[0066] If the predetermined time has not elapsed, processor 112 completes the process and ends the process flow.

[0067] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the participant terminal device 100-2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, it is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen output on the display of the participant terminal device 100-2 during execution of the battle process of the unit game.

[0068] According to FIG. 12, in the battle screen outputted to the display of the participant terminal device 100-2, a character object associated with the user ID information of the participant who is the host is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Then, the waiting area 12, the play area 14, and the stock area 13 of the card item object held by the host participant are displayed so as to overlap at least a part of the character object. In addition, a hit point gauge 11 is displayed at the bottom of the waiting area 12 based on the parameter value (hit point) of the player character associated with the user ID information of the host participant. On the other hand, a character object associated with the user ID information of the guest participant who is the opponent is displayed at the top of the screen. In addition, the play area 18 of the guest participant and the hit point gauge 15 of the player character of the guest participant are displayed in the vicinity of the character object. At this time, the card item object displayed in the play area 18 of the guest participant is displayed in a direction facing the card item object displayed in the play area 18 of the host participant. In addition, the waiting area and the stock area of ​​the guest participant are not displayed so as not to be visible from the host participant. The card item objects displayed in the waiting area 12, the play area 14, the stock area 13, and the play area 18 are determined based on the battle start information and battle data transmitted from the server device 200 in S105 of FIG.

[0069] In such a battle screen, the relationship between the result when the operation input of the host participant is accepted via the input interface 115 and the operation input will be described. In FIG. 12, the operation inputs of the tap operation 20a by the host participant on the card item object C26 displayed in the waiting area 12, the drag operation 20b from the position where the tap operation 20a was performed to the position of the play area 14, and the release operation 20c at the end point of the drag operation 20b (on the display position of the play area 14) are detected via the input interface 115. As a result, the card item object C26 displayed in the waiting area 12 is selected by the tap operation 20a, moves along the trajectory of the drag operation 20b, and is finally displayed so as to be placed at the position where the release operation 20c was performed in the play area 14. In addition, because the number of card item objects displayed in the waiting area 12 is reduced by one due to this series of operation inputs, one card item object C28 is automatically moved from the stock area 13 and displayed in the waiting area 12. This card item object C28 is selected at random from among the card item objects possessed by the host participant that are not yet displayed in the waiting area 12.

[0070] 12, the following operation inputs are detected via the input interface 115: a tap operation 21a by the host participant on the card item object C23 displayed in the waiting area 12, a drag operation 21b from the position where the tap operation 21a was performed to a position that is the end point (the position on the waiting area 12 where the card item object C23 was originally displayed), and a release operation 21c at the end point of the drag operation 21b. As a result, the card item object C23 displayed in the waiting area 12 is displayed as if it was selected by the tap operation 21a, moved along the trajectory of the drag operation 21b, and finally placed again at the position where the release operation 21c was performed in the waiting area 12. That is, in this case, it is assumed that the host participant attempts to move the card item object C23 to the play area 14 by the tap operation 21a and the drag operation 21b, but stops the movement midway and returns the card item object C23 to the waiting area 12 again.

[0071] 12, an operation input of a tap operation 24 by the host participant on the card item object C02 displayed in the play area 14 is detected via the input interface 115. As a result, the periphery of the card item object C02 is highlighted, and an effect 22 is performed in which a special move associated with the card item object C02 is activated on the player U2 who is the guest participant.

[0072] As described above, in FIG. 12, the following operation inputs are detected via the input interface 115: ·Tap operation 20a, drag operation 20b, release operation 20c ·Tap operation 21a, drag operation 21b, release operation 21c ·Tap operation 24

[0073] Then, based on these operational inputs, the game application is executed in the unit game, and as a result, the following change processing is carried out (since the card item object C23 has moved back to the standby area 12, its display position itself is not changed). Display position of card item object C26 Display position of card item object C28 · Activating a special move from the card item object C02

[0074] 12, as "card movement information" included in the battle data and the spectating data, coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C26 and coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C28 are transmitted from the participant terminal device 100-2 to the server device 200, and as "special move activation information", information that a special move has been activated from the card item object C02 is transmitted from the participant terminal device 100-2 to the server device 200. In addition, as "operation log information" included in the spectating data, the tap operation 20a, the drag operation 20b, the release operation 20c, the tap operation 21a, the drag operation 21b, the release operation 21c, and the tap operation 24 (specifically, information such as the position coordinates where these operation inputs were made, the duration, and the type of operation) are transmitted from the participant terminal device 100-2 to the server device 200.

[0075] 8. Processing flow performed by participant terminal device 100-3 Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 10 shows a process flow executed in the participant terminal device 100-3 by receiving the match data from the server device 200. Note that, although the present embodiment has been described with respect to a case where the match data is received in the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, it is of course possible for the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant to receive the match data, and similar processing is performed.

[0076] 10, processor 112 determines whether or not battle data has been received from server device 200 via communication interface 114 (S401). If battle data has been received, processor 112 stores the received battle data in memory 113 (S402). Processor 112 then generates a battle screen for the guest participant based on the stored battle data, and outputs the generated battle screen via output interface 111 (e.g., a display) (S403).

[0077] At this time, the battle data received from the server device 200 includes, in addition to the user ID information of the host participant who is the sender, user attribute information of the host participant, etc., card movement information, card parameter change information, special move activation information, etc.

[0078] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the participant terminal device 100-3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, it is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen output on the display of the participant terminal device 100-3 during execution of the battle process of the unit game.

[0079] According to FIG. 13, in the battle screen outputted to the display of the participant terminal device 100-3, a character object associated with the user ID information of the guest participant is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Then, the waiting area 16, the play area 18, and the stock area 17 of the card item object held by the guest participant are displayed so as to overlap at least a part of the character object. In addition, a hit point gauge 15 is displayed at the bottom of the waiting area 16 based on the parameter value (hit point) of the player character associated with the user ID information of the guest participant. On the other hand, a character object associated with the user ID information of the host participant, who is the opponent, is displayed at the top of the screen. In addition, the play area 14 of the host participant and the hit point gauge 11 of the player character of the host participant are displayed in the vicinity of the character object. At this time, the card item object displayed in the play area 14 of the host participant is displayed in a direction facing the card item object displayed in the play area 18 of the guest participant. In addition, the waiting area and the stock area of ​​the host participant are not displayed so as not to be visible to the guest participant. The card item objects displayed in the waiting area 16, the play area 18, the stock area 17, and the play area 14 are determined based on the battle start information and battle data transmitted from the server device 200 in S105 of FIG.

[0080] In this type of battle screen, the relationship between the battle data received from the server device 200 and the battle screen that is output will be described. Note that the case where battle data obtained by performing an operation input or the like in Fig. 12 is received will be described.

[0081] 12, as "card movement information" included in the battle data, coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C26 and coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C28 are transmitted from the participant terminal device 100-2 to the server device 200 as "special move activation information", which is information that a special move has been activated from the card item object C02. That is, in the example of FIG. 13, the coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C26, coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C28, and information that a special move has been activated from the card item object C02 are received from the server device 200 as battle data.

[0082] As a result, as shown in Fig. 13, on the battle screen of the guest participant, the card item object C26 is displayed in the play area 14 based on the coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C26 in the received battle data. Also, based on the information that a special move has been activated from the card item object C02 in the received battle data, the periphery of the card item object C02 is highlighted, and a performance 22 is performed in which the special move has been activated against the player U2 who is the guest participant. The battle data includes coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C28. However, since the waiting area of ​​the host participant where the card item object C28 is placed is not displayed on the battle screen of the guest participant, the output of this information is limited or ignored by the processor 112.

[0083] 9. Processing flow performed by the spectator terminal device 100-1 Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a process flow executed in the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 11 shows a process flow executed in the spectator terminal device 100-1 as a result of receiving spectating data from the server device 200. Note that, although the present embodiment has been described with respect to a case in which spectating data is received from the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant, it is of course also possible to receive spectating data from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, and similar processing is performed.

[0084] 11, the processor 112 determines whether or not spectating data has been received from the server device 200 via the communication interface 114 (S501). If spectating data has been received, the processor 112 stores the received spectating data in the memory 113 (S502). The processor 112 then generates a spectating screen based on the stored spectating data, and outputs the generated spectating screen via the output interface 111 (e.g., a display) (S503).

[0085] At this time, the spectator data received from the server device 200 includes the user ID information of the host participant who is the sender, the user attribute information of the host participant, card movement information, card parameter change information, special move activation information, etc., as well as operation log information, progress information, connection status information, etc.

[0086] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, it is a diagram showing an example of a battle screen output on the display of the spectator terminal device 100-1 during execution of a battle process of a unit game.

[0087] According to FIG. 14, a character object associated with the user ID information of the host participant is displayed at the bottom of the spectator screen output to the display of the spectator terminal device 100-1. A waiting area 12, a play area 14, and a stock area 13 of the card item object held by the host participant are displayed near the character object. A hit point gauge 11 is displayed at the bottom of the waiting area 12 based on the parameter value (hit points) of the player character associated with the user ID information of the host participant. On the other hand, a player object associated with the user ID information of the guest participant is displayed at the top of the spectator screen. A waiting area 16, a play area 18, and a stock area 17 of the card item object held by the guest participant are displayed near the player character. A hit point gauge 15 is displayed at the bottom of the waiting area 16 based on the parameter value (hit points) of the player character associated with the user ID information of the guest participant. At this time, the card item objects held by the host participant and the guest participant are displayed in the same orientation in the waiting area 12, play area 14, and stock area 13 of the host participant, and the waiting area 16, play area 18, and stock area 17 of the guest participant. Note that each card item object displayed in each area is determined based on the match start information and spectator data transmitted from the server device 200 in S105 of FIG.

[0088] In this type of spectator screen, the relationship between the spectator data received from the server device 200 and the output battle screen will be described. Note that the case where spectator data obtained by performing an operation input or the like is received will be described.

[0089] As described above, in the example of Figure 12, coordinate information indicating the display position of card item object C26 and coordinate information indicating the display position of card item object C28 are transmitted from participant terminal device 100-2 to server device 200 as "card movement information" included in the spectating data, information that a special move has been activated from card item object C02 is transmitted as "special move activation information", and information regarding the contents of the operation inputs of tap operation 20a, drag operation 20b, release operation 20c, tap operation 21a, drag operation 21b, release operation 21c, and tap operation 24 (specifically, information such as the position coordinates where these operation inputs were made, the duration, and the type of operation) is transmitted as "operation log information" from participant terminal device 100-2 to server device 200. That is, in the example of Figure 14, the following data are received from the server device 200 as spectator data: "coordinate information indicating the display position of card item object C26," "coordinate information indicating the display position of card item object C28," "information that a special move has been activated from card item object C02," and "information regarding the content of the operation input of tap operation 20a, drag operation 20b, release operation 20c, tap operation 21a, drag operation 21b, release operation 21c, and tap operation 24."

[0090] 14, on the spectator's spectating screen, the card item object C26 is displayed in the play area 14 based on the coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C26 from the received spectating data. Also, the card item object 28 is displayed in the waiting area 12 based on the coordinate information indicating the display position of the card item object C28 from the received spectating data. Also, based on the information from the received spectating data that a special move has been activated from the card item object C02, the periphery of the card item object C02 is highlighted, and a performance 22 is performed in which the special move has been activated on the player U2 who is the guest participant.

[0091] In addition to these, the spectator's viewing screen performs display processing based on operation log information included in the received viewing data, i.e., information on the contents of the operation inputs of the tap operation 20a, the drag operation 20b, the release operation 20c, the tap operation 21a, the drag operation 21b, the release operation 21c, and the tap operation 24. Specifically, based on the operation inputs of the tap operation 20a, the drag operation 20b, and the release operation 20c of the host participant, the card item object C26 displayed in the waiting area 12 is selected by the tap operation 20a, moves along the trajectory of the drag operation 20b, and is finally placed at the position where the release operation 20c was performed in the play area 14. Also, based on the operation inputs of the tap operation 21a, the drag operation 21b, and the release operation 21c of the host participant, the card item object C23 displayed in the waiting area 12 is selected by the tap operation 21a, moves along the trajectory of the drag operation 21b, and is finally placed again at the position where the release operation 21c was performed in the waiting area 12.

[0092] 14, output processing is performed based on the operation input itself, not simply the result of the operation input detected by each participant terminal device 100. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14, it is possible to reproduce a more realistic screen, such as the state in which the host participant selects the card item object C26 and moves the card item object C26 to the play area 14, or the state in which the host participant selects the card item object C23 and attempts to place it in the play area 14, but then returns the card item object C23 to the waiting area 12.

[0093] In addition, the observation screen in FIG. 14 is not simply generated based on drawing data of a battle screen outputted on either the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant or the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, by receiving the drawing data. In other words, the screen of the unit game being executed is reproduced as the observation screen based on the received observation data. Therefore, the card item objects of the host participant and the card item objects of the guest participant are not displayed in opposite directions, but are displayed in the same direction. Therefore, the operation inputs and item objects of any participant can be displayed in an optimal manner for viewing, which can improve the comfort for the spectators.

[0094] As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a processing device, a program, and a method capable of providing a viewing screen that is more appealing to spectators.

[0095] <Other> In the above embodiment, the server device 200 is used as the processing device, and the processor 212 executes various processes related to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the terminal device 100 may be used as the processing device, and the processor 112 may execute various processes related to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. In this case, the terminal device 100 may be directly connected to another terminal device 100 via the communication interface 114, or may be connected via the server device. In addition, the memory 113 of the terminal device 100 functioning as the processing device may store the user information table and unit game information table shown in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B.

[0096] In such a case, the participant terminal device 100-2 performs the processes shown in Figures 7 and 8 related to accepting a match request, processing related to accepting participation as a guest participant, processing related to accepting spectator acceptance for the match, processing to send match start information to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant, processing to receive game data from the guest participant, processing to send spectator data of the host and guest participant to the spectators if there are spectators, and processing to send host match data to the guest participant.

[0097] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received in the system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 15 shows an example of information transmitted and received when the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant functions as a processing device. According to FIG. 15, the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant transmits the match data of the host participant to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant. At this time, the spectating data of the host participant is not necessary for the guest participant, so the spectating data is not transmitted to the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant. On the other hand, the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant receives the match data and spectating data of the guest participant as game data from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant. Then, the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant transmits the received spectating data of the guest participant to the spectator terminal device 100-1 of the spectator in addition to its own spectating data. The viewing data of the guest participant can also be transmitted directly from the participant terminal device 100-3 of the guest participant to the spectator terminal device 100-1 without passing through the participant terminal device 100-2 of the host participant.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the input key / button or position coordinates, the duration of the input, the type of operation (tap, long tap, drag, double tap, etc.), or a combination thereof is stored as the operation log information included in the spectating data, and the spectating screen is reproduced based on the information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation log information may further include information related to the time or order in which each operation input was detected. That is, in the example of FIG. 12, the tap operation 20a, the drag operation 20b, the release operation 20c, the tap operation 21a, the drag operation 21b, the release operation 21c, the tap operation 24, etc. are detected via the input interface 115. At this time, if information related to the time or order in which each operation input was detected is added, it is possible to specify that, for example, the tap operation 21a was detected first, followed by the drag operation 21b, the release operation 21c, the tap operation 20a, the drag operation 20b, the release operation 20c, and the tap operation 24 in that order.

[0099] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the spectator terminal device 100-1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 16 shows an example of a spectator screen when information related to the time or order in which each operation input was detected is further received as operation log information included in the spectator data. According to FIG. 16, based on the information related to the time or order of each operation input, the operation input is reproduced in the order of a tap operation 21a, a drag operation 21b, and a release operation 21c, and a display is output on the spectator screen showing that the card item object C23 is selected and moved in the direction of the play area 18, but is returned to the waiting area 12 again. Next, the operation input is reproduced in the order of a tap operation 20a, a drag operation 20b, and a release operation 20c, and a card item object C26 is selected and moved in the direction of the play area 18 and placed in the play area 18, and a display is output on the spectator screen showing that the card item object C28 is moved from the stock area 13 to the waiting area 12. Next, the operation input of the tap operation 24 is reproduced, and a display showing that the card item object C02 is selected and the special move is activated is output to the spectator screen.

[0100] In this way, by using information related to the time or order in which each operational input was detected as spectator data, it is possible to more faithfully reproduce the manner in which a participant is unsure about which card item object to select or move.

[0101] It is also possible to configure a system by appropriately combining or replacing the elements described in each embodiment.

[0102] The processes and procedures described in this specification can be realized not only by those explicitly described in the embodiments, but also by software, hardware, or a combination of these. Specifically, the processes and procedures described in this specification can be realized by implementing logic corresponding to the processes in a medium such as an integrated circuit, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical storage. In addition, the processes and procedures described in this specification can be implemented as computer programs and executed by various computers including terminal devices and server devices.

[0103] Although the processes and procedures described herein are described as being executed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be executed by multiple devices, multiple software, multiple components, and / or multiple modules. Furthermore, although the various information described herein is described as being stored in a single memory or storage unit, such information may be stored in multiple memories provided in a single device or multiple memories distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be realized by integrating them into fewer components or breaking them down into more components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 100 Terminal Equipment 100-1 Spectator terminal device 100-2 Participant terminal device 100-3 Participant terminal device 200 Server Device 300 Network

Claims

1. a communication interface configured to communicatively connect via a network a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device as a spectator; a memory configured to store, in addition to a predetermined instruction command, spectating information including information indicating a log of a series of operation inputs received during execution of the game application in the first participant terminal device, for reproducing an event occurring in relation to an object operable by the first participant in response to the series of operation inputs made by the first participant with respect to the object, and battle information including information regarding a display position of the object that is a result of the series of operation inputs made when the game application is executed based on the series of operation inputs; Based on the predetermined instruction, receiving the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and storing them in the memory; Transmitting the spectating information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface; transmitting the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface; a processor configured to control a processing device including: the first participant terminal device, the second participant terminal device, and the spectator terminal device all display a play area of ​​the first participant and a play area of ​​the second participant; In the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device, the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant is displayed in a direction relative to the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant; In the spectator terminal device, the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant is displayed in the same orientation as the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant. system.

2. The system described in claim 1, wherein the spectating information includes, in addition to information indicating a log of the series of operation inputs, information regarding the display position of the object that is a result of the operation performed when the game application is executed based on the series of operation inputs.

3. A system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information indicating the log of the series of operation inputs included in the spectating information includes the content of the instruction input by the first participant detected by the input interface of the first participant terminal device.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the instruction input is an operation input for an item object displayed during execution of the game application.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the instruction input is an instruction input for moving a display position of the item object.

6. The system described in claim 5, wherein the game application is executed based on the series of operation inputs and information regarding the display position of the object after the operation is performed is information indicating the display position of the item object after it is moved by the series of operation inputs.

7. a communication interface configured to communicatively connect via a network to a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a spectator; and a memory configured to store: spectating information that is received during execution of the game application on the first participant terminal device, the spectator terminal device including information indicating a log of a series of operation inputs for reproducing an event that occurs in relation to an object operable by the first participant in response to a series of operation inputs made by the first participant with respect to the object; and match information that includes information regarding a display position of the object that is a result of the game application being executed based on the series of operation inputs and the series of operation inputs; receiving the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and storing them in the memory; Transmitting the spectating information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface; transmitting the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface; a processor configured to Function as a causing the first participant terminal device, the second participant terminal device, and the spectator terminal device to all display a play area of ​​the first participant and a play area of ​​the second participant; In the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device, the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant is displayed in an orientation relative to the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant; A program for displaying, in the spectator terminal device, the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant in the same orientation as the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant.

8. a communication interface configured to communicatively connect, via a network, a first participant terminal device capable of executing a game application as a first participant, a second participant terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device as a second participant, and a spectator terminal device capable of executing the game application executed on the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device as a spectator; and a memory configured to store, in addition to a predetermined instruction command, spectating information that is received during execution of the game application in the first participant terminal device, and includes information indicating a log of a series of operation inputs for reproducing an event that occurs in relation to an object operable by the first participant in response to a series of operation inputs made by the first participant with respect to the object, and match information that includes information regarding a display position of the object that is a result of the game application being executed based on the series of operation inputs and the series of operation inputs, the method being performed by a processor in a computer including: receiving the spectating information and the match information from the first participant terminal device via the communication interface and storing them in the memory; transmitting the spectator information to the spectator terminal device via the communication interface; transmitting the match information to the second participant terminal device via the communication interface; a step in which the first participant terminal device, the second participant terminal device and the spectator terminal device all display a play area of ​​the first participant and a play area of ​​the second participant; a step of displaying the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant by the first participant terminal device and the second participant terminal device in a relative orientation to the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant; a step of displaying the object displayed in the play area of ​​the first participant in the same orientation as the object displayed in the play area of ​​the second participant by the spectator terminal device; The method includes:

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