Game device and program

Abstract

Provide an interesting play experience. 【Solution】A game device that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear, an acquisition means for acquiring information about other game devices, a first identification means for identifying a first attribute that is an attribute associated with the game device from among a plurality of attributes, a second identification means for identifying a second attribute that is an attribute associated with another game device from among the plurality of attributes, and a determination means for determining a character to appear in the game, wherein the determination means causes a predetermined character to appear in the game on the condition that information about another game device associated with a second attribute different from the first attribute has been acquired.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a game device and a program, and to an electronic game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear.

Background Art

[0002] In a cultivation game for cultivating characters, there is a game device that determines the growth form of a target character from a predetermined form of branching based on parameters that change according to operation inputs made for cultivation (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the cultivation game executed by the game device as in Patent Document 1, all the characters that can be cultivated in the cultivation game are configured to be able to grow (appear) in the game play on the game device alone. On the other hand, in this configuration, the interestingness related to the cultivation of characters is closed in one game device, so there is a possibility that the user's interest in the game will not continue.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a program, a game device, a display medium, and a game system that provide a highly interesting play experience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a game device that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear, and includes an acquisition means for acquiring information about other game devices, a first specifying means for specifying a first attribute that is an attribute associated with the game device from among a plurality of attributes, a second specifying means for specifying a second attribute that is an attribute associated with another game device from among a plurality of attributes, and a determining means for determining a character to appear in the game. The determining means causes a predetermined character to appear in the game on the condition that information about another game device associated with a second attribute different from the first attribute has been acquired. Another aspect of the present invention is a game device that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear. The game is provided with a plurality of attributes, and each of the plurality of characters is associated with any one of the plurality of attributes as a character attribute. One of the plurality of attributes is associated with the game device as a device attribute. The game device includes an acquisition unit that acquires information about another game device from the other game device, the information including the device attribute of the other game device; a first identification unit that identifies a first device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the game device; a second identification unit that identifies a second device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the other game device based on the information about the other game device; and a determination unit that determines a character to be an operation target in the game. The plurality of characters include a first character configured to be selectable as an operation target without acquiring information about another game device, and a second character configured to be selectable as an operation target on the condition that information about another game device is acquired. The determination unit determines the second character as the character to be the operation target on the condition that the character attribute of the currently operated character matches the first device attribute and information about another game device including a second device attribute different from the first device attribute has been acquired.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a highly interesting play experience.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the invention. Among the plurality of features described in the embodiments, two or more features may be arbitrarily combined. Also, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] One embodiment described below is an example of applying the present invention to a game device that can execute a game in which the appearance of a character changes as the game progresses, that is, a game in which at least one target character exists and the appearance of the target character changes as the game progresses. However, the present invention is applicable to any device that can execute an electronic game in which a plurality of types of characters with different appearances appear. That is, it goes without saying that the electronic game to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a game of a specific genre such as an evolution game.

[0011] The game exemplified in this embodiment is configured to provide the user with an interesting experience of growing the target character while sequentially changing its appearance to different appearances. For example, it may be configured such that the appearance after growth changes depending on how the user takes care of the target character. Hereinafter, the game exemplified in this embodiment will be referred to as an "evolution game" from the viewpoint that the appearance evolves as the target character grows.

[0012] 《Configuration of the Game Device》 FIG. 1 illustrates the external configuration of the game device 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the game device 100 is configured in the form of a portable toy and operates using power supplied from a battery or dry battery (not shown). In the mode of operating with a battery, the game device 100 is provided with a terminal (not shown) that can be connected to a power source, and is configured to be able to charge the battery when a commercial power source or the like is electrically connected to the terminal via a power supply cable.

[0013] <Hardware Configuration of Game Device> Next, the hardware configuration of the game device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the game device 100.

[0014] The control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs various controls including operation control of each hardware included in the game device 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 reads out a necessary program stored in the storage device 102, expands it in the memory 103, and executes it to perform the corresponding control. In addition, the control unit 101 has a built-in clock and is configured to be able to acquire the current time.

[0015] The storage device 102 is a device capable of storing permanent information, such as a non-volatile memory. The storage device 102 stores programs related to the operation of the game device 100 and programs of evolution games executed in the game device 100, in addition to information on parameters necessary for realizing various controls. In addition, the storage device 102 also functions as a database (character DB 121) for various data related to evolution games. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 may be used not only as an expansion area for each program but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

[0016] The character DB 121 is a database that manages, as records, information (character information) on characters that can be nurtured in an evolution game. In the evolution game executed on the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the user can nurture a character that grows through a plurality of growth stages. The character is configured such that its appearance differs each time the growth stage changes. The character DB 121 manages, as records, various types of information for each appearance that a character can take in each growth stage. The character information related to one record is associated with a character ID 401 that uniquely identifies the character (appearance), for example, as shown in FIG. 4, and includes graphics information 402 for drawing the appearance of the character, a growth stage 403 indicating the growth stage at which the character takes on the appearance, evolution destination information 404 indicating the appearance from which the character can grow into the appearance, and an environment attribute 405, the details of which will be described later. The evolution destination information 404 may store information of the corresponding character ID 401.

[0017] The display control device 104 performs display control to display various screens related to the evolution game on the display 110. In the present embodiment, the display control device 104 also includes a drawing device such as a graphics chip or a GPU, and executes drawing processing for generating various screens related to the evolution game. The display control device 104 includes a drawing memory (not shown), expands various graphics data read from the storage device 102, and performs predetermined calculations to generate various images (screens) related to the evolution game. The screens and images generated by the display control device 104 are presented to the user by being displayed on the display 110 included in the game device 100, for example. The display 110 is a device that performs information display included in the game device 100, such as a liquid crystal display.

[0018] The communication I / F 106 is a communication interface with an external device included in the game device 100. As described above, the game device 100 of the present embodiment includes connection terminals (not shown), and is configured such that information communication can be performed with other game devices 100 by connecting the connection terminals to each other.

[0019] The operation I / F 105 is a user interface that receives operation inputs provided by the game device 100. When the operation I / F 105 detects that an operation input has been made, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. In an embodiment where the display 110 is configured to be capable of detecting touch inputs, the operation I / F 105 can include a touch input detection sensor provided on the display 110. Additionally, the operation I / F 105 can include various operation members provided on the exterior of the game device 100, for example.

[0020] 《Overview of the Game》 Hereinafter, an overview of the game provided in the game device 100 of the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the game will be described as an evolution game that provides at least an element of growing a target character as an interesting element. However, an evolution game is merely one aspect of a game in which a plurality of types of characters with different appearances appear, and the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is applicable to any game in which a plurality of types of characters with different appearances appear.

[0021] In an evolution game, the user can grow a target character by performing operation inputs related to taking care of the target character. An evolution game, for example, starts from hatching an egg, and as the necessary operation inputs related to taking care are sequentially performed, the growth stage (progress stage) advances, presenting a situation where the target character grows while having a different appearance. The growth stage refers to, for example, each of the growth processes (periods) of the target character in an evolution game separated into a plurality of stages (egg stage (before birth), baby stage (infancy), kids stage (childhood), young stage (youth), adult stage (adulthood), etc.), and progresses when conditions such as the elapsed time of growth are satisfied.

[0022] Here, the characters at each growth stage are configured to show a predetermined appearance for that growth stage. In other words, in the evolution game of this embodiment, the appearances that the target character can take at each growth stage are predetermined. For example, depending on the selected egg or the care situation in the previous growth stages, it is determined which appearance the character will grow into. As described above, the appearance of the character is defined as the graphics information 402 in the character information registered in the character DB 121. That is, the evolution game is configured such that as the cultivation of the target character progresses, the appearance of the target character changes to one of a plurality of predetermined appearances.

[0023] Each of the appearances that the target character can take during the evolution game, that is, each of the plurality of types of appearances predefined for the evolution game, has an individual name defined. One appearance can also be regarded as one character with a unique name. That is, each character that can appear in the evolution game has an individual name defined, and the change in appearance due to the growth of the character can be regarded as the evolution from character A (name) before growth to character B (name) after growth. The user can repeatedly play the evolution game with the character that hatches from the obtained new egg as the target character, for example. In this process, the target character can "evolve into a specific character". Therefore, in the following description, "the appearance of the target character being changed to the appearance of a specific character" may sometimes be simply referred to as "evolving into a specific character".

[0024] That is, in the evolution game as described in this embodiment, in order to present the change in the appearance of the target character due to evolution, when evolution occurs, a character after evolution with a different appearance appears in place of the target character before evolution, and the character after evolution is configured to be the control target as the new target character.

[0025] In the evolution game, the appearance change pattern of the character in the growth stage is assumed to have an evolution lineage defined such that, to ensure playability, the character evolves into a character with the same appearance under the same conditions in repeated gameplay. That is, the information on which character's appearance will be shown in the evolution of the target character is defined as the "evolution destination branch" determined for each character at any growth stage. In the evolution game of this embodiment, for each character defined from the baby stage to the young stage, one or more evolved characters with appearance changes are defined.

[0026] In the evolution game of this embodiment, the evolution destination of the target character when the growth stage progresses is determined based on at least the information on the attributes associated with the target character in the process of the evolution game. As an example of such attributes, in this embodiment, the environmental attributes associated with the environment (area) in the evolution game will be described as being used.

[0027] In the evolution game of this embodiment, multiple types of areas are provided. Each of the multiple types of areas is associated with different environmental attributes. For example, not only the background image displayed when the target character is placed in the area, but also the items obtained and events that occur within the area are configured differently. In the example described below, it will be described that the evolution game has three types of areas (flat ground, seaside, high ground) with environmental attributes of land, water, and air. When the target character is placed in the area by the user's operation and meets the conditions, the environmental attributes of the area are associated with the target character.

[0028] Here, among a plurality of types of characters that can appear in the evolution game, any one of the above three types of environmental attributes is associated. Information on the environmental attributes associated with a character is included, for example, in the environmental attribute 405 of the character information managed in the character DB 121 for each character. That is, for a character with an associated environmental attribute, information uniquely identifying the environmental attribute, for example, is stored in the environmental attribute 405 of the character information related to the character. On the other hand, for a character among the plurality of types of characters that can appear in the evolution game to which no environmental attribute is associated, no information indicating any environmental attribute is stored (blank) in the environmental attribute 405 of the character information related to the character.

[0029] The state in which any environmental attribute is associated with a character may be referred to, for example, in determining the action characteristics of the character. Such action characteristics can include, for example, appearing only in the area of the associated environmental attribute, preferring to be in the area of the associated environmental attribute, preferring items obtained in the area of the associated environmental attribute, and the like. Therefore, when the target character evolves into a character with one environmental attribute associated, that is, when the appearance of the target character becomes the appearance of the character with the associated environmental attribute, the target character is in a state where one environmental attribute is associated. In other words, when one environmental attribute is associated with the target character, the character determined as the appearance of the evolution destination becomes the character of the corresponding growth stage with the associated environmental attribute.

[0030] For example, in the baby stage, since no attributes are associated with the target character yet, it appears as a character with a common appearance. After that, the target character stays in a certain area for a predetermined time during the baby stage, and the environmental attributes of that area are associated with it, evolving into a character in the kids stage with the corresponding environmental attributes. Also, when predetermined evolution conditions are met during the kids stage, the target character evolves into a character in the young stage with the same environmental attributes as the character in the kids stage. Similarly, when predetermined evolution conditions are met during the young stage, the target character evolves into a character in the adult stage with the same environmental attributes as the character in the young stage.

[0031] Therefore, in the evolution game of this embodiment, when the target character evolves from the baby stage where no environmental attributes are associated to the kids stage, it evolves into a character with environmental attributes different from the currently associated environmental attributes (no association). On the other hand, after the kids stage, it is controlled to evolve only into a character with the same environmental attributes as the currently associated environmental attributes, that is, it does not evolve into a character with environmental attributes different from the currently associated environmental attributes. That is, the association of environmental attributes to the target character is limited to the baby stage, and after the kids stage, the target character evolves into a character with the associated environmental attributes and does not evolve into a character with other environmental attributes.

[0032] In addition, if the actions during the baby stage determine the direction of subsequent evolution, it may reduce the user's interest in the evolution game. In particular, in the mode where a time limit is set during the baby stage, when evolving into the kids stage, the desired environmental attributes may not be associated with the target character, and it may become a character with other environmental attributes. Therefore, the association of environmental attributes with the target character may also be configured to be possible during the kids stage. That is, in the evolution game, even during the kids stage, the target character can be placed in an area different from the environmental attributes currently associated with the target character and made to stay for a predetermined time, so that the target character can be configured to be changeable to a character with other environmental attributes during the kids stage.

[0033] 〈Special Evolution〉 By the way, in such an evolution game where the evolutionary lineage of the evolution destination is predetermined in advance, it is easy for the user to grow all types of characters by repeating the game play. As a result, the interest of some users in the evolution game may decrease.

[0034] Therefore, in the evolution game of this embodiment, a predetermined character among the characters that can appear is defined as a special character, and even when playing the game alone on the game device 100, its appearance conditions (evolution conditions) are configured not to be satisfied. Specifically, the appearance conditions of the special character are configured to be satisfied on the condition that it has communicated with at least another game device 100.

[0035] The communication element with other game devices 100 in the evolution game can be anything, such as communicating with characters being nurtured in other game devices 100 (hereinafter referred to as other characters), other characters visiting, the target character being nurtured in game device 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the self-character) and other characters performing joint work, the self-character and other characters engaging in battles, etc. However, it may be configured to provide more interesting elements to the user than playing the game alone on game device 100. That is, it is better to be able to induce the user to actively use the communication element with other game devices 100 to sustain the user's interest in the evolution game. For this reason, in the evolution game of this embodiment, a special character whose appearance condition is satisfied on the condition of communication with the above-mentioned other game devices 100 is provided.

[0036] In particular, when the communication element includes a function such that an item obtained in the environment within the evolution game being executed on one game device 100 (for example, harvested fruits, etc.) is transferred through the exchange between the self-character and other characters, it is more likely to be highly interesting if the environments within the evolution game are different between game devices 100. Specifically, it is considered that the user can obtain a higher interesting experience by being transferred an item that cannot be obtained / is difficult to obtain in the same game environment rather than an item that can also be obtained in the environment within the evolution game being executed on their own game device 100. That is, it seems that recommending the use of the communication element between game devices 100 that execute evolution games with different environments is more likely to enhance and sustain the user's interest in the evolution game.

[0037] For this reason, in the evolution game of this embodiment, the appearance conditions of the special character are set as follows.

[0038] First, one of a plurality of types of attributes is associated with each of the game devices 100. Which attribute is associated with the game device 100 can be configured to be identifiable, for example, by referring to the attribute information permanently stored in the storage device 102 of the game device. That is, the control unit 101 of the game device 100 can identify the attribute associated with its own device by referring to the attribute information. Also, when communicating with another game device 100, the control unit 101 of the game device 100 can identify the attribute associated with the other game device 100 as the communication destination by referring to the attribute information obtained from the other game device 100 by making a transmission request. The association of attributes with each game device 100 is performed, for example, before the game device 100 is shipped. And the attribute associated with the game device 100 does not change with the progress of the evolution game and is fixedly determined for the game device 100. That is, the attribute information stored in the storage device 102 is held without being changed.

[0039] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the attribute associated with each game device 100 is one of a plurality of types of environmental attributes. That is, in the present embodiment, the game devices 100 include a game device 100 associated with the land attribute, a game device 100 associated with the water attribute, and a game device 100 associated with the air attribute. The environmental attribute associated with the game device 100 determines the elements initially released in the evolution game executed on the game device 100.

[0040] Here, the elements initially opened are configured to be different depending on the environmental attributes associated with the game device 100. For example, in an evolution game executed on the game device 100 associated with the land attribute, at the initial stage (when first started), the area corresponding to the land attribute is larger than the areas of other environmental attributes, the facilities are more complete, it is easier to obtain land-attribute items, etc., and there are differences in the play experiences provided among the environmental attributes. Therefore, from the perspective that the elements initially opened are different between the game devices 100 associated with different environmental attributes, there are differences in the environment within the evolution game, and a highly interesting play experience can be provided when communicating.

[0041] Therefore, in the evolution game of this embodiment, the appearance conditions of the special character include the condition of communicating with the game device 100 associated with an environmental attribute different from that of the own character.

[0042] In the evolution game executed by the game device 100 as described above, since the area of the environmental attributes associated with the player's own character (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the self-environmental attributes) is initially enriched, it is easy for the user to grasp that the initial state of the evolution game is specialized in that area. That is, the user who uses the game device 100 can grasp at the start whether the game device 100 is specialized in land attributes, water attributes, or air attributes. The differences in the environmental attributes associated with such a game device 100 may be something that the user can grasp at the time of purchase by having lineups of land attributes, water attributes, and air attributes provided and distributed at the time of sale of the game device 100. These game devices 100 with different environmental attributes may be configured to be distinguishable without checking the screen of the executed evolution game, such as by the color or shape of the game device 100 main body (housing) being different, etc., with the associated environmental attributes being different. Therefore, in order to more effectively show the characteristics of the game device 100 due to the associated environmental attributes, the special characters that appear in one game device 100 are characters associated with the same environmental attribute as the environmental attribute associated with the game device 100. By configuring in this way, for each game device 100, it is possible to provide an interesting element in which special characters with characteristics linked to the evolution game executed by the game device 100 appear.

[0043] In other words, since special characters appear based on the unique attribute information associated with the game device 100, the special characters of each environmental attribute are included among the characters that can appear in the evolution game. On the other hand, since the special characters that appear in the evolution game executed by the game device 100 are limited to those associated with the self-environmental attributes, the special characters associated with environmental attributes different from the self-environmental attributes (other environmental attributes) are controlled not to appear in the evolution game executed by the game device 100. In other words, in the evolution game executed by one game device 100, among the multiple types of characters that can appear in the evolution game, characters other than the special characters of other environmental attributes are controlled to appear.

[0044] Among the multiple types of characters that can appear in the evolution game, for each character other than the special character, in addition to the branch of the evolution destination, an appearance condition to be achieved in order to appear in the evolution game is set. Such an appearance condition is configured not to require communication with other game devices 100. On the other hand, in a game like the evolution game where a character evolves into a character with a new appearance as the growth stage of the target character progresses, if the special character is not made to appear on the grounds that the appearance conditions for other characters have been achieved even though the appearance conditions for the special character have been satisfied, the interesting elements related to the special character that appear under limited conditions cannot be presented to the user. For this reason, when the appearance conditions for the special character are satisfied by communication with other game devices 100 associated with other environmental attributes, even if the appearance conditions for other characters other than the special character are satisfied, it is assumed that control is performed to preferentially make the special character appear.

[0045] Also, in order to improve the interestingness related to communication between game devices 100, the appearance conditions for the special character may be configured to require communication with two or more other game devices 100 associated with different other environmental attributes. That is, if it is only necessary to communicate with other game devices 100 of one type of other environmental attribute, the appearance conditions can be easily achieved. Therefore, by configuring to communicate with other game devices 100 of two or more types of other environmental attributes, the user can be induced into a situation where it is easier to experience the interesting elements related to communication between game devices 100.

[0046] In addition, the conditions for the appearance of special characters may also include that a character associated with its own environmental attribute appears in the game. For example, in an evolution game where the target character evolves and grows while changing its appearance, characters associated with various environmental attributes can appear in the game. However, if it is assumed that the character evolves from a character of another environmental attribute to a special character of its own environmental attribute, there will be no relevance to the evolution, and there is a possibility that a suitable interest experience such as the collapse of the worldview of the evolution game will not be ensured. Therefore, in the evolution game of this embodiment, it may be controlled such that the target character before evolution to a special character is a character associated with its own environmental attribute. In the evolution game of this embodiment, the special character will be described as being configured to be able to appear as an adult character. In this case, in order to evolve the target character into a special character in the adult stage, it is necessary for the target character to be associated with its own environmental attribute in the baby stage and to evolve into a character associated with its own environmental attribute in the kid stage and the young stage.

[0047] As described above, in the evolution game of this embodiment, it is controlled to make a special character appear as an evolution to the adult stage on the condition that communication has been made with two other game devices 100 associated with different other environmental attributes in the young stage. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication with other game devices 100 associated with other environmental attributes may be performed not only in the young stage immediately before the adult stage, but also at other times. In this case, regarding the communication with other game devices 100 performed until the young stage, the information on the environmental attributes associated with the communication partner is retained, and it may be determined whether to evolve into a special character based on the information at the timing when the target character evolves into the adult stage.

[0048] 《Decision Processing》 Next, the accumulation process executed for the accumulation of various icons in the game device 100 of the present embodiment will be specifically described using the flowchart of FIG. 3. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out the corresponding processing program stored in the storage device 102, for example, and expanding and executing it in the memory 103. Note that this determination process will be described as being started, for example, when the evolution conditions for the target character are satisfied.

[0049] In S301, the control unit 101 determines the growth stage of the current target character. If the growth stage of the current target character is the baby stage, the control unit 101 proceeds to S302; if it is the kids stage, it proceeds to S303; and if it is the young stage, it proceeds to S304.

[0050] In S302, the control unit 101 determines the character provided for the kids stage regarding the environmental attribute associated with the target character as the evolution destination of the target character in the kids stage, and completes this determination process.

[0051] On the other hand, if it is determined in S301 that the growth stage of the current target character is the kids stage, in S303, the control unit 101 determines, among the characters of the evolution destination branches defined for the character corresponding to the current appearance of the target character, the character whose appearance conditions are satisfied as the evolution destination of the target character in the young stage, and completes this determination process.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined in S301 that the growth stage of the current target character is the young stage, in S304, the control unit 101 determines whether the environmental attribute associated with the target character matches the self - environmental attribute. If the control unit 101 determines that the environmental attribute associated with the target character matches the self - environmental attribute, the process proceeds to S305; if it determines that they do not match, the process proceeds to S307.

[0053] In S305, the control unit 101 determines whether it has communicated with two other game devices 100 associated with different other environmental attributes during the young stage. If the control unit 101 determines that it has communicated with two other game devices 100 associated with different other environmental attributes during the young stage, the process proceeds to S306. If it determines that it has not communicated, the process proceeds to S307.

[0054] In S306, the control unit 101 determines a special character associated with the self - environmental attribute as the evolution destination of the target character in its adult stage, and completes this determination process.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined in S304 that the environmental attribute associated with the target character does not match the self - environmental attribute, and if it is determined in S305 that it has not communicated with two other game devices 100 associated with different other environmental attributes during the young stage, in S307, the control unit 101 determines, among the characters of the evolution destination branch defined for the character corresponding to the current appearance of the target character, the character whose appearance condition is satisfied as the evolution destination of the target character in its adult stage, and completes this determination process.

[0056] As described above, according to the game device of the present embodiment, a highly interesting play experience can be provided.

[0057] [Modification Example 1] In the above - described embodiment, the mode of associating the environmental attribute associated with the area in the evolution game with the game device 100 has been described in consideration of the content of the evolution game and the affinity with the interesting elements provided through the evolution game. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be implemented in a mode of associating other attributes with the game device 100, such as different attributes provided in the evolution game, other types of attributes associated with the characters that can appear, attributes related to the type of the evolution game, or simply attributes related to the release time of the game device 100.

[0058] [Modification Example 2] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, the game executed on the game device 100 has been described as an evolution game in which the appearance of the target character changes while the game progresses. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can include an electronic game in which different characters with different appearances appear sequentially, rather than the same target character. That is, it goes without saying that the electronic game to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a game of a specific genre such as an evolution game.

[0059] [Modified Example 3] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, the communication between the game device 100 and another game device 100 has been described as being performed by connecting the connection terminals provided in these devices to each other. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The communication between the game devices 100 can include, for example, a mode in which these devices are connected to each other via an arbitrary cable, a mode in which the devices communicate directly wirelessly with each other such as short-range wireless communication, a mode in which they communicate wirelessly via an arbitrary relay device such as an access point, or a mode in which they communicate via an arbitrary external device (such as a server) connected through a given network.

[0060] In addition, the method of acquiring information on attributes associated with another game device 100 does not require information communication between the game devices 100. For example, the game device 100 can capture code information or the like displayed on the display 110 of another game device 100, an arbitrary imaging device can capture the image and transmit the corresponding information to the game device 100, or the user can directly input the information into the game device 100. That is, the present invention can be implemented as long as the game device 100 acquires information on another game device 100 (including information on attributes associated with the other game device 100).

[0061] [Other Embodiments] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0062] [Summary of Embodiment] The above embodiment discloses at least the following game device and program.

[0063] (1) A game device that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear, an acquisition means for acquiring information about other game devices; a first specifying means for specifying a first attribute that is an attribute associated with the game device from among a plurality of attributes; a second specifying means for specifying a second attribute that is an attribute associated with the other game device from among the plurality of attributes; a determining means for determining a character to appear in the game; comprising wherein the determining means causes a predetermined character to appear in the game on the condition that information about the other game device associated with the second attribute different from the first attribute is acquired.

[0064] (2) Some of the characters that can appear in the game are associated with any of the plurality of attributes, wherein the predetermined character is a character associated with the first attribute, the game device according to (1).

[0065] (3) In the game, a predetermined character is provided for each of the plurality of attributes, wherein the predetermined character provided for an attribute different from the first attribute does not appear in the game executed on the game device, the game device according to (1) or (2).

[0066] (4) Among the characters provided for the attributes different from the first attribute, characters other than the predetermined character are configured to be able to appear in the game executed on the game device, the game device according to (3).

[0067] (5) For each of the characters among the plurality of characters, excluding the predetermined character, there is set an appearance condition to be achieved in order to appear in the game. The determination means, on the condition that information regarding the other game device associated with the second attribute different from the first attribute has been acquired, causes the predetermined character to appear in the game preferentially over the characters for which the appearance condition has been achieved. The game device according to any one of (1) to (4).

[0068] (6) The plurality of attributes includes at least three types of attributes. The determination means, on the condition that information regarding the other game device associated with two or more types of the second attributes different from the first attribute has been acquired, causes the predetermined character to appear in the game. The game device according to any one of (1) to (5).

[0069] (7) Some of the plurality of characters are associated with any one of the plurality of attributes. The determination means, on the condition that at least the character associated with the first attribute has appeared in the game, causes the predetermined character to appear in the game. The game device according to any one of (1) to (6).

[0070] (8) The game is a game that progresses step by step. The determination means In the first progress stage of the game, while causing a character associated with an attribute different from the characters appearing in the game to appear in the game, In a second progress stage different from the first progress stage of the game, does not cause a character associated with an attribute different from the characters appearing in the game to appear in the game. The game device according to (7).

[0071] (9) The game device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the first attribute is fixedly associated with the game device and does not change according to the progress of the game.

[0072] (10) The game device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the first attribute is used to determine elements that are initially released for the game executed on the game device.

[0073] (11) The game device according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the game device associated with the first attribute and the other game device associated with the second attribute different from the first attribute have different appearances of the device body.

[0074] (12) The game is a game that progresses step by step while the appearances of the characters are different, The character to be made to appear determined by the determining means appears in the game in place of the character appearing in the game. The game device according to any one of (1) to (11).

[0075] (13) The game device according to (12), wherein the determining means makes the predetermined character appear in the game on the condition that information on the other game device associated with the second attribute different from the first attribute is acquired at a predetermined progress stage of the game.

[0076] (14) A program for causing a computer that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear to execute an acquisition process for acquiring information on another computer, a first specifying process for specifying a first attribute that is an attribute associated with the computer from among a plurality of attributes, a second specifying process for specifying a second attribute that is an attribute associated with the other computer from among the plurality of attributes, a determining process for determining a character to be made to appear in the game, and is a program for causing the above to be executed. The determination process is a program that causes a predetermined character to appear in the game on the condition that information about the other computer associated with the second attribute different from the first attribute is obtained.

Explanation of Signs

[0077] 100: Game device, 101: Control unit, 104: Display control device, 105: Operation I / F, 110: Display

Claims

1. A game device that executes a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear, wherein a plurality of attributes are provided in the game, and any one of the plurality of attributes is associated with each of the plurality of characters as a character attribute, and any one of the plurality of attributes is associated with the game device as a device attribute, the game device includes: an acquisition means for acquiring, from another game device, information regarding the other game device including the device attribute of the other game device; a first specifying means for specifying a first device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the game device; a second specifying means for specifying a second device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the other game device based on the information regarding the other game device; a determining means for determining a character to be an operation target in the game; and is provided with: the plurality of characters include a first character configured to be selectable as an operation target without acquiring information regarding the other game device, and a second character configured to be selectable as an operation target on condition that information regarding the other game device is acquired, wherein the determining means determines the second character as the character to be an operation target on condition that the character attribute of the currently operation target character matches the first device attribute and information regarding the other game device including the second device attribute different from the first device attribute has been acquired. A game device.

2. The second character determined as the character to be an operation target by the determining means is a character associated with the same character attribute as the first device attribute. The game device according to claim 1.

3. in the game, the second character is provided for each of the plurality of attributes, the second character associated with a character attribute different from the first device attribute is not determined as the character to be an operation target in the game executed by the game device. The game device according to claim 1.

4. the first character associated with a character attribute different from the first device attribute is configured to be selectable as the character to be an operation target in the game executed by the game device. The game device according to claim 3.

5. Each of the first characters is set with an achievement condition to be achieved in order to be determined as the character to be operated on. The determining means determines the second character as the character to be operated on, giving priority to the first character for which the achievement condition has been achieved, on the condition that the character attribute of the currently determined character to be operated on matches the first device attribute and information regarding the other game device including the second device attribute different from the first device attribute has been obtained. The game device according to claim 1.

6. The plurality of attributes include at least three types of attributes. The determining means determines the second character as the character to be operated on, on the condition that information regarding the other game device including two or more types of the second device attributes different from the first device attribute has been obtained. The game device according to claim 1.

7. The game is a game that progresses in stages. The determining means In the first progress stage of the game, while causing the first character associated with a character attribute different from that of the character to be operated on to appear in the game, In a second progress stage different from the first progress stage of the game, the first character associated with a character attribute different from that of the character to be operated on is not caused to appear in the game. The game device according to claim 1.

8. The first device attribute is fixedly associated with the game device and does not change according to the progress of the game. The game device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The first device attribute is used for determining elements that are initially released for the game executed on the game device. The game device according to claim 1.

10. The game device associated with the first device attribute and the other game device associated with the second device attribute different from the first device attribute have different appearances of the device body. The game device according to claim 8.

11. The game is a game that progresses in stages while the appearance of the character to be operated on is different. The character to be operated on determined by the determining means becomes the character to be operated on in place of the currently determined character to be operated on. The game device according to claim 1.

12. The determination means determines the second character as the character to be operated on, on the condition that in a predetermined progress stage of the game, the character attribute of the currently operated-on character matches the first device attribute and information on the other game device including the second device attribute different from the first device attribute has been acquired. The game device according to claim 11.

13. A program for causing a computer to execute a game in which a plurality of characters with different appearances can appear, wherein a plurality of attributes are provided in the game, any one of the plurality of attributes is associated as a character attribute with each of the plurality of characters, and any one of the plurality of attributes is associated as a device attribute with the computer, the program includes an acquisition process of acquiring, from another computer, information on the other computer including the device attribute of the other computer, a first specification process of specifying a first device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the computer, a second specification process of specifying a second device attribute that is the device attribute associated with the other computer based on the information related to the other computer, a determination process of determining a character to be operated on in the game, and the plurality of characters include a first character configured to be selectable as an operation target without acquiring information on the other computer, and a second character configured to be selectable as an operation target on the condition that information on the other computer is acquired, wherein the determination process determines the second character as the character to be operated on, on the condition that the character attribute of the currently operated-on character matches the first device attribute and information on the other computer including the second device attribute different from the first device attribute has been acquired.

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