Game system and program

Abstract

To provide a game system or the like that directs a player's awareness of a game and motivation for a game toward nurturing and growth of a player character and can activate a game.SOLUTION: Since a server device 10 and a game system 1 including it can match players who participate in a game on the basis of a usage history and a usage tendency of a player character, such as a player character used highly frequently, they can match players on the basis of an affinity index to a player character.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a game system, a program, a game providing method, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Online games, which combine communication-based networking services known as social networking services (hereinafter referred to as "SNS") with games, have been offered for some time.

[0003] In the case of online multiplayer games in which a certain number of players (registered users) can participate and play at the same time, it is common for a so-called matching process to be carried out, in which the specified number of players is automatically selected from among the players who wish to participate.

[0004] Recently, a new matching technique has been known for a multiplayer game with a billing element in which there are users who have reached a threshold and users who have not reached a threshold (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6778561 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the game system that performs matching described in Patent Document 1, matching is not performed from the perspective of developing and growing the player character, nor with the aim of revitalizing the game, and further consideration is needed to perform matching from such perspectives and purposes.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a game system etc. that can direct the player's awareness and motivation towards the development and growth of the player character in the game and can revitalize the game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A game system that controls a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and provides information about the game to a terminal device, a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator relating to the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; Equipped with The matching control means The matching process is configured to match the two or more players as the matching players based on player character information of each player registered in the storage means.

[0009] With this configuration, the present invention can match players participating in a game based on the usage history and usage trends of player characters, such as player characters that are used frequently, and therefore can match players based on indicators of the degree of attachment to the player characters.

[0010] For example, the present invention can match players of the same player character type who have an attachment to each other, or players of different player character types can show off the player characters they have spent time and money developing, or beginner players can use the game as a place to learn from the player characters of advanced players, allowing each player to work hard to develop their player character and satisfying the player's self-esteem.

[0011] In other words, the present invention can also direct the player's awareness and motivation regarding the game toward the development and growth of the player character, thereby making the game more lively by realizing a matching game using various player characters and deliberately matching player characters with different abilities.

[0012] It should be noted that "games" include battle games in which the player fights or grapples with enemy characters or other player characters, shooting games, action games, RPGs, sound games, sports games, and the like.

[0013] In addition, the "player character cumulative usage indicator" is an indicator that indicates the player's degree of attachment to the player character, and includes, for example, the number of times the player character is used in the game (cumulative number of times), the cumulative usage time of the player character (which may also be the time used in the game (i.e., cumulative usage time, etc.)), cumulative parameters such as the cumulative amount of charges used for the player character and the cumulative amount of points consumed including in-game currency, and the cumulative time that the customization of the player character is maintained when the player character is customized.

[0014] Furthermore, the "matching process" basically refers to matching players, and does not include forcibly setting the player character used in the matching process, or the player character used in the matching process, to be used in the game after the matching process is executed. However, it is preferable to match players on the premise that the player character used in the matching process will be used.

[0015] The "matching process" includes not only matching to determine an opponent, but also matching to determine a fellow player with whom to cooperate in progressing the game.

[0016] (2) The present invention also provides the player character cumulative usage indicator includes at least the number of times the player character used in the game has been used, the usage time of the player character, and the cumulative parameters used for the player character; The matching control means In the matching process, two or more players having player characters whose cumulative usage indicators satisfy a given common condition are matched with each other, or two or more players having player characters whose cumulative usage indicators satisfy a given common condition are matched with each other. The two or more players having player characters that meet different conditions are matched as the matching players.

[0017] With this configuration, the present invention can match players who have common conditions (i.e., the same conditions), such as the same number of uses or the same range of usage time, or can match players who have different predetermined conditions, such as a large difference in the number of uses or the usage time.

[0018] In particular, the present invention can match players using their favorite player characters (i.e., player characters that are used frequently or for long periods of time in the game), which can also direct the player's awareness and motivation for the game toward developing and growing their player characters.

[0019] In addition, "different conditions with different cumulative usage indices" preferably refer to conditions where the cumulative usage indices are the same but the numerical values ​​are different, and it is more preferable that the numerical values ​​are relative values ​​in order to classify players into, for example, advanced players and beginner players, or players who use player characters frequently and players who use them infrequently.

[0020] (3) The present invention also provides The matching control means The matching process is performed based on the cumulative usage index for a given period of time.

[0021] With this configuration, the present invention can match players who meet common conditions, such as having the same number of uses or usage duration over a specified period, such as from a specified past time to the present, or players who meet different predetermined conditions, such as having a large difference in the number of uses or usage duration over that specified period.

[0022] In particular, the present invention can perform matching using, for example, a player's most recently used favorite player character, so that the player's recent preferences can be reflected in the matching.

[0023] It should be noted that the "given period" includes, for example, the most recent week from the present time, the current season (a period indicating a predetermined division in the game), and the like.

[0024] (4) The present invention also provides the player character information includes relationship information that defines a relationship between the player characters; The matching control means The matching process is executed based on the relationship between the player characters and the player character cumulative use index.

[0025] With this configuration, the present invention can match players based on the relationships between player characters, such as the characteristics and attributes of the player characters that define the relationships between the player characters, or the compatibility based on these.

[0026] Therefore, the present invention allows, for example, a player to learn about states and settings that are different from the player's own player character by using the same player character of another player, and to learn the player's own effective movements and actions by playing a game with the player character of another player.

[0027] Therefore, the present invention allows other players to discover new possibilities in the player character through the game, which is expected to further increase the level of attachment to the player character, as well as encourage new discoveries about the game and player character, thereby increasing the interest of the game.

[0028] The "relationship between player characters" may include, for example, (A1) The identity or non-identity of the types of player characters, including the characteristics (such as offensive or defensive abilities or equipment) or attributes (such as type or level) of the player characters, and (A2) Relationships in which the player characters have good or bad compatibility in terms of their characteristics or attributes (assuming that these are set in advance), These include:

[0029] (5) The present invention also provides The game control means When the game is progressed for the matching player, the control of the game for the matching player is changed according to the relationship between the player characters.

[0030] With this configuration, the present invention can control the game by making the game content more difficult (including penalties) when players with high-level player characters are matched, and can also control the game by granting benefits or simplifying the game content when players are matched with player characters with incompatible characteristics or attributes.

[0031] Therefore, the present invention not only performs various types of matching based on the cumulative usage index of the player character, but also controls the game content based on the same, thereby increasing the interest of the matching and improving the appeal of the game.

[0032] (6) The present invention also provides The system further includes a distribution control means for executing a distribution process to distribute games that have been matched based on the player character cumulative usage index and that meet certain conditions to viewers who wish to watch them.

[0033] With this configuration, the present invention allows a player to watch, for example, the games of players with high player character cumulative usage indices, thereby providing useful information on how to develop player characters and making public the existence of player characters that the player himself is attached to.

[0034] Therefore, the present invention can not only make the game more lively, but also improve the interest of the game.

[0035] The "certain conditions" include conditions relating to the player character cumulative use indicator, such as the player character cumulative use indicator being equal to or greater than a certain value.

[0036] In addition, "distribution processing" includes, for example, live distribution such as streaming including game commentary, and archive distribution in which viewing information for watching a game is stored in a database and the game is watched based on the stored viewing information.

[0037] (7) The present invention also provides The registration means storing, in the storage means, game viewing information used to allow viewers to view the game played by the matched players, in association with each piece of game viewing information and game character information indicating information about the player character used in the corresponding game; The distribution control means specifying, for the viewer, player character information of each player stored in the storage means that has a given correlation with game character information in a game in which each player is matched and played, from among the games registered in the storage means; The system is configured to provide game viewing information associated with the game character to the player who has the identified player character information.

[0038] With this configuration, the present invention allows a player who has a player character related to the player character used in the game to view a game that has been played after players have been matched through the matching process.

[0039] Therefore, the present invention allows a user to view the games of players with high player character cumulative usage indices, thereby providing useful information on not only the settings and abilities of the player characters but also tactics such as attacking methods, and enabling the user to make the developed player characters available to other players.

[0040] In addition, a "given relationship" includes, for example, the case where the game character and the player character are of the same type, or the game character and the player character are of the same type and the player character's cumulative usage indicators, such as the number of times used or the usage time, meet certain conditions (such as being above a predetermined threshold).

[0041] (8) The present invention also provides The registration means registering, for each player, information about a player character used in the game in the storage means as the player character information; The providing means The system is configured to provide information about player characters that have already been registered to the relevant player at a given timing.

[0042] With this configuration, the present invention can recognize information about player characters owned by players, thereby encouraging each player to make further cumulative use of player characters.

[0043] (9) The present invention also provides The player character information includes specification change information indicating the content of a specification change of the player character based on an operation of the player, and given information regarding the operation of the corresponding player when executing the content of the specification change as the player character cumulative use indicator; The matching control means When executing the matching process based on the specification change information, a calculation process is executed to calculate a degree of match indicating a rate of match in the specification changes of the player characters of each player, or a degree of complementary relationship which quantifies a complementary relationship that complements elements in the specification changes of each player character, The matching process is executed based on the result of the calculation process and the player character cumulative use index.

[0044] With this configuration, the present invention not only matches players who make similar specification changes (i.e., customizations) with each other, but also takes into consideration the passion of the player who put into the customization, based on given information regarding the operation of the player when executing the specification change, such as the operation time when executing the specification change, the time the specification change content is retained, or the amount charged when executing the specification change.

[0045] Therefore, the present invention matches players of the same player character type who have an attachment to each other, or allows players of different player character types to publicly display the player characters they have spent time and money developing by participating in the game, or allows beginner players to use the game as a place to learn from the player characters of advanced players, thereby allowing each player to work hard to develop their player character and satisfying the player's self-esteem.

[0046] In addition, "specification change information" includes, for example, the player character's appearance (physical appearance and accessories), equipment (including not only weapons but also controlled or driven weapons or means of transportation, and items and characters that accompany or act with the player character), and abilities (attack power, types of attacks such as special moves, or character attributes such as water attribute or fire attribute).

[0047] In particular, "degree of similarity" may be, for example, in the case of "degree of similarity of appearance," a degree of similarity based on color information, and in this case, it may be defined as a high degree of similarity for the overall parts such as hairstyle, even if there are changes in the details, or it may be defined as a high degree of similarity even if the player characters are of different types but have the same hairstyle or the same accessories.

[0048] Furthermore, the "complementary relationship level" indicates a high value, for example, when the player character's abilities and attributes are complemented to provide an advantageous effect in the game, and indicates a low value when the complementation does not result in an advantageous effect in the game.

[0049] Furthermore, "given information regarding the operation of the relevant player when executing the content of the specification change (i.e., customization)" refers to information regarding the operation of the relevant player when executing the content of the specification change, such as the operation time of the player when executing the content of the specification change, the time the content of the specification change is retained, and the amount charged when executing the specification change, and is a numerical representation of the passion of the player for the customization.

[0050] (10) The present invention also provides the specification change information includes a specification change retention time, which is an element that functions as the player character cumulative use index and indicates a time period during which a part of the player character that has undergone a specification change is retained; The matching control means The matching process is executed based on the result of the relationship calculation process and the specification change retention time as the player character cumulative use index.

[0051] With this configuration, in a game in which a player character can be customized, the present invention can match the customization based on feature points.

[0052] In other words, the present invention considers that a player character that has been customized a lot or that has been customized for a long period of time is a favorite player character, and can perform player matching based on an indicator of the degree of attachment from the perspective of player character customization.

[0053] (11) The present invention also provides The matching control means execute a matching execution determination process for determining whether or not to execute the matching process in accordance with at least one of a play situation of the player to be matched and an instruction from the player to be matched; When it is determined by the matching execution determination process that the matching process is to be executed, the matching process is executed, or a decision is made as to whether or not to accept a matching process that has already been executed.

[0054] With this configuration, the present invention can reflect the player's intentions and circumstances in the matching, so that matching can be performed in line with the player's wishes.

[0055] "Play status" includes, for example, an increase in the player character's level, a loss in the most recent game, a certain number of losses in games over a specified period of time or a certain win rate or less, or failure to complete a task through cooperative play.

[0056] (12) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A program for controlling a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and providing information about the game to a terminal device, comprising: a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; and a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator regarding the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; Make the computer function as The matching control means The matching process is configured to match the two or more players as the matching players based on player character information of each player registered in the storage means.

[0057] With this configuration, the present invention can match players participating in a game based on the usage history and usage trends of player characters, such as player characters that are used frequently, and therefore can match players based on indicators of the degree of attachment to the player characters.

[0058] Therefore, the present invention can also direct the player's awareness and motivation for the game towards the development and growth of the player character, thereby making the game more lively by realizing a matching game using various player characters and deliberately matching player characters with different abilities.

[0059] (13) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A server device controls a plurality of players using player characters set in a game space. A game system that provides information about a game in which a user participates to a terminal device, The server device: a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator relating to the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; and The matching control means In the matching process, when the two or more players are matched as the matching players based on player character information of each player registered in the storage means, transmitting information regarding the operation of the player accepted by the terminal device to the server device; The device is configured to receive information about the game from a server device that executes processing related to the game.

[0060] With this configuration, the present invention can match players participating in a game based on the usage history and usage trends of player characters, such as player characters that are used frequently, and therefore can match players based on indicators of the degree of attachment to the player characters.

[0061] Therefore, the present invention can also direct the player's awareness and motivation for the game towards the development and growth of the player character, thereby making the game more lively by realizing a matching game using various player characters and deliberately matching player characters with different abilities. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0062] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration showing a configuration of a game commentary distribution system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a game server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an outline of a matching process according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining an outline of the matching process according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of player character information stored in a player character information storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the basic principle of the matching process executed by the server device of an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the basic principle of the matching process executed by the server device of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a first modification (viewing control process) of an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second modification (viewer matching process) of an embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a matching process executed by the server device of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0063] The present embodiment will be described below. Note that the present embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential constituent elements of the present invention.

[0064] [1] Game System First, the outline and general configuration of a game system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration showing the configuration of the game system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 1 of this embodiment is configured such that a server device 10 that provides game services and terminal devices 20 (e.g., terminal devices 20A, 20B, 20C) are connectable to the Internet (an example of a network).

[0066] A user (i.e., a player) can play a game transmitted from the server device 10 via the Internet by accessing the server device 10 from a terminal device 20. Furthermore, by accessing the server device 10 from the terminal device 20, a user can communicate with other users (players).

[0067] The server device 10 is an information processing device capable of providing a service that allows users to play games using terminal devices 20 connected for communication via the Internet. The server device 10 may also function as an SNS server that provides communication-type services. Here, the SNS server may be an information processing device that provides a service that allows communication between multiple users.

[0068] Furthermore, when the server device 10 functions as an SNS server, for example, it is capable of providing a game called a social game that is executed using the operating environment (API (Application Programming Interface), platform, etc.) of the SNS that it provides.

[0069] In particular, the server device 10 is capable of providing games that are provided on the web browser of the terminal device 20, such as browser games (games that can be started simply by opening the installation site in the web browser) created in various languages, such as HTML, FLASH, CGI, PHP, shockwave, Java (registered trademark) applet, and JavaScript (registered trademark).

[0070] Unlike existing online games, social games include games that can be played using only a web browser and an SNS account, without requiring dedicated client software. The server device 10 is configured to provide an online game that can be connected to other users' devices (smartphones, PCs, game consoles, etc.) via a network and simultaneously share the same game progress online.

[0071] On the other hand, the server device 10 may be configured with one (device, processor) or multiple (devices, processors).

[0072] The billing information is stored in the storage area of ​​the server device 10 (storage unit 140, which will be described later). Information such as game information may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (intranet or the Internet), or when functioning as an SNS server, information such as the player information storage unit 146 stored in the storage area may be stored in a database (broadly speaking, a storage device, memory) connected via a network (intranet or the Internet).

[0073] Specifically, the server device 10 of this embodiment receives input information based on the operation of the user of the terminal device 20 (i.e., the player who executes the game), and performs game processing based on the received input information. The server device 10 then transmits game processing results to the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 performs various processes to provide the game processing results received from the server device 10 to the terminal device 20 so that the user can view them.

[0074] The terminal device 20 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PHS, a computer, a game device, a PDA, a portable game machine, an image generating device, or the like, and is a device that can be connected to the server device 10 via a network such as the Internet (WAN) or a LAN. The communication line between the terminal device 20 and the server device 10 may be wired or wireless.

[0075] The terminal device 20 also has a web browser capable of viewing web pages (HTML data). That is, the terminal device 20 has a communication control function for communicating with the server device 10, a web browser function for performing display control using data received from the server device 10 (web data, data created in HTML format, etc.), and a web browser function for transmitting user operation data to the server device 10, and is configured to perform various processes for providing a game screen to the user and allowing the user to play a game. However, the terminal device 20 may also acquire game control information provided from the server device 10, perform predetermined game processing, and play a game based on the game processing.

[0076] Specifically, when the terminal device 20 makes a request to the server device 10 to play a predetermined game, the terminal device 20 is connected to the game site of the server device 10 and the game starts. In particular, the terminal device 20 is configured to use an API as necessary to cause the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server to perform predetermined processing, or to acquire the player information storage unit 146 managed by the server device 10 functioning as an SNS server, and execute the game.

[0077] [2] Server device Next, the server device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the server device 10 of this embodiment. The server device 10 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (each unit) of Fig. 2 are omitted.

[0078] The server device 10 includes an input unit 120 for use by the administrator and other inputs, a display unit 130 for displaying predetermined information, an information storage medium 180 in which predetermined information is stored, a communication unit 196 for communicating with terminal devices 20 and others, a processing unit 100 for mainly executing processing related to the game to be provided, and a memory unit 140 for storing various data mainly used in the game.

[0079] The input unit 120 is used by a system administrator or the like to input game-related settings and other necessary settings and data. For example, the input unit 120 in this embodiment is configured with a mouse, keyboard, and the like.

[0080] The display unit 130 displays an operation screen for the system administrator. For example, the display unit 130 of this embodiment is configured by a liquid crystal display or the like.

[0081] The information storage medium 180 (computer-readable medium) stores programs and data. It stores data and other information, and its functions are realized by optical disks (CD, DVD), magneto-optical disks (MO), magnetic disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, or memories (ROM).

[0082] The communication unit 196 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (e.g., terminals, other servers, or other network systems), and its functions are configured by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

[0083] The storage unit 140 serves as a work area for the processing unit 100, the communication unit 196, etc., and its functions are realized by RAM (VRAM), etc. The information stored in the storage unit 140 may be managed by a database.

[0084] In addition to the main memory unit 142, the memory unit 140 of this embodiment also has a game data memory unit 144 in which game information indicating information related to the game is stored, a player information memory unit 146 in which player information indicating information related to each player and information related to the player's game (hereinafter referred to as "player-related information") are stored, and a player character information memory unit 148 in which information on the player characters owned by each player is stored as player character information.

[0085] The game data storage unit 144 stores information about the game field on which the game is played, condition information used for various judgments, information about each object on the game field, information for changing each object, various table information, information about each player's player character, and the like.

[0086] The player information storage unit 146 stores the following player-related information for each player: (A1) The player's nickname, player ID, and if the player belongs to a team, the name of the team and its ID (hereinafter referred to as "affiliation information"); (A2) Information regarding individual and team performance, such as current score, earned rewards, or game time (hereinafter also referred to as "performance information"); (A3) Position information indicating the position of each player or team within the game field; (A4) Information on the values ​​of parameters (hereinafter referred to as "energy parameter values") that are directly related to the victory or defeat of each player's player character, such as experience points and life energy (hereinafter also referred to as "energy parameter information"), and information on whether or not the player has been defeated (whether or not the game is over) (hereinafter also referred to as "defeat information"); and (A5) Information regarding charges, such as billing history and billing amounts, is stored.

[0087] As will be described later, the player character information storage unit 148 stores various pieces of information used for matching player characters, in association with a player ID and a player character ID for each player and for each player character.

[0088] The processing unit 100 performs various processes using the main memory unit 142 in the memory unit 140 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

[0089] The processing unit 100 performs various processes of this embodiment based on programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 180. That is, the information storage medium 180 stores programs for causing a computer to function as each unit of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processing of each unit).

[0090] For example, the processing unit 100 (processor) controls the entire server device 10 based on a program stored in an information storage medium, and performs various processes such as controlling the transfer of data between the various units. Furthermore, the processing unit 100 performs processes to provide various services in response to requests from the terminal device 20.

[0091] Specifically, the processing unit 100 of this embodiment has at least a communication control unit 101, a Web processing unit 102, a game management unit 103, a player character management unit 104, a matching processing unit 105, a distribution control unit 106, a timer management unit 109, and an information providing unit 110.

[0092] For example, the game management unit 103 of this embodiment constitutes the game control means of the present invention. The player character management unit 104 constitutes the registration means of the present invention. Furthermore, for example, the matching processing unit 105 of this embodiment constitutes the matching control means of the present invention, and the distribution control unit 106 constitutes the distribution control means of the present invention. Furthermore, for example, the information providing unit 110 of this embodiment constitutes the providing means of the present invention.

[0093] The communication control unit 101 performs processing to transmit and receive data to and from the terminal device 20 via the network. That is, the server device 10 performs various processing based on information received from the terminal device 20, etc. by the communication control unit 101. In particular, the communication control unit 101 of this embodiment performs processing to transmit a game screen to the terminal device 20 of a player based on a request from the terminal device 20 of the player.

[0094] The Web processing unit 102 functions as a Web server. For example, the Web processing unit 102 performs a process of transmitting data in response to a request from a Web browser 211 installed in the terminal device 20, and a process of receiving data transmitted by the Web browser 211 of the terminal device 20, via a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

[0095] In this embodiment, the server device 10 is described as having a function as an SNS server, but the server device 10 may be formed as a server for the game and a server for the SNS separately. Also, the game processing of this embodiment may be performed in part or in whole by the server device 10, or in part by the terminal device 20.

[0096] The game management unit 103 works in conjunction with the terminal device 20 to create a game space as a virtual space, and executes various game processes related to various competitive games such as battle games, action games, RPGs, sound games, or sports games in which multiple players compete against each other and fight or grapple, based on player operations input via the terminal device 20.

[0097] The player character management unit 104 manages the player characters used by each player during the game.

[0098] Specifically, the player character management unit 104 manages the number of times each player character has been used, the length of time it has been used, whether it has been customized (i.e., whether the specifications have been changed based on the player's operation), and the contents of the customized parts (i.e., the contents of the specifications have been changed based on the player's operation) and the length of time that state has been maintained (i.e., the retention time), and updates the relevant information in the player character information (i.e., the number of times it has been used, the length of time it has been used, whether it has been customized, and the length of time that state has been maintained) as necessary.

[0099] The matching processing unit 105 matches players (hereinafter referred to as "matching players") who will play the game together, such as in an individual or group match, or in a cooperative play, during the game. "), or executes a matching process to determine the player character.

[0100] The distribution control unit 106 executes various distribution controls to provide game viewing information for viewers to view the corresponding game commentary.

[0101] The timer management unit 109 has a timer function and is used to manage the progress of the game. In particular, the timer management unit 109 works in conjunction with the game management unit 103 to output the current time and preset times to each unit. The timer management unit 109 is also used to synchronize with each terminal device.

[0102] The information providing unit 110 generates various types of game information to cause the terminal device 20 to process the game, and provides the information to the terminal device 20 .

[0103] In particular, the information providing unit 110 generates information (that is, game information) for controlling the target player character of each player by the corresponding terminal device 20, and provides the generated game information to the corresponding terminal device 20.

[0104] [3] Terminal device Next, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the terminal device 20 of this embodiment. The terminal device 20 of this embodiment may have a configuration in which some of the components (units) of Fig. 2 are omitted.

[0105] The input unit 260 is a device for inputting input information from the player, and outputs the player's input information to the processing unit 200. The input unit 260 of this embodiment includes a detection unit 262 that detects the player's input information (input signal). The input unit 260 may be, for example, a lever, a button, a steering wheel, a microphone, a touch panel display, a keyboard, or a mouse.

[0106] The storage unit 270 serves as a work area for the processing unit 200, the communication unit 296, etc., and its functions can be realized by RAM (VRAM) or the like. The storage unit 270 of this embodiment includes a main memory unit 271 used as a work area, and an image buffer 272 in which the final display image, etc. are stored. Note that a configuration in which some of these components are omitted may also be used.

[0107] The information storage medium 280 (computer-readable medium) stores programs, data, etc., and its functions can be realized by an optical disk (CD, DVD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a magnetic disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, or a memory (ROM), etc.

[0108] The processing unit 200 performs various processes of this embodiment based on programs (data) stored in the information storage medium 280. The information storage medium 280 can store programs for causing a computer to function as each unit of this embodiment (programs for causing a computer to execute the processing of each unit).

[0109] In this embodiment, the programs and game data for causing a computer to function as each unit of this embodiment, which are stored in the information storage medium 180 and storage unit 140 of the server device 10, are received via a network, and the received programs and data are stored in the information storage medium 280. The programs and data received from the server device 10 may also be stored in the storage unit 270. Such cases of receiving programs and data and causing a network system to function are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0110] The display unit 290 outputs the image generated by this embodiment, and its function can be realized by a CRT, LCD, touch panel display, HMD (head mounted display), etc. The sound output unit 292 outputs the sound generated by this embodiment, and its function can be realized by a speaker, headphones, etc. For example, the display unit 290 constitutes the display means of the present invention.

[0111] The communication unit 296 performs various controls for communicating with the outside (for example, other terminals, servers), and its functions can be realized by hardware such as various processors or communication ASICs, programs, etc.

[0112] The processing unit 200 (processor) performs processing such as game processing, display control, image generation processing, or sound generation processing based on information about the game acquired from the server device 10 via the communication unit 296, input information acquired from the input unit 260, or programs, etc.

[0113] The processing unit 200 performs various processes using a main memory unit 271 in the memory unit 270 as a work area. The functions of the processing unit 200 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) and ASICs (gate arrays, etc.), or by programs.

[0114] The processing unit 200 includes a communication control unit 210, a web browser 211, a game processing unit 212, a display control unit 213, a drawing unit 220, and a sound processing unit 230. Note that some of these may be omitted.

[0115] The communication control unit 210 performs processing for transmitting and receiving data to and from each server device 10. The communication control unit 210 also performs processing for storing data received from the server device 10 in the storage unit 270, processing for analyzing the received data, and other control processing related to the transmission and reception of data.

[0116] The communication control unit 210 may store and manage destination information (IP address, port number) of the server in the information storage medium 280. The communication control unit 210 may then communicate with the server device 10 when receiving input information from the player to start communication.

[0117] In particular, the communication control unit 210 transmits player identification information and operation information to the server device 10 and performs processing to receive information about the game (player information, game card information, the player's web page, game screen, etc.) from the server device 10.

[0118] The communication control unit 210 may transmit and receive data to and from the server device 10 at a predetermined cycle, or may transmit and receive data to and from the server device 10 when input information is received from the input unit 260. In particular, the communication control unit 210 of this embodiment performs processing to receive a game screen from the server device 10.

[0119] The web browser 211 is an application program for viewing web pages (game screens), downloading HTML files, image files, etc. from the web server (server device 10), analyzing the layout, and controlling the display. The web browser 211 also transmits data to the web server (server device 10) using input forms (links, buttons, text boxes, etc.).

[0120] The web browser 211 of this embodiment can realize a browser game. For example, the web browser 211 can execute a program written in JavaScript (registered trademark), FLASH, Java (registered trademark), or the like, received from a web server (server device 10). The above may be performed.

[0121] The terminal device 20 can display information from a web server specified by a URL via the Internet using the web browser 211. For example, the terminal device 20 can display a game screen (data such as HTML) received from the server device 10 using the web browser 211.

[0122] The game processing unit 212 performs various game calculation processes, such as a process for starting a game when a game start condition is met, a process for executing a game, and a process for ending a game when a game end condition is met.

[0123] The game processing unit 212 may then perform processing to place and set various objects (objects composed of primitives such as polygons, free-form surfaces, or subdivision surfaces) representing display objects such as player characters, buildings, stadiums, cars, trees, pillars, walls, and maps (terrain) in the object space.

[0124] Here, the object space is a virtual space, and includes both two-dimensional space and three-dimensional space. Two-dimensional space is a space in which an object is placed, for example, using two-dimensional coordinates (X, Y), and three-dimensional space is a space in which an object is placed, for example, using three-dimensional coordinates (X, Y, Z).

[0125] In addition to setting the game cards as deck data, the game processing unit 212 also controls the sending and receiving of various information at login, executes game processing based on the player's operation when the game is executed in real time in conjunction with the server device 10, and executes game processing including replaying received automatic calculation data when the game is executed by automatic calculation. Furthermore, the display control unit 213 performs processing for displaying on the display unit 290. For example, the display control unit 213 may use the web browser 211 for display.

[0126] The drawing unit 220 performs drawing processing based on various processes (for example, game processing) performed by the processing unit 200, thereby generating an image, which is output to the display unit 290 by the display control unit 213. The image generated by the drawing unit 220 may be a so-called two-dimensional image or a so-called three-dimensional image.

[0127] The sound processing unit 230 performs sound processing based on the results of various processes performed by the processing unit 200 , generates game sounds such as background music, sound effects, or voices, and outputs them to the sound output unit 292 .

[0128] [4] Method of this embodiment [4.1] Overview Next, an outline of the matching process executed by the server device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are diagrams for explaining an outline of the matching process executed by the server device 10 of this embodiment.

[0129] The server device 10 of this embodiment works in conjunction with the terminal devices 20 operated by each player, and is configured to form, for example, one game space (i.e., a game field in a virtual three-dimensional space), and within that game field, various games are executed by multiple player characters operated and controlled by multiple players.

[0130] In particular, the server device 10 of the present embodiment executes various controls for executing a fighting game such as a battle game, an action game, an RPG, a sound game, or a sports game, or a cooperative play game.

[0131] That is, the server device 10 of this embodiment is a server device that controls a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and provides information about the game to the terminal device 20.

[0132] The server device 10 of this embodiment is configured to execute a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game based on information about the player characters of each player (that is, player character information).

[0133] Specifically, the server device 10: (A1) executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in a game; (A2) providing information relating to the matching process to the corresponding terminal device 20 as matching-related information; (A3) executing a game control process for progressing the game for the matched players by controlling the player characters of the matched players, who are the multiple players matched by the matched process; It has the following structure.

[0134] Then, the server device 10: (B1) For each player character of each player, a cumulative indicator regarding the use of the player character used in the game of the matching player (hereinafter referred to as a "player character cumulative use indicator" or simply "accumulation indicator") and character type information indicating the type of the player character are registered in the storage unit 140 as player character information; (B2) As a matching process, two or more players are matched as matching players based on the player character information of each registered player. It has the following structure.

[0135] FIG. 4 shows an example in which, while the server device 10 and the terminal device 20 of a specific player exchange player instructions and game control information, one player character (character CH3) is selected from three player characters (character CH1, character CH2, and character CH3) owned by the specific player as the player character to be used in the game.

[0136] FIG. 4 shows an example in which the character CH3 selected by the player begins to be used in the game (which may be a solo game or a matching game), and the type of player character information (character CH3) of the corresponding player and the number of uses (plus 1) indicating the player character cumulative use indicator, which are stored in the player character information storage unit 148 in the storage unit 140, are updated.

[0137] FIG. 5 also shows an example of a matching process (matching player 1, player 2, player 3, and player 4) in which matching processing in a specific game is performed based on the player character information of each player that has been appropriately registered and updated as shown in FIG. 4, and is performed based on the number of uses, which is an index of cumulative player character use.

[0138] In particular, Figure 5 shows an example of matching processing in two games where characters are matched based on the highest (10 times or more) and lowest (9 times or less) usage counts, regardless of character type, and the results are provided to the terminal device 20.

[0139] With this configuration, the server device 10 of this embodiment and the game system 1 including it can match players participating in the game based on the usage history and usage trends of player characters, such as player characters that are used frequently, making it possible to match players based on indicators of the degree of attachment to player characters.

[0140] In other words, the server device 10 of this embodiment and the game system 1 including it are able to, for example, match players of the same player character type who are attached to each other, or allow players of different player character types to show off the player characters they have spent time and money developing by participating in the game, or allow beginner players to use the game as a place to learn from the player characters of advanced players, thereby allowing each player to work hard to develop their player character and satisfy their self-esteem.

[0141] Therefore, the server device 10 of this embodiment and the game system 1 including it can also direct the player's awareness and motivation for the game toward the development and growth of the player character, thereby making it possible to liven up the game by realizing a matching game using various player characters and deliberately matching player characters with different abilities.

[0142] In the matching process of this embodiment, it is sufficient to match at least two or more players, and it is also possible to match two or three players, and two or more teams consisting of multiple players.

[0143] In the matching process of this embodiment, player matching is performed on the assumption that a player character to be used in the game has been set for each player in advance. However, each player may be set with not only one player character but also multiple player characters to be used in the game.

[0144] Furthermore, in the matching process of this embodiment, the matching process may be performed directly for the player characters. However, the following description will be given using the matching process that matches players together unless otherwise specified.

[0145] [4.2] Player character information and its registration process Next, the player character information stored in the player character information storage unit 148 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0146] FIG. 6 shows an example of player character information stored in the player character information storage unit 148 of this embodiment.

[0147] The player character information is information that is defined for each player and for each player character, and is associated with a player character ID (hereinafter simply referred to as "character ID") that also functions as information on the player ID and the type of the player character, and various information used for matching player characters is stored.

[0148] In particular, as illustrated in Figure 6, the player character information specifies, for each player character of each player, a player character cumulative usage index (cumulative index) that corresponds to the player ID and player character ID and indicates a cumulative index regarding the use in the game of the player character used in the game of the matching player.

[0149] In particular, the player character cumulative use indicator of this embodiment includes, as exemplified in FIG. (A1) Information regarding usage history, such as the number of times used in the game (hereinafter referred to as "number of uses") and the time used (hereinafter referred to as "usage time") (hereinafter referred to as "usage history information"). (A2) Accumulative parameters such as the cumulative amount of charges used for the game character and the cumulative number of points consumed (hereinafter also referred to as "accumulated parameters"), and (A3) Information regarding the customization (specification change) of the relevant game character (hereinafter referred to as "customization information"); These include:

[0150] Information relating to the display and behavior of each player character in the game, as well as data relating to basic specifications, is stored in the game data storage unit 144 .

[0151] Furthermore, the player character cumulative usage indicator of this embodiment may also include information such as the amount of money spent on training the player character, in addition to the above.

[0152] Furthermore, the player character management unit 104 registers the number of times each player character has been used, the duration of use, whether it has been customized, and the customized parts and the duration for which that state has been maintained (i.e., retention time) in the player character information storage unit 148.

[0153] In particular, the player character management unit 104 updates information such as the number of times of use, the duration of use, whether or not the character has been customized and its state, and the amount charged at each predetermined timing during the game.

[0154] [4.3] Matching process Next, the matching process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are diagrams for explaining the basic principle of the matching process executed by the server device 10 in this embodiment.

[0155] (Basic principles of matching processing) The matching processing unit 105 of this embodiment executes a matching process in which, before the start of the game or at a given timing during the game, at least two or more players are matched from among a plurality of players, and the matched players are determined as matching players.

[0156] That is, the matching processing unit 105 executes the matching process to determine opponents in a competitive game, or to select multiple players for cooperative play to complete a task in a game.

[0157] In the matching process, the matching processing unit 105 of this embodiment uses the player character information of each player as a matching condition, and matches two or more players who meet the matching condition as matching players.

[0158] Specifically, the matching processing unit 105 executes the matching process using, as a matching condition, an index (i.e., a player character cumulative use index) which is a cumulative index related to use in the game and indicates the degree of attachment of each player to the player character.

[0159] In particular, the matching processing unit 105 calculates the player character cumulative use index as follows: (A1) The number of times the player character has been used in the game (cumulative number of times), (A2) the cumulative usage time of the player character; and (A3) The accumulated points, including the accumulated charges and in-game currency used for the player character Point consumption, Matching is performed using the above as a matching condition.

[0160] Then, as a matching process, the matching processing unit 105 matches two or more players having player characters whose player character cumulative usage indicators each satisfy a given common matching condition (hereinafter also referred to as a "common condition"), or two or more players having player characters whose cumulative usage indicators each satisfy different conditions, as matching players, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0161] FIG. 7 shows an example of matching processing using common conditions, in which the same player character type (CH1) and the common condition of "used 10 times or more" are used.

[0162] In particular, FIG. 7 shows an example where player 1 and player 2 are matched.

[0163] FIG. 8 shows an example of a matching process using different conditions, in which the type of player character CH1 and the number of times it has been used is 10 or more, and the type of player character CH2 and the number of times it has been used is 10 or more.

[0164] In particular, FIG. 8 shows an example in which player 1 and player 4 are matched.

[0165] In this embodiment, the different conditions under which the player character cumulative use indicators are different may be conditions under which the cumulative use indicators are the same but different in value, including, for example, a condition under which the numerical values ​​are relative to each other in order to classify players into advanced players and beginner players, or players who use player characters frequently and players who use them infrequently. However, the conditions are not limited to these, and may also be different conditions such as the type of player character, as described above.

[0166] In addition, player character type is, in principle, a base attribute set for a player character that is unrelated to level differences or differences in customization, and indicates that the character is classified by, for example, name, appearance, attributes, characteristics, or abilities.

[0167] That is, even if there is a difference in level or customization, the matching processing unit 105 will treat them as the same type if the name, appearance, attributes, etc. are the same. However, the matching processing unit 105 may treat them as not the same type if there is a difference in level or customization.

[0168] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the indicator for a given period may be used as the player character cumulative use indicator.

[0169] That is, the matching processing unit 105 may perform the matching process based on the cumulative usage index for a given period of time.

[0170] In this case, for example, the matching processing unit 105 may perform the matching process based on the cumulative usage index for the most recent week and the current season (a period indicating a predetermined division in the game) based on when the matching process is performed.

[0171] (Application example 1: Matching processing based on the relationship between player characters) The matching processing unit 105 of this embodiment may perform the matching process based on the player character cumulative use indicator as well as the relationship between the player characters.

[0172] In other words, the matching processing unit 105 may narrow down the conditions for matchable player characters, such as the characteristics, attributes, or compatibility based on these of the player characters that define the relationships between the player characters, and perform matching processing based on the player character cumulative usage index from among player characters that meet or do not meet the conditions.

[0173] Specifically, the matching processing unit 105 determines the relationship between the player characters as follows: (B1) The identity, similarity, or non-identity of the types of player characters, including the characteristics (offensive or defensive abilities or equipment) or attributes (type or level) of the player characters, or (B2) a relationship in which the characteristics or attributes of the player characters are compatible or incompatible (assuming that this is set in advance), is used.

[0174] For example, when the matching condition is to match players who have player characters with the same characteristic A (specifically, possessing an SS rare exclusive weapon) that have been used 10 or more times, the matching processing unit 105 searches the player character information of each player and matches players who have player characters with characteristic A that have been used 10 times as matching players.

[0175] In addition, when the game management unit 103 uses the relationship between player characters together with the player character cumulative usage indicator in the matching process, it may execute special game control for the corresponding matching player in the matching game depending on the relationship between the player characters.

[0176] Specifically, in this case, for example, when players with high levels of player characters are matched, the game management unit 103 may execute game control to make the game content more difficult.

[0177] In addition, in a matching game in which players are matched with player characters whose characteristics or attributes are incompatible, the game management unit 103 may execute game control such as granting a benefit that would not be granted if the players were matched with player characters whose characteristics or attributes are incompatible, or making the game content simpler than when the players are matched with player characters whose characteristics or attributes are incompatible.

[0178] (Application example 2: Using customization information) The matching processing unit 105 of this embodiment may execute the matching process using specification change information (ie, customization information) indicating the content of specification changes of the player character based on the player's operation as the player character cumulative use index.

[0179] That is, in this embodiment, not only are players who make similar specification changes (i.e., customizations) matched with each other, but the enthusiasm of the player for making the specification change quantified based on given information regarding the operation of the relevant player when making the specification change, such as the operation time when making the specification change, the time the specification change content is retained, or the amount charged when making the specification change, may also be used as an index of cumulative player character usage.

[0180] Specifically, the customization information included in the player character information includes the following: along with flag information indicating that it has been customized so that (C1) customization content information (specification change information) indicating the content of customization (content of specification change) of the player character based on the player's operation; (C2) Information on the operation of the corresponding player when executing the content of the specification change as a player character cumulative usage index (hereinafter referred to as "player operation information for customization"); It consists of specification information including:

[0181] In particular, the customization content information includes, for example, (C1-1) Appearance of the player character (physical appearance and accessories), (C1-2) Equipment (not only weapons but also weapons or means of transportation to be operated or driven, (C1-3) Including items and characters that accompany or act with the player character.) And, (C1-4) Ability (type of attack such as attack power or special move, or character attribute such as water attribute or fire attribute) These include:

[0182] The customization player operation information may include, for example, (C2-1) The operation time of the player when the specification change (i.e., customization) is performed, (C2-2) The time during which the specification change is retained, and (C2-3) The amount charged when the specification change is implemented, These include:

[0183] On the other hand, when performing matching processing based on customization content information, the matching processing unit 105 performs a calculation process to calculate a degree of matching indicating the degree of matching in specification changes for the player characters of each player, and performs matching processing based on the result of the calculation process (i.e., the degree of matching) and the player character cumulative usage index.

[0184] Specifically, the matching processing unit 105 identifies player characters that meet a predetermined condition in terms of degree of match, such as player characters that have a degree of match equal to or greater than a predetermined value, based on the customization content information.

[0185] For example, the matching processing unit 105 compares each item of appearance, characteristics, attributes, and abilities of each player character, scores the matching parts (if there is a matching point, it is assigned 1 point), calculates the degree of matching of appearance, characteristics, attributes, and abilities, and uses the sum of these as the degree of matching.

[0186] In particular, Figure 8 shows an example of a matching process using different conditions, assuming that the player characters CH1 and CH4 are of types that have good compatibility (same attribute, "Samurai"), and using different conditions: the type of player character CH1 and "used 10 times or more", and the type of player character CH2 and "used 10 times or more".

[0187] The matching processing unit 105 then identifies players whose player characters have a calculated degree of match equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as match candidate players.

[0188] Furthermore, the matching processing unit 105 sets, from among the identified matching candidate players, multiple players with high values ​​based on the player's operation time when performing the specification change (i.e., customization), the time the specification change content was retained, the amount charged when performing the specification change, or a combination of these, as matching players.

[0189] In other words, in this case, when the specification change retention time, which functions as a player character cumulative usage indicator and indicates the time during which the changed specification part of the player character is retained, is used, the matching processing unit 105 performs the matching processing based on the result of the calculated relationship calculation processing and the specification change retention time as a player character cumulative usage indicator.

[0190] Furthermore, the matching processing unit 105 may use a degree of matching based on color information as the degree of matching of appearance.

[0191] In other words, in this case, although there are changes in the details, the degree of match is high for overall parts such as hairstyle, and even if the player characters are of different types but have the same hairstyle or the same accessories, it can be determined that there is a high degree of match, so player characters with similar color information can be matched.

[0192] The matching processing unit 105 may specify, as a match candidate player, a player whose player character has a calculated degree of match equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

[0193] On the other hand, the matching processing unit 105 may use a degree of complementary relationship, which is a numerical representation of the complementary relationship that complements the elements in the specification changes of each player character, instead of the degree of match described above.

[0194] In particular, the degree of complementary relationship in this embodiment indicates a high value when the player character's abilities and attributes are complemented to provide an advantageous effect in the game, and indicates a low value when the complementation does not provide an advantageous effect in the game.

[0195] Then, when performing matching processing based on the customization content information, the matching processing unit 105 performs a calculation process to calculate the complementary relationship degree in the customization of the player character of each player, and performs matching processing based on the result of the calculation process (i.e., the complementary relationship degree) and the player character cumulative usage index.

[0196] That is, the matching processing unit 105 identifies player characters that satisfy a predetermined condition in terms of the complementary relationship degree, such as player characters that have a complementary relationship degree equal to or greater than a predetermined value, based on the customization content information.

[0197] For example, the matching processing unit 105 compares the appearance, characteristics, attributes, and abilities of each player character, and scores each player using table data with predefined items and scores if the players have weapons that are predefined to be compatible (weapons that increase the ability of the other player by 20% or more when matched), or if the players have a predefined similarity relationship, such as wearing all red clothes (a relationship in which the ability of the ally is increased by 50% or more when fighting an enemy character of a different color), and calculates the sum of these scores as the degree of complementary relationship.

[0198] Then, the matching processing unit 105 identifies players who have player characters whose calculated complementary relationship degrees are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as match-making candidates.

[0199] For example, the matching processing unit 105 uses predetermined table data to score a player character based on predetermined items, such as when the player character has the same weapon as another player character, and identifies the player whose score is above a predetermined threshold as a candidate for matching.

[0200] [4.4] Information provision processing Next, the information providing process of this embodiment will be described.

[0201] The information providing unit 110 provides, during the game, various types of game information related to the control and display of the game, as well as information related to the matching process, to the corresponding terminal device 20 as matching-related information.

[0202] In addition, the information providing unit 110 provides the player character information of the player himself or another player who has already been registered to the terminal device 20 of the corresponding player at a predetermined timing during the game, such as when the player character information is updated or before the start of the matching process.

[0203] [4.5] Variations Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining a modification 1 (viewing control processing) of this embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modification 2 (viewer matching processing) of this embodiment.

[0204] (Modification 1: Viewing Control Processing) In this embodiment, games matched based on the player character cumulative usage index may be distributed to viewers who wish to watch them, and in this case, it is preferable to distribute games that meet certain conditions.

[0205] In particular, the certain conditions include that the player character cumulative usage index is equal to or greater than a certain value.

[0206] Specifically, the distribution control unit 106 acquires data (i.e., game control data) of game images, background music, sound effects, character voices, and other game sounds in the game being played from the game management unit 103, and executes a game viewing information generation process to generate game viewing information composed of the acquired data.

[0207] Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the distribution control unit 106 executes a distribution control process for distributing the game viewing information generated by the game viewing information generation process to the terminal devices 20 of viewers who wish to view the game.

[0208] The distribution control unit 106 may also execute a distribution control process to distribute game viewing information generated in a predetermined format such as a streaming format in real time to the terminal devices 20 of one or more pre-registered viewers, or to the terminal devices 20 of viewers who have made viewing requests during live game play.

[0209] In addition, the distribution control unit 106 may store the generated game viewing information in the storage unit 140 and perform distribution control in non-real-time distribution (hereinafter also referred to as "archive distribution") by distributing the stored game viewing information.

[0210] Furthermore, in this embodiment, game viewing information is distributed simply to allow the user to view the game content, but it may also be distributed based on a live game play in which a specific player plays the game and provides commentary on the game.

[0211] In this case, the distribution control unit 106 acquires game control data based on the operation of the player who is playing the game live (hereinafter also referred to as the "game live player"), and also receives, from the terminal device 20 of the live play player, the image and sound of the specific player. Get live content information.

[0212] Then, the distribution control unit 106 executes a game viewing information generation process to generate game viewing information based on the acquired game play information and live content information, and distributes the generated game viewing information to the terminal device 20 of the corresponding viewer.

[0213] (Variation 2: Viewer Matching Process) In the above variant example 1, game viewing information for viewers to watch a specific game is simply distributed to those who wish to watch it, but a matching process (hereinafter referred to as "viewer matching process") may also be performed to recommend the game to viewers (terminal devices 20) who are desired to watch the game.

[0214] That is, for example, in the above embodiment, a viewer matching process may be performed to allow a player to watch the game of a player with a high cumulative player character usage index, provide useful information about the player character, such as how to develop the player character, and disclose to players using the same player character the existence of a player character to which the player himself or herself is attached.

[0215] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the matching processing unit 105 performs a viewer matching process to recommend a game (i.e., a matching game) that has been played by matching multiple players through a matching process (hereinafter referred to as a "game matching process" to distinguish it from a viewer matching process) to players who are desired to watch the matching game, based on information about the characters used in the game matching process (hereinafter referred to as "matching game character information") and the player character information of each player.

[0216] More specifically, when the distribution control unit 106 generates game viewing information to be used for allowing viewers to view the matching game, the distribution control unit 106 registers the game viewing information in the storage unit 140, associated with each piece of game viewing information, along with game character information indicating player character information of each matching player used in the matching game, and attaches a matching game ID.

[0217] Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the distribution control unit 106 identifies player character information that has a given correlation with the game character information, and identifies players who have the identified player character information as players who are desirable to watch the matching game (hereinafter referred to as "candidate viewing players").

[0218] For example, the distribution control unit 106 uses, as a given correlation, the case where the player character is of the same type as the game character, or the case where the game character is of the same type as the player character and the player character's cumulative usage indicators, such as the number of times used or the usage time, meet certain conditions (such as a predetermined threshold value or more).

[0219] Furthermore, once a candidate player is determined, the distribution control unit 106 provides information to the terminal device 20 of the candidate player to encourage the candidate player to view the game viewing information of the corresponding matching game ([1] in FIG. 10), waits for the viewing request ([2] in FIG. 10), and then directly provides the game viewing information ([3] in FIG. 10).

[0220] FIG. 10 shows a case where a player 1 having a player character CH1 and a player 4 having a player character CH2 are matched and a matching game is played, and a player who has used the player character CH2 12 times is a viewer of the matching game. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a player 12 is identified (matched) as a candidate viewing player.

[0221] In particular, Figure 10 shows that player 12 has been matched as a player who has the same player character as the matching game and whose player character's cumulative usage count as a player character usage indicator meets a given condition (specifically, 10 or more times).

[0222] (Modification 3: Matching Execution Determination Process) In this embodiment, when executing the game matching process, it may be determined whether or not to execute the game matching process based on the playing status of the player to be matched (hereinafter referred to as the "matching target player") or the instructions of the matching target player.

[0223] In other words, in this embodiment, the intentions and circumstances of the players may be reflected in the matching, and an execution determination process may be performed to determine whether or not to execute the game matching process based on the playing situation of the player to be matched or the instructions of the player to be matched.

[0224] Specifically, before or after the game matching process is executed, the matching processing unit 105 executes a matching execution determination process to determine whether or not to execute the matching process, based on at least one of the playing status of the player to be matched and the instructions of the player to be matched.

[0225] Then, when it is determined by the matching execution determination process that the matching process should be executed, the matching processing unit 105 executes the matching process, or executes an execution determination process that determines whether or not to accept a matching process that has already been executed.

[0226] When the execution determination process is executed before the game matching process is executed, the matching target player may be set in advance based on the player character cumulative use index in the player character information.

[0227] (Modification 4: Another Example of the Server Device Configuration) In the game system 1 of this embodiment, the game and the matching process are executed by a single server device 10, but this may also be realized by a plurality of server devices.

[0228] [5] Operation in this embodiment Next, the operation of the matching process executed by the server device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0229] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the matching process executed by the server device 10 of this embodiment.

[0230] In this operation, it is assumed that player character information including the number of times each type of player character has been used as an index of cumulative player character use is stored.

[0231] This operation also shows the operation when it is time for each player to perform matching processing.

[0232] Furthermore, this operation is performed when the matching game starts, and the player character's cumulative usage An example of detecting the number of uses as a usage index will be described below.

[0233] First, when the game management unit 103 receives an instruction to execute a matching process or a command to start execution, such as an operation instruction from a player or the arrival of a specified timing (step S101), the player character management unit 104 accesses the player character information storage unit 148 and reads out the player character information (player character cumulative usage indicator) of each player (step S102).

[0234] Next, the matching processing unit 105 executes matching processing in one or more games based on the read player character information (step S103).

[0235] Next, the information providing unit 111 transmits the result of the matching process to the corresponding terminal device 20 (step S104).

[0236] Next, the game management unit 103 starts the matching game based on various information set by the matched players (step S105).

[0237] Next, the game management unit 103 determines whether the started matching game has ended (step S106), and if it determines that the started matching game has ended, ends this operation.

[0238] On the other hand, if the game management unit 103 determines in the process of step S105 that the matching game that has started has not ended, the process proceeds to the process of step S107.

[0239] Next, the player character management unit 104 determines whether or not it is a predetermined timing or a given game situation (step S107). For example, the player character management unit 104 determines whether or not an operation in a matching game has started.

[0240] At this time, if the player character management unit 104 determines that the predetermined timing has arrived, it proceeds to processing in step S108, and if it determines that the predetermined timing has not arrived, it proceeds to processing in step S106.

[0241] Next, if the player character management unit 104 determines that it is the specified timing, it extracts the cumulative usage indicator of the player character during the game of the matching player (simply referred to as the cumulative usage indicator, for example, the number of times the player character has been used) (step S108), registers and updates the extracted player character cumulative usage indicator in the player character information storage unit 148, and proceeds to processing in step S105.

[0242] [6] Other The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, terms cited in the specification or drawings as broadly defined or synonymous terms can be replaced with broadly defined or synonymous terms in other descriptions in the specification or drawings.

[0243] In this embodiment, each game may be provided to the terminal device 20 by one server device 10, or a server system may be constructed by linking a plurality of server devices 10, and each game may be provided to the terminal device.

[0244] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the game provided by the server device 10 is executed by the terminal device 20, but the functions of the processing unit 200 of the terminal device 20 and the execution of the game program are executed by the server device 10, except for the operation input. The above game may be realized by executing input of actions and displaying images by streaming.

[0245] In addition, in this embodiment, the game system of the present invention is applied to a server device 10 that runs in conjunction with a terminal device 20 via a network, but it can also be applied to a tablet-type information terminal device, a personal computer, or a game device installed in an amusement park.

[0246] The present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations with the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations with the same purpose and effects). The present invention also includes configurations in which non-essential parts of the configurations described in the embodiments are replaced. The present invention also includes configurations that achieve the same effects as the configurations described in the embodiments or that can achieve the same purpose. The present invention also includes configurations in which publicly known technology is added to the configurations described in the embodiments.

[0247] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail as above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications can be made without substantially departing from the novel features and effects of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0248] 1: Game System 10: Server device 20: Terminal device 100: Processing section 101: Communication control unit 102: Web processing unit 103: Game Management Department 104: Player character management unit 105: Matching processing unit 106: Distribution control unit 109: Timer management unit 110: Information provision department 111: Information provision department 120: Input section 130: Display section 140: Storage section 142: Main memory 144: Game data storage unit 146: Player information storage unit 148: Player character information storage unit 180: Information storage medium 196: Communications Department 200: Processing section 210: Communication control unit 211: Web browser 212: Game processing section 213: Display control unit 220: Drawing section 230: Sound processing unit 260: Input section 262:Detection unit 270: Storage section 271: Main memory 272: Image buffer 280: Information storage medium 290:Display section 292: Sound output unit 296: Communications Department 310: Distribution control section

Claims

1. A game system that controls a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and provides information about the game to a terminal device, a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of the matching player, the player character information being a cumulative index relating to the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player, the cumulative index including at least the cumulative consumption parameters consumed by the player for the player character; Equipped with the cumulative consumption parameters include at least the number of times the player character used in the game has been used, the usage time of the player character, and the cumulative parameters used for the player character; The matching control means A game system characterized in that, as the matching process, two or more players having player characters whose cumulative consumption parameters each satisfy a given common condition are matched together as the matching players based on the player character information of each player registered in the storage means, or two or more players having player characters whose cumulative consumption parameters each satisfy different conditions are matched together as the matching players.

2. In the game system described in claim 1, The matching control means The game system executes the matching process based on the cumulative consumption parameters for a given period of time.

3. In the game system according to claim 1 or 2, the player character information includes relationship information that defines a relationship between the player characters; The matching control means The game system executes the matching process based on the relationships between the player characters and the cumulative consumption parameters.

4. In the game system described in claim 3, The game control means When the game progresses for the matched player, the game system changes game control for the matched player in accordance with the relationship between the player characters.

5. A game system that controls a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and provides information about the game to a terminal device, a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator regarding the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; a distribution control means for executing a distribution process for distributing games that have been matched based on the player character cumulative use index and that meet certain conditions to viewers who wish to watch the games; Equipped with The matching control means The game system is characterized in that the matching process involves matching the two or more players as the matching players based on player character information of each player registered in the storage means.

6. In the game system described in claim 5, The registration means storing, in the storage means, game viewing information used to allow viewers to view the game played by the matched players, in association with game character information indicating information about the player characters used in the corresponding game associated with each piece of game viewing information; The distribution control means specifying, for the viewer, player character information of each player stored in the storage means that has a given correlation with game character information in a game in which each player is matched and played, from among the games registered in the storage means; The game system provides the player having the specified player character information with game viewing information associated with the game character.

7. A game system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The registration means registering, for each player, information about a player character used in the game in the storage means as the player character information; The providing means A game system that provides information on already registered player characters to a corresponding player at a given timing.

8. A game system that controls a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and provides information about the game to a terminal device, a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator regarding the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; Equipped with The player character information includes specification change information indicating the content of a specification change of the player character based on an operation of the player, and given information regarding the operation of the corresponding player when executing the content of the specification change as the player character cumulative use indicator; The matching control means A game system characterized in that, as the matching process, the two or more players are matched as the matching players based on player character information including the player character cumulative usage indicator of each player registered in the storage means.

9. In the game system described in claim 8, The matching control means When executing the matching process based on the specification change information, a calculation process is executed to calculate a degree of match indicating a rate of match in the specification changes of the player characters of each player, or a degree of complementary relationship which quantifies a complementary relationship that complements elements in the specification changes of each player character, As the matching process, the game system matches the two or more players as the matching players based on the player character information of each player registered in the storage means, the result of the calculation process, and the player character cumulative usage indicator.

10. In the game system described in claim 9, the specification change information includes a specification change retention time, which is an element that functions as the player character cumulative use index and indicates a time period during which a part of the player character that has undergone a specification change is retained; The matching control means The game system executes the matching process based on the result of the calculated relationship calculation process and the specification change retention time as the player character cumulative use index.

11. In the game system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The matching control means execute a matching execution determination process for determining whether or not to execute the matching process in accordance with at least one of a play situation of the player to be matched and an instruction from the player to be matched; When it is determined by the matching execution determination process that the matching process is to be executed, the game system executes the matching process or determines whether or not to accept a matching process that has already been executed.

12. A program for controlling a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and providing information about the game to a terminal device, comprising: a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of the matched players who are the plurality of players matched by the matching process, thereby progressing the game for the matched players; and a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of the matching player, the player character information being a cumulative index relating to the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player, the cumulative index including at least the cumulative consumption parameters consumed by the player for the player character; Make the computer function as the cumulative consumption parameters include at least the number of times the player character used in the game has been used, the usage time of the player character, and the cumulative parameters used for the player character; The matching control means The program is characterized in that, as the matching process, two or more players having player characters whose cumulative consumption parameters each satisfy a given common condition are matched together as the matching players based on the player character information of each player registered in the storage means, or two or more players having player characters whose cumulative consumption parameters each satisfy different conditions are matched together as the matching players.

13. A program for controlling a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and providing information about the game to a terminal device, comprising: a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of matching players, which are a plurality of players matched by the matching process, to progress the game for the matching players; a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator regarding the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; and a distribution control means for executing a distribution process for distributing games that have been matched based on the player character cumulative use index and that meet certain conditions to viewers who wish to watch the games; Make the computer function as The matching control means The program, as the matching process, matches the two or more players as the matching players based on player character information of each player registered in the storage means.

14. A program for controlling a game in which multiple players participate using player characters set in a game space, and providing information about the game to a terminal device, comprising: a matching control means for executing a matching process for matching two or more players participating in the game; providing means for providing information relating to the matching process to a corresponding terminal device as matching-related information; a game control means for controlling player characters of the matched players who are the plurality of players matched by the matching process, thereby progressing the game for the matched players; and a registration means for registering, in a storage means, player character information for each player character of each player, the player character information including at least a player character cumulative use indicator indicating a cumulative indicator regarding the use in the game of the player character used by the matching player in the game; Make the computer function as The player character information includes specification change information indicating the content of a specification change of the player character based on an operation of the player, and given information regarding the operation of the corresponding player when executing the content of the specification change as the player character cumulative use indicator; The matching control means A program characterized in that, as the matching process, the two or more players are matched as the matching players based on player character information including the player character cumulative usage indicator of each player registered in the storage means.

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