Program and information processing system

Abstract

To increase the interest of a service.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer to function as: display control means for displaying objects owned by a second user extracted on the basis of predetermined rules from among multiple users using a predetermined service on the home screen of a first user who uses the predetermined service; and operation acceptance means for accepting an operation for changing the display form of the objects owned by the first user. The objects owned by the second user are displayed on the home screen of the first user in the display form set by the second user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, games and the like that allow users to interact with other users have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, in various services such as games, it is known that users can equip their own characters with various items. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-110448 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there has been a demand for further improvements in the entertainment value of various services.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to improve the interest of services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one embodiment shown in the present disclosure, Computer, a display control means for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; and functioning as an operation receiving means for receiving an operation for changing the display form of the object owned by the first user, The object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user. Programs are offered. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the interest of a service. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a game system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the game system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a profile screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a friend screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a friend search screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a profile screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an item list screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery screen. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to displaying a home screen. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to displaying a friend search screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Game system hardware configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 and a server 20.

[0011] The terminal device 10 and the server 20 are connected via a network 2. The network 2 may be configured by, for example, the Internet, a mobile communication system (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc.), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), other communication lines, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the connection between the terminal device 10 and the server 20 may be wired or wireless.

[0012] The server 20 (in other words, a computer, an information processing device) may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer. The server 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, a communication IF (interface) 24, and an input / output IF 25. These components of the server 20 are connected to each other by a communication bus.

[0013] The processor 21 controls the overall operation of the server 20. The processor 21 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The processor 21 reads a program from the storage 23 and loads it into the memory 22. The processor 21 executes the loaded program.

[0014] The memory 22 is a main storage device. The memory 22 is configured by storage devices such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 22 temporarily stores programs and various data that the processor 21 reads from the storage 23, thereby providing a working area for the processor 21. The memory 22 also temporarily stores various data that the processor 21 generates while operating according to the programs.

[0015] In this embodiment, the program may be a program that realizes a game by the terminal device 10. The program may also be a program that realizes the game through cooperation between the terminal device 10 and the server 20. The game realized through cooperation between the terminal device 10 and the server 20 may, for example, be a game executed on a browser launched on the terminal device 10. The program may also be a program that realizes the game through cooperation between a plurality of terminal devices 10. The various data may include, for example, data related to the game, such as user information and game information, and instructions and notifications transmitted and received between the terminal device 10 and the server 20.

[0016] The storage 23 is an auxiliary storage device. The storage 23 is configured by a storage device such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage 23 stores various data related to the game.

[0017] The communication IF 24 controls transmission and reception of various data between the server 20 and the terminal device 10 and the like via the network.

[0018] The input / output IF 25 is an interface through which the server 20 receives input of data and also an interface through which the server 20 outputs data. The input / output IF 25 may include, for example, an input unit which is an information input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and a display unit which is a device that displays and outputs images.

[0019] The terminal device 10 (in other words, a computer, an information processing device) may be, for example, a smartphone, a feature phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a tablet computer, a personal computer, a wearable terminal, or a game device. The terminal device 10 may be a mobile terminal. The terminal device 10 may be a portable terminal that a user uses when playing a game.

[0020] The terminal device 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage 13, a communication IF 14, an input / output IF 15, an input unit 17, and a display unit 18. These components included in the terminal device 10 are connected to each other by a communication bus.

[0021] The processor 11 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 10. The processor 11 may include a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The processor 11 reads a program from the storage 13 and loads it into the memory 12. The processor 11 executes the loaded program.

[0022] The memory 12 is a main storage device. The memory 12 is configured by storage devices such as a ROM and a RAM. The memory 12 provides a working area for the processor 11 by temporarily storing the programs and various data that the processor 11 reads from the storage 13. The memory 12 also temporarily stores various data that the processor 11 generates while operating according to the programs.

[0023] The storage 13 is an auxiliary storage device. The storage 13 is configured by a storage device such as a flash memory or a HDD. The storage 13 stores various data related to the game.

[0024] The communication IF 14 controls transmission and reception of various data between the terminal device 10 and the server 20 etc. via the network.

[0025] The input / output IF 15 is an interface through which the terminal device 10 receives input of data and also an interface through which the terminal device 10 outputs data. The input / output IF 15 may input and output data via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like. The input / output IF 15 may include an input unit 17, a display unit 18, or the like.

[0026] The input unit 17 accepts input from a user. The input unit 17 may be, for example, a pointing device such as a touchpad. The display unit 18 displays images. The display unit 18 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The terminal device 10 includes, for example, a touch screen 16 which is an electronic component that combines the input unit 17 and the display unit 18.

[0027] The input unit 17 has a function of detecting a position input on the input surface by a user operation (for example, a touch operation, a tap operation, a slide operation, a swipe operation, a flick operation, a pinch-in operation, a pinch-out operation, etc.) and transmitting information indicating the detected position as an input signal. The touch panel serving as the input unit 17 may be of a capacitance type or a resistive film type, or may be of another type.

[0028] The input unit 17 may be, for example, a keyboard, various physical buttons, various sensors (for example, an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor), an operation stick, a camera, or a microphone. The display unit 18 may be, for example, a projector.

[0029] <Functional configuration of the game system> 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 20 and the terminal device 10. The server 20 in this embodiment has, for example, a function to provide each terminal device 10 with various data and programs necessary to realize the game, a function to collect and manage data related to the game from each terminal device 10, and a function to perform synchronization processing between the multiple terminal devices 10.

[0030] In this embodiment, the server 20 identifies each user and the terminal device 10 using a user account that is registered in advance for each game. The method of registering an account is not particularly limited. For example, the terminal device 10 or another device such as a personal computer may transmit information required for user account registration to the server 20 based on a user operation, and the server 20 may create and save an account for each user based on the received information.

[0031] 2, the server 20 functions as a control unit 210 and a storage unit 220 through cooperation of a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, a communication IF (interface) 24, an input / output IF 25, etc. The storage unit 220 stores various data used by the control unit 210. The various data include, for example, a game program 221, game information 222, and user information 223.

[0032] The game program 221 is a program for implementing a game. The game information 222 and the user information 223 are data that the control unit 210 refers to when executing the game program 221.

[0033] The game program 221 may include a program (a game program 121 described later) that is transmitted to the terminal device 10 and executed on the terminal device 10, in addition to the game program executed on the server 20 side. Alternatively, the storage unit 220 may store the game program 221 that is executed on the server 20 side and the program that is executed on the terminal device 10 side.

[0034] The game information 222 is information common between accounts. The game information 222 includes, for example, information for defining various game spaces. A game space is a space in which objects such as a user's character (for example, a "player character" and an "other user character" described below) are placed. The game information 222 also includes, for example, various setting information related to objects common between accounts, such as background objects such as buildings, trees, and stones placed in the game space, and the placement position, size, color, and shape of non-player characters (NPCs). The game information 222 also includes, for example, setting values ​​of various parameters of non-player characters. Hereinafter, a character object placed in the game space may be simply referred to as a "character."

[0035] The user information 223 is information managed for each game account. The user information 223 includes, for example, information about the user's character, information about friends, information about owned assets, and information indicating the progress of the game. Examples of owned assets include currency in the virtual space (in other words, in-game currency) and items.

[0036] The control unit 210 controls various processes related to the game by executing a game program 221 stored in the storage unit 220. The control unit 210 includes, for example, a transmission / reception unit 211, a server processing unit 212, a friend management unit 215, and a synchronization processing unit 214.

[0037] The transmitting / receiving unit 211 transmits or receives various types of data. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 211 receives requests to transmit various types of data and programs, requests for synchronization processing to support the multiplay function, data to be subjected to synchronization processing, and the like from each terminal device 10, and passes them to the server processing unit 212. Furthermore, the transmitting / receiving unit 211 transmits various types of data and programs, including instructions for achieving synchronization, to each terminal device 10 in accordance with the control of the server processing unit 212.

[0038] In this embodiment, the multiplay function is a function that synchronizes game processing by multiple accounts. When multiple accounts logged in to the game system 1 participate in the same game, the server 20 and the terminal device 10 of the game system 1 execute various processes to support the multiplay function.

[0039] The server processing unit 212 provides a game to the terminal device 10 by executing arithmetic processing described in the game program 221 in response to a request from the terminal device 10. For example, when the server processing unit 212 receives a request for synchronization processing to support the multiplay function or data to be subjected to synchronization processing from the terminal device 10 via the transmission / reception unit 211, the server processing unit 212 executes the synchronization processing to support the multiplay function. In addition, the server processing unit 212 issues a command to the transmission / reception unit 211 to transmit game information 222 or user information 223.

[0040] The friend management unit 215 manages information related to friends. For example, the friend management unit 215 associates a user with another user based on a request from the friend processing unit 115 (described later) and stores information related to the association between users in the storage unit 220.

[0041] The synchronization processing unit 214 executes synchronization processing to support the multi-play function of the game in accordance with instructions from the server processing unit 212. For example, when the server 20 transmits information to a plurality of terminal devices 10, the synchronization processing unit 214 synchronizes the game progressing among the terminal devices 10 by simultaneously transmitting the information to each of the terminal devices 10. Specifically, the synchronization processing unit 214 simultaneously transmits operation information received from the terminal devices 10 corresponding to each account within a predetermined period (for example, one frame) to each of the terminal devices 10 at predetermined intervals. The operation information is information related to operations input to the terminal devices 10. The synchronization timing and information to be synchronized may be received from the server processing unit 212 as needed. By executing the synchronization processing, it becomes possible to simultaneously reflect in-game events resulting from operations input on one terminal device 10 on the other terminal devices 10.

[0042] The terminal device 10 in this embodiment has, for example, a function as an input device that accepts input operations from a user, and a function as an output device that outputs images and sounds of a game.

[0043] The terminal device 10 functions as a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120 through cooperation of a processor 11, a memory 12, a storage 13, a communication IF 14, an input / output IF 15, etc. The storage unit 120 stores various data used by the control unit 110. The various data include, for example, a game program 121, game information 122, and user information 123.

[0044] The game program 121 is a program for realizing a game on the terminal device 10 side. The game information 122 and the user information 123 are data that the control unit 110 refers to when executing the game program 121.

[0045] The game information 122 includes the same information as the game information 222 of the server 20. Therefore, a description of the game information 122 will be omitted here.

[0046] The user information 123 is data relating to the account of the user who uses the terminal device 10, and includes information similar to the above-described user information 223 of the server 20. Therefore, a description of the user information 123 will be omitted here.

[0047] The control unit 110 executes a game program 121 stored in the memory unit 120 to control various processes related to the game executed on the terminal device 10. The control unit 110 includes, for example, an operation reception unit 111, a transmission / reception unit 112, a game progression unit 113, a friend processing unit 115, and a display control unit 114.

[0048] The operation reception unit 111 receives an operation (hereinafter also referred to as an "input operation") input by the user via the input unit 17. Specifically, when an input operation is performed on the input unit 17, the operation reception unit 111 detects the coordinates of the input position and the type of input operation. Examples of the types of input operations include various operations performed with fingers, etc., such as a touch operation, a tap operation, a slide operation, a swipe operation, a flick operation, a pinch-in operation, and a pinch-out operation. The input operation is not limited to an operation of physically contacting the input unit 17 (for example, the touch screen 16) but may also include a non-contact operation. Note that an operation of ending a previously performed input operation, such as a touch-off operation of ending contact with the touch screen 16, can also be considered as one form of input operation.

[0049] Here, the operation reception unit 111 can also receive input operations performed using an operation device connected via the input / output IF 15 in the same way as input operations to the input unit 17 .

[0050] The transmitting / receiving unit 112 transmits and receives various types of data. A specific example will be described below.

[0051] The transmitting / receiving unit 112 transmits game information 122 or user information 123, and a synchronization request for supporting the multiplay function, to the server 20. The transmitting / receiving unit 112 receives various data, programs, synchronization data for supporting the multiplay function, and the like from the server 20. The synchronization data includes, for example, synchronization instruction data for instructing each terminal device 10 participating in the multiplay to synchronize. The synchronization instruction data includes, for example, data to be synchronized, the type of data, and data for specifying the time to synchronize.

[0052] The transmitting / receiving unit 112 transmits operation information relating to the input operation accepted by the operation accepting unit 111 to the server 20. The transmitting / receiving unit 112 receives, from the server 20, operation information relating to an operation input by another user on another terminal device 10.

[0053] The game progression unit 113 executes various processes related to the progression of the game. Specific examples will be explained below.

[0054] The game progression unit 113 defines the game space based on information for defining the game space, which is included in the game information 122. The game progression unit 113 places objects in the game space based on object setting information included in the game information 122. The game progression unit 113 controls the objects placed in the game space. Specifically, the game progression unit 113 changes the position, orientation, shape, color, etc. of the objects within the game space, and controls the objects to perform predetermined actions.

[0055] The game progression unit 113 defines a virtual camera for specifying an area of ​​the game space to be presented to the user. The game progression unit 113 places the virtual camera within the game space by defining the position and orientation of the virtual camera within the game space. The game progression unit 113 instructs the display control unit 114 to generate an image that depicts the field of view defined by the virtual camera and the objects located in this field of view.

[0056] The position and orientation of the virtual camera can be determined appropriately for each game space. For example, the game progression unit 113 uses the position and orientation of a specific object as a reference and positions the virtual camera so that the specific object is located at the center of the field of view in a specific orientation. In this case, the game progression unit 113 adjusts the position and orientation of the virtual camera using the direction, distance, and angle relative to the specific object. The specific object may be, for example, a dynamic object such as a playable character or a non-player character, or a static object such as a building, tree, or stone. Dynamic objects include playable characters that act based on the operation of each user and characters (e.g., non-player characters, enemy characters, etc.) that act based on the game programs 121, 221.

[0057] The game progression unit 113 interprets the user's instructions based on the coordinates of the input position and the type of input operation detected by the operation reception unit 111. The game progression unit 113 executes various determination processes related to the progress of the game based on the interpreted instructions, etc. The game progression unit 113 progresses the game while controlling objects, the virtual camera, etc. based on the results of the determination processes, etc. The game progression unit 113 updates, adds, or deletes game information 122 and user information 123 according to the progress of the game.

[0058] The friend processing unit 115 executes various processes related to the friend function. The processes in the friend processing unit 115 will be described in detail later.

[0059] The display control unit 114 displays an image on the display unit 18. A specific example will be described below.

[0060] The display control unit 114 generates an image that depicts the area of ​​the game space that is within the field of view of the virtual camera defined by the game progression unit 113, and the objects that exist in that area, and displays this image on the display unit 18. The display control unit 114 can superimpose and draw objects related to the UI (User Interface) required for various game operations, such as icons, buttons, and menus showing various parameters, on the image to be displayed on the display unit 18.

[0061] Note that the functions of the terminal device 10 and the server 20 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples. Each of the terminal device 10 and the server 20 may have at least some of the functions of the other device. In other words, the server 20 may have some or all of the functional blocks of the terminal device 10 in this embodiment, or the terminal device 10 may have some or all of the functional blocks of the server 20. Furthermore, each of the devices, such as the terminal device 10 and the server 20, does not have to be realized by an integrated device, and may be realized, for example, by multiple devices connected via a network or the like. Furthermore, the game system 1 may be configured, for example, by only the terminal device 10 or the server 20. In other words, the game system 1 does not have to be realized by multiple devices connected via a network.

[0062] <Processing according to this embodiment> Next, the processing according to this embodiment will be described. Note that in this embodiment, the processor 11 of the terminal device 10 or the processor 21 of the server 20 will be described as performing each processing described below by executing a game program stored in the game system 1. However, at least a part of the processing described below that is performed by the processor 11 may be performed by a processor other than the processor 11. Also, at least a part of the processing described below that is performed by the processor 21 may be performed by a processor other than the processor 21. In other words, the computer that executes the game program in this embodiment may be either the terminal device 10 or the server 20, or may be realized by a combination of multiple devices.

[0063] The following describes an example in which the configuration according to this embodiment is applied to a golf game. However, the configuration according to this embodiment can also be applied to games other than golf games. Furthermore, the configuration according to this embodiment can be applied not only to games but also to applications (in other words, services) that provide a virtual space in which objects related to each user exist.

[0064] In the game (or service) of this embodiment, a user can register other users as friends. A user can register other users as friends by performing a predetermined input operation on the terminal device 10. Registering a user as a friend can also be understood as a user associating another user with the user. Registering a user as a friend can also be understood as bookmarking a specific user other than the user. Registering a user as a friend can also be understood as making information about a user (specifically, a friend) (e.g., information about the login status or rank, which will be described later) easier to access than information about other users (specifically, non-friends). The association between a user's account (in other words, identification information that identifies the user) and the accounts of other users registered as friends, i.e., information indicating which users are friends of the user, is stored, for example, in the storage unit 220 of the server 20. The information may also be stored in the storage unit 120 of the user's terminal device 10.

[0065] In this embodiment, a situation may exist in which a user registers another user as a friend, but the other user does not register the user as a friend. That is, a situation may exist in which the user unilaterally follows the other user. Also, a situation may exist in which a user registers another user as a friend, and the other user registers the user as a friend. That is, a situation may exist in which the user and the other user mutually follow each other. However, a situation in which a unilateral following does not exist. In other words, in this embodiment, a "friend" may refer only to a user with whom a reciprocal follow relationship is established from the user's perspective, or may also include a user with whom a unilateral follow relationship is established. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a "non-friend" may refer to a user not followed by a user, a user not followed by the other user but not followed by the other user, or a user with whom a reciprocal follow relationship is not established.

[0066] Note that in order for a user to register another user as a friend, the consent of the user to be registered may be required. For example, a user may apply to register another user as a friend, and the friend registration may be established only if the other user accepts the application. Furthermore, the types of friends may include friends for which consent has been granted (in other words, friends whose registration requires consent) and friends for which consent has not been granted (in other words, friends whose registration does not require consent).

[0067] Furthermore, in the game of this embodiment, each user can operate their own character to play golf or compete against a predetermined opponent (for example, another user or a non-player character, etc.) as an in-game. Furthermore, in the game of this embodiment, each user can change the display form (in other words, the appearance) of their own character as an out-game. Here, "changing the display form" includes, for example, performing an operation such as associating a predetermined item (for example, equipment, skin, mascot, etc., which can also be called an object) with the character (for example, using a predetermined item on the character (for example, equipping it)).

[0068] In-game games may include games that can only be played with one's friends, for example, friends with whom a reciprocal follow relationship has been established. In other words, a "friend" may be a user with whom a user can share a specific in-game function that cannot be shared with non-friends. The function may be a function that facilitates matching with friends (in other words, sharing specific content (e.g., participating in the same match, event, etc.)).

[0069] (Home screen) The home screen 30 in the game of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows an example of the home screen 30 displayed on the display unit 18. The home screen 30 is a basic screen on which the user performs operations to progress through the game. The home screen 30 displays a plurality of menu items related to the game. The home screen 30 is displayed first, for example, when the game (in other words, an application related to a predetermined service) is launched on the terminal device 10. Note that "first displayed when launched" here includes the case where the home screen 30 is displayed after various displays related to the launch (for example, a title display, a display related to loading, etc.) are displayed.

[0070] The display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display a home screen 30. The home screen 30 displays a game space 31 (in other words, a virtual space) and objects present in the game space 31. Specifically, the home screen 30 displays a player's own character 33, which is a character owned by the user of the terminal device 10 displaying the home screen 30 (hereinafter also referred to as the "player's own user"), and other user characters 34, which are characters owned by other users (hereinafter also referred to as the "other users"). Specifically, the home screen 30 displays one player's character 33 and four other user characters 34. Note that the number of characters (for example, the number of other user characters 34) displayed on the home screen 30 may be any number.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, when the home screen 30 is displayed, only a portion of the game space 31 is displayed on the display unit 18 at one time. In other words, in this embodiment, the display state of the home screen 30 includes a state in which one area of ​​the game space 31 is displayed and a state in which another area different from the one area is displayed. In other words, the area of ​​the game space 31 displayed on the home screen 30 is determined by a field of view defined by a virtual camera, but in this embodiment, the field of view (in other words, the direction of the virtual camera, etc.) is variable. In addition, in the game space 31, two other user characters 34 are present to the left of the player's character 33 as viewed from the virtual camera, and two other other user characters 34 are present to the right of the player's character 33. The home screen 30 has three display states: a first state in which an area in the game space 31 where the player's character 33 exists (hereinafter referred to as "first area 31a") is displayed; a second state in which an area in the game space 31 where two other user's characters 34 exist (hereinafter referred to as "second area 31b") is displayed; and a state in which an area in the game space 31 where the other two other user's characters 34 exist (hereinafter referred to as "third area 31c") is displayed. In other words, on the home screen 30, the characters displayed on the display unit 18 vary within the range of the characters existing in the game space 31. The first area 31a, the second area 31b, and the third area 31c are seamlessly connected.

[0072] Furthermore, the area of ​​the game space 31 displayed on the home screen 30 (in other words, the field of view area defined by the virtual camera) can be changed based on user operation. In the present embodiment, when an input operation (for example, a swipe operation) is performed to scroll the screen left or right while the home screen 30 is displayed, the game progression unit 113 switches the display state of the home screen 30 between a first state, a second state, and a third state. In other words, the game progression unit 113 changes the area of ​​the game space 31 displayed on the display unit 18 in response to the operation to scroll the screen.

[0073] The other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 include friend characters 34a, which are characters owned by friends, and non-friend characters 34b, which are characters owned by non-friends. In other words, the other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 include at least one non-friend character 34b. In this embodiment, if there are three or more friends, three of the other user characters 34 are friend characters 34a, and one of the other user characters 34 is a non-friend character 34b. In other words, even if there are more friends than the number of characters displayed on the home screen 30 (four in this example), one non-friend character 34b is always displayed on the home screen 30. For this reason, the home screen 30 functions as a guide for making new friends. Note that if there are two or fewer friends, two or more non-friend characters are displayed, so that four other user characters 34 are displayed on the home screen 30. Note that in this embodiment, a fixed number (specifically, four) of other user characters 34 are displayed on the home screen 30 regardless of the number of friends, but this number does not have to be fixed. Furthermore, in the first state, the home screen 30 does not display any other user characters 34, displays multiple (more specifically, two) other user characters 34 in the second state, and displays multiple (more specifically, two) other user characters 34 in the third state, with the number of other user characters 34 displayed being the same in the second state and the third state. In addition to other user characters 34 (characters for which an input operation, etc., to select another user character 34, described later, is valid), the home screen 30 may also display non-player characters, etc., to liven up the display (characters for which an input operation, etc., to select another user character 34, described later, is invalid). Note that a specific area (e.g., the third area 31c) in the game space 31 displayed on the home screen 30 may always contain one non-friend character 34b. This configuration makes it easy to find the non-friend character 34b.

[0074] Friend characters 34a associated with users selected from among friends are displayed on the home screen 30. The friends who are users of the friend characters 34a displayed on the home screen 30 are selected based on predetermined rules. These predetermined rules are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, rules that randomly select users from among friends.

[0075] Additionally, the home screen 30 displays a non-friend character 34b associated with a user selected from a group including non-friends. Note that the group does not necessarily include friends. The user of the non-friend character 34b displayed on the home screen 30 is selected based on a predetermined rule (hereinafter also referred to as the "first rule"). The user of the non-friend character 34b can be considered another user who is a friend candidate. The first rule is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rule that selects users from among multiple users who recently used a predetermined function in the game. In this embodiment, the friend candidate is randomly selected from multiple users (e.g., non-friends) who recently played a specific in-game. In other words, the friend candidate is randomly selected from multiple users who played a specific in-game within a predetermined period of time. Here, "within a predetermined period of time" may be, for example, within a certain number of hours from the present, or may be a period until the number of users who have played the specific in-game reaches 100 (in other words, the selection is performed from a predetermined number of users who recently played the in-game). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specific in-game includes, for example, a game in which a player competes against a specific opponent (another user or a non-player character, etc.). Note that, in this embodiment, the specific in-game play does not include tutorial play, but may include it. Furthermore, the extracted friend candidates are not limited to users who played in-game with the user (in other words, the user who requested the extraction) (in other words, users who competed or fought together, etc.). Note that, in this embodiment, when referring to "most recent," there may be a difference between the current time and the most recent starting point.

[0076] The first rule may also include a rule related to the extraction of friends who have friend characters 34a displayed on the home screen 30. That is, the first rule may be, for example, a rule that randomly extracts users from among friends and also extracts users from among multiple users who have recently used a predetermined function in the game.

[0077] In addition, the users of the other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 are automatically extracted, and the other user characters 34 owned by the extracted users are displayed without the need for the user to perform any search-related input operations, such as input operations into the search condition input area 66 described below.

[0078] It is preferable that the other users for at least some of all other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 are not necessarily uniquely determined based solely on the user's game usage history. Specifically, for example, if other users with whom the user recently played an in-game game (e.g., fought together) are displayed on the home screen 30, and other users other than these other users are not displayed on the home screen 30, all other users displayed on the home screen 30 will necessarily be uniquely determined. In other words, in such a case, the user can perfectly predict (or guess) all other users who will be displayed on the home screen 30. In this embodiment, such a configuration is avoided and the user is prevented from perfectly predicting all other users who will be displayed on the home screen 30, thereby providing the user with an opportunity to meet unexpected friends.

[0079] The display modes (i.e., appearances) of the user's own character 33 and other user's characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 change based on input operations by the user who owns each character. Specifically, for example, each user can perform input operations, such as changing items (e.g., clothes, accessories, clubs, or mascot characters) equipped by the character on their own terminal device 10 (i.e., the terminal device 10 logged in with their own account), to change the display mode of the character they own. In other words, the operation receiving unit 111 of each terminal device 10 receives the input operations. When the user's own character 33 is displayed on their own home screen 30, it is displayed in a display mode set by the user. Furthermore, when each user's character is displayed as a other user's character 34 on another user's home screen 30, it is displayed in a display mode set by the user. In other words, objects related to other users (e.g., other user's character 34) are displayed on the home screen 30, and the display mode of the objects can be changed by the other users. As described above, the display mode of the other user's character 34 displayed on the user's home screen 30 can be changed by the other user. However, the change in the display mode on the user's home screen 30 does not necessarily occur immediately (in real time) when the other user performs an operation to change the display mode (for example, when an operation to change an equipped item is performed on the other user's terminal device 10). Alternatively, the change may occur instantly. In this embodiment, when the user's home screen 30 starts to be displayed, information related to the display mode set by the other user (such as information about the items equipped by the other user's character 34) is sent from the server 20 to the terminal device 10, and the other user's character 34 is displayed in the set display mode. Furthermore, even if the other user performs an operation to change the display mode of the other user's character 34 while the user's home screen 30 is being displayed, the display mode of the other user's character 34 on the user's home screen 30 does not change while the user's home screen 30 is being displayed.When the display of the user's home screen 30 is temporarily terminated and then restarted, the other user's character 34 is displayed on the user's home screen 30 in the display format changed by the other user.

[0080] As described above, the items that can be equipped by each character are not limited to clothes, accessories (such as glasses and hats), and clubs, but may also include mascot characters (such as the character's pet or stuffed animal). In other words, the items that can be equipped by each character are not limited to inanimate objects, but may also include living objects. In yet other words, the items that can be equipped by a character are not limited to objects that do not move spontaneously, but may also include objects that move spontaneously in the game. Objects such as mascot characters may move around the character equipped with the object on the home screen 30.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, the display form of another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30 changes depending on the items owned by the user of the other user's character 34. This makes it possible to diversify the display form of another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30. Furthermore, this increases the opportunities for the user to see an item equipped by the other user's character 34 and desire that item, thereby increasing the opportunities for the user to be motivated to obtain items. This makes it possible to make the game less boring.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the other user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30 is displayed in its entirety (in other words, its whole body). This allows the user to see various items equipped by the other user's character 34, which can increase the opportunities for the user to be motivated to obtain items. This makes it possible to make the game less tiring to play. Note that "the entirety is displayed" here means that it is recognized that the entirety (in other words, the entire body) is displayed, and includes cases where the entirety is displayed, such as when a part of the character is covered by another character and cannot be seen. Furthermore, in this embodiment, all of the other user's characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 are displayed in their entirety.

[0083] Note that the other user's character 34 may move on the home screen 30. Specifically, for example, the other user's character 34 may perform actions such as conversing with another character (e.g., another other user's character 34 or the player's character 33, etc.), brushing back their hair, or changing their posture. This configuration can enhance the sense of immersion in the virtual space compared to when information about other users is simply arranged as a list. Note that in this embodiment, the other user's character 34 moves on the home screen 30 but does not move (in other words, the displayed position does not change). Note that in this embodiment, the other user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30 moves automatically under the control of the game progression unit 113, and cannot be moved (e.g., moved within the game space 31) by operation from the other user's terminal device 10. However, the other user's character 34 may be moved by operation from the other user's terminal device 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the player's character 33 displayed on the home screen 30 moves automatically under the control of the game progression unit 113, and cannot be moved by operating it from the user's terminal device 10 (for example, by moving it within the game space 31), but it may be possible to move it by operating it from the user's terminal device 10.

[0084] The other user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30 is the other user's own character 33 for the other user who owns the other user's character 34. In other words, the other user can control the other user's character 34 on his / her own terminal device 10 to play golf or compete against a predetermined opponent.

[0085] On the home screen 30, information about the user who owns each other user character 34 is displayed together with each other user character 34 at a position corresponding to each other user character 34. Specifically, on the home screen 30, an other user information display area 36 corresponding to each other user character 34 is provided near (for example, above) each other user character 34, and information about the other user who owns each other user character 34 is displayed in each other user information display area 36. More specifically, each other user information display area 36 displays the username of the other user who owns the other user character 34, an indication of the login status of the other user, an indication of the rank of the other user, an indication of whether the other user is a friend, and the like. In this embodiment, the indication of the login status displays whether the other user is logged in (in other words, whether the other user is online), the time elapsed since the last login (in other words, since the user went offline), and the like. Furthermore, a symbol resembling a person (hereinafter referred to as a "friend symbol 37") is displayed to indicate whether or not a user is a friend. The friend symbol 37 is displayed in the other user information display area 36 of the friend character 34a, while the friend symbol 37 is not displayed in the other user information display area 36 of the non-friend character 34b. Furthermore, a symbol indicating the rank (hereinafter referred to as a "rank symbol 38") is displayed to indicate the user's rank. Note that the rank can be said to indicate the user's level of proficiency, and can also be said to indicate the user's relative position among other users. The rank includes what is commonly called a level in general games.

[0086] Furthermore, for example, titles owned by other users may be displayed in the other user information display area 36. Here, a "title" is something that is given to a user when the user achieves a predetermined achievement condition in the game (for example, "reaching a predetermined number of cumulative wins (e.g., 20 times)," "reaching a predetermined number of cumulative rounds (e.g., 50 times)," "reaching a predetermined rank (e.g., within the top 100) in a predetermined tournament," or "clearing a predetermined quest"). Each user can set a title that he or she owns to be shown to other users, and the set title may be displayed, for example, in the other user information display area 36 or a profile screen 40 described later.

[0087] (Displayed on the home screen when selecting a character) When an input operation is performed to select one of the other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30 (for example, a tap operation on the other user character 34), the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display a profile screen 40 related to the selected other user character 34, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4(a) shows an example of the profile screen 40 when the friend character 34a in the third area 31c shown in Fig. 3 is selected. Fig. 4(b) shows an example of the profile screen 40 when the non-friend character 34b in the third area 31c shown in Fig. 3 is selected.

[0088] The profile screen 40 displays the selected other user's character 34 (in other words, an image of the other user's character 34), information about items equipped to the other user's character 34, the username of the user who owns the other user's character, and information about the game history related to the other user's character 34 (in other words, the user who owns the other user's character 34) (hereinafter referred to as "game history information 43"). The game history information 43 also includes, for example, the number of occurrences of a specific event (e.g., the number of birdies, eagles, albatrosses, holes-in-ones, or victories over opponents in previous plays (in other words, the total number of wins)), the best performance in a specific event (e.g., the longest winning streak), and titles. In this way, when an input operation is performed to select one of the other user's characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30, the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display information related to the other user's character 34 that is more detailed than the information displayed on the home screen 30.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 4(a), when a friend character 34a is selected from among the other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30, a profile screen 40 is displayed, which displays a battle button 41, a release button 44, and a block button 45. The battle button 41 is a button operated when fighting a battle with a friend who owns the friend character 34a. When an input operation (e.g., a tap operation) is performed on the battle button 41, a battle request is sent from the user's terminal device 10 to the friend's terminal device 10 via the server 20. When the friend accepts the request on the friend's terminal device 10, a battle with the friend begins. Note that such battles with other users based on an operation on the battle button 41 may be limited to friends and not to non-friends. The release button 44 is a button operated when breaking the friend relationship with the friend who owns the friend character 34a. When an input operation (e.g., a tap operation) is performed on the release button 44, a request to release the association between the user and the friend is transmitted from the user's terminal device 10 to the server 20. The server 20 (specifically, the friend management unit 215) then releases the friend relationship with the friend based on the request and returns the friend to a non-friend status. The block button 45 is a button that is operated when blocking the other party (here, the friend). When an input operation (e.g., a tap operation) is performed on the block button 45, for example, the other user's other user character 34 may not be displayed on the home screen 30, a request for a battle or a request for friend registration from the other party may be automatically rejected, or when the game system 1 (e.g., the server processing unit 212) randomly selects an opponent from among multiple users to realize a battle with the user, the other party may not be selected as the opponent.

[0090] 4(b), when a non-friend character 34b is selected from among the other user characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30, a profile screen 40 is displayed, which displays a friend request button 42 and a block button 45. The friend request button 42 is a button operated when applying to register a non-friend who owns the non-friend character 34b as a friend. When an input operation (e.g., a tap operation) is performed on the friend request button 42, a friend registration request is transmitted from the terminal device 10 of the user to the server 20. Then, the server 20 registers the non-friend as a friend of the user based on the request. Specifically, for example, when an input operation is performed on the friend request button 42, the friend processing unit 115 transmits a signal requesting friend registration of the non-friend to the server 20 via the transmission / reception unit 112. Then, the friend management unit 215 of the server 20 performs a process of associating the user with the non-friend based on the signal and stores the non-friend as a friend of the user in the storage unit 220. When performing the process based on the signal, the friend management unit 215 may transmit a signal to the non-friend terminal device 10 notifying that a friend registration request has been made, and may perform the process when the user of the terminal device 10 that received the notification signal performs a predetermined input operation to accept the request. In other words, when the server 20 registers a non-friend as a friend of the user based on a friend registration request from the user's terminal device 10, the non-friend may be required to perform an operation to accept the request.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, the user of the non-friend character 34b displayed on the home screen 30 is another user who is a friend candidate. Then, by selecting the non-friend character 34b as a predetermined object displayed on the home screen 30, the user can register the non-friend who owns the non-friend character 34b as a friend. In other words, the operation of selecting the non-friend character 34b displayed on the home screen 30 is accepted by the operation accepting unit 111 as at least part of the operation performed when associating the non-friend who owns the selected non-friend character 34b with the user (in other words, when registering the non-friend as a friend). Furthermore, in this embodiment, a friend registration request can be made in two steps (in other words, two button operations) from the home screen 30. Note that the operation of selecting the non-friend character 34b itself may be an operation of transmitting a friend registration request to the server 20, or the like. As described above, in this embodiment, the friend candidates are displayed on the home screen 30 and the friend candidates are introduced, eliminating the need for the user to search for potential friend users, making friend registration easier. In addition, in this embodiment, friend registration is possible by selecting a non-friend character 34b displayed on the home screen 30, which simplifies the operations related to friend registration and makes friend registration easier.

[0092] 3, a menu button 48 for displaying a menu screen is displayed on the home screen 30. When an input operation (for example, a tap operation) is performed on the menu button 48, the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display the menu screen.

[0093] Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, the menu screen displays a friend button for displaying a friend screen 60. When an input operation (for example, a tap operation) is performed on the friend button, the display control unit 114 displays the friend screen 60 on the display unit 18. In addition to the friend button, the menu screen also displays a profile button for displaying a profile screen related to the user (in other words, the user's character 33), a ranking button for displaying a predetermined ranking related to users using the game, an option button operated when changing settings related to the game, a help button operated when receiving instructions on how to use the game, and the like.

[0094] An example of the friend screen 60 is shown in FIG. 5. The friend screen 60 displays a list of friends. In other words, the friend screen 60 displays information about multiple other users who are associated with the user (in other words, who have a specific relationship with the user). In other words, the friend screen 60 is a screen that allows the user to check their own friends. The friend screen 60 may display buttons 61 or the like that allow the user to select the type of other users to display, and the type of other users displayed on the friend screen 60 (for example, friends with whom a reciprocal follow relationship has been established, friends with whom a unilateral follow relationship has been established, other users who have requested to be friended but have not been accepted by the other user, etc.) may be changed based on an input operation on the button 61 or the like.

[0095] Additionally, the friend screen 60 displays a friend search button 62 for displaying a friend search screen 65. When an input operation (for example, a tap operation) is performed on the friend search button 62, the display control unit 114 causes the display unit 18 to display the friend search screen 65.

[0096] 6 shows an example of the friend search screen 65. The friend search screen 65 is provided with a search condition input area 66 and a friend candidate display area 67.

[0097] The friend search screen 65 allows users to input search criteria and perform a search based on the input search criteria. When the search is performed, users matching the search criteria are displayed. Specifically, a search criteria input field 68 and a search button 69 are displayed in the search criteria input area 66. When a user inputs predetermined search criteria into the search criteria input field 68 and operates the search button 69, a search based on the search criteria is performed, and the search results are displayed on the friend search screen 65. Here, as the search criteria, for example, an identification code, which is a code unique to each user and enables identification of a user from among users who own accounts for the game, can be input. When an identification code is input as a search criterion and a search is performed, information about the user to whom the identification code is assigned (e.g., a username, a character owned by the user (in other words, an image of the character), an indication of the user's rank, etc.) is displayed on the friend search screen 65. In addition, a username, for example, may be input as a search criterion.

[0098] Furthermore, the friend search screen 65 displays the user's own identification code 70, and by providing the user's identification code 70 to others, the other person can search for the user.

[0099] Additionally, the friend candidate display area 67 on the friend search screen 65 displays information about other users who are friend candidates. Specifically, a list of friend candidates extracted based on a predetermined rule (hereinafter also referred to as the "second rule") is displayed. The friend candidate list displays information about each other user, such as the user name, information about the login status, characters owned by the user (in other words, character images), and an indication of the user's rank.

[0100] Other users displayed in the friend candidate display area 67 are extracted based on a second rule. These other users can also be called friend candidates. The second rule is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rule that extracts users from a plurality of users who have performed a predetermined operation related to a friend search (in other words, a predetermined operation to find a friend). In this embodiment, the friend candidates are randomly extracted from users (e.g., non-friends) who have opened the friend search screen 65 within a predetermined period (e.g., within one week). Furthermore, multiple users (e.g., three) are extracted as the friend candidates. Note that the friend candidates may be randomly extracted from users (e.g., non-friends) who have input search criteria and performed a search based on the input search criteria within a predetermined period.

[0101] In addition, when the friend search screen 65 starts to be displayed, other users displayed in the friend candidate display area 67 are automatically extracted, and information about the extracted other users is displayed without the need for the user to perform search-related input operations such as input operations into the search condition input area 66.

[0102] Note that characters owned by other users (in other words, character images) displayed in the friend candidate display area 67 may be displayed in a display format set by the other users, similar to other users' characters 34 displayed on the home screen 30, or may be displayed in a specific display format (for example, a default display format) prepared for each character without reflecting the display format settings set by the other users. In other words, other users' characters displayed in the friend candidate display area 67 may be displayed in a specific display format regardless of, for example, the items that the other users have equipped their characters with.

[0103] (How to obtain the item) The items that the user equips to the player's character 33 can be acquired, for example, by a predetermined lottery (so-called gacha). Also, the items may be granted when the user achieves a predetermined achievement condition in the game (for example, "winning a predetermined tournament" or "clearing a predetermined quest").

[0104] The lottery for acquiring items will be described below.

[0105] A modified example of the profile screen 40 shown in Fig. 4 (hereinafter referred to as a "profile screen 80") is shown in Fig. 7. On the profile screen 80, an item list button 81 and a lottery button 82 are displayed.

[0106] When an input operation is performed on the item list button 81, the display control unit 114 displays an item list screen 85 on the display unit 18. An example of the item list screen 85 is shown in FIG. 8. The item list screen 85 displays detailed information about items equipped by the character on the profile screen 40. The item list screen 85 also displays a list of information about the items.

[0107] 8 displays a list of items equipped by the character. For each item, an image of the item, the name of the item, and the rarity of the item (in other words, the difficulty of obtaining the item or the level of its performance) are also displayed.

[0108] In addition, a lottery button 82 is displayed on the item list screen 85.

[0109] The item list screen 85 may also display whether or not the user owns each item.

[0110] When an input operation is performed on the lottery button 82 displayed on the profile screen 80 or the item list screen 85, the display control unit 114 displays a lottery screen 87 on the display unit 18. An example of the lottery screen 87 is shown in Fig. 9. The lottery screen 87 is a screen for participating in a lottery to obtain an item.

[0111] On the lottery screen 87, the user can consume the assets held by the user to participate in a lottery to obtain an item. Here, the assets may be, for example, currency in the virtual space or a predetermined item.

[0112] A lottery execution button 88 is displayed on the lottery screen 87. When the lottery execution button 88 is operated, a process related to the lottery is executed, and the item selected by the process (in other words, the winning item) is awarded to the user. The method of the lottery is not particularly limited. For example, when the lottery execution button 88 is operated, the game progression unit 113 may refer to a table related to the lottery stored as game information 122 and determine the lottery result based on the table. Alternatively, for example, when the lottery execution button 88 is operated, the game progression unit 113 may send a lottery request to the server processing unit 212 of the server 20, and the server processing unit 212 may refer to a table related to the lottery stored as game information 222, determine the lottery result based on the table, and send the lottery result to the terminal device 10. In other words, the execution unit that executes the lottery may be included in the terminal device 10, the server 20, or may be realized by cooperation between the terminal device 10 and the server 20. The item selected by the lottery becomes the user's owned assets.

[0113] Here, an example of each lottery will be described, with a lottery executed from the lottery screen 87 accessed from the profile screen 80 (in other words, the lottery screen 87 accessed directly from the profile screen 80 or via the item list screen 85) being a special lottery, and a lottery executed from the lottery screen 87 accessed from the home screen 30 or a menu screen, etc. (in other words, the lottery screen 87 accessed without via the profile screen 80). The special lottery can also be considered a lottery executed via the profile screen 80 (in other words, the operation related to the execution of the lottery includes the operation of selecting another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30). The normal lottery can also be considered a lottery that can be executed without via the profile screen 80 (in other words, without via the operation of selecting another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30). Note that the normal lottery may be a lottery that can be executed from the lottery screen 87 that is displayed when, for example, a lottery button 90 (see FIG. 3 ) displayed on the home screen 30 is operated. The special lottery and the regular lottery are, for example, lotteries in which items that can be equipped by a character can be obtained.

[0114] The special lottery may be more likely to award an item equipped by a character on the profile screen 80 (in other words, an item owned by another user who owns the character) than the normal lottery. Furthermore, the special lottery may be more likely to award an item that can be equipped by a character on the profile screen 80 than the normal lottery. Specifically, the types of items that can be won may differ between the special lottery and the normal lottery, and the special lottery may have a higher probability of awarding at least one of an item equipped by a character on the profile screen 80 or an item that can be equipped than the normal lottery. Furthermore, the types of items that can be won may be the same between the special lottery and the normal lottery, but the special lottery may have a higher probability of awarding at least one of an item equipped by a character on the profile screen 80 or an item that can be equipped than the normal lottery. Furthermore, in the game, multiple types of characters are available for the user to use (for example, characters with round faces, characters with square faces, characters with star faces, and characters with pentagonal faces, as displayed on the home screen 30 shown in FIG. 3). However, in the special lottery, the probability of winning an item for a character on the profile screen 80 (a character with a round face in the example shown in FIG. 7) (specifically, for example, an item for a character on the profile screen 80 with a rarity of a predetermined level or higher) may be higher than the probability of winning an item for each character other than the character on the profile screen 80 (specifically, for example, an item for each character other than the character on the profile screen 80 with a rarity of a predetermined level or higher). Furthermore, in the special lottery, the probability of winning an item that cannot be used by (or cannot be equipped with) a character on the profile screen 80 may be 0%. Note that, here, the "character item" may be, for example, equipment exclusive to the character (in other words, an item that cannot be equipped by other predetermined types of characters), or an item that the character can equip.Furthermore, in a game in which the type of lottery available to a user changes depending on the period, if there is a specific lottery (in other words, a lottery corresponding to a special lottery) with a higher predetermined probability than a normal lottery as described herein, when the lottery button 82 is operated, a lottery screen 87 in which the specific lottery can be executed may be displayed. If the specific lottery does not exist, when the lottery button 82 is operated, the display control unit 114 may display on the display unit 18 a display informing the user that the specific lottery does not exist. Furthermore, the special lottery may be executed without going through the profile screen 80 (in other words, without going through an operation to select another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30). Specifically, the special lottery may also be executed from the lottery screen 87 that is displayed when the lottery button 90 displayed on the home screen 30 is operated, for example. Furthermore, the special lottery may be executed only through the profile screen 80 (in other words, through an operation to select another user's character 34 displayed on the home screen 30).

[0115] Although it has been described here that a lottery for obtaining an item can be entered via the profile screen 80 or the like, it is also possible to purchase an item (specifically, purchase by consuming the user's assets) instead of a lottery. Specifically, for example, a purchase button (not shown) may be displayed on the profile screen 80 or the item list screen 85 instead of or in addition to the lottery button 82, and an item equipped by a character on the profile screen 80 may be purchased based on an operation on the purchase button. Note that the term "purchase" as used herein includes cases where an item is purchased from the game system 1 (in other words, an administrator of the game system 1) or where an item is received from another user by consuming the user's assets.

[0116] Next, the flow of processing executed by the game system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0117] (Processing related to displaying the home screen) The process for displaying the home screen 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0118] In step S101, when the game progression unit 113 of the terminal device 10 receives an input operation by the user to launch an application (in other words, an input operation to start the game), it performs processing related to the user's login and starts the game. At this time, the terminal device 10 transmits and receives login-related information to and from the server 20.

[0119] Next, in step S102, the friend processing unit 115 of the terminal device 10 transmits a signal requesting extraction of friends and non-friends to be displayed on the home screen 30 (in other words, a signal requesting information to be used in displaying the home screen 30) to the server 20 via the transceiver unit 112.

[0120] Next, in step S103, the friend management unit 215 of the server 20 performs a process of extracting friends to be displayed on the home screen 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "friend extraction process") and a process of extracting non-friends to be displayed on the home screen 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "first extraction process") based on the signal sent from the friend processing unit 115.

[0121] Specifically, for example, the friend management unit 215 performs a friend extraction process in which friends to be displayed are randomly extracted from among the user's friends. Here, if the number of friends is three or more, three friends are extracted as friends to be displayed. Furthermore, if the number of friends is three or less, all friends are extracted as friends to be displayed. Note that when extracting friends to be displayed from the user's friends, friends may be randomly extracted from all friends, or friends that meet a predetermined condition (for example, the same rank as the user's friend) from among all friends.

[0122] Furthermore, as the first extraction process, the friend management unit 215 performs a process of extracting non-friends as friend candidates. Specifically, for example, the friend management unit 215 randomly extracts non-friends to be displayed as friend candidates from among a plurality of users who have most recently played a specific in-game game. Note that the number of friend candidates extracted here is determined according to the number of friends (in other words, the number of friend characters 34a displayed on the home screen 30). Specifically, the number of friend candidates extracted is determined so that the sum of the number of friend characters 34a and the number of non-friend characters 34b displayed on the home screen is "4."

[0123] Next, in step S104, the friend management unit 215 sends information about friends extracted in the friend extraction process and information about non-friends extracted in the first extraction process to the friend processing unit 115 that requested extraction of friends and non-friends to be displayed on the home screen 30 in step S102. Here, the information about friends includes, for example, information necessary to display the friend character 34a owned by the friend and information necessary to display the other user information display area 36 related to the friend. Furthermore, the information about non-friends includes, for example, information necessary to display the non-friend character 34b owned by the non-friend and information necessary to display the other user information display area 36 related to the non-friend.

[0124] Next, in step S105, the display control unit 114 displays the home screen 30 on the display unit 18 based on the information about friends and the information about non-friends transmitted from the friend management unit 215. Specifically, when the friend processing unit 115 receives the information about friends and the information about non-friends transmitted from the friend management unit 215, it instructs the display control unit 114 to display the extracted friend character (i.e., the friend character 34a) and friend candidate character (i.e., the non-friend character 34b) on the home screen 30. Then, the display control unit 114 displays the home screen 30, on which the friend character 34a and non-friend character 34b are displayed, on the display unit 18.

[0125] In addition, the information about friends and non-friends sent from the friend management unit 215 includes information about the display format of each character set by each user, and other user characters 34 are displayed on the user's home screen 30 in the display format set by the other user.

[0126] The processing of steps S102 to S105 may be performed not only at the start of the game, but also, for example, when the display of the home screen 30 is temporarily terminated and then restarted during the execution of the game (for example, after a predetermined in-game or out-game has been executed).

[0127] Note that the request to extract a friend and the request to extract a non-friend to be displayed on the home screen 30 (in other words, the extraction of these) do not have to be made simultaneously, and one of them does not have to be made at all. Also, the display of the friend character 34a and the non-friend character 34b on the home screen 30 do not have to be made simultaneously.

[0128] When displaying the home screen 30 in this manner, a friend extraction process is performed to extract users to be displayed from among friends, and a first extraction process is performed to extract users to be displayed from a group including non-friends. In this embodiment, however, the first extraction process is always performed regardless of the number of friends.

[0129] (Processing related to displaying friend search screen 65) The process for displaying the friend search screen 65 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0130] In step S151, when displaying the friend search screen 65, the friend processing unit 115 of the terminal device 10 transmits a signal requesting the extraction of friend candidates to be displayed on the friend search screen 65 (in other words, a signal requesting information to be used to display the friend search screen 65) to the server 20 via the transmission / reception unit 112.

[0131] Next, in step S152, the friend management unit 215 of the server 20 performs a second extraction process to extract friend candidates based on the signal transmitted from the friend processing unit 115.

[0132] Specifically, for example, as the second extraction process, the friend management unit 215 performs a process of randomly extracting users (specifically, multiple (e.g., three) non-friends) to be displayed as friend candidates from among multiple users who have opened the friend search screen 65 within a predetermined period (e.g., within one week). Note that the number of friend candidates extracted here may be a fixed number or may vary.

[0133] Next, in step S153, the friend management unit 215 sends information about the friend candidates extracted in the second extraction process to the friend processing unit 115 that requested the extraction of friend candidates in step S151.

[0134] Next, in step S154, the display control unit 114 displays the friend search screen 65 on the display unit 18 based on the information about the friend candidates transmitted from the friend management unit 215. Specifically, upon receiving the information about the friend candidates transmitted from the friend management unit 215, the friend processing unit 115 instructs the display control unit 114 to display a friend candidate list for the extracted friend candidates on the friend search screen 65. Then, the display control unit 114 displays the friend search screen 65, on which the friend candidate list for the friend candidates is displayed, on the display unit 18.

[0135] Note that the information used in the second extraction process, which indicates when each user opened the friend search screen 65 (in other words, when the user performed an operation related to searching for friends), may be acquired based on a signal sent from the terminal device 10 to the server 20 when each user opens the friend search screen 65 on their terminal device 10, and may be stored in the storage unit 220 of the server 20. Furthermore, the signal may be, for example, a signal sent from the friend processing unit 115 requesting extraction of friend candidates.

[0136] It is preferable that the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process have a predetermined randomness. In other words, it is preferable that the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process includes a process of randomly selecting (narrowing down) a user from among a plurality of users who satisfy a predetermined condition in the process of extracting a predetermined user from among a plurality of users. In other words, in the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process, a predetermined lottery may be conducted in the process of extracting the predetermined user. With this configuration, the extracted friends and non-friends can be diverse, providing the user with unexpected encounters.

[0137] In the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process, users of the same rank as the user (in other words, users who satisfy a predetermined condition regarding rank) may be preferentially extracted.

[0138] In the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process, for example, a user of a character equipped with an item that the user does not own may have a higher probability of being extracted than a user of a character equipped with only items that the user owns. In the friend extraction process, the first extraction process, or the second extraction process, for example, a user of a character equipped with a rare item may have a higher probability of being extracted than a user of a character equipped with a low-rarity item. Here, each item may refer to an item that is currently available in a lottery.

[0139] Note that the configurations according to the present embodiment can also be applied to applications other than games. Specifically, for example, the configurations according to the present embodiment can be applied to an application (in other words, a service) for watching a live performance held in a virtual space. In such an application, a lobby screen may be prepared as a home screen where avatars (in other words, characters) of users (in other words, viewers of the live performance) gather, and the configurations according to the present embodiment may be applied.

[0140] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Within the scope of the present invention, the components can be freely combined, any component can be modified, or any component can be omitted. Furthermore, the processing flow described in this specification is merely an example, and the order and configuration of each process may be different.

[0141] <Additional Notes> The matters described in the above embodiment can also be described as follows:

[0142] (Appendix 1) Computer, a display control means (for example, a display control unit 114) for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; and functioning as an operation receiving means (for example, an operation receiving unit 111) that receives an operation for changing the display form of the object owned by the first user; The object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user. program. According to this configuration, the display form of the second user displayed on the home screen 30 of the first user changes according to the setting made by the second user. This makes it possible to diversify the display form of objects displayed on the home screen, thereby increasing the interest of the service.

[0143] (Appendix 2) The object owned by the second user is a character that the second user uses in the predetermined service, and is displayed moving on the home screen of the first user. The program described in Appendix 1. This configuration can enhance the sense of immersion in the virtual space compared to, for example, simply arranging a list of objects for multiple users on a home screen, thereby improving the interest of the service.

[0144] (Appendix 3) the display form of the object can be changed using an item owned by a user who owns the object; The display control means a screen on which the items used in the object owned by the second user can be confirmed based on an operation of selecting the object owned by the second user that is displayed on the home screen of the first user; The program described in Appendix 1. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide the first user with information about an item used in an object owned by the second user. This increases the chances that the first user will want the item, and increases the chances that the first user will be motivated to obtain the item. This increases the interest of the service.

[0145] (Appendix 4) The step of extracting the second user based on the predetermined rule includes the step of randomly selecting a user from a plurality of users who satisfy a predetermined condition. A program according to any one of appendices 1 to 3. With this configuration, the objects of other users that are displayed on the home screen are selected at random, which allows for a variety of objects to be displayed on the home screen, making the service more interesting.

[0146] (Appendix 5) a display control means (for example, a display control unit 114) for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; an operation receiving unit (for example, an operation receiving unit 111) that receives an operation for changing the display mode of the object owned by the first user; The object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user. Information processing device. According to this configuration, the same effects as those of the program described in Supplementary Note 1 can be achieved.

[0147] (Appendix 6) The system includes a plurality of terminal devices (e.g., terminal devices 10) including a first terminal device and a second terminal device, The first terminal device a first display control means (for example, a display control unit 114) for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; a first operation receiving means (for example, an operation receiving unit 111) that receives an operation for changing a display mode of the object owned by the first user; The second terminal device a second operation receiving means (for example, an operation receiving unit 111) that receives an operation for changing a display mode of the object owned by the second user; The object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user. Information processing system. According to this configuration, the same effects as those of the program described in Supplementary Note 1 can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1 Game system, 10 Terminal device, 11 Processor, 12 Memory, 13 Storage, 16 Touch screen, 17 Input unit, 18 Display unit, 20 Server, 21 Processor, 22 Memory, 23 Storage, 30 Home screen, 33 Player's character, 34 Other user's character, 34a Friend character, 34b Non-friend character, 110 Control unit, 111 Operation acceptance unit, 112 Transmission / reception unit, 113 Game progression unit, 114 Display control unit, 115 Friend processing unit, 120 Memory unit, 210 Control unit, 211 Transmission / reception unit, 212 Server processing unit, 214 Synchronization processing unit, 215 Friend management unit, 220 Memory unit

Claims

1. A computer, a display control means for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being automatically extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; and functioning as an operation accepting means for accepting an operation for changing the display form of the object owned by the first user; the second user is not a user registered as a friend of the first user in the predetermined service, the object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user; the display form of the object can be changed using an item owned by a user who owns the object; The display control means A screen on which the item used in the object owned by the second user can be confirmed is displayed based on an operation of the first user to select the object owned by the second user, and a screen for entering a lottery to obtain the item displayed on the screen is displayed based on an operation of the first user on the screen. program.

2. A computer, a display control means for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being automatically extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; and functioning as an operation accepting means for accepting an operation for changing the display form of the object owned by the first user; the second user is not a user registered as a friend of the first user in the predetermined service, the object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user; the display form of the object can be changed using an item owned by a user who owns the object; The display control means a screen on which the second user can check the items used in the object owned by the second user is displayed based on an operation of the first user to select the object owned by the second user, and a screen on which the second user can purchase the items displayed on the screen is displayed based on an operation of the first user on the screen; program.

3. a plurality of terminal devices including a first terminal device and a second terminal device; The first terminal device a first display control means for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being automatically extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; a first operation receiving means for receiving an operation for changing a display form of the object owned by the first user, The second terminal device a second operation receiving means for receiving an operation for changing a display form of the object owned by the second user; the second user is not a user registered as a friend of the first user in the predetermined service, the object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user; the display form of the object can be changed using an item owned by a user who owns the object; The first display control means A screen on which the item used in the object owned by the second user can be confirmed is displayed based on an operation of the first user to select the object owned by the second user, and a screen for entering a lottery to obtain the item displayed on the screen is displayed based on an operation of the first user on the screen. Information processing system.

4. A system comprising a plurality of terminal devices including a first terminal device and a second terminal device, The first terminal device a first display control means for displaying, on a home screen of a first user who uses a predetermined service, an object owned by a second user, the object being automatically extracted based on a predetermined rule from among a plurality of users who use the predetermined service; a first operation receiving means for receiving an operation for changing a display form of the object owned by the first user, The second terminal device a second operation receiving means for receiving an operation for changing a display form of the object owned by the second user; the second user is not a user registered as a friend of the first user in the predetermined service, the object owned by the second user is displayed on the home screen of the first user in a display format set by the second user; the display form of the object can be changed using an item owned by a user who owns the object; The first display control means a screen on which the second user can check the items used in the object owned by the second user is displayed based on an operation of the first user to select the object owned by the second user, and a screen on which the second user can purchase the items displayed on the screen is displayed based on an operation of the first user on the screen; Information processing system.

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