Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of meeting a plurality of needs regarding a mode for participating in an event when a plurality of players plays a game event.SOLUTION: An information processing device acquires position information for showing a current position of a target player, receives participation in an event from a target player for an event having same contents that a plurality of players can play jointly, executes processing for allowing the target player to jointly play an event having the same contents with another player as a guest when receiving participation in an event from the target player, notifies a target player of recruitment of participation in an event when a current position is within first distance from a specific spot and there is another player who is recruited for participation in the event, and receives participation in an event to be played jointly with another player who is recruited for participation in the event from a target player when a current position is within second distance from a specific spot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, games (location information games) that proceed based on the current location information of players have been provided. As an example, there is the game described in Non-Patent Document 1. In the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, the current position of the player is displayed on the map shown on the play screen, and when conditions such as the current position of the player reaching near a predetermined spot (location) are satisfied, an event within the game can be played.

[0003] Also, in the game described in Non-Patent Document 1, when there are a plurality of players whose current positions satisfy the conditions at the same time, the plurality of players can play an event (referred to as "raid battle" in Non-Patent Document 1) together. This event can be played by the player approaching the place where a predetermined object appears on the map, and as described above, a plurality of players can play cooperatively at the same time.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the game described in Non-Patent Literature 1, when multiple players attempt to play the above event together, each player waits until the event start time arrives, and the event is played with the number of players who have gathered at the event start time. In other words, in the game described in Non-Patent Literature 1, each of the multiple players who play the event together is on the same footing (i.e., the form of participation in the event is the same among the players) when they participate in the event.

[0006] On the other hand, there are various needs regarding how to participate in an event. For example, some people may want to participate in an event by recruiting co-players, while others may want to participate in an event as a co-player by responding to recruitment from other players.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can meet multiple needs regarding the form of participation in a game event when multiple players play the event together. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the current location of a target player; a reception unit that accepts participation in an event from the target player for an event in which multiple players can play together and which has the same content; a processing unit that, when participation in an event is accepted from the target player, executes processing for playing the same event with other players together; and a recruitment notification unit that notifies the target player of an invitation to participate in an event by other players. The recruitment notification unit is characterized in that, if the current location is within a first distance from a specific point associated with the event and there are other players who are recruiting participants for the event, it notifies the target player of an invitation to participate in the event, and if the current location is within a second distance shorter than the first distance from the specific point, it accepts participation from the target player in an event to play together with other players who are recruiting participants for the event. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, players playing a game can freely choose to participate in a cooperative event as either a guest or a host, and can enjoy playing the event according to their chosen participation mode. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows multiple players playing a game in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a map. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a screen where objects appear on the map. [Figure 4] This is a conceptual diagram of a game communication system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows the respective hardware configurations of a terminal and an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram of the terminal's functions related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the functions of an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the flow of the process for participating in the event. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a selection screen for event participation options. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the first process. [Figure 11A] This is a diagram (part 1) illustrating the screen transitions when participating in an event as a host. [Figure 11B] This is a diagram (part 2) illustrating the screen transitions when participating in an event as a host. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the second process. [Figure 13A] Explanatory drawing (Part 1) of the screen when participating as a guest in an event. [Figure 13B] Explanatory drawing (Part 2) of the screen when participating as a guest in an event. [Figure 14] The figure shows a map displayed in a situation where another player is recruiting guests.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiments") shown in the attached drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely one of the specific examples given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention can be changed or improved from the embodiments described below without departing from the gist thereof. Naturally, equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. [[ID=IS]] Furthermore, the screen examples shown in the respective drawings referred to in the following description are merely examples, and the configuration examples of the screen, the information displayed, and the specific contents of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and the like can be freely designed and changed according to the design specifications and the user's preferences.

[0012] [Regarding the game according to the present embodiment] In explaining the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, a game (hereinafter simply referred to as "the game") that can be played through the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0013] The game is game content that can be played by player P operating a game terminal, and more specifically, is an online game that uses data communication. Here, the online game may include, for example, a social game that can be used only with a Web browser and an SNS (Social Networking Service) account.

[0014] Additionally, events called "quests" are held within the game, and players can play the events currently being held. An event is an in-game occurrence that players can participate in and play, such as challenging an event-specific stage. A stage is a unit of the game, and usually there is a time limit for each stage, and the goal of playing is to clear it (fulfill the completion conditions) within the time limit. In the following explanation, "playing an event" and "participating in an event" will be considered synonymous.

[0015] Furthermore, the game features multiple events, each with different content. The content of each event is what characterizes it, and specifically includes the attributes of the event stage (e.g., difficulty level), the enemy characters that appear in the stage, the rewards obtained by clearing the stage, and the conditions for participating in the event.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple players can participate in an event (quest) simultaneously. In other words, in this embodiment, multiple players can operate their respective terminals to play the same event collaboratively and simultaneously. To explain in more detail, multiple players who wish to participate in an event can, for example, gather at a predetermined location in the real world, as shown in Figure 1, and play the event together at that location. Figure 1 is a diagram relating to the game according to this embodiment, showing multiple players P gathered at a predetermined location and playing the event.

[0017] Furthermore, cooperative play in events can be achieved using publicly known communication technologies. Specifically, when one player recruits participants for an event, and other players apply to participate (i.e., apply to join the event), a communication path for cooperative play is established, and then the data communication required for cooperative play is carried out according to a publicly known communication method.

[0018] Furthermore, the game is a so-called "location-based game," where the player's current location information is acquired via GPS (Global Positioning System), and the game progresses using this acquired location information. Specifically, when the player moves around in the real world while carrying the game device, the game displays effects that correspond to the player's current location.

[0019] To illustrate with an example, when player P performs a specific terminal operation while playing the game, a game map, as shown in Figure 2, will be displayed on the terminal's screen. Figure 2 shows an example of a screen displaying the game map. The game map (hereinafter simply referred to as "the map") is an image of the area including the player P's current location. Examples include a real-world map of the area (specifically, satellite imagery, etc.) or a virtual reality (VR) map in which objects corresponding to geographical elements included in the real-world map (specifically, roads, buildings, railways, etc.) are depicted. The map may be a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image.

[0020] On the map, a designated icon (a circular icon Ip in Figure 2) is displayed at the location corresponding to Player P's current position. The display position of this icon Ip on the map changes as Player P moves in real space. Also, when Player P moves beyond the area shown on the map, the map of the displayed area is updated.

[0021] Furthermore, predetermined locations within the area shown on the map are designated as reward points, and these reward points on the map display an icon (a triangular icon "It" in Figure 2) indicating that they are reward points. The number and location of reward points can be determined arbitrarily, and may be fixed or variable. Reward points may also be set periodically or irregularly.

[0022] Player P moves towards a location in the real world that corresponds to the reward granting point. If Player P's current location is within a predetermined distance from the reward granting point (specifically, within a range of several meters to tens of meters), the set reward is granted. Rewards include items and characters usable in the game (hereinafter referred to as "items, etc."), or value exchangeable for items, etc. (for example, virtual currency usable in the game, or items necessary to conduct a lottery for items, etc. in the game). Additionally, temporary effects that can be enjoyed during gameplay (for example, effects that increase a character's status values) may be granted as rewards. Furthermore, coupons usable at real-world stores, etc., may also be granted as rewards. Furthermore, the type of reward granted may be changed depending on which reward granting location Player P's current location is within a predetermined distance from, or depending on the time (date and time) when Player P's current location becomes within a predetermined distance from, a reward granting location.

[0023] Here, "granting a reward" means providing player P with data that allows them to use that reward in the game or at real-world stores, etc. For example, when granting items, exchangeable value, or effects as rewards, data is provided to allow the player to progress through the game with those rewards already acquired. When granting coupons as rewards, data (image data) is provided to allow the player to present the acquired coupons at stores, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, when the above event becomes playable (hereinafter referred to as the "event period" for convenience), an object associated with the event (in Figure 3, a gate-shaped object, hereinafter referred to as Gate GT) will appear at a specific location on the map, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an example of a screen where Gate GT has appeared on the map. The specific location is a pre-set location to guide Player P who intends to play the event. In order to play the event, Player P moves towards a location in real space that corresponds to the specific location (i.e., the location where Gate GT appears).

[0025] When Player P's current location meets the predetermined positional conditions in relation to the Gate GT's appearance point (i.e., a specific location), Player P can participate in the event associated with Gate GT by performing actions such as tapping Gate GT. Furthermore, if multiple Player Ps who meet the above positional conditions gather, cooperative play of the event becomes possible.

[0026] The positional condition is determined according to the specific point where gate GT appears, and in this embodiment, the current position of player P is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a distance of several meters to tens of meters) from the specific point. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, the positional condition may be that the current position of player P is more than a predetermined distance (specifically, a distance of several meters to tens of meters) away from the specific point.

[0027] Incidentally, Figure 3 shows a case where Gate GT appears in only one location, but normally, multiple Gate GTs appear at the same time. In other words, in this embodiment, there are multiple Gate GT appearance locations (specific locations) on the map, and when Player P participates in the event, they will move towards one of the Gate GT appearance locations. However, the number of Gate GTs that appear at the same time (in other words, the number of Gate GT appearance locations) can be set to any number.

[0028] Furthermore, Gate GT is displayed on a specific location on the map for a predetermined period. In this embodiment, the display period for Gate GT is set in advance, and when the set display period ends, Gate GT disappears from the map. In this embodiment, the display period for Gate GT is assumed to be approximately 30 minutes, but the display period can be determined arbitrarily. For example, the display period for Gate GT may be several minutes to several tens of minutes, one hour to 24 hours, one day to several days, one week to several weeks, or one month to several months. Here, the display period for Gate GT is not limited to a fixed period, but may be a period that fluctuates according to a predetermined rule, for example, it may change depending on the content of the event. Furthermore, the display period for Gate GT is not limited to a finite period, but may be a substantially perpetual period without a set end date.

[0029] Furthermore, the appearance and disappearance of Gate GT may be repeated multiple times during the event period. In this case, the appearance location of Gate GT (i.e., a specific point on the map) may be the same each time, or it may change each time.

[0030] Furthermore, the content of events that can be played by fulfilling location conditions corresponding to the appearance location (specific location) of Gate GT is determined in relation to the appearance location of Gate GT for that event. In other words, the content of the event in which Player P participates changes depending on the appearance time (more precisely, the location corresponding to the appearance time) of Gate GT that Player P is heading to in order to play that event.

[0031] By the way, when player P participates in an event, they choose a form of participation. In this embodiment, the forms of participation include host and guest. A host is a form of participation in which the host recruits other players to become guests and plays the event together with the guests. Here, "recruiting guests" means waiting for other players to apply to become guests for an event in which guests are being recruited.

[0032] In this embodiment, the host player P has the authority to initiate the start of a co-op play session for an event in which they are participating, and can start a co-op play session for an event at their own discretion. Furthermore, the host player P has the authority to limit other players who can become guests to those who meet certain conditions, and can only accept other players who meet those conditions as guests.

[0033] Guests participate in events by applying to be invited by other players who are hosts, and playing the event together with the hosts. Here, "applying to be invited by a host" means applying to be a guest to another player who is a host (more precisely, performing the application operation on the terminal described later).

[0034] In this embodiment, a guest player P can play the event together with the host player at the time the host player instructs them to start playing the event. Also, if there are multiple other players who are hosts, the guest player P can choose one of the hosts and participate as a guest in an event where the selected host is recruiting guests.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guest player P can see the location of other players (i.e., hosts) who are recruiting guests on the map. For example, if another player who is a host is recruiting guests at the appearance location of Gate GT, an icon Is will be displayed around or overlapping with Gate GT (see Figure 14). The guest player P can see the location of the host who is recruiting guests through the above icon Is.

[0036] As described above, when a player P participates in an event, they choose a participation style and then play the event collaboratively using that style. In other words, if player P chooses to participate as a host, they can accept applications from other players who will be guests and play the event collaboratively with those other players. On the other hand, if player P chooses to participate as a guest, they can apply to become a guest to the host player and play the event collaboratively with those other players.

[0037] In this embodiment, the participation forms include at least guests and hosts, but other participation forms may also be included. For example, a participant may choose to play the event alone without participating in cooperative play.

[0038] [Gaming communication system] Next, a game communication system (hereinafter referred to as "game system S") including an information processing device according to this embodiment will be described. The game system S is constructed for a player P to play a game and utilizes a communication network such as the Internet and mobile communication networks. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the game system S is configured such that the player's terminal 10 and the server 12 are connected to each other via a communication network 14. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram of the game system S.

[0039] Terminal 10 is a device operated by Player P during gameplay. Server 12 is an example of an information processing device that provides game progress data to Player P's terminal 10 and manages Player P's account information and game progress. Furthermore, when multiple Player Ps play an event together, Server 12 communicates with each Player P's terminal 10 to mediate the collaborative play of the event.

[0040] Incidentally, although Figure 4 shows three terminals 10 for illustrative purposes, the number of terminals 10 that make up the game system S is not particularly limited; at least two or more are sufficient for cooperative play in an event.

[0041] The communication network 14 is a communication network between the player terminal 10 and the server 12, and mainly consists of the Internet and mobile communication networks, and may also include LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), intranet, and Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0042] Furthermore, although the server 12 is configured by a single computer in this embodiment, it is not limited to this and may be configured by multiple computers.

[0043] [Player terminal and server configuration] Next, the configurations of terminal 10 and server 12 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows the configurations of terminal 10 and server 12. Note that, for illustrative purposes, only one terminal 10 is shown in the figure.

[0044] Terminal 10 is a portable gaming device for player P, and specifically consists of a smartphone, mobile phone, notebook PC, tablet device, wearable device, or dedicated gaming device with communication capabilities.

[0045] As hardware, terminal 10 includes a processor 21, memory 22, communication interface 23, storage 24, input device 25, output device 26, and GPS sensor 30, as shown in Figure 5, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 27. Terminal 10 also includes a display 28 as the output device 26. The display 28 corresponds to the "display unit" of the present invention. A touch panel 29, which serves as the input device 25, is superimposed on the surface of the display 28 of terminal 10. The current location of terminal 10 represents the current location of player P, which is measured at regular intervals by the GPS sensor 30, and the measurement results (positioning information) are sequentially sent to server 12 via the communication interface 23.

[0046] Furthermore, terminal 10 has software installed, including an operating system (OS) program and a game application program. The processor 21 executes these programs, allowing player P to play games through terminal 10. Specifically, while playing the game, player P can advance the game by operating input devices 25 such as the touch panel 29 while viewing images and other content displayed on the display screen 28.

[0047] Server 12 is a server computer for data distribution and is composed of, for example, a server computer for social games (specifically, an SNS server). As hardware equipment, as shown in Figure 5, Server 12 has a processor 101, memory 102, communication interface 103, storage 104, input device 105 and output device 106, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 107.

[0048] Furthermore, the server 12 has software installed, including an OS program and a game information processing program. These programs correspond to the "programs" of the present invention and are read by the processor 101 of the server 12. When the processor 101 executes the above programs, the server 12 functions as an information processing device and performs various information processing (data processing) related to the game, such as communicating with the terminal 10 and distributing game data.

[0049] Processors 21 and 101 may be composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The memories 22 and 102 may be composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0050] The communication interfaces 23 and 103 may be configured, for example, by a network interface card or a communication interface board. The data communication standards using communication interfaces 23 and 103 are not particularly limited and include communication via Wi-Fi® wireless LAN, communication via 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication systems, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0051] Storage devices 24 and 104 should ideally consist of flash memory, HDDs (Hard Disc Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), FDs (Flexible Discs), MO disks (Magneto-Optical Discs), CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), SD cards (Secure Digital Cards), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), etc.

[0052] The input devices 25 and 105 may be composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel display. The output devices 26 and 106 may be composed of, for example, a display and a speaker.

[0053] [Device Features] Next, referring to Figure 6, we will explain the configuration of terminal 10 from a functional standpoint. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of terminal 10. As shown in Figure 6, terminal 10 includes a terminal-side operation reception unit 31, a positioning unit 32, a terminal-side transmission unit 33, a terminal-side reception unit 34, a terminal-side storage unit 35, and a display processing unit 36. These functional units are realized through the cooperation of the aforementioned hardware equipment of terminal 10 and various programs installed as software on terminal 10. Each functional unit will be described below.

[0054] The terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives various operations performed by the player while playing the game. For example, when an operation reception video or operation screen is displayed on the terminal 10's display 28 based on data sent from the server 12 during the game, the player P operates the touch panel 29 on that video or operation screen. As a result, the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the operations performed by the player P.

[0055] The operations accepted by the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 include not only operations for game progression (including operations performed during co-op play of an event), but also screen switching operations, selection operations, application operations, play start instruction operations, and restriction setting / removal operations. The screen switching operation is the operation to switch the screen displayed on display 28 from the first screen to the second screen during gameplay. Here, the first screen is, for example, the game's home screen (or, more simply, the menu screen), and the second screen is the screen that displays the map mentioned above. The selection operation is the operation of choosing the type of participation in the event. The application process involves submitting an application to the host of an event that is recruiting guests, in order to become a guest at that event. The "Start Play" command is an operation performed by Player P, when they are the host of an event, to instruct the start of the event's gameplay (more precisely, co-op play). The restriction setting / removal operation is used when Player P is the event host to set or remove restrictions on applications from other players to become guests.

[0056] The positioning unit 32 measures the location of the terminal 10 using the GPS sensor 30. However, the method of measuring the location of the terminal 10 is not limited to using the GPS sensor 30; for example, the location of the terminal 10 may be detected based on the strength of radio waves received from a mobile phone base station or a Wi-Fi communication access point.

[0057] The terminal-side transmitting unit 33 transmits information (data) indicating the current game progress to the server 12 via the communication network 14. The information transmitted by the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 includes information corresponding to the operation received by the terminal-side operation reception unit 31, and the location information of the terminal 10 measured by the positioning unit 32 (in other words, information indicating the current location of player P).

[0058] The terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives various types of information (data) sent from the server 12 via the communication network 14. The information (data) sent from the server 12 includes data for game progression, data for map display, data about other players participating in the event, and data for using the benefits granted to player P. The terminal-side storage unit 35 stores information (data) received by the terminal-side receiving unit 34 from the server 12, and information transmitted by the terminal-side transmitting unit 33 to the server 12, etc.

[0059] During gameplay, the display processing unit 36 ​​unpacks data sent from the server 12, which is received by the terminal-side receiving unit 34, and displays it on the display 28. The information displayed by the display processing unit 36 ​​includes video that changes in conjunction with gameplay, as well as screens for accepting input, maps (including icons Ip, Is, It and gate GT on the map), information on other players participating in the event, and information notified by the server 12 regarding the event. Furthermore, when the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives a screen switching operation during gameplay, the display processing unit 36 ​​switches the screen displayed on the display 28 from the first screen (for example, the home screen) to the second screen displaying the map.

[0060] [Server functions] Next, referring to Figure 7, we will explain the configuration of server 12 from a functional perspective. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of server 12. As shown in Figure 7, Server 12 includes a location information acquisition unit 111, a display command unit 112, a reward granting unit 113, a selection acceptance unit 114, a recruitment notification unit 115, a first processing unit 116, and a second processing unit 117. These functional units are realized through the cooperation of the aforementioned hardware equipment of Server 12 and various programs installed as software on Server 12. Each functional unit will be described below.

[0061] In the following discussion, we will focus on one player P (hereinafter referred to as the "target player"), and all other players will be referred to as "other players." We will then explain the functions and operations of Server 12 in relation to the target player and the other players.

[0062] The location information acquisition unit 111 acquires location information indicating the target player's current location by receiving location information (positioning information) of the terminal 10 transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 of the target player's terminal 10. While the target player is playing the game, the location information (positioning information) of the terminal 10 is sent at regular time intervals (for example, every 1 to several seconds), so the location information acquisition unit 111 acquires the target player's location information at regular time intervals accordingly.

[0063] The display command unit 112 displays video and images on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10, according to the gameplay status, while the target player is playing the game. For example, the display command unit 112 generates data (hereinafter referred to as map display data) for displaying a map of the area including the target player's current location and transmits it to the target player's terminal 10. When the map display data is received by the target player's terminal 10, the map of the area is displayed on the display 28 of the terminal 10. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 can display icons Ip and It at the current location of the target player and the reward grant location on the map by incorporating the display data for icons Ip and It into the map display data. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 can incorporate the display data for gate GT into the map display data, thereby displaying gate GT at a specific point on the map for a predetermined period of time on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 can display the icon Is near or overlapping with gate GT on the map by incorporating the display data for the event icon Is into the map display data when predetermined conditions are met.

[0064] The reward granting unit 113 determines whether the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from the reward granting point, and if the target player's current location is within the predetermined distance from the reward granting point, it grants the set reward to the target player. The reward granting unit 113 determines which reward to grant to the target player depending on which reward granting point the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from, and at what point in time the player came to be within the predetermined distance.

[0065] The selection reception unit 114, when the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance (for example, a distance of several meters to several tens of meters) from the Gate GT appearance point (specific location), communicates with the target player's terminal 10 and accepts the target player's selection of how to participate in the event. More specifically, when the target player's current location satisfies the above location condition, and the target player performs a selection operation, the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 accepts the selection operation, and the terminal-side transmission unit 33 transmits information corresponding to the selection operation. The selection reception unit 114 accepts the target player's selection of how to participate in the event by receiving the information sent from the terminal-side transmission unit 33.

[0066] The recruitment notification unit 115 notifies target players who meet the notification conditions that other players who are hosts are recruiting guests for the event, if there are other players who will be participating as hosts. In this embodiment, the notification condition is that the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from the Gate GT appearance point (specific point), specifically within a distance of several meters to several tens of meters. The method of notifying guests of the guest recruitment is not particularly limited, but for example, a string of text indicating that guests are being recruited, such as "Guests Wanted!", may be overlaid on the map near the location where Gate GT appears.

[0067] The first processing unit 116 executes a first process to enable the target player and other guest players to play the event together when the target player selects "host" as their participation mode in the event. The first process includes guest notification processing, start instruction processing, restriction processing, and restriction removal processing. The guest notification process is the process of notifying the target player of other players who have applied to be guests at an event hosted by that player. The start command process is the process of receiving a command from the target player to start a co-op play session for an event hosted by that player. Restriction processing is a process that restricts other players from applying to become guests in events hosted by the target player. Restriction removal processing is a process that removes the restriction on applications from other players that was set during the restriction processing.

[0068] The second processing unit 117 executes a second process to enable the target player and the host player to play the event together if the target player selects "guest" as their participation method in the event. The second process includes a search process, a host notification process, and an application process. The search process involves searching for other players who are hosts of events that the target player can participate in as a guest. The host notification process is the process of notifying the target player of other players that have been discovered as hosts during the discovery process. The application process involves sending an application to a host selected by the target player from among the hosts notified during the host notification process, to become a guest at the event.

[0069] [About the information processing flow according to this embodiment] Next, we will describe the information processing flow of the game system S, and in particular, the processing flow for event participation. The event participation processing flow described below employs the information processing method of the present invention; in other words, each step in the flow described below corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention.

[0070] Furthermore, in the following, we will assume that the current time is during the event period, and specifically during the period when Gate GT is displayed, and that Gate GT will be displayed at each of the multiple specific locations on the map. One of these Gate GTs will be called Gate 1, and in the case described below, the target player will move towards the location corresponding to the appearance point of Gate 1 in real space. In other words, the processing flow described below is the flow for the target player to participate in the event associated with Gate 1.

[0071] The event participation processing flow according to this embodiment is carried out through communication between the server 12 (a computer) and the respective terminals 10 of the target player and other players. The following mainly describes the communication processing that takes place between the server 12 and the target player's terminal 10.

[0072] The processing flow for event participation starts when the target player operates device 10 and begins playing the game. At the start of the game, the first screen (home screen) is usually displayed on the display 28 of device 10. In the processing flow for event participation, each step shown in Figure 8 is performed according to the flow shown in the figure. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the processing flow for event participation.

[0073] To explain the specific flow of the process, first, the positioning unit 32 of terminal 10 measures the current location, and the terminal-side transmission unit 33 transmits location information indicating the positioning result (S001). The location information acquisition unit 111 of server 12 acquires (receives) the location information via the communication network 14 (S002).

[0074] On the other hand, when the target player performs a screen switching operation to switch from the first screen to the second screen (the screen for displaying the map), the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, and the terminal-side transmission unit 33 transmits information that a screen switching operation has been performed (S003). When the display command unit 112 of the server 12 receives information sent from the terminal-side transmission unit 33, it sends a command to the terminal 10 to display a map including the target player's current location on the display 28 (S004). Specifically, the display command unit 112 generates map display data for displaying the above map and transmits it to the terminal 10. At this time, the display data incorporates display data for icons Ip and It. As a result, the display command unit 112 displays icons Ip and It, which indicate the target player's current location and the location where the reward is granted, on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10.

[0075] Furthermore, the map display data incorporates display data for Gate GT. This allows the display command unit 112 to display Gate GT at a specific location on the map for a predetermined time on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10. At this time, the display command unit 112 displays Gate GT that appears at a specific location on the map different from the reward granting location on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10. In other words, in this embodiment, Gate GT is displayed at a specific location on the map that is far from the reward granting location (see Figure 3).

[0076] Server 12, in conjunction with display commands such as maps, determines whether the target player's current position satisfies predetermined positional conditions in relation to gate GT (more precisely, the first gate), and more specifically, whether it is within a first distance from the first gate (S005). Here, the first distance is a relatively short distance, for example, a distance of a few meters to several tens of meters. Then, if the target player's current location is within a distance of 1 from the first gate, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the player of the guest recruitment if another player is currently recruiting guests as the host of an event at the first gate (S006). Specifically, data that displays the guest recruitment notification information near the location where the first gate appears on the map is incorporated into the map display data and transmitted together with the map display data.

[0077] When the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives map display data, the screen displayed on the terminal 10's display 28 switches from the first screen to the second screen, and the display processing unit 36 ​​displays a map of the area including the target player's current location on the second screen (S007). On the map, icons Ip and It are displayed at the target player's current location and the location where the reward is granted, and gate GT is displayed at specific locations. The target player can understand their current location and its positional relationship to gate GT (more precisely, the first gate) from the displayed map.

[0078] Furthermore, if the target player's current location is within a certain distance from the first gate, a guest recruitment notification is displayed. In this embodiment, when the screen displayed on the display 28 switches from the first screen to the second screen, the recruitment notification unit 115 notifies the target player that another player is recruiting guests. As a result, the target player can notice, at the time the map is displayed, that another player is recruiting guests at the location where the gate GT (first gate) they are approaching appears.

[0079] Furthermore, if the target player's current location is within a distance of 1 from the first gate, map display data incorporating the display data for icon Is is transmitted. Icon Is, as shown in Figure 14, is displayed around or overlapping with the first gate on the map. The target player can then determine the locations of other players recruiting guests from the display locations of icon Is on the map.

[0080] Subsequently, terminal 10 periodically determines the current location of the target player and transmits the location information (S008, S009). Server 12 acquires the location information sequentially and displays a map reflecting that location information on terminal 10's display 28 in real time. As a result, the display position of icon Ip on the map, or the area displayed on the map, is updated in real time according to changes in the target player's current location.

[0081] Then, Server 12 determines whether the target player's current position on the map is within the second distance from the spawn point of the first gate (S010). Here, the second distance is shorter than the aforementioned first distance, and is approximately a few meters to several tens of meters. Then, if the target player's current position is within the second distance from the first gate's appearance point, the selection reception unit 114 of the server 12 transmits selection screen data to the target player's terminal 10 (S011). When the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives the selection screen data, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays the selection screen shown in Figure 9 on the display 28. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen.

[0082] The selection screen is an operation screen displayed to accept selection operations from the target player regarding events associated with the first gate. The target player selects either host or guest as their participation mode and performs an operation (selection operation) on the screen by touching the button corresponding to the selected participation mode from the two buttons Bt1 and Bt2 displayed on the selection screen (S012). The terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the above selection operation, and the terminal-side transmission unit 33 transmits information indicating the operation content. The server 12's selection reception unit 114 receives the information sent from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 and accepts the selection of participation type from the target player for the event associated with the first gate (S013).

[0083] The subsequent steps vary depending on the selected participation type (S014). Specifically, if the target player selects "Host," the first processing unit 116 of server 12 executes the first process (S015). On the other hand, if the target player selects "Guest," the second processing unit 117 of server 12 executes the second process (S016).

[0084] Subsequently, the participating players join the event using their chosen participation method and engage in cooperative play. Once the cooperative play is complete, the event participation processing flow ends (S017).

[0085] The execution procedures for the first process in step S015 and the second process in step S016 will be explained in detail below.

[0086] (First process) The first process is the process by which the target player recruits guests as the host of an event. In the first process, each step shown in Figure 10 is carried out according to the flow shown in the figure. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the first process. In addition, in the first process, the screen displayed on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10 transitions in the order of Figure 11A and Figure 11B. Figures 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams of the screen transitions when the target player participates in an event as a host.

[0087] In the first process, the first processing unit 116 first transmits data for displaying the standby screen to the target player's terminal 10 (S021). When the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives the data for displaying the standby screen, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays the host's standby screen on the display 28 (S022). If there are no applications from other players to become guests at this point, the standby screen will look like the one shown in Figure 11A. In other words, if there are no applications from other player guests in response to the target player's guest recruitment, the standby screen will not display other players who would like to become guests, and the text information "Recruiting Guests" will be displayed as shown in Figure 11A.

[0088] While the standby screen is displayed, the target player can perform a restriction setting operation to set restrictions on guest applications from other players (S023). Specifically, the restriction setting operation is performed by touching the restriction / release button Bt3 displayed on the standby screen. When this restriction setting operation is performed, the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, and information that the restriction setting operation has been performed is transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33.

[0089] When the first processing unit 116 receives information that a restriction setting operation has been performed, it executes the restriction process (S024). When the target player's current location is within a 2-degree distance from the first gate's appearance point (specific location), the restriction process restricts applications from players other than those within a 2-degree distance from the first gate's appearance point. To put it simply, when the restriction process is executed, the guest applications that the target player is recruiting are limited to applications from other players in the vicinity of the target player (more precisely, other players in the vicinity of the location corresponding to the first gate's appearance point).

[0090] Furthermore, if the target player touches the restriction / release button again to perform the restriction release operation, the first processing unit 116 will execute the restriction release process in response to that operation, and will release the restriction on the application that was set in the restriction process.

[0091] When another player applies to become a guest in response to a recruitment by the target player (S025), the first processing unit 116 determines whether the application is a restricted application (S026). If the application from the other player is not a restricted application, the first processing unit 116 executes guest notification processing (S027) and notifies the target player of the other player who made the above application.

[0092] In step S027, the first processing unit 116 transmits data indicating information about the other players who have made the above application to the target player's terminal 10. When the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives the data sent from the first processing unit 116, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays information about the other players who have made the application to become guests on the display 28 of the terminal 10 (S028). As a result, the standby screen transitions to the screen shown in Figure 11B, and the information of the other players who have made the application (in Figure 11B, this corresponds to "Player AAA" and "Player BBB") is displayed on this screen.

[0093] Furthermore, in step S026, if an application made by another player falls under the category of a restricted application, information about that other player will be excluded from notifications in the guest notification process.

[0094] Then, when one or more other players who have applied to become guests are notified through the guest notification process (that is, when information about one or more other players is displayed on the waiting screen as shown in Figure 11B), the target player can start playing the event together. To explain in more detail, when one or more other players are notified during the guest notification process, the play start command button Bt4 will be displayed on the waiting screen in an operable state, as shown in Figure 11B. When the target player touches this button Bt4, the play start command operation is performed, the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, and information that the play start command operation has been performed is transmitted from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 (S029).

[0095] When the first processing unit 116 receives information that a play start command operation has been performed, it executes a start command process and accepts the target player's command to start co-op play of the event (S030). In this way, the first processing unit 116 executes the start command process only if one or more other players who have applied in the guest notification process have been notified. As a result, when the target player participates in the event as a host, they can instruct the start of co-op play of the event on the condition that one or more other players apply to be guests. In other words, the target player can start co-op play of the event as soon as information on at least one other player who has applied is displayed.

[0096] (Second process) The second process involves the target player applying to be a guest in response to a guest recruitment by another player who is the event host, and participating in the event as a guest. In the second process, each step shown in Figure 12 is carried out according to the flow shown in the figure. Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of the second process. In addition, in the second process, the screen displayed on the display 28 of the target player's terminal 10 will be either Figure 13A or Figure 13B. Figures 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams of the screen when the target player participates in the event as a guest.

[0097] In the second process, first, the second processing unit 117 performs a search process (S041). When the current position of the target player is within a predetermined distance (specifically, the second distance) from the appearance point of the first gate, the second processing unit 117 searches for other players that meet the following first condition during the search process. Condition 1: The player must be the host and be within a specified distance (specifically, distance 2) from point 1. Here, "Location 1" refers to the location where the first Gate appears, among the multiple Gate GT appearance locations (specific locations) included on the map.

[0098] On the other hand, if no other player meets the first condition (S042), the second processing unit 117 further searches for other players that meet the following second condition in the search process (S043). Second condition: The player is another player who is hosting an event with the same content as the event associated with the first location, and is within a specified distance (specifically, the second distance) from the second location. Here, the second location refers to a location on the map that is different from the first location among the multiple Gate GT appearance locations (specific locations). For example, it could be another Gate GT appearance location located within a predetermined distance (for example, a distance of several hundred meters to several kilometers) from the first location. Hereafter, Gate GTs that appear at the second location will be referred to as the second gate.

[0099] As described above, when a target player attempts to participate in an event as a guest, the system searches for the host player in the vicinity of the spawn point of the first gate that the target player approaches. If the host is not found within that range, the search area is expanded and the search is repeated.

[0100] Furthermore, if another player meeting the second condition is found during the search process, the icon Is shown in Figure 14 will appear on the map displayed on the target player's terminal 10 near the location of the second gate where that other player is recruiting guests, or in a location that overlaps with the second gate. At this time, whether or not the icon Is is displayed depends on whether or not the other player meeting the second condition is restricting guest applications. The icon Is will not be displayed if applications are restricted, and will be displayed if there are no restrictions or if the restrictions have been lifted. Figure 14 shows the map displayed when another player (more precisely, another player who meets condition 2) is recruiting guests.

[0101] After the search process is completed, the second processing unit 117 executes host notification processing and notifies the target player of other players that are hosts found during the search process (S044). Specifically, if another player that meets the first condition is found during the search process, the second processing unit 117 sends data indicating information about the other player that meets the first condition to the target player's terminal 10. On the other hand, if no other player that meets the first condition is found, and another player that meets the second condition is found, the second processing unit 117 sends data indicating information about the other player that meets the second condition to the target player's terminal 10.

[0102] When the terminal-side receiving unit 34 receives data sent from the second processing unit 117, the display processing unit 36 ​​displays information about other players that are discovered hosts on the display 28 of the terminal 10 (S045). As a result, an application screen as shown in Figure 13A or 13B is drawn on the display 28. Incidentally, Figure 13A shows the application screen displaying information about other players who meet the first condition (in Figure 13A, "Player CCC" is the relevant player). Figure 13B shows the application screen displaying information about other players who meet the second condition (in Figure 13B, "Player DDD" and "Player EEE" are the relevant players).

[0103] Then, the participating player decides which host's event they want to attend from among the hosts (other players) whose information is displayed on the application screen, and applies to become a guest at that host's event. To explain in more detail, on the application screen, a button Bt5 for application is provided at the far right of the section displaying information about the host player. The target player applies by touching the application button Bt5 in the section displaying information about the host player of the event they wish to participate in. When the terminal-side operation reception unit 31 receives the application, information indicating that the application has been made is sent from the terminal-side transmission unit 33 (S046).

[0104] When the second processing unit 117 receives information that an application operation has been performed, it executes the application process and sends an application to the host selected by the target player to become a guest of the event (S047). After that, it waits until it receives a play start instruction from the other player, who is the host selected by the target player (S048), and when it receives a play start instruction from the other player, the event's co-op play begins (S049).

[0105] [summary] The server 12, as an information processing device according to this embodiment, includes a location information acquisition unit 111, a display command unit 112, a selection reception unit 114, a first processing unit 116, and a second processing unit 117. The location information acquisition unit 111 acquires location information indicating the current location of the target player. The display command unit 112 displays a map of the area including the current location on the display 28 of the terminal 10. The selection reception unit 114 receives from the target player the selection of participation mode, including guest or host, for events in which multiple players can play together in the game. The first processing unit 116 executes a first process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are guests, if the target player selects host. The second processing unit 117 executes a second process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are hosts, if the target player selects guest. Furthermore, the display command unit 112 displays an object (in this embodiment, gate GT) that appears at a specific point on the map and is associated with the event on the display 28 of the terminal 10. In addition, if the current location of the target player satisfies the location conditions determined according to the specific point, the selection reception unit 114 accepts the selection of participation type from the target player.

[0106] As described above, in this embodiment, the target player can freely choose their participation method for co-op play in the event and enjoy co-op play in the event according to the method they choose. Specifically, if the target player selects "host" as their participation method in the event, they can participate in the event by recruiting co-players. On the other hand, if the target player selects "guest" as their participation method in the event, they can participate in the event as a co-player by applying to recruitment from other players who are hosts.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display command unit 112 is configured to display the object, Gate GT, on the display 28 of the terminal 10 for a predetermined period of time. This allows multiple players, including the target player, to move towards a location corresponding to the appearance point of Gate GT during the display period of Gate GT, and to play the event collaboratively at that location.

[0108] Furthermore, the server 12 according to this embodiment has a reward granting unit 113, which grants a set reward to the target player when the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from a reward granting point within the area. In this configuration, the display command unit 112 may display an object (gate GT) that appears on the map at a specific point different from the reward granting point on the display 28 of the terminal 10. As described above, because the reward distribution points and the Gate GT appearance points are located far apart on the map, it becomes unnecessary to simultaneously process information for reward distribution when approaching a reward distribution point and information for event participation when approaching a Gate GT appearance point. This avoids complicating information processing. However, this is not limited to the above, and reward locations may periodically become Gate GT spawn locations, during which time Gate GT may appear at or near the reward locations on the map.

[0109] Furthermore, the server 12 according to this embodiment may also have a recruitment notification unit 115, and when the target player meets the notification conditions, the recruitment notification unit 115 may notify the target player that another player, who is the host, is recruiting guests. This allows the target player, who is a guest, to be informed of the other player's recruitment of guests, and can provide an opportunity for them to participate in the event's cooperative play. Here, the notification condition may be that the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance (specifically, a first distance) from the Gate GT spawn point (a specific location). In this case, when the target player heads to the Gate GT spawn point to participate in the event's co-op play, they will be notified of guest recruitment from other players, provided they are in the vicinity of that location. This allows target players who wish to become guests to be efficiently informed of guest recruitment. However, this is not limited to the above, and if the target player is registered as an approved player (a so-called friend) approved by the host player, the target player may be notified of a guest invitation from that other player.

[0110] Furthermore, regarding the above configuration, more preferably, when the screen displayed on the terminal 10's display 28 during gameplay switches from the first screen (home screen) to the second screen displaying the map, the recruitment notification unit 115 should notify the target player of the guest recruitment by another player. In this case, the target player can be notified of the guest recruitment by another player at the time they check the appearance location of Gate GT etc. on the map. This makes it possible to efficiently notify the target player who will become a guest of the guest recruitment (in other words, invite them to participate in the event).

[0111] Furthermore, the appearance locations (specific locations) of Gate GT may include two distinct locations, a first location and a second location. In this case, the second process may include a search process for searching for other players who are hosts, and a host notification process for notifying the target player of the other players who are hosts that have been found. Also, when the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from the first location, the search process may involve the second processing unit 117 searching for other players who meet the aforementioned first condition, and if no other players who meet the first condition exist, the second processing unit 117 may search for other players who meet the aforementioned second condition. In this case, even if there is no host player near the first location where the target player is approaching, the system can still search for the host player near another location (the second location). This ensures that when a target player participates in an event as a guest, even if there is no host nearby, the system will search for the host elsewhere, allowing for proper collaborative gameplay in the event. Here, it is preferable that the distance between the first point and the second point is less than the set distance (for example, a distance of several hundred meters to several kilometers).

[0112] Furthermore, regarding the above configuration, more preferably, the content of the event is determined in relation to the appearance location (specific location) of Gate GT, and the second condition includes the fact that the second player is the host of an event with the same content as the event associated with the first location. In this case, if there are no other players hosting an event near the first location the target player approaches, the system searches for other players hosting an event with the same content as the event associated with the first location near the second location. This allows the target player to find other players hosting the desired event and enjoy playing that event together, even if there are no hosts in their immediate vicinity.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first process may include a restriction process that restricts applications to become a guest from other players. When the target player's current location is within a predetermined distance from the gate GT appearance point (specific point), the restriction process may include the first processing unit 116 restricting applications other than those from other players who are within the predetermined distance from the appearance point. In this case, the host player of the event can limit the guests to players in the surrounding area, eliminating the need to search for guests over a wide area. Furthermore, by limiting guest applications, they can avoid a situation where there are too many applications.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first process may include a guest notification process that notifies the target player of other players who have applied to become guests, and a start instruction process that receives an instruction from the target player to start playing the event. The first processing unit 116 may execute the start instruction process if one or more other players who have applied are notified in the guest notification process. In this case, the host player of the event can only initiate the co-op play of the event if there is at least one guest registration. This ensures that the co-op play of the event begins with a guaranteed number of guest registrations, and the host player can play the event together with the other registered players.

[0115] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example of an information processing method using the information processing device of the present invention, the computer may also be an information processing method in which a computer acquires location information indicating the current location of a target player, the computer displays a map of the area including the current location on a display unit (for example, the display 28 of the terminal 10), the computer accepts from the target player the selection of a participation format, including being a guest of an event or a host who recruits guests, for an event in which multiple players can play together in the game, the computer executes a first process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are guests if the target player selects to be a host, the computer executes a second process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are hosts if the target player selects to be a guest, the computer displays an object that appears at a specific point on the map and is associated with the event on the display unit, and the computer accepts the selection from the target player if the current location satisfies the location conditions determined according to the specific point. The above method allows for meeting various needs regarding participation in events for games that enable cooperative play by multiple players.

[0116] The information processing method according to this embodiment can be implemented using the server 12 alone, or in combination with the terminal 10 and the server 12. Here, the server 12 may be a server computer for ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, since the server 12 performs a series of information processing related to participation in the event (excluding information input and display), the terminal 10 only needs to perform operations for event progress and display images, etc.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a program has been described that causes the computer, which is the server 12, to function as an information processing device. This program is read by the computer and acquires location information indicating the current location of the target player, displays a map of the area including the current location on the display unit (the display 28 of the terminal 10), accepts from the target player the selection of participation forms, including being a guest of an event or a host who recruits guests, for events in which multiple players can play together in the game, executes a first process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are guests if the target player selects to be a host, executes a second process for the target player to play the event together with other players who are hosts if the target player selects to be a guest, displays an object associated with the event that appears at a specific point on the map on the display unit, and operates the computer to accept a selection from the target player when the current location satisfies the location conditions determined according to the specific point. When this program is executed on a computer processor, it can address multiple player participation needs for events in games that allow for cooperative play.

[0118] The above program may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or by receiving (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0119] <<Other Embodiments>> To date, the information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program of the present invention have been described with specific examples. However, the embodiments described above are merely examples, and other embodiments may also be conceivable. For example, in the above embodiment, the server 12 functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some or all of the functions of the server 12 as an information processing device may be provided by the terminal 10.

[0120] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if Player P's current location is within a predetermined distance from the appearance point (specific location) of Gate GT, Player P can participate in the event associated with that appearance point and enjoy playing the event cooperatively with other players. However, this is not the only possible condition for playing an event cooperatively. For example, a condition for playing the event cooperatively might be that Player P, who is within a predetermined distance from the appearance point of Gate GT associated with a certain event, uses a predetermined item (an item for unlocking the event) in the game. In this case, Player P, who has used the item, can participate in the unlocked event as the host.

[0121] Furthermore, the following participation restrictions may be imposed on players P who wish to participate in the event's co-op play, and participation in co-op play may be restricted if any of these restrictions are met. First participation restriction condition: The number of characters that Player P currently possesses in the game must have reached the maximum number of characters allowed for Player P to possess. Second participation restriction condition: The number of items that Player P currently possesses in the game must have reached the maximum number of items allowed for Player P to possess. The "number of characters" in the first participation restriction condition refers to the number of characters that Player P has acquired through the game, such as characters that are controlled by Player P and perform actions or exhibit abilities within the game. Player P who falls under the first participation restriction condition can participate in the event's co-op play by increasing the maximum number of characters they can possess, or by selling, discarding, or consuming their owned characters to remove the restriction condition. The "number of items" in the second participation condition refers to the number of items that Player P has obtained through the game, such as items that can be exchanged for other items or characters within the game. Player P who falls under the second participation condition can participate in the event's co-op play by reducing the number of items they possess through consumption or discarding, thereby removing them from the second participation condition. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0122] 10 devices 12. Server (Information Processing Device) 14. Communications Network 21 processors 22 memory 23 Communication Interfaces 24 storage 25 Input devices 26 Output device 27 bus 28 displays 29 Touch panel 30 GPS sensors 31 Terminal-side operation reception unit 32 Positioning Unit 33 Terminal-side transmitting unit 34 Terminal-side receiving unit 35 Terminal-side storage unit 36 Display Processing Unit 101 Processors 102 memory 103 Communication Interface 104 storage 105 Input device 106 Output device 107 Bus 111 Location information acquisition unit 112 Display command section 113 Special Offer Department 114 Selection Reception Department (Reception Department) 115 Recruitment Notification Department 116. First Processing Unit (Processing Unit) 117 Second Processing Unit (Processing Unit) Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5 buttons GT Gate (Object) Ip, Is, It icon P Player S Game System

Claims

1. An information processing device equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, The system obtains location information indicating the current location of multiple players, including the first and second players. The object placed on the map including the current location of the second player is displayed, Instructions for recruiting other players to participate in a game event associated with the object are controlled to be accepted by a second player who satisfies a second position condition, being within a second distance from the object. When the aforementioned instruction is received from a second player who satisfies the second position condition, the second player is made able to accept applications to participate in the game event from first players who satisfy the first position condition, which is within a first distance that is wider than the second distance from the object. Information processing device.

2. After the second player has received the participation application from the first player, if the second player gives the instruction to start the game event, the second player and the first player will play together in the game event. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The first distance is a wider area than the second distance and is a predetermined distance defined around the point where the object appears. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The processor obtains location information indicating the current positions of multiple players, including the first and second players. The processor displays objects placed on a map including the current location of the second player, The processor controls the system to accept instructions for recruiting other players to participate in game events associated with the object from a second player who satisfies a second position condition, being within a second distance from the object. When the processor receives the instruction from the second player who satisfies the second position condition, it enables the second player to accept applications to participate in the game event from the first player who satisfies the first position condition, which is within a first distance that is wider than the second distance from the object. Information processing methods.

5. The processor is instructed to acquire location information indicating the current positions of multiple players, including the first and second players. The processor is instructed to display objects placed on a map that includes the current location of the second player. The processor is controlled to accept instructions for recruiting other players to participate in game events associated with the object from a second player who satisfies a second position condition, being within a second distance from the object. When the processor receives the instruction from the second player who satisfies the second position condition, it enables the second player to accept an application to participate in the game event from the first player who satisfies the first position condition, which is within a first distance that is wider than the second distance from the object. program.

6. Equipped with a server and player terminals, The aforementioned server, The system obtains location information indicating the current location of multiple players, including the first and second players. The player's device displays objects placed on a map that includes the current location. Instructions for recruiting other players to participate in a game event associated with the object are controlled to be accepted by a second player who satisfies a second position condition, being within a second distance from the object. When the aforementioned instruction is received from a second player who satisfies the second position condition, the second player is made able to accept applications to participate in the game event from first players who satisfy the first position condition, which is within a first distance that is wider than the second distance from the object. system.

Images