Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a method allowing a gaze position when a first player plays a game to be referenced on a play screen of a second player.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: an acquisition section for acquiring gaze information based on a gaze position on a play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game; and a display control section for superposingly displaying support information based on gaze information of the first player who plays a predetermined game on the play screen of a predetermined game by a second player.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[[Technical Field]]

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

[0002] There is a technology for tracking the position of a user's viewpoint (so-called eye tracking technology). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for calibrating a deviation between a guide area displayed on a screen and the position of a viewpoint. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-057959 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] The use of eye tracking technology makes it possible to acquire in real time the position at which a player is gazing during game play (hereinafter referred to as the "gaze position") and display it superimposed on the play screen. However, the display of the gaze position has a one-to-one correspondence with the play screen of the player who has played or is playing the game, and is not intended to be displayed on the play screen of another player.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to enable the gaze position of a first player during play to be referenced on the play screen of a second player. [[Means for Solving the Problems]]

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device having: an acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game; and a display control unit that superimposes support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the play screen of the predetermined game played by a second player. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided that allows the gaze position of the first player during gameplay to be referenced on the gameplay screen of the second player. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of the information processing system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information terminal. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates gaze detection technology that uses a camera positioned on the same side as the display. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates an example of the functional configuration of the server used in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates an example of play record information data. (A) shows a typical example of play record information items, and (B) shows a typical example of play log ID items. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the event log, operation log, gaze position log, and video files that make up the play log. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the actions taken on the gameplay screen as recorded in the operation log. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the movement of a player's gaze position within the gameplay screen. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the differences in gaze positions recorded for each player. (A) is an example of a gaze position log recorded for player P1's play, and (B) is an example of a gaze position log recorded for player P2's play. [Figure 10]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of video file information linked to a video file ID. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of player information linked to a player ID. [Figure 12] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing operation assumed in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a video list provided to a player P2. [Figure 14] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a play video displayed on an information terminal of the player P2. [Figure 15] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a video list provided to the player P2. [Figure 16] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a video list provided to the player P2. [Figure 17] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a video list provided to the player P2. [Figure 18] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 21] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 23] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating another display example of a play video with support information. [Figure 24] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of a display screen displayed on a display of the player P2. [Figure 25] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing operation assumed in the second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a play video with support information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described later are merely examples of forms for carrying out the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described later. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments described later. For example, various modifications or improvements made to the contents described in the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the various functional units described later are realized through the execution of programs by processors such as the CPU (=Central Processing Unit), MPU (=Micro Processing Unit), GPU (=Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (=Digital Signal Processor), and other processors.

[0010] <Terminology> First, let's explain the terminology used in the embodiments. The term "program" is used as a general term for operating systems (OS) and application programs. "Game" refers to computer games. The virtual space that serves as the setting for a game is called the "game space." Examples of game spaces include virtual cities and virtual countries. "Player" refers to a user who plays a game by operating an information terminal.

[0011] The information terminals operated by players include dedicated machines and general-purpose machines. Dedicated machines include, for example, stationary game machines installed in arcades and similar locations. General-purpose devices include, for example, smart glasses, headsets, and smartphones that can be carried or worn by the player. Smart glasses are glasses-type devices equipped with a small display and a light guide component that focuses the image displayed on the display onto the retina. Other general-purpose devices include notebook, desktop, and tablet computers, and home game consoles. Information terminals only need to be capable of running games.

[0012] The information terminals used to run the game include not only the information terminal operated by the player (hereinafter also referred to as "player's terminal"), but also servers located on the internet or other networks. When a game is run on a server, the player's terminal is used as an input / output device. That is, the player's terminal is used for displaying game-related images and inputting controls. Furthermore, some game data may be stored on an information terminal, and the game may be run using both the data stored on the information terminal and the game data stored on the server. In addition, if all game data is stored on the information terminal, image data related to gameplay may be uploaded from the information terminal to the server, and the server may stream the uploaded image data to other users.

[0013] The "play screen" refers to the image displayed on the player's display device. This display device may be integrated with the player's terminal or it may be a separate component. Generally, the play screen is a moving image. However, this does not prevent the display of a still image as the play screen. In other words, the play screen can also be described as the screen of the game the player is playing. The gameplay screen includes images that are live-streamed during the player's gameplay and images that are streamed at a later date. Streaming is used for broadcasting the gameplay screen. In the following, to distinguish between live-streamed and time-shifted streamed images, time-shifted streamed images may sometimes be referred to as "gameplay videos." However, it is also possible to include live-streamed images as a form of gameplay video. The gameplay screen (gameplay video) can be viewed not only by the player themselves, but also by other players and viewers. In the following, users other than the player who are watching the gameplay screen (gameplay video) will be referred to as "viewing users," and the information terminal operated by the viewing user will be referred to as "viewing user's terminal." A single viewer can generally only view one gameplay screen at a time. The relationship between the viewer and the gameplay screen (or player) they are currently viewing is managed by the server.

[0014] Some games run on a server store some or all of their game data on the server and can be executed by receiving input from players via information terminals. Social games are games that incorporate elements of SNS (Social Networking Service) and can be played by multiple people. There are two forms of gameplay: solo play by a single player (hereinafter also referred to as "single-player") and play by multiple players in a predetermined relationship (hereinafter also referred to as "multiplayer"). Depending on the game, some may only offer single-player mode, others only multiplayer mode, and some may offer a choice between single-player and multiplayer.

[0015] Multiplayer games include, for example, games in which players compete against each other (hereinafter referred to as "competitive games"), games in which players compete with each other for the outcome of the game (hereinafter also referred to as "competitive games"), and games in which players cooperate to achieve a common objective (for example, clearing the game) (hereinafter also referred to as "cooperative games"). It should be noted that even competitive games may include competitive gameplay against other players. In cooperative games, multiple players may share a single game screen. In cooperative games, multiple players may share a single game space, and each player may be provided with a game screen containing game images captured by a virtual camera set up for each player. Therefore, in cooperative games, the relationship between players and viewers is not one-to-one.

[0016] In the embodiment described below, at least one player is a user, but the processor may act as a substitute for at least one player. This form appears to be single-player, but it is a type of multiplayer game. For example, among multiple players, the player with relatively higher skill level is called the "first player," and the player with relatively lower skill level is called the "second player." For example, a player's skill level may be determined based on their progress in the game, rank, play time, whether or not they have completed a given quest, etc.

[0017] In the embodiments described later, a typical example of the first player is an advanced player, and a typical example of the second player is a beginner. Since this is a relative relationship, the relationship between the first and second players can exist even among advanced players, and also among beginners. The player whose play is referenced by other players may be called the first player, and the player who references the play of other players may be called the second player. In addition, players who stream their gameplay are sometimes called "streaming users." Furthermore, among the viewing users, those who compete against the streaming users in the game are sometimes called "participating users."

[0018] The game consists of sub-games called "quests." In most cases, the difficulty level of a quest and the enemy characters that appear in it (hereinafter referred to as "enemy characters") differ from quest to quest. Quests have, for example, set completion conditions, and players who meet these conditions may be given rewards. The completion conditions may differ from quest to quest. Enemy characters are categorized according to the difficulty level required to defeat them, for example, "Grand Boss," "Mid Boss," and "Mini Boss." The difficulty level decreases in the order of "Grand Boss," "Mid Boss," and "Mini Boss."

[0019] <Embodiment 1> <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the information processing system 1 according to Embodiment 1. The information processing system 1 shown in Figure 1 consists of a server 10 that runs the game, information terminals 20 (20A, 20B, 20X) operated by players and viewers, and a network N that connects these terminals in a way that enables communication.

[0020] Figure 1 shows two players, Player P1 and Player P2, as examples of players. The reason for showing two players is for illustrative purposes; in reality, there may be three or more players, or even just one player. Player P1 is an example of the first player, and Player P2 is an example of the second player. On the other hand, the number of viewers can be multiple or zero. In the following, if we do not distinguish between players and viewers, we will simply refer to them as "users."

[0021] In the information processing system 1 shown in Figure 1, the server 10 is connected via network N to information terminal 20A operated by player P1, information terminal 20B operated by player P2, and information terminal 20X operated by the viewing user. Hereafter, information terminals 20A, 20B, and 20X will be collectively referred to as "information terminal 20". Network N can be, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a mobile communication system such as 4G or 5G. Network N can be a wired network, a wireless network, or a hybrid of both.

[0022] Server 10 consists of one or more computers. Server 10 may be an on-premises server or a cloud server. Examples of cloud servers include IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service). Server 10 is an example of an information processing device. The information terminal 20 is a terminal operated by users who utilize the distribution service provided by the server 10. Information terminals 20 include, for example, smartphones, tablet devices, notebook computers, desktop computers, and game consoles, as well as head-mounted devices (so-called headsets) and glasses-type devices (so-called smart glasses or AR glasses). Information terminals 20 are equipped with communication functions with network N. Figure 1 shows the case where information terminal 20 is a smartphone.

[0023] <Server Hardware Configuration> Server 10 consists of a processor 11 that controls the operation of the entire terminal, memory 12, auxiliary storage device 13, and communication interface 14. The processor 11 and each device are connected via buses and other signal lines 15. Processor 11 is, for example, a CPU. However, processor 11 may also be an MPU, GPU, DSP, or other type of processor. Memory 12 consists of ROM (Read Only Memory) which stores the BIOS (Basic Input Output System), etc., and RAM (Random Access Memory) which is used as the work area for the processor 11.

[0024] The auxiliary storage device 13 is, for example, a hard disk drive or semiconductor storage. In addition to the game program, the auxiliary storage device 13 stores information such as the game space, information about the players participating in the game, the gameplay screen of each player, information about the viewing users who are watching the gameplay screen, and gameplay videos. Player and viewer user information is linked to accounts and other information that identifies each user. The auxiliary storage device 13 may be externally connected to the server 10 or reside on the network N. The communication interface 14 is a device that enables communication with external terminals such as the information terminal 20. The communication interface 14 is required to have functions that enable communication according to the network N used for communication.

[0025] <Hardware configuration of information terminals> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information terminal 20. The information terminal 20 consists of a processor 211, memory 212, auxiliary storage device 213, display 214, camera 215, operation buttons 216, and a communication interface 217. The processor 211 and each device are connected by bus and other signal lines. Processor 211 is, for example, a CPU. However, processor 11 may be an MPU, GPU, DSP, or other type of processor.

[0026] Memory 212 consists of ROM, which stores the BIOS and other data, and RAM, which is used as the work area for the processor 211. The auxiliary storage device 213 is, for example, a hard disk drive or semiconductor storage. For example, programs are stored in the auxiliary storage device 213. When the casing of the information terminal 20 is small, such as in a smartphone or smart glasses, semiconductor storage is used for the auxiliary storage device 213.

[0027] The display 214 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display used to display gameplay screens, etc. A thin-film touch sensor that does not interfere with viewing the display 214 may be placed on its surface. The touch sensor is an example of an input device. The display 214 may be an external monitor attached to the information terminal 20, or it may be a device that projects the game screen in front of the player, such as a projector.

[0028] Camera 215 is a device that optically captures images of a subject. In this embodiment, camera 215 includes at least the eyes of a player playing a game as the target of imaging. Note that there may be multiple cameras 215. Camera 215 does not need to be dedicated to capturing the player's eyes. For example, if the information terminal 20 is a headset or smart glasses, camera 215 may also be used to capture the player's gestures. The operation buttons 216 are devices used to input operations for the information terminal 20. Examples of operation buttons 216 include a power button, volume buttons, joystick, gamepad, keyboard, and mouse.

[0029] The communication interface 217 is a device that enables communication with external terminals such as the server 10. The communication interface 217 is required to have functions that enable communication according to the network N used for communication. In addition, the information terminal 20 may be equipped with an inertial sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetic sensor, a microphone, and a speaker.

[0030] When infrared light is used to detect the player's gaze direction, the information terminal 20 is equipped with an infrared LED and an infrared camera. The gaze detection technology using infrared light is also called the corneal reflection method, and it uses the position of the infrared laser irradiation on the cornea as a reference point, and detects the gaze from the positional relationship between this reference point and a moving point (pupil). In addition, when the size of the play screen viewed by the player is large, such as when the play screen is projected by a projector, the direction of the player's gaze may be detected by detecting the orientation of the player's head.

[0031] Figure 3 illustrates gaze detection technology using a camera 215 positioned on the same plane as the display 214. (A) shows the case where the player is looking at the left edge (x1, y1) of the display 214, (B) shows the case where the player is looking at the center (x2, y2) of the display 214, and (C) shows the case where the player is looking at the right edge (x3, y3) of the display 214. The eye area images shown in Figures 3(A), (B), and (C) are images captured by camera 215 of the eye area of ​​a player playing a game while facing display 214. In this embodiment, camera 215 is a visible light camera. When detecting the player's gaze from an image captured by the visible light camera, the outer corner of the eye is used as the reference point, and the outer edge of the pupil or the outer edge of the iris is used as the moving point. In this case as well, the gaze is detected based on the positional relationship of the moving point to the reference point.

[0032] <Server Functional Configuration> Next, we will explain the functional configuration of server 10. Figure 4 illustrates an example of the functional configuration of the server 10 used in Embodiment 1. Note that the functional configuration shown in Figure 4 is an example of a functional unit realized through program execution. Server 10 includes a gaze information acquisition unit 111, a display control unit 112, an evaluation reflection unit 113, a reward control unit 114, and a storage unit 120. Of these, the storage unit 120 is realized by memory 12 (see Figure 1) and auxiliary storage device 13 (see Figure 1).

[0033] <Information stored in the memory unit> Before describing the functional units, we will explain an example of the information stored in the memory unit 120. The memory unit 120 shown in Figure 4 stores player information 121, viewer user information 122, game information 123, play record information 124, and the like. Player information 121 is information about the players playing the game. In the example in Figure 1, this corresponds to player P1 and player P2.

[0034] The player information 121 includes, for example, a user ID that identifies the player, information that identifies the information terminal 20 that the player operates during gameplay (e.g., an IP address), location information of objects that act within the game space in response to the player's actions (i.e., avatars and player characters) within the game space, points acquired through gameplay, information on awarded benefits, and information on awarded rewards. Rewards include, for example, points, experience points, titles, attack power, HP, attribute level-ups, weapons usable in other games, magic and other abilities, and new attributes. Rewards can include, for example, electronic money, cryptocurrencies, in-game currency, fiat currency, and points.

[0035] Viewer user information 122 is information about the viewer user who is watching the gameplay screen. The viewer user information 122 includes, for example, a user ID that identifies the viewer, the IP address of the information terminal 20 that the viewer uses to view the play screen, an ID that identifies the play screen being viewed, and a user ID that identifies the player associated with the play screen being viewed. Game information 123 includes a game ID that identifies the game, a quest ID that identifies the quests that make up the game, information about the layout of the game space, information about the game's progress, and information about enemy characters that appear in the quests.

[0036] Play record information 124 consists of various pieces of information recorded each time a player plays the game. Figure 5 illustrates an example of play record information 124 data. (A) shows a typical example of items in play record information 124, and (B) shows a typical example of items in play log ID 124D. In the case of Figure 5, the play record information 124 consists of the game ID 124A, player ID 124B, video file ID 124C, and play log ID 124D. However, the play record information 124 may include items other than those exemplified in Figure 5. Also, the play record information 124 may not include some of the items exemplified in Figure 5. Of these, video file ID 124C is an ID that identifies the video file recorded for each play. Play log ID 124D is an ID that identifies play log 125.

[0037] Playlog 125 is a log that records actions taken during gameplay and the results of the game. In the case of Figure 5, the play log 125 consists of an event log 125A, which is a record of events that occurred or appeared during play; an action log 125B, which records the player's actions; a gaze position log 125C, which records the player's gaze position (or coordinates); play time 125D; play result 125E; and deck information 125F used for play. However, the play log 125 may include items other than those exemplified in Figure 5. Also, the play log 125 may not include some of the items exemplified in Figure 5. Of the logs that make up the play log 125, the event log 125A, operation log 125B, and gaze position log 125C record information that is relevant to the elapsed time from the start to the end of play.

[0038] Figure 6 illustrates the relationship between the event log 125A, operation log 125B, gaze position log 125C, and video file that make up the play log 125. In Figure 6, the video file shows four quests (Quests #1 to #4) appearing between the start and end of the gameplay. The end of the gameplay can be either a game completion or a failure to complete it. In the case of Figure 6, event log 125A shows that a mini-boss appeared in quest #1, mid-bosses appeared in quests #2 and #3, and a final boss appeared in quest #4. Note that event log 125A may include not only a record of the appearance of each major enemy character (the boss), but also the player character's movement path and actions (including attacks and defenses) within the game space.

[0039] Operation log 125B consists of a history of the actions entered by the player during gameplay. Figure 7 illustrates the operations performed on the gameplay screen as recorded in operation log 125B. The example shown in Figure 7 is the operation log when player P1 played quest #2 of a certain game. The vertical axis represents time. Figure 7 illustrates vector V, which shows the direction of the operation corresponding to two time points T1 and T2. Additionally, the position and intensity of the tap corresponding to time point T3 are illustrated by mark M. For example, at time point T1, vector V1 indicates that player P1 input a long movement from near the bottom center of the play screen, slightly upward to the right.

[0040] Furthermore, at time point T2, vector V2 indicates that player P1 input a short movement from near the bottom right corner of the play screen in a diagonal upward-left direction. The operation log 125B records the starting point, direction, length, etc., of this vector V, corresponding to each point in time. Furthermore, at point T3, the mark M indicates that player P1 tapped near the center of the play screen.

[0041] The above examples describe cases where the input is related to the player's position on the game screen, but there are also instructions that are unrelated to the player's position on the game screen. For example, there are instructions for the direction of movement of the player character (e.g., forward, backward, left, right), instructions for the direction of gaze, instructions for selecting actions such as jumping and crouching, instructions for switching weapons and other items, instructions for acquiring and using items, instructions for attacking, instructions for canceling, instructions for pausing, instructions for opening the menu screen, and instructions for switching play modes (e.g., single player, team player, practice mode).

[0042] The gaze position log 125C records the position (i.e., coordinates) within the gameplay screen that the player is looking at. The gaze position refers to the location that the player is intentionally focusing on, and is defined as a point or range. As is well known, the human eye has both intentional and unintentional (i.e., unconscious) movements. In the initial stages of gaze detection, unintentional gaze movements by the player are also included. Therefore, in this embodiment, the center coordinates of the range in which the detected position remains for a predetermined time (for example, several tens of milliseconds) or longer are recorded as the "point of focus". In this way, various logs record information at each point in time in units of at least several tens to several hundred milliseconds.

[0043] Figure 8 illustrates the movement of a player's gaze position within the gameplay screen. Figure 8 shows the movement of an advanced player, P1,'s gaze position over time. In Figure 8, between time point T1 and time point T5, the gaze position moves from near the upper left to near the lower right of the gameplay screen. However, the movement shown in Figure 8 is just one example, and the trajectory and range of movement of the gaze position can vary. For example, it is possible that the gaze position hardly moves at all. It is also possible that the gaze position moves across almost the entire play screen.

[0044] Figure 9 illustrates the differences in gaze positions recorded for each player. (A) is an example of gaze position log 125C recorded for player P1's play, and (B) is an example of gaze position log 125C recorded for player P2's play. The horizontal axis in Figure 9 represents time. Figure 9 shows the differences in each player's gaze position at the same point in time T2 in the same quest #2. However, strictly speaking, even if the time is the same, the images each player sees on their screen are not necessarily the same. For example, even if the elapsed time since starting Quest #2 is the same, the progress of player P1, who is an advanced player, will be faster than that of player P2, who is a beginner.

[0045] Therefore, when displaying player P1's gaze position overlaid on player P2's gameplay screen as information to support player P2's gameplay, the gaze position information recorded for the same scene, rather than for a specific point in time, is extracted and used. The term "identical scene" refers to situations where, for example, two images displayed on the gameplay screen are identical or highly similar. It also refers to situations where, for example, the appearance locations and actions of enemy characters that affect the completion of a quest are identical or highly similar. The support features for gameplay that use the same gaze position in the same scene will be explained again in the section on corresponding support features.

[0046] The play time of 125D refers to the time the player spent playing the quest. In Figure 5, the play time is expressed in seconds. Note that the unit of play time is not limited to quests. For example, it could be the total play time of the entire game. The Play Result 125E records whether the quest was "completed" or "failed." Note that Play Result 125E is not limited to quest-level results. For example, it could be the result for the entire game, or a combination of quest-level and game-level results.

[0047] Deck Information 125F contains information about the deck used to play the quest. If the game does not use a deck to play the quest, Deck Information 125F will not be recorded. If deck building is possible on a quest-by-quest basis, deck information will be recorded for each quest. However, in most games, deck building is not done for each quest that makes up the game, so the information of the deck selected before starting the game is recorded.

[0048] Here, "deck" refers to a combination of one or more game objects that a player uses to play. Game objects can be player characters, weapons, armor, other items, or cards used in the game. The game objects that make up a deck may be assembled by the player, or they may be assembled randomly by the game. The game objects that make up a deck are selected from the game objects owned by the player, but players may be allowed to include game objects owned by other players.

[0049] The game objects that players possess can be obtained in various ways, such as being selected by the player at the start of the game, acquired through a lottery, purchased using in-game currency, given as a reward for completing a quest, or acquired as a result of evolution. Decks can be registered after they have been assembled. If a deck is registered, players can skip building a new deck each time they play. There is often a limit to the number of game objects that can make up a deck. For example, the limit is four.

[0050] <Processing executed in the functional unit> The following describes the basic processing functions performed by the gaze information acquisition unit 111, display control unit 112, evaluation reflection unit 113, and reward control unit 114 shown in Figure 4. The detailed processing functions provided in each functional unit will be explained as appropriate, in relation to examples of expected processing operations.

[0051] <Gaze information acquisition unit> The gaze information acquisition unit 111 is a functional unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. In this context, a designated game refers to a game that assumes player support using the player's gaze position. Therefore, games that do not assume player support using the gaze position are excluded from the designated games. In this embodiment, the first player is, for example, a player with higher playing skill than the second player playing the same predetermined game. Conversely, the second player is a player with lower playing skill than the first player playing the same predetermined game.

[0052] However, in this embodiment, the player who references the play of another player may be called the second player, and the player being referenced (the other player in this case) may be called the first player. Gaze information based on gaze position refers to a portion of the gaze position log 125C (see Figure 5) mentioned above, or information obtained by processing the gaze position log 125C.

[0053] The gaze information here includes, for example, gaze positions sampled from gaze position log 125C at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every second) and the average value of gaze positions calculated at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every second). In addition, the gaze information also includes the objects being viewed on the play screen at each point in time (e.g., enemy characters, attacks from enemy characters, menu screens), the length of time a specific object is being viewed, and the extracted results of patterns appearing in the movement of the gaze position (e.g., movement speed, movement path, gaze range). The gaze information acquisition unit 111 described here is an example of an "acquisition unit" in the claims. By providing the gaze information acquisition unit 111, the gaze position of the first player during gameplay can be reused, for example, referenced on the second player's gameplay screen.

[0054] <Display Control Section> The display control unit 112 is a functional unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. Here, "the gameplay screen of the designated game by the second player" includes not only the gameplay screen of the game being played by the second player in real time, but also the gameplay video that is played back after the second player has finished playing the game. The gameplay video may be data that records the gameplay screen of the second player as a video, or it may be data that recreates the second player's gameplay based on the second player's operation log.

[0055] Furthermore, the "designated game" in the "support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the designated game" is the same designated game that the second player is currently playing or has played. The first player here is assumed to be designated in advance, for example, by the second player or a viewing user. A viewing user is also assumed because, when a viewing user watches the first player's gameplay screen, they may want to watch the second player's gameplay screen while referring to support information based on the first player's eye-tracking data. It is also possible that the first player may choose to instruct the second player.

[0056] In addition, as part of the support functions provided by the display control unit 112, the first player may be automatically selected. The selection criteria may include, for example, prioritizing players who have a history of clearing quests that the second player failed to clear, prioritizing players with higher scores or rankings at the end of play than the second player, prioritizing players that the second player has previously watched as a viewer, or, if there are multiple players who have been watched in the past, prioritizing the player with the most views. Alternatively, a criterion may be adopted that prioritizes players who have a history of playing with a player character that is the same type, ability, attribute, etc. as the player character used by the second player. Additionally, a criterion may be adopted that prioritizes players who have a history of using decks that are the same as or highly similar in composition to the deck used or assembleable by the second player.

[0057] The "support information based on eye-tracking data" presented to the second player refers to, for example, objects and text displayed on the gameplay screen. In this context, "objects" refer to things like indicators (e.g., marks, shapes, stamps), directions (e.g., arrows), and points of light (represented by brightness, hue, and saturation). Furthermore, text refers to characters or sentences that provide information to support the second player's gameplay, such as "In this scene, player P1 is looking to the right" or "Be careful of the enemy character on the right." Superimposed display refers to the superimposition of support information onto the second player's gameplay screen. This display control unit 112 makes it possible to play by referencing the gaze position of other players, and to check the difference between the gaze position of other players and one's own gaze position.

[0058] <Evaluation Reflection Section> The evaluation reflection unit 113 is a functional unit that reflects the play results of a second player who played the play screen with the support information superimposed on it into the evaluation (hereinafter also referred to as the "evaluation value") of the play video of the first player used to display the support information. The gameplay results could include, for example, "completion" or "failure" of a quest. The gameplay results could also include recording the play score, completion time, and whether or not a given mission was completed. Figure 10 illustrates an example of video file information 126 data associated with video file ID 124C. In the case of Figure 10, the video file information 126 records the video file 126A and the evaluation value 126B assigned to the video file 126A.

[0059] Figure 10 shows an example where the video file 126A is in the ".mp4" format, but other file formats are also acceptable. In this embodiment, the evaluation value represents the number of players who completed the quest after watching video file 126A. Therefore, "1010" means that 1010 people were able to complete the quest after watching video file 126A. Note that the number here may be the total number of completions or the net number. If the net number is used, completions by players with the same player ID are excluded from the count.

[0060] Note that the number of viewers is counted only for the most recently viewed video file 126A. Therefore, even if you watch multiple video files 126A before completing the quest, only the rating of the last video file 126A you watched will be updated. Additionally, the evaluation score may be weighted so that the evaluation score decreases as the number of plays required from the most recent viewing to completing the quest increases. For example, if the quest is completed immediately after watching video file 126A, "1" may be added to the evaluation score. However, if the quest is completed on the second play after watching video file 126A, "0.5" may be added to the evaluation score, and if the quest is completed on the third play, "0.3" may be added to the evaluation score.

[0061] Furthermore, even if the quest cannot be cleared during gameplay after watching the video, the evaluation score may still be increased. For example, if "1" is added when the quest is cleared during gameplay after watching the video, then "0.1" or "0.01" may be added when the quest cannot be cleared during gameplay after watching the video. In other words, the rating may reflect the number of times other players have viewed or played the video. In this case, the rating of video file 126A, which is viewed many times by other players, is likely to be higher than the rating of video file 126A, which is viewed few times by other players. This rating value represents the popularity and usefulness among other players, so it can be used as information to help select video file 126A to watch as a reference for gameplay. As a result, it becomes possible to evaluate the first player's gameplay video based on the second player's performance.

[0062] <Reward Control Section> The reward control unit 114 is a functional unit that controls the rewards given to the first player according to their evaluation. This feature provides a direct benefit to the first player corresponding to video file 126A. Rewards here are awarded in the form of electronic money, cryptocurrency, in-game currency, fiat currency, or points. Figure 11 illustrates an example of player information data 121 associated with player ID 124B.

[0063] In the case of Figure 11, the player information 121 records the IP address 121A of the information terminal 20B (see Figure 1) operated by the player, the position information 121B of the player character that acts in the game space in response to the player's actions, and the reward 121N. The reward 121N may be awarded each time a player who has watched the video file plays the same quest, when a player who has watched the video file completes the same quest, when the evaluation value 126B (see Figure 10) is updated, or periodically.

[0064] If a player who has watched video file 126A (see Figure 10) is awarded a reward 121N each time they play the same quest, the value of the reward 121N awarded for successfully completing the quest should be greater than the value of the reward 121N awarded for failing to complete the quest. For example, the reward 121N awarded for successfully completing the quest may be a predetermined base unit (e.g., 100 points), while the reward 121N awarded for failing to complete the quest may be zero, or 0.1 times or 0.01 times the base unit. Furthermore, when awarding rewards of 121N periodically, the amount of reward 121N awarded will depend on the magnitude of the difference between the previous evaluation value 126B and the current evaluation value 126B. The amount of the newly awarded reward 121N will basically be proportional to the magnitude of the difference. As a result, it becomes possible to award the first player a reward of 121N based on the second player's performance.

[0065] <Example of processing operation> Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing operation assumed in Embodiment 1. In the figure, the symbol S represents a step. First, the processor 11 (see Figure 1) controls the progress of the predetermined game played by player P2 (Step 1). The game begins when player P2 accesses server 10 (see Figure 1) using information terminal 20B (see Figure 1). The progress of the game is controlled based on game information 123 (see Figure 4).

[0066] In step 1, gameplay videos and various logs are also stored in the memory unit 120 (see Figure 4). Furthermore, the processor 11, acting as the gaze information acquisition unit 111, acquires gaze information based on the acquired gaze position log 125C and records it in the storage unit 120 (see Figure 4). In this embodiment, the acquisition of gaze information is performed in near real time. Based on the acquired gaze information, the processor 11 may identify the game object currently appearing in a predetermined game that the player is looking at and record it in the play log.

[0067] When the designated game is finished, the processor 11 determines whether or not the player failed to clear the game (step 2). This determination function is executed each time the designated game is finished. This determination function is performed by the processor 11, which acts as the display control unit 112. If the clear is successful, a negative result is obtained in step 2. In this embodiment, if a negative result is obtained in step 2, the support operation after the completion of the predetermined game is not executed. In other words, the processing operation is terminated. On the other hand, if the game is not cleared, a positive result is obtained in step 2. In this case, the processor 11 displays the video list of other players (hereinafter also referred to as "list") on the play screen of the information terminal 20 operated by player P2 (step 3).

[0068] In other words, the display control unit 112 causes player P2 to display a video list when the result of the player P2's play of a predetermined game satisfies predetermined conditions. One example of a predetermined condition here is failure to clear a predetermined game. Note that the predetermined conditions may also include prior settings by player P2, and failure to clear the game for N consecutive times (e.g., 3 times). This judgment function enables the selective automatic display of a list of gameplay videos. In other words, the display control unit 112 provides player P2 with one or more gameplay videos of other players (e.g., player P1 or player P3) playing a predetermined game, which can then be played back. However, the predetermined game here is assumed to be the same game that player P2 failed to complete. The list format display makes it easy to select a gameplay video with support information based on the gaze position.

[0069] The display of the video list here is performed as one of the functions of the display control unit 112 (see Figure 4) by the processor 11. Figure 13 illustrates an example of how the video list provided to player P2 is displayed. The video list 300 shown in Figure 13 displays a list of gameplay videos from other players who have played the given game. The video list 300 shown in Figure 13 consists of play buttons 301 (301A, 301B, 301C…) associated with the gameplay videos, an information field 302 for the gameplay videos, and a selection button 303. The information field 302 displays information to assist player P2 in selecting a gameplay video. In Figure 13, player information and information about the deck used for gameplay are displayed.

[0070] By referring to information section 302, player P2 can understand that the gameplay video corresponding to the play button 301A is a gameplay video of player P1 playing using deck A. Similarly, player P2 can understand that the gameplay video corresponding to the play button 301B is a gameplay video of player P3 playing using deck A. Furthermore, player P2 can understand that the gameplay video corresponding to the play button 301C is a gameplay video of player P1 playing using deck B.

[0071] In Figure 13, the video selection button 303, which corresponds to the play button 301C, is selected. When the selection button 303 is selected and the corresponding play button 301C is tapped by player P2, the display control unit 112 accepts the selection of the play video and the start of playback (step 4). Next, the display control unit 112 starts playing the gameplay video (step 5). The gameplay video playback here is performed with the player P1's gaze information. The gaze information is generated based on the gaze position log 125C corresponding to the playback time of the video file (gameplay video), as shown in Figure 6.

[0072] Figure 14 illustrates an example of how a gameplay video is displayed on the information terminal 20B of player P2. In the case of Figure 14, player P2 can refer to the gaze information (e.g., gaze position) of player P1 when they play a predetermined game. By playing back this gameplay video with eye-tracking information, player P2 can notice the difference in their gaze position compared to player P1. As a result, the likelihood of clearing the next game is increased compared to when other players' gaze information is not referenced.

[0073] By the way, the number of gameplay videos displayed in video list 300 (see Figure 13) is large. Also, the amount of information that can be displayed in information section 302 is limited. As a result, simply displaying a list of 300 videos would make it much more difficult for player P2 to select a video. Therefore, the display control unit 112 in this embodiment is also provided with the following display rules 1 to 3. (Display rule 1) Figure 15 illustrates another example of how the video list provided to player P2 is displayed. Figure 15 is denoted with corresponding reference numerals for parts that correspond to those in Figure 13. The video list 300A shown in Figure 15 corresponds to the case where the display control unit 112 controls the priority of one or more play videos in the video list 300A according to the evaluation value for each play video. In other words, the display control unit 112 provides a video list of other players' play videos with priority according to the evaluation by the evaluation reflection unit 113.

[0074] The evaluation value here is the evaluation value assigned by the evaluation reflection unit 113 (see Figure 4). In Figure 15, the gameplay videos are arranged in order of the magnitude of their evaluation values. That is, the display position of gameplay videos with higher evaluation values ​​is placed higher than the display position of gameplay videos with relatively lower evaluation values. In this embodiment, a higher display position in the video list 300A means that the gameplay video has a higher priority. Furthermore, for gameplay videos with the same rating, priority may be given to videos with shorter playtime (i.e., shorter completion time) or videos with higher scores (e.g., best scores). The same applies to display rules 2 and 3 described later.

[0075] Therefore, in the example in Figure 15, the gameplay video with a rating of "105" is displayed in the first row from the top, the gameplay video with a rating of "100" is displayed in the second row from the top, and the gameplay video with a rating of "99" is displayed in the third row from the top. As a result, the order of the gameplay videos in video list 300A is different from the order of video list 300 shown in Figure 13. Highly rated gameplay videos are those that have received positive feedback from other players, making them likely to be helpful to player P2. Therefore, it's possible to efficiently select gameplay videos that are useful for gameplay.

[0076] (Display rule 2) Figure 16 illustrates another example of how the video list provided to player P2 is displayed. Figure 16 is denoted with corresponding reference numerals for parts that correspond to those in Figure 13. The video list 300B shown in Figure 16 corresponds to a case where the display control unit 112 controls the priority of one or more play videos in the video list according to a comparison between the deck used by player P2 to play a predetermined game and the decks used by other players to play a predetermined game. This control system prioritizes gameplay videos that use decks that closely match the deck used by player P2 when the game was not cleared.

[0077] Note that Figure 16 assumes that player P2 fails to clear the game using deck B. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 16, the display position of the gameplay video played with Deck B is higher than that of the gameplay video played with Deck A. Since gameplay videos that closely match the deck used by Player P2 are given higher priority, Player P2 can efficiently select gameplay videos that are likely to be helpful in their gameplay.

[0078] (Display rule 3) Labeling Rule 3 is a form of Labeling Rule 2. Even if a deck configuration has a high degree of similarity, gameplay videos using decks that Player P2 cannot assemble are not useful to Player P2, at least at this point in time. Therefore, display rule 3 requires that a gameplay video that closely matches the deck used by player P2 when they failed to clear the stage must be a deck that can be assembled using game objects owned by player P2.

[0079] Figure 17 illustrates another example of how the video list provided to player P2 is displayed. Figure 17 is denoted with corresponding reference numerals for parts corresponding to those in Figure 13. The video list 300C shown in Figure 17 corresponds to the case where the display control unit 112 controls the video list so that it can identify gameplay videos played using a deck that can be assembled with game objects owned by player P2. Note that Figure 17 assumes that player P2 can assemble decks B and deck C. Incidentally, the assembleable decks also include deck B, which was used when the clear failed.

[0080] Therefore, in video list 300C shown in Figure 17, deck A, which was displayed in video list 300B shown in Figure 16, is not displayed. This is because player P2 cannot assemble deck A. In Figure 17, Deck B, which was used when the clear failed, has a higher priority than Deck C, which can be assembled. This is because Player P2 is more likely to continue using Deck B.

[0081] Returning to the explanation of the processing example shown in Figure 12. When playback of the selected gameplay video from the video list 300 (see Figure 13) has finished, the processor 11 (see Figure 1) determines whether or not a retry of the specified game has been accepted (step 6). If player P2 does not select retry (replay), a negative result is obtained in step 6. In this case, processor 11 does not perform any support actions after the completion of the game. That is, it terminates the processing operation.

[0082] On the other hand, if a retry of the specified game is selected, a positive result is obtained in step 6. In this case, the preparation process for player P2 to retry the specified game begins. As part of the preparation process, an automatic deck building function may be provided. The processor 11, acting as the display control unit 112, may also have a function that, if the deck used in the play video selected by player P2 from the video list is different from the deck used by player P2 when the game was not cleared, automatically assembles the deck used in the selected play video and then allows player P2 to restart playing the predetermined game.

[0083] This feature is available, and when it is activated, Player P2 can start playing a given game with the same deck configuration as the gameplay video of Player P1 that they just watched, without having to build their own deck. As a result, the eye-tracking information of Player P1, which was observed during the playback of the gameplay video, becomes more effective. The function to automatically assemble a deck will be executed if it is enabled in the prior settings, or if player P2 instructs it to do so before the start of a retry.

[0084] Next, the processor 11 determines whether the support function is turned on or off (step 7). When the support function is turned on, support information based on player P1's gaze information is displayed on player P2's play screen. When the support function is turned off, support information based on player P1's gaze information is not displayed on player P2's play screen. The setting to turn the support function on or off may be set before starting to play the game, or it may be selected by player P2 at the time of this determination.

[0085] If the support function is turned off, a negative result will be obtained in step 7. In this case, the processor 11 controls the progress of the predetermined game played by player P2 while displaying the normal play screen (step 8). As in step 1, the processor 11, acting as the gaze information acquisition unit 111, acquires gaze information based on the acquired gaze position log 125C and records it in the storage unit 120 (see Figure 4). Once the processing in step 8 is complete (i.e., when the game ends), processor 11 returns to step 2.

[0086] On the other hand, if the support function is turned on, a positive result is obtained in step 7. In this case, the processor 11 controls the progress of the predetermined game played by player P2 while displaying support information superimposed on the player P2's play screen (step 9). Similar to step 1, the processor 11, acting as the gaze information acquisition unit 111, acquires gaze information based on the acquired gaze position log 125C and records it in the storage unit 120 (see Figure 4).

[0087] Figure 18 illustrates an example of displaying a gameplay video with support information. Figure 18 includes corresponding reference numerals for parts that correspond to those in Figure 14. In Figure 14, both the player on the play screen displayed on display 214 (see Figure 2) and the player corresponding to the gaze information superimposed on the play screen are player P1. On the other hand, the player shown on the display 214 in Figure 18 is player P2, while the player corresponding to the gaze information superimposed on the play screen is player P1. Also, in Figure 18, the play screen displayed on the display 214 is the play screen that player P2 is playing in real time. In Figure 18, eye-tracking information is displayed on the gameplay screen as an example of support information.

[0088] The display control unit 112 performs the display of the play screen with this support information. Specifically, the display control unit 112 overlays support information based on the gaze position of player P1 who played the predetermined game onto the play screen of the predetermined game played by player P2. In other words, the display control unit 112 controls the display to overlay the support information of the first player onto the second player's play screen based on the gaze information associated with the play video selected from a list of one or more play videos. As shown in Figure 18, throughout Player P2's gameplay, Player P1's gaze information is displayed on Player P2's screen, increasing the likelihood that Player P2 will clear the game compared to when the gaze information is not displayed.

[0089] In this embodiment, other display examples are also provided for displaying gameplay videos with support information. (Example 1) Figure 19 illustrates another example of displaying a gameplay video with support information. Figure 19 is denoted with corresponding symbols for parts that correspond to those in Figure 18. The play screen shown in Figure 19 displays the direction of operation for player P1 as support information. This direction of operation is read from player P1's operation log 125B (see Figure 5). In other words, the display control unit 112 may be provided with a function to superimpose and display the operation information of a predetermined game performed by player P1 onto the play screen of player P2.

[0090] Furthermore, the player P2 may be able to switch between the display of gaze information shown in Figure 18 and the display of operation information shown in Figure 19. As shown in Figure 19, throughout Player P2's gameplay, Player P1's operation information is displayed on Player P2's screen, increasing the likelihood that Player P2 will clear the game compared to when the operation information is not displayed. Furthermore, the display of gaze information shown in Figure 18 and the display of operation information shown in Figure 19 may be performed simultaneously. That is, both the gaze information and operation information of player P1 may be displayed on the play screen of player P2.

[0091] (Example 2) Figure 20 illustrates another example of displaying a gameplay video with support information. Figure 20 uses corresponding reference numerals to indicate parts that correspond to those in Figure 18. In Figure 18, only the gaze information of player P1 was displayed as support information on player P2's play screen, but in Figure 20, player P2's own gaze information is also displayed as support information. In other words, the display control unit 112 may be provided with a function to display, in an identifiable manner, support information (first support information) indicating the gaze information (e.g., gaze position) of player P1 and support information (second support information) indicating the gaze information (e.g., gaze position) of player P2.

[0092] The gaze information of player P2 here is displayed based on the gaze position recorded during the previous play session (i.e., when the game was not cleared). As shown in Figure 20, the gaze information of the exemplary player P1 and the gaze information of player P2 are displayed identifiable on the same play screen, allowing player P2 to clearly recognize the difference in their gaze positions compared to player P1. Furthermore, viewers watching player P2's gameplay can compare the difference between player P2's line of sight and player P1's line of sight while viewing the gameplay screen.

[0093] Furthermore, when a viewing user displays the play screen of player P2 on the information terminal 20X, it may be possible to specify player P1 corresponding to the gaze information superimposed on the processor 11. By adopting this function, a viewing user who is viewing the play screen of player P2 can view the play screen of player P2 while comparing the gaze information of player P1 and player P2 that they have specified. This specification can also be applied to the display of support information shown in Figures 18 and 19.

[0094] (Other control examples) Incidentally, the overlay display of support information may be controlled according to the gameplay status of a predetermined game by player P2. That is, whether or not support information is overlaid on the play screen may be controlled according to the gameplay status. This control is suitable for player P2, who only wants to see superimposed support information when assistance is needed. Note that the execution of this function may also be based on user instructions or selections. Three control examples are described below.

[0095] (Other display example 1) Figure 21 illustrates another example of displaying gameplay videos with support information. The horizontal axis in the figure represents time. In Figure 21, it is recorded that player P2 was able to complete Quest 1 in the previous play session, but got a game over in Quest 2. In this case, the display control unit 112 may overlay support information in scenes where player P2 made a mistake in a previous playthrough (Quest 2), and not overlay support information in scenes where player P2 did not make a mistake (Quest 1). Figure 21 illustrates a failed attempt to complete a quest as an example of a mistake made in a past playthrough. Therefore, in Player P2's current playthrough, the support function is turned off during Quest 1 and turned on during Quest 2.

[0096] However, failure to complete the quest is just one example, and errors at the operational level can also be considered. When considering errors at the operational level, the support function can be controlled on or off at the quest level, or it can be controlled on or off at the operational level where the error occurred. As a result, for Quest 2, which was not cleared in the previous playthrough, the gaze position log 125C is read from player P1's play log 125, and support information is overlaid on the play screen. As shown in Figure 21, the progress of player P1's gameplay and player P2's gameplay do not coincide. Therefore, the overlaid display of support information is adjusted to match the progress of player P2's gameplay. The same applies to the display examples mentioned above and the other display examples described later.

[0097] (Another display example 2) Figure 22 illustrates another example of displaying a gameplay video with support information. The display control unit 112 controls the superimposed display of support information based on a predetermined game scene where there was a difference between the gaze position detected in player P2's past gameplay and the gaze position of player P1. In Figure 22, the gaze position log of player P2 from the previous play session is assumed to be inconsistent with the gaze position log of player P1, which was selected in the video list, during the period of Quest 2. Therefore, in Player P2's current playthrough, the support function is turned off during Quest 1, but it is controlled to be turned on during Quest 2.

[0098] (Other display example 3) Figure 23 illustrates another example of displaying gameplay videos with support information. The display control unit 112 here overlays the support information when the gaze position detected during the second player's gameplay differs from the gaze position of the first player in a predetermined game scene. In the aforementioned example 2, a mismatch was assumed between the gaze position log recorded during player P2's previous play session and the gaze position log of player P1. However, in this example, a mismatch is assumed between the gaze position of player P2, which is acquired in real time, and the gaze position log of player P1.

[0099] In Figure 23, during the period of Quest 2, a discrepancy was found between the gaze position log of player P1, selected from the video list, and the gaze position of player P2. In Figure 23, the support function is controlled to be on only during the period when a mismatch is found, and to be off when no mismatch is found.

[0100] Returning to the explanation of the processing example shown in Figure 12. When player P2 finishes playing while viewing the play screen with the support information superimposed, processor 11 determines whether the game is cleared or not (step 10). If the clear fails, a negative result is obtained in step 10. In this case, processor 11 returns to the processing in step 3, that is, it returns to displaying the video list. However, the return to step 3 is only if player P2 wishes to retry the game; if player P2 does not wish to retry the game, the processing operation can be terminated immediately.

[0101] On the other hand, if the clear is successful, a positive result is obtained in step 10. In this case, the processor 11 performs an evaluation process (step 11). This evaluation process is performed by the evaluation reflection unit 113 (see Figure 4). Next, the processor 11 performs reward processing (step 12). This reward processing is performed by the reward control unit 114 (see Figure 4). After this, the processor 11 terminates the series of processing operations.

[0102] (Screen transitions) Figure 24 illustrates an example of the transitions between display screens shown on the player P2's display 214 (see Figure 2). The example of display screen transitions shown in Figure 24 corresponds to steps 5 through 9 in Figure 12. First, in step 5, the play video selected from the video list is displayed on display 214. In the next step, 6, screen 400 is displayed, asking player P2 whether they want to retry. In the example in Figure 24, the question "Do you want to retry?" is displayed along with a "Yes" button 401 and a "No" button 402.

[0103] If the "Yes" button 401 is pressed, the screen 410 is displayed as step 7, asking player P2 whether they wish to display support information. In the example in Figure 24, the question "Do you want to display support information?" is displayed along with the "Yes" button 411 and the "No" button 412. First, if the "No" button 412 is pressed, the normal gameplay screen will be displayed as the screen for step 8. In other words, the support information will not be overlaid. On the other hand, if the "Yes" button 411 is pressed, the play screen with support information will be displayed as the screen for step 9.

[0104] <Embodiment 2> Next, we will describe the information processing system 1 according to Embodiment 2. The system configuration and other aspects are basically the same as in Embodiment 1. The following describes the processing operations and functions that differ from Embodiment 1. Now, in Embodiment 1, we assumed a case where the user retried the same game after failing to clear it. However, in this embodiment, we assume a case where the user plays a video of the gameplay at the time of failure after failing to clear the game.

[0105] Figure 25 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing operation assumed in Embodiment 2. Figure 25 is denoted with reference numerals corresponding to the parts that correspond to those in Figure 12. The processing steps from Step 1 to Step 5 are the same as those shown in Figure 12, so redundant explanations will be omitted. In the case of Figure 25, after executing step 5, it is determined whether or not to accept playback of the gameplay video of the player who failed to clear the stage from player P2 (step 21).

[0106] If player P2 has not instructed playback, a negative result is obtained in step 21. In this case, processor 11 terminates the processing operation. On the other hand, if player P2 instructs playback, a positive result is obtained in step 21. In this case, processor 11 executes step 7. If the support function is turned off, a negative result is obtained in step 7. In this case, the processor 11 in this embodiment terminates the video processing. This differs from Embodiment 1. If the support function is turned on, a positive result is obtained in step 7. In this case, processor 11 overlays support information onto the player's gameplay video where they failed to clear the level (step 22).

[0107] The gameplay video shown here is the gameplay video stored in the memory unit 120 (see Figure 4) during the gameplay in Step 1. Figure 26 illustrates an example of displaying a gameplay video with support information. Figure 26 includes corresponding reference numerals for parts that correspond to those in Figure 18. The gameplay video shown in Figure 26 differs from Figure 18, which shows a real-time gameplay screen, in that it is a playback image.

[0108] In this case as well, player P1's gaze information is superimposed on the screen as the game progresses. However, what is displayed on display 214 is a video of player P2's gameplay when they failed to clear the game. Therefore, player P2 can more easily check player P1's gaze information than when player P1's gaze information is superimposed on the gameplay screen in real time. In addition, in this embodiment as well, it is possible to apply a superimposed display of the operating direction of player P1 as shown in Figure 19, or a superimposed display of both the gaze information of player P1 and its own gaze information as shown in Figure 20.

[0109] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments of the invention are not limited to those described above. For example, elements of each embodiment can be combined as appropriate. (1) For example, in the embodiment described above, an information terminal 20 was described in which a camera 215 used to detect the player's line of sight and a display 214 on which the play screen is displayed are integrally arranged on the same housing surface, but they do not necessarily have to be arranged on the same housing surface. For example, the camera 215 used to detect the player's line of sight may be configured as a separate device attached externally to the information terminal 20.

[0110] (2) In the above embodiment, the example given was that the first player is an advanced player and the second player is a beginner. However, when the advanced player, acting as an instructor, checks the gaze position of the beginner being instructed on the play screen, the advanced player becomes the second player and the beginner becomes the first player.

[0111] <Summary> The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program described in the embodiments are shown below. [General tasks] One of the objectives of this invention is to support the player's gameplay. One of the objectives of this invention is to enable gameplay that references the gaze position of other players.

[0112] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 1] One of the objectives of the present invention is to make the gaze position of the first player during gameplay visible on the second player's gameplay screen. [Note 1] An information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game; and a display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the play screen of the predetermined game played by a second player. This information processing device makes it possible to view the gaze position of the first player during gameplay on the second player's gameplay screen.

[0113] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 2] One of the objectives of the present invention is to facilitate the selection of gameplay videos with supportive information based on the gaze position. [Note 2] The display control unit provides one or more gameplay videos of a first player playing a predetermined game, and overlays support information onto the second player's gameplay screen based on gaze information associated with a gameplay video selected from a list of one or more gameplay videos, as described in Appendix 1. This makes it easier to select gameplay videos with supportive information based on the point of focus.

[0114] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 3] One of the objectives of this invention is to enable the player to see a list of gameplay videos at an appropriate time. [Note 3] The display control unit is an information processing device as described in Appendix 2, which displays a list when the result of a predetermined game played by a second player satisfies predetermined conditions. This allows the player to see a list of gameplay videos at the appropriate time.

[0115] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 4] One of the objectives of this invention is to enable the efficient selection of gameplay videos that are useful for gameplay. [Note 4] The display control unit controls the priority of one or more play videos in the list according to the evaluation of each play video, as described in Appendix 3. This allows you to efficiently select gameplay videos that are helpful for your gameplay.

[0116] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 5] One of the objectives of this invention is to enable the efficient selection of gameplay videos that are useful for gameplay. [Note 5] The information processing device described in Appendix 3, wherein the display control unit controls the priority of one or more play videos in the list according to a comparison between the deck used by the second player to play a predetermined game and the deck used by the first player to play a predetermined game. This allows you to efficiently select gameplay videos that are helpful for your gameplay.

[0117] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 6] One of the objectives of this invention is to enable the efficient selection of gameplay videos that are useful for gameplay. [Note 6] The display control unit controls the information processing device described in Appendix 5 to enable identification on a list of gameplay videos played using a deck that can be assembled from game objects possessed by the second player. This allows you to efficiently select gameplay videos that are helpful for your gameplay.

[0118] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 7] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable a second player to play with the same deck configuration as the first player. [Note 7] The display control unit, if the deck used in the play video selected by the second player is different from the deck used by the second player, automatically reconfigures the deck used in the selected play video and then allows the second player to restart playing the predetermined game, as described in Appendix 6. This allows the second player to play with the same deck configuration as the first player.

[0119] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 8] One of the objectives of this invention is to enable support tailored to the second player's gameplay. [Note 8] The display control unit controls the superimposed display of support information according to the gameplay status of a predetermined game by the second player, as described in Appendix 1. This makes it possible to provide support tailored to the second player's gameplay.

[0120] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 9] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable support for the second player in situations where the second player has made a mistake in the past. [Note 9] The display control unit is an information processing device as described in Appendix 8, which overlays support information on scenes where the second player made a mistake in a previous play. This allows for support from the second player in situations where the second player has made a mistake in the past.

[0121] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 10] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable the second player to provide support in situations where there was a difference in the gaze position of the first player during past play. [Note 10] The display control unit is an information processing device as described in Appendix 8, which superimposes support information based on a predetermined game scene where there was a difference between the gaze position detected in the second player's past play and the gaze position of the first player. This allows the second player to provide support in situations where there was a difference in the first player's focus position during past gameplay.

[0122] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 11] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable the second player to provide support in situations where there is a difference in the gaze position of the first player during gameplay. [Note 11] The display control unit is an information processing device as described in Appendix 8, which superimposes support information on a predetermined game scene where the gaze position detected by the second player during gameplay differs from the gaze position of the first player. This allows the second player to provide support in situations where there is a difference in the first player's focus during gameplay.

[0123] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 12] One of the objectives of the present invention is to make it possible to confirm the difference in the gaze positions of the first player and the second player on the screen. [Note 12] The display control unit displays, in an identifiable manner, first support information indicating the gaze position of the first player and second support information indicating the gaze position of the second player, as described in Appendix 10 or 11. This makes it possible to see the difference in the gaze positions of the first and second players on the screen.

[0124] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 13] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable gameplay that references the actions of the first player. [Note 13] The display control unit is an information processing device as described in Appendix 1, which superimposes the operation information of a predetermined game by the first player onto the play screen of the second player. This allows for gameplay that references the actions of the first player.

[0125] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 14] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable the evaluation of the first player's gameplay video based on the second player's gameplay results. [Note 14] The information processing device described in Appendix 1, further comprising an evaluation reflection unit that reflects the play results of a second player who played a play screen with support information superimposed on it into the evaluation of the play video of the first player used to display the support information. This makes it possible to evaluate the first player's gameplay video based on the second player's results.

[0126] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 15] One of the objectives of this invention is to prioritize the presentation of highly-rated gameplay videos. [Note 15] The display control unit provides a list of play videos of the first player in order of priority according to the evaluation by the evaluation reflection unit, as described in Appendix 14. This allows us to prioritize displaying highly-rated gameplay videos.

[0127] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 16] One of the objectives of the present invention is to enable the first player to be rewarded according to the results of the second player's play. [Note 16] The information processing device according to Appendix 14, further comprising a reward control unit that controls the reward to be given to the first player according to the evaluation. This allows the first player to receive rewards based on the second player's performance.

[0128] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 17] One of the objectives of the present invention is to make the gaze position of the first player during gameplay visible on the second player's gameplay screen. [Note 17] An information processing method comprising: a processor performing a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game; and a processor performing a process to superimpose support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the play screen of the predetermined game played by a second player. This information processing method makes it possible to reference the gaze position of the first player during gameplay on the second player's gameplay screen.

[0129] Issues corresponding to [Appendix 18] One of the objectives of the present invention is to make the gaze position of the first player during gameplay visible on the second player's gameplay screen. [Note 18] A program that causes a processor to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position of a first player on the game screen when they play a predetermined game, and then causes the processor to overlay support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the game screen played by a second player. This program makes it possible to view the gaze position of the first player during gameplay on the second player's gameplay screen. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] 1...Information processing system, 10...Server, 11...Processor, 12...Memory, 13...Auxiliary storage device, 14...Communication interface, 15...Signal line, 20, 20A, 20B, 20X...Information terminal, 111...Eye-tracking information acquisition unit, 112...Display control unit, 113...Evaluation reflection unit, 114...Reward control unit, 120...Storage unit, 121...Player information, 122...Viewing user information, 123...Game information, 124...Play record information, 125...Play log, 126...Video file information, 211...Processor, 212...Memory, 213...Auxiliary storage device, 214...Display, 215...Camera, 216...Operation buttons, 217...Communication interface

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game, A display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, An information processing device having, The display control unit, The system provides one or more play videos of the first player playing the predetermined game, Based on the gaze information associated with the play video selected from the list of one or more play videos, the support information is superimposed and displayed on the play screen of the second player. Information processing device.

2. An acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game, A display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, An information processing device having, The display control unit, The superimposed display of the support information is controlled according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player. The display control unit, The second player will display the aforementioned support information overlaid on the screen at the point where they made a mistake in a previous playthrough. Information processing device.

3. An acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game, A display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, An information processing device having, The display control unit, The superimposed display of the support information is controlled according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player. The display control unit, Based on a scene in the predetermined game where there was a difference between the gaze position detected in the second player's past play and the gaze position of the first player, the support information is superimposed and displayed. Information processing device.

4. An acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game, A display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, An information processing device having, The display control unit, The operation information of the predetermined game by the first player is superimposed and displayed on the play screen of the second player. Information processing device.

5. An acquisition unit that acquires gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when a first player plays a predetermined game, A display control unit that overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, An information processing device having, The system further includes an evaluation reflection unit that reflects the results of a second player's play on a play screen where the aforementioned support information is superimposed onto the screen, in the evaluation of the first player's play video used to display the support information. Information processing device.

6. The processor performs a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game, The processor performs a process of overlaying support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, The processor performs a process of providing one or more play videos of the first player playing the predetermined game in a playable format, The processor performs the process of overlaying the support information onto the second player's play screen based on the gaze information associated with the play video selected from the list of one or more play videos, An information processing method that performs the following.

7. The processor performs a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game, The processor performs a process of overlaying support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, The processor performs a process to control the superimposed display of the support information according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player, The processor performs a process to overlay the aforementioned support information at the point where the second player made a mistake in a previous play, An information processing method that performs the following.

8. The processor performs a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game, The processor performs a process of overlaying support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, The processor performs a process to control the superimposed display of the support information according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player, The processor performs a process of overlaying the support information based on a predetermined game scene in which there was a difference between the gaze position detected in the second player's past play and the gaze position of the first player. An information processing method that performs the following.

9. The processor performs a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game, The processor performs a process of overlaying support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, The processor performs the process of superimposing the operation information of the predetermined game by the first player onto the play screen of the second player, An information processing method that performs the following.

10. The processor performs a process to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the play screen when the first player plays a predetermined game, The processor performs a process of overlaying support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player, The processor performs a process that reflects the play results of a second player who played the play screen on which the support information is superimposed into the evaluation of the play video of the first player used to display the support information. An information processing method that performs the following.

11. The processor is instructed to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the game screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. The processor overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. The processor is made capable of playing back one or more gameplay videos of the first player playing the predetermined game. The processor overlays the support information onto the second player's play screen based on the gaze information associated with the play video selected from the list of one or more play videos. A program that executes a process.

12. The processor is instructed to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the game screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. The processor overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. The processor controls the superimposed display of the support information according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player. The processor displays the aforementioned support information overlaid on the screen at the point where the second player made a mistake in a previous play. A program that executes a process.

13. The processor is instructed to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the game screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. The processor overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. The processor controls the superimposed display of the support information according to the gameplay status of the predetermined game by the second player. The processor overlays the support information based on a scene in the predetermined game where there was a difference between the gaze position detected in the second player's past play and the gaze position of the first player. A program that executes a process.

14. The processor is instructed to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the game screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. The processor overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. The processor is instructed to superimpose the operation information of the predetermined game performed by the first player onto the play screen of the second player. A program that executes a process.

15. The processor is instructed to acquire gaze information based on the gaze position on the game screen when the first player plays a predetermined game. The processor overlays support information based on the gaze information of the first player who played the predetermined game onto the gameplay screen of the second player. The processor is configured to reflect the results of a second player's play on a play screen where the support information is superimposed, in the evaluation of the first player's play video used to display the support information. A program that executes a process.

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