Game Character Data Segmentation for Cross-Game Portability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to efficiently manage and utilize game characters across multiple types of games, limiting their use due to incompatible parameters and data structures.

Innovation Solution

A content holding system and server that store game characters with a common area for shared parameters and inherent areas specific to each game, allowing characters to be deposited and withdrawn across different games while updating relevant parameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single character data structure is used across multiple games, then character portability is improved, but parameter compatibility deteriorates due to different game-specific parameters

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter portabilityVSAvoidparameter compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The character data structure is segmented into common parameters (applicable across all games) and game-specific parameters (inherent areas for each game type). This segmentation allows the character to maintain core identity while adapting to different game requirements, resolving the contradiction between portability and compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the character data structure have different qualities: common parameters maintain consistency across games, while game-specific parameters are customized for each game type. This local quality approach enables the character to be universally portable while maintaining local parameter compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If game-specific parameters are stored for each character, then parameter accuracy for each game is improved, but data structure complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparameter accuracyVSAvoiddata structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The data structure is divided into common parameter sections and game-specific inherent areas. This segmentation organizes complexity by separating universal character attributes from game-specific adaptations, maintaining parameter accuracy while structuring data efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common parameter area serves all game types universally, while game-specific inherent areas handle specialized requirements. This multi-functionality approach reduces overall complexity by avoiding duplication of common data across different game contexts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If complete character data is transferred between games, then character information completeness is improved, but data transfer efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter information completenessVSAvoiddata transfer efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Only the necessary common parameters and relevant game-specific parameters are extracted and transferred between games, rather than transferring complete character data. This extraction maintains essential character information completeness while significantly improving data transfer efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of transferring all character data, the system performs partial action by transferring only the essential common parameters and game-specific parameters needed for the target game, achieving sufficient character information completeness with improved efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12478869B2Content holding system, storage medium and content holding server

Publication Date: 2025.11.25 NINTENDO CO LTD

AI summary

A non-limiting example content holding system includes a game apparatus and a server, which are connected to each other communicably via a network. Multiple types of games can be played on the game apparatus, and a character used in the game can be deposited with the server. In a case of depositing a character with the server, character data is converted into a format having a common area and an inherent area of a game. When keeping the character, the server updates, in withdrawal character data of the character, only common data and data of the inherent area used in the game. When withdrawing a deposited character, the game apparatus acquires, from withdrawal character data held on the server, the character data having the common area, and the inherent area of the game that uses the character to be withdrawn, and converts the acquired character data into a format to be used in the game, and saves the converted data while including in save data.