KR20130082652A - Method for lending service of on-line game character - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An online game character rental service method is provided to offer an in-game character rental service to the users of an online game. CONSTITUTION: A character rental server communicates with a user who wants to rent his character via a network and receives the information about the user's character and the rental terms and conditions (S31). The server provides the rental information via the network and receives a request from another user who wants to borrow the character (S32). The server carries out a rental expense payment process with the user who requests to rent the character and places the character into the user's game account (S33-S35). [Reference numerals] (S31) Receive the information about a user's character and the rental terms and conditions of the character from the user and manage the information; (S32) Disclose the rental character information and receive a rental request; (S33) Settle a payment with another user who wants to borrow the character; (S34) Has the payment completed successfully ?; (S35) Place the character into the user's game account; (S36) Return the character to the game account of the original owner when the rental period ends; (S37) The attempt to rental the character fails

Description

Method for Lending Service of On-Line Game Character}

The present invention relates to a character rental service method in an online game, in particular, so that users using the online game can rent their characters to other users for a certain period of time for a rental fee.

Various types of online games are serviced through a communication network. In most games, each user is represented by a character in a virtual space.

Each user can have one or more characters, and their abilities and status in the game are managed on a character basis. For example, if a user creates a new character and uses the character to play a game, all effects such as owning the game item or increasing the game level belong to the character.

Meanwhile, in the current game service method in which users can use only their own characters, there are various factors that may complain to users.

For example, users whose characters reach the highest game level are no longer interested in the game and often stop using the game.

If users with higher game levels stop playing the game, valuable virtual goods cannot be used and remain dead.

In addition, new users and beginners will have no choice but to use beginner's goods before proceeding with their own games to raise the game level.

That is, in the current game service method in which a user can use only his character, there are factors that can impede game activation, and the decrease of customers is directly related to the profitability of online game providers.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, so that users using online games can lend their characters to other users for a certain period of time, so that users with characters of high game level The purpose is to make it possible to use the character as well as beginners to easily experience high-end characters.

In order to achieve the above object, a character rental service method in an online game according to the present invention is characterized in that a character rental server interworking with an online game system interfaces with a user who wants to lend a character through a communication network and a character to be rented and a rental condition. Receiving input and managing the rental information; Providing the rental information through a communication network to receive a rental request for a specific rental target character from a user who wants to borrow a character of another user; Performing a rental fee payment of the rental target character with the user who has made the rental request, and transferring the rental target character to the game account of the user according to the result; And when the rental period of the character loaned to another user expires, transferring the character to the game account of the user who is the original owner.

The rental conditions include at least the rental price and the rental period.

The rental condition may further include a matter of what state to return the character when the rental period expires, or a method of handling increased or decreased goods when the goods of the character change during the rental period.

When the character rental server transfers a character whose rental period has expired to the game account of the user who is the original owner, the character rental server may be restored to the state where the rental was made, or transferred to the current state.

The character rental server may maintain the increased goods owned by the user who borrowed the character if the goods of the character is increased than the goods at the time of the rental at the end of the rental period.

The character rental server may process so that only characters that satisfy a predetermined registration condition may be subject to a rental.

At this time, the character rental server may be processed to be eligible for rental only when the character's game level is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, or may be processed to be available for rental only when the character does not belong to a group in the game.

The character rental server may immediately treat the rental period as expired when a user who borrows a character of another user corresponds to a preset sanction target.

The game server of the online game system may block a certain function of the character during the rental period.

The blocking function during the rental period may include a function of trading a game item with a character of another user, a function of discarding the game item, and the like.

When the game client of the online game system displays a character borrowed from another user on a game screen, the game client may display a mark indicating that the character is rented so that the user may know.

According to the present invention, a character rental service can be easily and conveniently performed among users who use an online game.

Advanced users can borrow their high-level characters to other users to gain economic profits and satisfy their desire to show off their skills, so they continue to use the game to make each character a high level.

Beginners can use high-level characters in advance to satisfy their desire to experience more experiences faster, and use high-level characters to more easily obtain high-quality items and improve their game skills quickly.

As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the number of users who use the game, and to eliminate the situation in which high-quality goods are dead.

1 is an overview of a system for servicing an online game,
2 is an embodiment of a character rental service method according to the present invention;
3 is an example of a user interface that allows users to register their characters for rental,
4 is an example of selectively allowing registration according to registration criteria;
5 is an example of a user interface that allows users to request a loan for a character of another user;
6 illustrates an example in which a game account of a user who rents a character and a user who rents a character changes in each rental process;
7 shows an example of displaying a character to be rented on a game screen.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the online game system 20 provides a game service through various communication networks 13 such as a wired internet network or a wireless internet network.

The types and contents of the games provided by the online game system 20 may be configured in various ways. For example, MMORPG (Massively Multi) in which a plurality of users simultaneously participate in the game while performing a predetermined quest may be performed. -player Online Role Playing Game.

The user terminal 11 is a device that can connect to a communication network 13 such as a laptop computer, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, as well as a personal computer, to use a game service.

The game client 11-1 is installed and executed in the user terminal 11, and the game client 11-1 needs to be performed by the user such as graphic screen processing, sound processing, and processing of various user interfaces for game progression. Play a variety of roles. The role sharing between the game client 11-1 and the game server 23 can be configured in various ways.

The online game system 20 may be configured in various ways depending on the type and content of the game.

As an example, the online game system 20 is necessary to provide a web server 21, a game service that provides various information related to a game service on the web and allows users to open a game account by registering. Information in the account information database 24 for storing various user related information, the authentication server 22 for authenticating users registered as members using the account information in the account information database 24, and the account information database 24 It may include a game server 23 for performing a game while communicating with the game client 11-1 using the.

In particular, in connection with the present invention, the character rental server 25 provides a character rental service using character-related information such as character ownership information and character status information of each user stored in the account information database 24.

In this case, 'rent' means not to transfer ownership of a character, but to set a period and lend it to other users for that period.

Referring to FIG. 2, a method in which the character rental server 25 provides a character rental service according to the present invention will be described in detail.

The character rental server 25 receives a rental target character and a rental condition from a user who interfaces with each user through the communication network 13 to lend their own character and stores them as rental information (S31).

The rental conditions can be set in various ways, but at least include conditions relating to the rental price and the rental period.

Step S31 is a process of registering a character that he / she wants to lend to another user in the character rental server 25 from a user's point of view, and the character rental server 25 interfaces with the users. ) Can be configured in various ways as needed.

3 shows an example of the character registration window for rental 210 as a user interface in step S31, and displays a character list 211 owned by a user who wants to register his character for rental, and the user lists the characters. If the character to be borrowed is selected, it is displayed on the registration target item 212.

Then, the rental period and the rental price are input through the items (213, 214) for inputting the rental period and the rental price.

When a user selects a specific character as a rental target, inputs a rental period and a rental price, and clicks the register button 215, the character rental server 25 displays the character, rental period, and rental price information of the user. Manage as a list of rentals.

However, when the user clicks the cancel button 216, the character registration window 210 for rental is closed as it is.

The rental conditions include various terms such as not only the rental period and the rental price, but also how the character will be returned at the end of the rental period, and how to handle the increased or decreased goods if the character's goods change during the rental period. This may be further included.

In connection with step S31, the character rental server 25 may process so that only characters that satisfy a predetermined registration condition may be subject to rental for stable operation of the rental service. Registration conditions required for registering a character as a rental target may be variously set as necessary.

As a specific example, it can be processed to be a rental target only when the character's game level is above a certain reference value, or it can be processed to be a rental target only when the character does not belong to a group in the game.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the user A requests to register his character C as a rental target (S41), the character rental server 25 checks whether or not the game level of the character C is greater than or equal to the reference value (S42). For example, check if the game level is the highest level.

As a result of the check in step S42, if the game level of the character C is equal to or greater than the reference value, it is checked whether the character C belongs to an in-game group such as a party, a guild, or a blood clan (S43).

This is because a character belonging to a group may have a common interest or purpose, and therefore, if the character is transferred to another user, especially a novice user, it may harm the interest of the group.

If the character C does not belong to the group as a result of the check in step S43, registration for the character C is allowed and managed as a rental list (S44).

However, if the game level of the character C is less than the reference value or the character C belongs to the group as a result of the verification in step S42 (S45), the registration request for the character C is rejected (S45).

Although FIG. 4 illustrates a case where the user A selects the character C and requests registration, the character rental server 25 registers the character list 211 when displaying the character list 211 in the character registration window 210 for rental in FIG. 3. It may not be displayed by excluding the character of the user who does not satisfy.

The character rental server 25 receives a character rental request from users who want to rent a character of another user by providing each rental information stored in the rental list through the communication network 13 through step S31 (S32).

Step S32 is a process of requesting that a specific character be loaned to the user from the point of view of the user.

The user interface for interfacing with the users in step S32 may be variously configured as necessary.

5 shows an example of the character rental request window 230 as a user interface in step S32, and displays a list of rental information 231 currently registered as a rental, such as a character to be rented, a rental period, and a rental price. The detailed information item 233 displays detailed information of the character to be borrowed selected by the user from the rental information list 231 such as a character generation date, a game level, and a mounted item.

When the user clicks the borrow button 235, the user accepts the request to rent the currently selected rental target character, and when the user clicks the cancel button 236, the character rental request window 230 is closed as it is.

A user interface for interfacing with each user in steps S31 and S32 may be provided through various paths.

For example, by providing on a web through a wired or mobile Internet homepage, each user can be configured to access the Internet homepage and access the user interface screen to register or request a rental.

As described with reference to FIG. 1, when the online game system 20 operates the web server 21 for service on the web, the web server 21 may be configured to perform the role of the character rental server 25. Can be.

If there is a rental request of the character through step S32, the character rental server 25 performs a payment for the rental of the character to be rented among the user who has made the rental request (S33).

Payment in step S33 may be made in various ways. For example, it may be processed to pay using a virtual payment means such as coins or points used in the online game service.

If the payment in step S33 is successful (S34), the character rental server 25 transfers the character to the game account of this user (S35). Otherwise, the rental request in step S33 fails (S37). Transferring the character in step S35 means updating the account information of the user managed through the account information database 24 to the state in which the character to be rented is held.

When the character is transferred through step S35, the character rental server 25 updates the rental information to maintain the latest list of available rentals. In addition, a certain portion of the paid amount is deducted as a fee, and the necessary follow-up processing is performed, such as transferring to a user who lends his character.

The game server 23 proceeds with the game by identifying which user has which character based on the account information of each user stored in the account information database 24. You can enjoy the game using the character.

On the other hand, the character rental server 25 transfers the character to the game account of the user who is the original owner when the rental period of the character loaned to other users expires (S36).

That is, as a procedure of returning a character upon expiration of the rental period, the character rental server 25 updates the original owner account information managed through the account information database 24 to the state (available state) with the character. do.

The account information of the user who borrowed the character is updated to the state in which the character is not owned.

FIG. 6 shows that user A 61 lends his character C to user B 62, user B 62 uses character C during the rental period, and the rental period expires, and character C returns to user A 61. ) Shows an example returned.

In this example, the game account of the user A 61 has a character C before the rental, the character C is deleted or disabled during the rental, and has a character C again after the rental period expires. It becomes a state.

In addition, the game account of the user B 62 is in a state in which there is no character C before the loan, in the state in which the character C is in the middle of the loan, and in the state of no character C again after the rental period expires.

Regarding the state before the loan of the user A 61, the state of the character C may not be changed in the period before the user A 61 registers the character C as a rental target and before the loan is made to another user. . Then, the state of the character registered as the rental target can be maintained the same until the time when the loan is made to other users can be prevented from changing the state of the rental.

During the rental period, the character is used by a user other than the original owner, and the state of the character, for example, the game level or the game item, changes in the process, and when the character is returned in step S36, the change is handled. The method can be configured in various ways.

As one example, when the character rental server 25 transfers a character whose rental period has expired to the game account of the user who is the original owner, the character rental server 25 may restore the character to the state where the character rental was made.

As another example, the character rental server 25 may transfer a character whose rental period has expired to the current state when transferring the character to the game account of the user who is the original owner.

That is, the user borrowing the character can be returned as it is changed according to the result of enjoying the game using the character.

If the goods present in the character at the end of the rental period are increased than the goods existing at the time of the rental, the increased goods are acquired by the user who borrowed the character and can be kept as owned by this user. However, it may be configured to give to the user who lent the character or to distribute to two users.

If the rental conditions are set in the process of renting a character, the conditions of returning the character when the rental period expires or how to handle the increased or decreased goods when the goods are changed during the rental period, You should follow along.

Now, various embodiments of the situation in which the character is used during the rental period after the character is rented will be described.

When a character is borrowed, the character will have its original name (eg, the name of the character set by the original owner), but the user who borrows the character can also set the name of his character.

In this regard, the game client 11-1 may display a mark indicating that the character is rented around the character when the character borrowed from another user is displayed on the game screen.

This marker may be configured in various ways, and FIG. 7 shows a new character name (XXXX) at the top of the character 251 appearing on the game screen 250, and the original character name (yyy) in parentheses below it. ) Shows an example of small display.

As described above, the post-processing according to the rental may be performed in various ways, and thus, an undesired damage may occur to the original owner as the user who borrows the character abnormally uses the character.

In this regard, the game server 23 may block a certain function of the character during the rental period. For example, during the rental period, the game server 23 may block an action of damaging the character state, such as a function of trading a game item or throwing a game item on the floor.

In addition, when a user borrowing a character of another user makes an inappropriate action, the character rental server 25 may respond appropriately.

In response to such a response, the character rental server 25 may process the rental period of the character as expired when a user who borrows a character of another user corresponds to a preset sanction target.

For example, the online game system 20 monitors a bad user who performs inappropriate behavior such as abusive language or slander in a game, and takes a sanction. The character rental server 25 designates a user who has borrowed a character of another user as a bad user. If the reconciliation action is taken, the rental period can be immediately treated as expired. The user's character is then returned to the original owner.

In addition, the character rental server 25 may perform various correspondences as necessary such that the corresponding user may not use the character rental service.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. to be.

11: User Terminal 11-1: Game Client
13: Network 20: Online Gaming Systems
21: Web Server 22: Authentication Server
23: Game Server 24: Account Information Database
25: Character Rental Server

Claims (12)

In the method of providing a character rental service to a user using an online game service in a character rental server interoperating with an online game system,
Interface with a user who wants to lend a character through a communication network to receive a rental target character and a rental condition, wherein the rental condition includes at least a rental price and a rental period;
Providing the rental information through a communication network to receive a rental request for a specific rental target character from a user who wants to borrow a character of another user;
Performing a rental fee payment of the rental target character with the user who has made the rental request, and transferring the rental target character to the game account of the user according to the result; And
When the rental period of the character loaned to another user expires, the character rental service method in the online game comprising the step of transferring the character to the game account of the user who is the original owner. The method of claim 1,
The character rental server is a character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that for transferring the expired character to the game account of the user of the original owner when the rental period. The method of claim 1,
The character rental server character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that for transferring the expired characters to the game account of the user of the original owner to the current state. The method of claim 1,
The character rental server character rental service method in the online game, characterized in that if the goods of the character at the end of the rental period is increased than the goods at the time of rental, the increased goods are owned by the user who borrowed the character. The method of claim 1,
The character rental server is a character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that the processing so that only the character that satisfies the preset registration conditions become a rental target. The method of claim 5, wherein
The character rental server is a character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that the processing to be eligible for rental only when the character's game level is above a certain reference value. The method of claim 5, wherein
The character rental server is a character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that the character is processed so that the rental target only when not belonging to a group in the game. The method of claim 1,
The rental condition further includes at least one of a matter of what state the character is to be returned to when the rental period expires, and a method of processing the increased or decreased goods when the goods of the character change during the rental period. Character rental service method in game. The method of claim 1,
The character rental server character rental service method in the online game, characterized in that if the user who borrowed the character of the other user corresponds to the predetermined sanction target, the rental period of the character has expired. The method of claim 1,
The game server of the online game system is a character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that blocking the use of a certain function of the character during the rental period. 11. The method of claim 10,
The function of blocking during the rental period includes at least one of a function of trading a game item, and a function of discarding the game item. The method of claim 1,
The game client of the online game system character rental service method for an online game, characterized in that when the character is borrowed from other users on the game screen to display a mark that the character is borrowed.

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