JP2002074152A - Program and system for charging advertisement on communication network, and program and system for market research - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system which performs an advertisement and market research with respect to a player playing in a network type game and the world of a virtual experience. SOLUTION: This program is stored in a server that provides the game or the world of the virtual experience to the player connected through a communication network. When the player virtually purchases an item such as merchandise and a service used by the alter ego character of the player or a character designated by the player in the game or the world of a virtual experience in a virtual shop appearing in the game or the world of the virtual experience, the virtual purchase results are recorded, an advertisement rates to a sponsor corresponding to the virtual shop is calculated on the basis of the virtual purchase results, and the market research is also performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an advertisement charging program on a communication network, a system therefor, a market research program, and an improvement of the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the following configuration is known as an advertisement system or an advertisement method in the Internet or a game. (1) Guaranteed page view type, guaranteed period type Banner advertisement placement method that guarantees the number of placements and placement period before placing the advertisement. Use different advertising methods depending on the purpose and number of people who want to show your ads. (2) Click-guaranteed type After an advertiser's request for posting, a banner ad is sent to the site or an advertiser's address ad (posting the advertiser's site address and text ad is posted) to the mail magazine reader. And because the system charges the advertiser when the user clicks, it cannot be charged unless the user clicks. (3) Tie-up type (* This is not limited to the Internet) Displaying company logos and signs / images related to products specified by the advertiser in the game and earning advertising revenue from the advertiser accordingly . These conventional page view assurance type, period assurance type, and tie-up type have a drawback in that the user is passive and the recognition as an advertisement is low. On the other hand, in the case of the click guarantee type, since the user actively clicks, there is no problem as described above, but there is a drawback that the utilization rate is low, and there is a problem in terms of advertisement efficiency.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made as a result of earnest research in view of the above circumstances, and is directed to a server for providing a game or virtual experience world to players connected via a communication network. In the stored program or system, advertisements are highly recognized and efficiently performed, and accordingly, advertisement billing can be performed. Another object of the present invention is to easily obtain market research data based on virtual purchase results of items such as products and services used in the game or virtual experience world.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an advertisement billing program on a communication network according to the present invention. A program stored on a server that provides the world that is used by players in the game or virtual experience world,
When virtually purchasing an item such as a service, the virtual purchase result is recorded, and an advertisement fee to the sponsor corresponding to the virtual store is calculated based on the virtual purchase result.
It has taken the technical measures. Further, in the invention of claim 2, a technical measure is taken that the advertisement fee is calculated in proportion to the virtual purchase price. According to the third aspect of the present invention, a technical measure is taken in which the advertisement fee is calculated in proportion to the number of virtual purchases or the number of times the user has visited the virtual store for purchase. Further, in the invention of claim 4, a technical measure is taken that market research data for the item such as the product or service is created based on the recorded virtual purchase results. In the invention of claim 5, a technical measure is taken that the market research data is created based on the virtual purchase result and the personal data of the player.

According to the invention of the advertisement billing system on the communication network according to claim 6, when the player virtually purchases an item such as a product or service used in the world of a game or a virtual experience through the communication network, the virtual purchase result is obtained. Technical means that the advertising fee is charged to the sponsor corresponding to the virtual shop based on the above.

Next, according to the invention of a market research program on a communication network according to claim 7, a program stored in a server for providing a game or a virtual experience to a player connected via the communication network, wherein the player Or, when virtually purchasing an item such as a product or service used in the virtual experience world, the virtual purchase result is recorded, and the product, based on the virtual purchase result,
It takes technical measures to create market research data for items such as services. In the invention of claim 8, a technical measure is taken that the market research data is created based on the virtual purchase results and the personal information of the player.

Further, according to the invention of the market research system on a communication network according to claim 9, when a player virtually purchases an item such as a product or service used in the world of a game or a virtual experience through the communication network, the virtual Technical measures are taken such that market research data of the product or service can be created based on the purchase results and the personal data of the player, and provided to sponsors corresponding to the virtual stores.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of an advertisement billing system on a communication network according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the system shown in FIG. 1, a personal computer, a PDA, a digital T
V or a mobile phone or other communication terminal 1, a communication network 2 such as the Internet, and a server 3 that provides a world of games and virtual experiences, and the player uses the communication terminal 1 via the communication network 2. It is configured to execute a game or a virtual experience provided by the server 3. In this embodiment, the server 3 stores an advertisement charging program 4 in addition to the game program, and is connected to a purchase result database 5.

In this embodiment, a case where the game program stored in the server 3 is a role playing game will be described. Here, a role-playing game (RPG) will be described. In the game, a player operates a character that is the main character of the story in the game, grows through various adventures, and achieves the ultimate purpose of the story. It is a game. As the hero character progresses through the story, by performing a “fight” with “monsters” and the like set in the story, the originally set ability value is increased. The basics of the battle are an attack value (A + B + C) obtained by adding a random numerical value C to a numerical value A according to the growth of the hero's character and a numerical value B obtained by summing up numerical values of items such as weapons, and a monster endurance value (D
= Hit point). Like the monsters, the hero characters
A durability value is set, and a penalty such as a game over is provided when a value equal to or more than a certain value decreases. During the game, the hero character may choose to recover this `` durability value '', acquire items such as weapons with higher numerical values, or purchase behavior such as carriages, airplanes, cars as a means of transportation is there. The former is performed at "stay at an inn" or "eat and drink at a cafeteria or bar", and the latter is performed at "shops such as weapon shops, item shops, etc." The resulting "reward" (currency used in the game) is used, so the number of actions is naturally limited. However, in the development of the game story, events such as purchasing more powerful weapons to defeat stronger monsters and increasing the unit price of goods in the shop as the game progresses occur, so the main character is You will always keep defeating monsters and repeat shopping at the shop. That is, the game cannot be cleared unless this action is continued.

In such a game, it is preferable that the function of the shop (hereinafter, referred to as a virtual store) be given the same name as various companies that are sponsors and that the company logo be distributed in the game, further enhancing the advertising effect. Further, the goods and services and other items sold at the virtual store may be fictitious, but the names and trademarks of the real goods and services sold by the real sponsor company can be used. Therefore, in the game program,
Numerical values that affect the main character for these products and services are set in advance, and the main character can be selected during the game.

[0011] The types of virtual stores in the game world,
An example of the corresponding relationship between sponsor companies (tie-ups and business partners) is as follows. “Inn”: Real hotels and accommodation facilities “Canteen” “Bar”: Real food and beverage manufacturers,
Restaurants, fast food, etc. "Weapons shop": a real weapon manufacturer, etc. "Item shop": a real drug manufacturer, furniture maker, etc. "Transportation": real automobile, railway, aviation, and ship companies Such

In the above-mentioned game world, a character operated by a player or an alter-ego character (avatar) (hereinafter referred to as a hero character) travels through a vast game world while gathering information and sometimes gathering with friends. do. In the middle of the journey, you fight many monsters, defeat monsters, gain experience, "grow", and save the currency used in the game (hereafter referred to as fictitious money). The “virtual store” as described above is provided as a facility that the hero character always uses.

[0013] Therefore, when the hero character becomes hungry, the player purchases food and drink at a "grocery store" or a "restaurant". If you get hurt in the battle with monsters, purchase items (such as medicinal herbs and healing medicines) at the virtual item shop "Item Shop" to recover your physical strength. In addition, as the hero character grows, he buys swords and shields at the virtual shop "Weapon Shop", and if he gets tired of daily battles, stays at the virtual shop "Inn Shop" to rest and recover his physical strength.

[0014] In order to travel in the world of the game, it is possible to use transportation means (trains, carriages, airplanes, etc.) as virtual stores,
In some cases, you may want to buy a transport machine. As described above, there are many virtual stores in the game world, and exchange of fictitious money occurs.

Therefore, for example, the management company of the server 3 forms a virtual fast food store in the game world in cooperation with a real fast food store to be an advertiser (sponsor) of the game. . During the progress of the game, the hero character cannot continue the game without recovering his physical strength, so he always goes shopping in a virtual store.

[0016] When the hero character consumes the imaginary money saved in the game world by shopping or the like, it does not impose a psychological burden on the player. Since this is a life activity that is natural in the progress of the game, it is easy for the player to make a product selection based on his or her free judgment, which is not forced.
Therefore, when a large number of players examine the product purchase history of the hero character operated in each game, it is possible to investigate the product selection trend of the large number of players who operated the hero character, and obtain player marketing information. .

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the advertisement charging program 4 calculates the virtual purchase results of goods, services, and other items (hereinafter referred to as “product items”) at each of the virtual stores performed by all the players. Data is sequentially recorded in the purchase result database 5 or a file.

In the present embodiment, the virtual money obtained by purchasing the merchandise item is integrated for each virtual store, and the total value is calculated. Then, the advertisement fee is calculated based on the total value, and the sponsor company is charged as the advertisement fee. Therefore, if only the amount of the advertisement fee is calculated, the processing of summing up the sales of the virtual store corresponding to the sponsor company may be performed.

In the system of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the server 3 stores the market research program 6 as an integrated program together with the advertisement charging program 4 of the first embodiment. In this case, at least the identification number or name of the virtual store corresponding to the sponsor company and the identification number or name of the merchandise item purchased by the hero character are sequentially recorded in the purchase record database 5.

Based on the data recorded in this way, if the product items are classified for each item and the total value is calculated, the purchase tendency of a predetermined product item can be checked. Further, in this embodiment, at the time of the enrollment procedure of the game or the virtual experience described later, personal information of the player, for example,
The user is requested to input data such as age, occupation, and the like, a member number (identification number) is given to the player, and the member number and personal data are recorded in the personal information database 7 (or file). If the purchase result database 5 records the virtual purchase result data together with the player's member number, the personal data and the virtual purchase result data recorded in the purchase result database 5 are stored based on the member number. Since data can be matched or statistically processed according to the purpose of the survey,
Can perform simple market research and marketing analysis.

In addition, if necessary, the game program may request a questionnaire which is determined appropriately when the hero character purchases (or does not purchase) the merchandise item in the virtual store, and the answer data is also obtained. It can be recorded as part of personal data and used similarly. If the personal information database 7 is not provided as described above, or if the data is of a type that is not recorded in the personal information database 7, such personal data or questionnaire is purchased for the merchandise item in the virtual store. At that time (or not to purchase), an answer to a questionnaire appropriately determined is requested, and this answer data is also recorded as a part of personal data and can be used similarly. A configuration may be used in which a personal data file is created by appropriately inputting the data from a player, and this is used. In the present invention, simple market research and marketing analysis may be performed by performing data processing or statistical processing using only the virtual purchase result data.

In the game program and the advertisement billing program 4, the advertisement billing price (unit price) may be set in advance for the merchandise items handled in the virtual store. For example, if 100 money (fictitious money) is set to 1 count in the game, the hero character hamburgers 250 money (= 2.5
Count) and hamburger 350 money (3.0 counts) purchased in Country B, the sponsor corresponding to the virtual shop is converted into, for example, 1 count X yen according to the accumulated count number 5.5. A company is charged 5.5X yen as an advertising fee.

When the same price range is set for a plurality of predetermined commodity items in the virtual store, or when the ability value of the hero character obtained by the commodity items is set to be the same, the total number of purchases for each commodity item, Alternatively, by calculating and comparing the total value of the paid fictitious money, a simple market research on “which product is popular?” Can be performed. Further, by selling the same kind of product or service at a virtual store of a different sponsor company, it is possible to compare relative products. Therefore,
The purchase result data obtained as described above can be used and utilized as a means of marketing by the sponsor company as an advertiser.

Further, as a method of utilizing the advantages of the network, a virtual store in the game world simultaneously campaigns with the “commercial campaign” conducted by the sponsor company in the real world, thereby real-time advertising strategy. (Synergistic effect) and can be applied to advertisements in all types of industries. As a result, it is possible to provide an advertisement with much higher recognition and higher efficiency than the conventional “click guarantee type”.

In the system shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the market research program 6 is stored in the server 3 together with the game program.
Shows a different embodiment in which is stored. In this embodiment, no advertisement charging program is stored, and the purchase record database 5 is configured to be used exclusively as market research data. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied particularly to "RPG (Roll Playing Game)" in the network type game is exemplified, but the present invention can also be applied to "Simulation Game" and other games.

In addition, not only in the game, but also in a "community in a virtual world" where a virtual life experience can be performed, in a case where an alter-ego character of a player purchases a product item in a virtual store using fictitious money accepted in the world of the virtual experience. Can also be applied. In this case, the basic configuration is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. For example, in the virtual experience world, when an alter ego character travels, go to a travel agency or a virtual store of transportation, select a destination, select an airplane or a train, and purchase goods and services with fictitious money I do. Also, when the alter ego character sets up a house in the virtual experience world, he goes to a virtual store of a housing company, selects a house, and purchases it with fictitious money. The purchase result data is recorded as a purchase result database (or file) 5 on the server 3, and based on this data, the fictitious money is integrated for each virtual store as described above, and converted into an advertisement fee for the sponsor company. be able to. Further, a market survey can be conducted from these data in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which the advertisement fee is calculated based on the unit price of each product item in the virtual purchase result data. In the present invention, the calculation is performed based on the number of purchases of each product item. It may be something. Or
The calculation may be based on the number of times that the user has visited the virtual store to purchase a product item. In other words, what is necessary is just to be calculated based on any of the virtual purchase result data recorded on the server. In addition, the fictitious money may not be a currency as long as it can be exchanged for a commodity item in the world of games and virtual experiences.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the virtual store is used as a store for the merchandise items in the world of the game and the virtual experience. However, the sales form of the merchandise items is not limited to the virtual store, and the merchandise items are simply arranged. Or just Further, the virtual shop may have a configuration in which products of different sponsor companies are arranged. In that case, the purchase result data may be recorded for each product item, a sponsor company corresponding to the product item may be set, and the advertisement fee may be charged in total for each product item. In other words, it goes without saying that various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0030]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, it is possible to select and purchase goods and services without giving a psychological burden to a player using virtual money in a game or virtual experience world. In addition, since the advertisement fee is charged using the data of the virtual purchase results, the advertisement can be advertised more efficiently and more efficiently than the conventional advertisement method, and the advertisement fee is set to an amount corresponding to the advertisement effect. can do. In addition, the data of the virtual purchase results can be used as a market survey of products, which is extremely useful.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall outline of a system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a procedure of an advertisement charging program.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an overall outline of a system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a procedure of an advertisement charging program and a market research program.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an overall outline of a system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a procedure of a market research program.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication terminal 2 Communication network 3 Server 4 Advertising billing program 5 Purchase result database 6 Market research program 7 Personal information database

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Claims (9)

[Claims] Claims 1. A program stored in a server that provides a game or virtual experience world to a player connected via a communication network, wherein the player uses items such as goods and services used in the game or virtual experience world. Is purchased by fictitious money, the virtual purchase record is recorded, and an advertisement fee to a sponsor corresponding to the virtual store is calculated based on the virtual purchase record. . 2. The advertisement charging program on a communication network according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement fee is calculated in proportion to the total value of the virtually purchased virtual money. 3. The advertisement charging program on a communication network according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement fee is calculated in proportion to the number of virtual purchases or the number of visits to the virtual store for purchase. 4. The advertisement billing on a communication network according to claim 1, wherein market research data for the item such as the product or service is created based on the recorded virtual purchase results. program. 5. The advertisement charging program on a communication network according to claim 4, wherein the market research data is created based on the recorded virtual purchase results and the personal data of the player. 6. When a player purchases an item such as a product or a service used in the world of a game or a virtual experience performed through a communication network with virtual money, the player corresponding to the virtual store based on the virtual purchase record is provided. An advertisement billing system on a communication network, wherein an advertisement fee is charged. 7. A program stored in a server for providing a game or virtual experience world to a player connected via a communication network, wherein the player uses items such as goods or services used in the game or virtual experience world. A virtual research record, and records the virtual purchase performance, and creates market research data of items such as the goods and services based on the virtual purchase performance. 8. The market research program on a communication network according to claim 7, wherein the market research data is created based on a virtual purchase record and personal information of a player. 9. When a player virtually purchases an item such as a product or service used in the world of a game or a virtual experience performed through a communication network by a player, the product or service based on the virtual purchase record and the personal information of the player. A market research system on a communication network, which can create market research data and provide it to sponsors corresponding to virtual stores.