JP2002224452A - Server connection control program, recording medium having recorded server connection control program, server connection control method, and server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow players to mutually exchange information pertaining to games without spoiling their desires for the games and interests therein. SOLUTION: A bulletin board is searched correspondingly to a game to be carried out by a player A within a message server (step S304). A video game machine is connected to a memory region correspondingly to the degree Lv of the progress of the game obtained at a step S302 in the bulletin board for the game searched (step S304). Therefore, for example, when the degree (Lv) of the progress of the game is 3 is given by the player A, the video game machine of the player A is connected to the memory region Lv3 of the bulletin board, and so, the player A can not further view data stored in following memory regions Lv4, Lv5, or the like, of the bulletin board. This prevents the player A on the stage of Lv=3 from learning how the story is developed on the following stages which is called 'leaked scenario'.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention records a server connection control program and a server connection control program for controlling access to an electronic bulletin board in which players of a video game exchange information on the video game on a network. Recording medium, server connection control method, and server

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of video games, there is a role playing game (hereinafter referred to as RPG). RPG
Is a game in which a player character is operated in a virtual three-dimensional space on a display screen, and a conversation is made between the player character and another character, and a battle is performed between the player character and an enemy character. It is a game that advances. Therefore, the story develops as the game progresses, and difficulties that require the player to think and make decisions appear as the story develops. When the player character operated by the player breaks through all the difficulties, the story is completed and the RPG is completed. Accordingly, the progress of the RPG greatly depends on the ability of the player to think and judge, and the progress speed of the game greatly varies depending on the ability of the player.

For this reason, players who are playing the same RPG exchange information about the RPG with each other in order to make the progress of the game smooth.
An electronic bulletin board on the network is used for exchanging the information on the RPG, and a player who has overcome the difficulties of the RPG writes the method on the bulletin board, while a player who is struggling to overcome the difficulties writes the information on the electronic bulletin board. By browsing, you can find a solution to the breakthrough.

[0004]

However, the RPG
Generally requires several days to complete the game, and since the point at which the game is started differs for each player, the game progress state at a certain point differs for each player. Therefore, if each player can freely access the electronic bulletin board to write information about the RPG or browse the written information, the player in the early stage of the game may know the development of the subsequent story. appear. In such a case, "spoilers"
This causes inconvenience that the player's motivation for the game and the interest of the game are spoiled.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and is intended to allow players to exchange information about a game without deteriorating the player's motivation for the game or the interest of the game. It is an object of the present invention to provide a server connection control program, a recording medium storing the server connection control program, a server connection control method, and a server.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a progress state of a video game, and the storage of the server. In a system configured with each user terminal connected to the area via a network, information on a predetermined video game transmitted from each user terminal is stored in any storage area of the server, and each storage area A program for controlling a server so as to transmit information on the video game stored in the server to each user terminal, and obtaining game progress information indicating a progress state of the video game in the user terminal connected to the server. The user terminal based on the procedure and the game progress information acquired in the acquisition procedure. To perform a connection procedure to be connected to the computer

[0007] Therefore, when the computer executes the processing according to the server connection control program, each user terminal is connected to the storage area of the server according to the progress of the video game being played on the user terminal. Then, information on the video game can be stored in the storage area, and information on the video game can be transmitted from the storage area.

Therefore, the user terminal of the user (player) whose game progress is still in the initial stage of the game is connected to the storage area of the server in which information from the user terminal of the user (player) in the final stage of the game is stored. I can't. This prevents a "spoiler" in which the player in the early stage of the game knows the development of the story thereafter.

The user terminal of the user (player) whose game is in the final stage of the game connects to the storage area of the server in which information is stored from the user terminal of the user (player) in the initial stage of the game. I can't do that either. Therefore, information from the user terminal whose game progress state is at the end of the game is not stored in the storage area for the user at the early stage of the game. This also prevents a "spoiler" in which the player in the early stage of the game knows the development of the subsequent story.

[0010] In the invention according to claim 2, in the acquisition procedure, game progress information stored in the server is acquired for each of the user terminals. That is, in the case of an online video game that participates in a video game via a network, game progress information (save data) of each user terminal may be stored in the server and acquired.

[0011] In the invention according to claim 3, in the obtaining step, the game progress information stored in each of the user terminals is obtained. That is, when a video game is played on a user terminal, game progress information (save data) may be stored and acquired in a memory of each user terminal.

According to the inventions described in claims 4 to 6, the same effects as those in the inventions described in claims 1 to 3 can be obtained by causing a computer to read a program recorded on a recording medium. It becomes possible. According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained by causing a computer to execute a process in the steps described. Therefore, by executing the described processing steps using hardware such as a general-purpose computer and a general-purpose game device, the server connection control technology of the present invention can be easily implemented with these hardwares.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 8, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the invention described in claim 1 as a server.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a video game service in which a plurality of players can participate via a network. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a network game system that provides such a network-compatible video game service. In this system, the video game machine 103
a, 103b... and general-purpose computers 104a, 1
.. Are connected to the server group 102 via the Internet 100.

The server group 102 provides an interface between an authentication server group 111 for performing account management for user authentication, video game machines 103a, 103b,. Server group 1 that provides browsing services
12, a message server group 113 for providing a chat or messenger environment, a mail server group 115 for providing an e-mail service, a profile server group 115 for managing a user profile, and a game environment for providing a game environment. The game server group 116 is included. These server groups 111 to 116 are connected to the LAN 11
7 are connected to each other.

The game server group 116 includes a plurality of video game machines 103 in order to search for an opponent to play with.
Is connected to the server. This server is sometimes referred to as a lobby server because it provides a virtual lobby for players to gather and communicate. When the video game machine 103 is connected to the lobby server, a screen representing a virtual “lobby” is displayed on the display screen of the video game machine 103. On this lobby screen, the player's own character and the characters of other player characters connected to the lobby server are displayed. Players can chat, thereby interacting with other players and searching for opponents to play games with. When "start game" is selected from the menu displayed on the lobby screen, the video game machine 103 is connected to one of the game servers in the game server group 116, and the game screen is displayed on the display screen of the video game machine 103. Then the game starts. If there is another player participating in the game, in addition to the player character of the player, the character of that player is also displayed on the game screen.

Further, the user accesses the authentication server group 111 in the server 102 via the Internet 101 from a user terminal such as the video game machine 103 or the general-purpose computer 104 and obtains personal authentication. Server group 10
2 transmits a menu screen to the client that has been authenticated. When the user selects each service displayed on the menu screen, the video game machine 103 or the general-purpose computer 104 is connected to a server group corresponding to the service, and the user can receive various information services.

One of the servers in the message server group 113 is provided with bulletin boards 113a, 113b, 113c,... For each video game as shown in FIG. Each bulletin board 113a, 113b, 113c ...
As shown in FIG. 3, there are a plurality of storage areas Lv1 and Lv corresponding to the degree of progress (progress state) Lv of the video game.
2, Lv3... Are provided.

Any one of the servers in the profile server group 115 is provided with a save data memory group 115a shown in FIG. 4A for each game, and a flag data group shown in FIG. A memory group 115b is provided. The save data memory group 115a stores, for each of the players A, B, C,..., A save data memory SA, SB, SC,.
Is provided.

The flag data memory group 115b stores flag states FA, FB, FC,... For each of the players A, B, C,.・ Is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the flag data memories FA, FB, FC... Correspond to the state (1) of the flags F1, F2, F3. ,
0) is stored. Therefore, for example, referring to the flag data memory FA of the player A,
By determining which flag F is “1”, it is possible to determine the game progress degree Lv of the player in the game.

FIG. 6 shows the video game machines 103a and 103a.
04a... Are block diagrams showing the configuration of. As shown, the video game machines 103a and 103b include, for example, a game machine main body 2, a keypad 3, a memory card 4, a TV set 5, and a CD-ROM 6.

The game machine main unit 2 includes, for example, a CPU 8 (Central Processing Uniform) connected to each other via a bus 7.
t), ROM (Read Only Memory) 18, RAM (Rando
m Access Memory) 9, HDD (Hard Disk) 10, interface unit 11, sound processing unit 12, graphic processing unit 13, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only)
Memory) drive 14, detachable CD-ROM 6, and communication interface 15.

The CPU 8 sequentially executes the programs stored in the RAM 9 based on a basic program such as a boot program and an OS (Operating System) stored in the ROM 18 to perform processing for advancing the game.
The CPU 8 also controls the operation of each unit 9 to 15 in the game machine main body 2.

The RAM 9 is used as a main memory of the game machine body 2 and stores programs and data transferred from the CD-ROM 6 and necessary for the progress of the game. The RAM 9 is also used as a work area when executing a program. That is, R
A program storage area 91, a data storage area 92, a work area 93 and the like are allocated to the AM 9. Programs and data stored in the program storage area 91 and the data storage area 92 are stored in a CD-R under the control of the CPU 8.
The OM drive 14 reads from the CD-ROM 6 and
The data is transferred to M9 or received from the game server group 116. The work area 93 temporarily stores various data required in the course of the game.

The HDD 10 has a communication interface 1
5. Game programs and data captured via the communication line 16 and the Internet 101 are also stored. The detachable keypad 3 and the memory card 4 are connected to the interface unit 11. The interface unit 11 controls data transfer between the keypad 3 and the memory card 4 and the CPU 8 and the RAM 9.
Note that the keypad 3 includes direction keys and various buttons. When the player operates these keys and buttons, inputs necessary for the progress of the game, such as an instruction to move to the own character and an instruction to perform an operation, are performed. The memory card 4 stores data indicating the progress of the game.

In accordance with an instruction from the CPU 8, the sound processing unit 12 performs a BGM (Back G
Processing for reproducing sound data such as round music) and sound effects is performed, and output to the TV set 5 as an audio signal.

The graphic processing unit 13 performs three-dimensional graphic processing according to an instruction from the CPU 8 and generates image data according to the progress of the game. The graphic processing unit 13 adds a predetermined synchronization signal to the generated image data and outputs the image data to the TV set 5 as a video signal.

The CD-ROM drive 14 stores the CD set in the game machine body 2 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 8.
Drive the ROM 6 and transfer programs and data stored in the CD-ROM 6 to the RAM 9 via the bus 7;

The communication interface 15 is a communication line 1
6 and is connected to the Internet 101 via CP
In accordance with an instruction from U8, processing for exchanging programs and data with the game server group 116 is performed.

The CD-ROM 6 stores programs and data (game program 6a) necessary for the progress of the game. The CD-ROM 6 is driven by a CD-ROM drive 14 to read out stored programs and data. The programs and data read from the CD-ROM 6 are transferred from the CD-ROM drive 14 to the RAM 9 via the bus 7.

The TV set 5 includes a graphic processing unit 13
(CaT) that displays an image corresponding to the video signal from
The display device 51 includes a display device 51 such as a thode ray tube) and a speaker 52 that outputs sound corresponding to the sound signal from the sound processing unit 12. Usually, a television set is used as the TV set 5.

In this embodiment having the above-described configuration, when the CD-ROM 6 is set in the CD-ROM drive 14, the CPU 8 secures an area for storing information in the RAM 9, and stores a program area 91 and a data area in the RAM 9. 92, a work area 93 and the like are secured. Then, the program and the information necessary for the game to be started
-Read from the ROM 6 to the RAM 9, and the CPU 8 controls other components in the game device based on the read game program, so that processing according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is executed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a login process for connecting the video game machine 130 to the game server. First, as in a normal game, basic processing including display of an initial screen (such as a maker logo), check of the memory card 4, display of a title screen, loading of data, and the like is performed (step S101).

Next, an initial menu is displayed on the display device 51 (step S 102), and when the player selects “Internet connection” (step S 103), the video game machine 130 is connected to one of the servers in the content server group 112. The connection is established via the Internet 100 (step S104).

Next, a player authentication procedure is executed (step S105). When the video game machine 130 is connected to the content server, an authentication request screen is displayed on the display device 51. The player inputs information necessary for authentication in the displayed authentication request screen. The input information is sent from the video game machine 130 to the group of authentication servers 111 via the content server, where the authentication is performed.

When the authentication is obtained, a service menu is displayed on the display device 51 (step S106). When the player selects “game” from the service name displayed on the service menu (step S107), the video game machine 130 is connected to the lobby server included in the game server group 116 (step S108), and the lobby screen is displayed on the display device 51. Is displayed (step S109). When "start game" is selected from the menu displayed on the lobby screen (step S110), game server group 11
The video game machine 130 is connected to one of the game servers 6 (step S111), and the game screen is displayed on the display device 5.
1 (step S124). This starts the game.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a process at the time of logout of one game server in the game server group 116 to which the video game machine 130 is connected in step S111. That is, the game server receives the game control information associated with the operation of the keypad 3 from the video game machine 130, or transmits the game control information to the video game machine 1
30 to advance the game (step S20).
1). During that time, it is constantly monitored whether or not there is a game end instruction from the video game machine 130 (step S20).
2). When the player performs a predetermined game ending operation using the keypad 3 and receives a game ending instruction from the video game machine 130, a logout process is performed (step S203).

Next, the game progress degree Lv of the player at the end of the game is obtained (step S20).
4). That is, an RPG composed of a scenario of a predetermined length
In, the scenario is divided into a plurality of sections, and game progress degrees Lv = 1, 2, 3,... Are set for each section.
Therefore, in step S204, at the end of the game of the player, in which section of the scenario the player character was present is detected, and a game progress degree Lv indicating the section is acquired.

Further, the obtained game progress degree Lv
Are stored in the corresponding save data memories SA, SB, SC,... Of the player (step S205). Subsequently, in the flag data memories FA, FB, FC,... Of the player, the flag F corresponding to the value of Fv is set to “1”, and the other flags F
Is set to "0" (step S206). Therefore, for example, if the player A ends the game when the game progress degree Lv = 3, the flag corresponding to the game progress degree Lv = 3 in the save data memory SA of the player A as shown in FIG. Only F4 becomes "1".

On the other hand, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, if "bulletin board" is selected without selecting "game start" in step S110, step S1 is executed.
One game server in the game server group 116 connected in the process 11 searches the profile server group 115 (step S301). Then, in the flag data memory group 115b existing in the profile server in the profile server group 115, the Lv where the flag F = 1 of the player is acquired from the flag data memories FA, FB, FC,. (Step S302). Thereafter, the message server group 113
The video game machine 130 is connected to one of the message servers (step S303). Further, in the message server, a game (CD set in the CD-ROM drive 14) that the player is going to play.
A bulletin board corresponding to a game based on the game program stored in the ROM 6 (the bulletin board 113 shown in FIG. 2);
a, 113b, 113c,...) are searched (step S304). Next, in the bulletin board corresponding to the searched game, the video game machine 130 is stored in a storage area (storage areas Lv1, Lv2, Lv3,... Shown in FIG. 3) corresponding to the game progress degree Lv acquired in step S302 described above. Are connected (step S305).

Therefore, for example, if the bulletin board 1131 corresponds to the game that the player A is going to play and the game progress degree Lv of the player A is 3 as described above, the video game machine 130a of the player A 3
Is connected to the storage area Lv3 of the bulletin board 1131 shown in FIG. Therefore, the bulletin board data stored in the storage area Lv3 is displayed on the display device 5 of the player A by the "display of the bulletin board" performed instead of the "display of the game screen" in step S112 of FIG. Thereby, it is possible to obtain data related to the game that the player is going to play. In addition, the game progress process (L
By inputting the knowledge obtained during (v = 1 to 3) by operating the keypad 3, it is possible to write in the storage area Lv3 of the bulletin board 1131.

However, the video game machine 13 of the player A
Since 0a is connected to the storage area Lv3,
The player A cannot see the data stored in the subsequent storage areas Lv4, Lv5, and so on. This prevents a "spoiler" in which the player A at the stage of Lv = 3 knows the development of the subsequent story. Also, for example, the video game machine 130b of another player B already in the progress state of Lv = 10 has the storage area L
Unable to connect to v3. Therefore, the video game machine 130 whose game progress state is already at Lv = 10
Is not written into the storage area Lv3. This also prevents the "spoiler" in which the player at the stage of Lv = 3 knows the development of the subsequent story beforehand.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, one of the servers in the profile server group 115 is provided with a save data memory group 115a to store the save data of each player. However, since the game and the save data of the player are also stored in the memory card 4, the save data stored in the memory card 4 may be transmitted to the server to perform the processing. .

Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described where the present invention is realized using a home game machine as a platform. However, the present invention can be realized even when a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or an arcade game machine is realized as a platform. Good.

Further, in the present embodiment, a program and data for realizing the present invention are stored in a CD-ROM, and this CD-ROM is used as a recording medium. However, the recording medium is not limited to a CD-ROM, but may be a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), another magnetic or optical recording medium readable by a computer, or a semiconductor memory. Further, a program and data for realizing the present invention may be provided in a form preinstalled in a storage device of a game machine or a computer in advance.

A program and data for realizing the present invention are stored in the Internet 1 connected via a communication line 16 by a communication interface 17 shown in FIG.
The device may be downloaded from another device on the HDD 01 to the HDD 10 and used. Further, the program and data are recorded in a memory of another device on the communication line 16,
The program and data may be sequentially stored in the RAM 9 as needed via the communication line 16 and used.

In addition, the form of providing programs and data for implementing the present invention may be provided as a computer data signal superimposed on a carrier wave from another device on the Internet 101. In this case, the communication interface 15 requests another device on the Internet 101 to transmit a computer data signal via the communication line 16, receives the transmitted computer data signal, and stores it in the RAM 9. RAM in this way
It is also possible to implement the present invention on the game device 1 using programs and data stored in the game device 9.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, the terminal of the user (player) whose game progress is still in the initial stage of the game is replaced by the information from the user terminal of the user (player) in the final stage of the game. Connecting to the storage area of the server in which is stored. As a result, it is possible to prevent a "spoiler" in which the player at the early stage of the game knows the development of the story after that.

Further, it is possible to prevent the user terminal of the user (player) whose game progress state is in the final stage of the game from connecting to the storage area of the server in which information is stored from the user (player) in the early game stage. You can also. This prevents information from the user terminal whose game progress state is at the end of the game from being stored in the storage area for the user at the early stage of the game. It is possible to prevent a "spoiler" in which a certain player knows the development of the subsequent story.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a bulletin board provided for each video game type.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a plurality of storage areas according to the degree of progress (progress state) Lv of a video game.

FIG. 4A is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a save data memory group, and FIG. 4B is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a flag data memory group.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing details of a flag data memory.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of the video game machine.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the video game machine.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the game server ends the game.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the game server connects to the bulletin board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Game console 5 TV set 6 CD-ROM 8 Control unit 101 Internet 103a Video game console 103b Video game console 113 Message server group 116 Game server group

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A system comprising: a server having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to the progress of a video game; and user terminals connected to the storage areas of the server via a network. The information related to the predetermined video game transmitted from the terminal is stored in any storage area of the server, and the server is controlled to transmit the information related to the video game stored in each storage area to each user terminal. An acquisition procedure for acquiring game progress information indicating a progress state of a video game in a user terminal connected to the server; and, based on the game progress information acquired in the acquisition procedure, the user terminal is connected to the server. And a connection procedure for connecting to a corresponding storage area of the computer. The connection control program. 2. The server connection control program according to claim 1, wherein in the acquiring step, game progress information stored in the server is acquired for each of the user terminals. 3. The server connection control program according to claim 1, wherein in the obtaining step, the game progress information stored in each of the user terminals is obtained. 4. A system comprising: a server having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to the progress of a video game; and user terminals connected to the storage areas of the server via a network. The information related to the predetermined video game transmitted from the terminal is stored in any storage area of the server, and the server is controlled to transmit the information related to the video game stored in each storage area to each user terminal. An acquisition procedure for acquiring a game progress information indicating a progress state of a video game in a user terminal connected to the server, wherein the program progress is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program is recorded. And a connection procedure for connecting the user terminal to a corresponding storage area of the server. Recording medium characterized by recording a program to be executed by the computer. 5. A program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring game progress information stored in the server for each of the user terminals in the acquiring procedure. Recording medium. 6. The recording medium according to claim 4, wherein in the acquiring step, a program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring game progress information stored in each of the user terminals is recorded. . 7. A system comprising a server having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to the progress of a video game and user terminals connected to the storage areas of the server via a network. The information related to the predetermined video game transmitted from the terminal is stored in any storage area of the server, and the server is controlled to transmit the information related to the video game stored in each storage area to each user terminal. An acquisition step of acquiring game progress information indicating a progress state of a video game in a user terminal connected to the server; and a user terminal based on the game progress information acquired in the acquisition step. Connecting the server to a corresponding storage area of the server. Connection control method. 8. A system comprising a server having a plurality of storage areas corresponding to the progress of a video game, and user terminals connected to the storage areas of the server via a network. A server that stores information related to a predetermined video game transmitted from a terminal in any storage area of the server, and transmits information related to the video game stored in each storage area to each user terminal, An acquisition unit that acquires game progress information indicating a progress state of a video game in a user terminal connected to a server; and, based on the game progress information acquired by the acquisition unit, stores the user terminal in a storage area corresponding to the server. A server comprising: connection means for connecting.