JP2007330635A - Saved data taking over method and game system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To take over information related to saved data without erasing any information stored at an original transmitting source of information. <P>SOLUTION: When the information related to the game card of the previous game version as the information including the saved data is taken over from a master machine 200 to a slave machine 202, the trade card of the previous version is transmitted from the master machine 200 to the slave machine 202, the slave machine 202 then records the information related to the trade card of the previous version and at the same time transmits the same information as the information related to the trade card of the previous version. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a save data takeover method and a game system, and more particularly, to a technique for taking over information including save data between game devices having a display screen as a virtual game space.

  A game device having a display screen as a virtual game space is known. In this type of game device, a game is executed according to a predetermined application program. In addition, it also has a communication function so that it can communicate with other game devices during execution of application programs, exchange data generated during execution of game programs, and exchange data. ing. In this data exchange, when data to be transmitted in advance is selected by each game device, a game device that can always communicate by wireless LAN, infrared communication or the like is searched, and communication with other game devices becomes possible However, when the selected data is transmitted to another game device and the data from the other game device is received, the selected transmission source data is It is supposed to be erased.

  In addition, application programs installed in game devices may be upgraded sequentially, or software on which a new application program for outputting a continuation of a game scenario is recorded may be released later. For this reason, when a new application program is created, the contents of the game executed by the old application program are taken over as saved data to the game device equipped with the new application program (patent). Reference 1).

In Patent Document 1, the scenario is divided into a first part and a second part, and a program for reproducing each scenario is recorded on a separate recording medium, and an intermediate result of a game generated when the program for the first part is executed. Information (save data) is recorded on a memory card different from the recording medium on which the game program is recorded, and this information is read when the program for the second part is executed to take over the data. That is, in Patent Document 1, since the recording medium on which the game program is recorded and the save data are different recording media, the program for the second part is created in advance so that the scenario can be taken over by reading the save data for the first part. If this is the case, the save data can be taken over simply by replacing the recording medium for the first part with the recording medium for the second part.
JP 2002-210246 A

  In Patent Document 1, software in which an application program and save data are recorded on the same recording medium is not considered, and it is difficult to take over save data in such software. Even if data can be sent and received by the communication function, the old application program may not be created so that save data can be transferred (save data transmission) to the new application program. If the old application program cannot be changed, it is difficult to take over the saved data.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to carry out information about saved data without erasing information stored in the information transmission source.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes over the data used for the game application program between the first version and the second version of the game application program, Executed by a first game device that executes the first version, and a second game device that executes the second version connected to the first game device via communication means. And the first version of the game application program has a function of exchanging the first data of one program and the second data of the other program, and the second version of the game The application program for exchanging data with the first version of the game application program And a second mode for exchanging data with the other second version of the game application program, and the second version of the game application program includes: In the first mode, the first version of the game application program is issued with a first identification signal indicating that its version is not the second version but the first version, In the second mode, a data transfer method of issuing a second identification signal indicating the second version to the other second version game application program. The first game device sends the data exchange request and the first version to the second game device. A first step of issuing a third identification signal indicating an application program for a game, and the second game device receives the request from the first game device and the third identification signal. The second step of shifting to the second mode, generating the first identification signal, and issuing it to the first game device together with a reply notification to the receipt; The first game device receives the response notification and the first identification signal, determines that the game application program operating on the second game device is of the first version, and A third step of issuing first data to the second game device, and the second game device receiving the issue issues corresponding data of the first data to the first game device. Consisting comprises a fourth step that, the, characterized in that it is a data takeover method.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides information including save data from an information transmission source game device to an information transmission destination game device among the plurality of game devices when performing communication between a plurality of game devices to take over save data. The information transmission destination game device records the information including the save data on condition that the handover condition is satisfied, and transmits the information including the save data to the information transmission source game device. It adopts a save data transfer method characterized by

  According to the present invention, when information including save data is handed over between a plurality of game devices, information including save data is transmitted from the information transmission source game device to the information transmission destination game device. The information transmission destination game device that has received the information records the information including the save data and transmits the information including the received save data to the information transmission source game device. Information including saved data can be taken over without the information being erased.

  Further, when the save data is taken over, the information transmission destination game device transmits the information without newly recording the information including the save data when the information transmitted from the information transmission source game device is already recorded. By transmitting the information indicating that the save data is rejected to the original game device, it is possible to prevent information including the same save data from being sequentially recorded.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game system in which a plurality of game devices that execute a game in accordance with a predetermined program are connected via communication means, and an information transmission destination from an information transmission source game device among the plurality of game devices. The game device that is the information transmission destination that has transmitted the information including the save data to the game device via the communication unit and has received the information including the save data records the information including the save data and stores the save data. The game system is configured to transmit information including the information to the game device that is the information transmission source via the communication means.

  According to the above-described means, when information including save data is taken over between a plurality of game devices, information including save data is transmitted from the information transmission source game device to the information transmission destination game device, The information transmission destination game device that has received this information records the information including the save data, and transmits the information including the received save data to the information transmission source game device. The information including the save data can be taken over without erasing the information. Further, when the save data is taken over, the information transmission destination game device transmits the information without newly recording the information including the save data when the information transmitted from the information transmission source game device is already recorded. By transmitting the information indicating that the save data is rejected to the original game device, it is possible to prevent information including the same save data from being sequentially recorded.

  Further, the present invention can constitute a recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute each of the save data takeover methods is recorded.

  According to the present invention, even when save data is handed over from software that has only an information exchanging function and cannot be changed so that information in the game device that is the information transmission source is deleted, the game device that is the information transmission source Information including save data can be taken over without losing information.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are for understanding the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a functional unit when the present invention is applied to a game device (computer game device). In FIG. 1, a game apparatus 100 includes a main monitor 2 as a display device that displays a game image, an operation unit monitor 3 that displays a game image and an operation image for a user to input an operation, and an operation unit monitor 3. The touch panel 4 as an input device that receives input and outputs an operation signal in response to a user operation, an operation button 5, and a sound effect according to the behavior of the character or object are generated. Control for displaying an image on the main monitor 2 or operation unit monitor 3 in response to signals from the speaker 6, the touch panel 4 or the operation button 5, the control unit 7 for controlling driving of the speaker 6, and the like, for electronic games As an information resource, an external storage medium that can be attached to and detached from the game apparatus main body storing game programs and data (including video and music data) ( It is configured to include a memory) 8.

  The external storage medium 8 includes a ROM that stores table data such as game programs and parameters, program data as information resources such as image data and audio data, character and item data generated in response to player input, and Consists of rewritable memory such as S-RAM and flash memory in which flag data corresponding to table data such as the above parameters generated as the game program progresses, progress information during the game, etc. are recorded as save data Is done.

  The ROM may be a non-rewritable ROM, but one type of storage medium may be used by allocating a part of the rewritable memory to the storage of the information resource. .

  The control unit 7 executes a game program stored in the external storage medium 8, thereby performing the game device as a whole (each block), and reading and writing that stores programs and data necessary for the CPU 71 to perform processing. Possible RAM 73, non-volatile ROM 72 storing a program or data that operates first prior to the game program when the game device is activated, and data such as parameters and flags generated during the execution of the game process A communication interface 77 as an information transmission / reception circuit for transmitting / receiving information to / from other game devices and advancing the game in the same game space, and sound effects according to the behavior of the moving object to be played by the character, operation signals, etc. Sound controller 76 as a sound effect generating means for generating In order to display a game image such as an image on the screen of the main monitor 2, an image is generated in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 71 to control the main monitor 2; In order to display a game image such as a background image or an operation image for a user to input an operation on the screen of the operation unit monitor 3, an image is generated in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 71 and the operation unit monitor 3 is controlled. And an operation unit monitor graphic controller 75.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the main monitor graphic controller 74, the operation unit monitor graphic controller 75, and the CPU 71 include an operation button data input unit 101, a touch panel data input unit 102, a pointer position control unit 103, and a gauge level control unit. 104, a game image generation unit 105, a pointer image generation unit 106, a gauge image generation unit 107, an operation unit background image generation unit 108, a main monitor image generation unit 109, and an operation unit monitor image generation unit 110. The image generation unit 109 is connected to the main monitor 2, and the operation unit monitor image generation unit 110 is connected to the operation unit monitor 3.

The main monitor 2, the operation unit monitor 3, the main monitor graphic controller 74, and the operation unit monitor graphic controller 75 may each be a single monitor or graphic controller. The main monitor image generation unit 109 and the operation unit monitor The image generation unit 110 may be a single image generation unit as a function.
The game apparatus 100 is used as a card game machine when, for example, information resources for realizing a card game are recorded in the external storage medium 8.

  In this card game, a plurality of virtual card data imitating trading cards are recorded in the external storage medium 8, and only limited card data can be used at the start of the game. The game program is configured so that the recorded card can be used.

  The virtual card data is composed of image data of a card that is designed such as a character displayed on the main monitor 2 or the operation unit monitor 3, and parameters associated with the image data (hereinafter, card parameters). Has been.

  Card parameters are a card number uniquely assigned to each card, an object parameter indicating the strength of an object such as a character designed on the card, an availability flag indicating whether the game program can be used, the same Data such as number-of-cards information indicating the number of times the card data can be used in the game at the same time, and data such as correction parameters for correcting the object parameters described above by user operations and game progress are configured in a table, for example. Is.

Of the above card parameters, only fixed parameters such as object parameters that are not rewritable are recorded in the ROM of the external storage medium 8. When the CPU 71 reads these parameters and writes them into the RAM 73, It is stored in association with variable parameters that change with the progress of the program, such as card number information and correction parameters.
The variable parameter is recorded in the rewritable memory of the external storage medium 8 as saved data together with progress information during the game or at the end of the game, and is read when the game program is started next time. The operation of being associated with the object parameter read from the ROM of the external storage medium 8 and stored in the RAM 73 is repeatedly executed every time the game program is activated.

  As one aspect of the present invention, communication with other game devices is performed via the communication interface 77, and variable parameters generated during the execution of the game program can be transmitted and received to exchange each parameter. ing. For this parameter exchange, data to be transmitted in advance by each game device is selected, and wireless LAN (standards such as IEEE802.11a and IEEE802.11b), wireless communication such as Bluetooth, infrared communication (IrDA), etc. Search for game devices that can communicate at all times and exchange data when communication with other game devices becomes possible, but send selected data to other game devices, and others When the data from the game device is received, the selected data of the transmission source is erased.

  This is a mechanism for reducing the loss of interest in the game due to the fact that the same data is copied without limitation and items such as card data can be obtained without playing the game.

  In the above card game, when a user plays a battle game or the like with another user or an imaginary opponent in the game controlled by the CPU 71 using the game device 100, information on various cards acquired in the game is an application. It is recorded in the same external storage medium 8 as the program (game program).

  Note that the acquisition of a card by a game means that the CPU 71 turns on the corresponding availability flag that is off in the initial state for virtual card data recorded in advance in the external storage medium 8 (data bit). Is changed to 1 or 0). In this way, as a result of the CPU 71 determining whether the usability flag is on or off during the execution of the game program, the corresponding card data can appear in the game when it is on. .

  On the other hand, when the application program installed in the game apparatus 100 is upgraded and recorded in a new external storage medium, the application program already recorded in the external storage medium 8 becomes an old application program. In this case, even if an external storage medium in which a new application program is recorded is attached to the game device and played in the game, it is not possible to play the game by taking over the saved data of the game executed in the old application program. I can't. For this reason, it is necessary to transfer the save data recorded on the external storage medium storing the old application program to the external storage medium storing the new application program.

  Next, FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 are sequence diagrams of a transfer method for transferring information including save data between a parent device and a child device having the same function as the game apparatus 100 as one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, it explains.

  First, it is assumed that an old version of an application program (game program) is installed in the parent device 200, and a new version of an application program (game program) is installed in the child device 202. A unique ID (hereinafter referred to as application identification information) corresponding to each application program is recorded in the external storage medium 8 in the old version application program and the new version application program. When data is transmitted by communication, application identification information is assigned to a data header or footer for each data to be transmitted.

  The game device that has received the data reads the application identification information stored in the external storage medium attached to the game device, and performs a match / mismatch comparison with the application identification information given to the received data. Depending on the result of the comparison, for example, if they match, they are stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 73 so that they are reflected as parameters when the application program is executed (usability flag is turned on or off). In such a case, the CPU 71 performs processing such as deletion.

  In the present invention, an old version application program stores only data having the same application identification information in a predetermined area of the RAM 73 as a specification when the application program is created, and receives data having different application identification information. In contrast, the new version of the application program has the same application identification information as the old version of the application program in addition to the application identification information corresponding to its own version of the application program. It is recorded in the external storage medium 8.

  When the CPU 71 executes a new version of the application program, the CPU 71 uses the program to perform data communication with an application program having the same application identification information. When data communication is performed with an older version of an application program, such as passing identification data from an older version of an application program, the application identification information corresponding to the older application program is added to the data to be sent. The application identification information assignment control is switched so as to be transmitted.

  When handing over the card data stored in the memory of the parent device 200 to the child device 202, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the communication mode is started by operating the screen 300 of the parent device 200. When the communication mode of the parent device 200 is activated, the screen 300 of the parent device 200 sequentially changes to screens 302, 304, and 306, and a “room” for trade communication is created by the parent device 200, and a standby state is established.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in slave unit 202, after a screen 400 for restarting the game is displayed upon activation, screens 402 and 404 for executing a data copy command are sequentially displayed. The screens 406 and 408 for starting the communication mode in conformity with the old work by designating the old work version are sequentially displayed, and then the screen 410 for entering the standby state and finding the old work version is displayed. The

  When the screen 306 is displayed on the master unit 200 and the screen 410 is displayed on the slave unit 202, the two are connected via communication means, and the slave unit 202 starts trading as shown in FIGS. A screen 308 for performing is displayed. At this time, when the user performs an operation for determining the start of trading on the parent device 200, a message MSG1 for starting the trade shown in FIG. 7A is transmitted from the parent device 200 to the child device 202. In addition to the message number 100, information “1” indicating the start of trading is added to the message MSG1. When “0” is added as information indicating the content of the message, it means that the message is not selected, and when “2” is added, it means that the trade is stopped.

  When the trade is started, the base unit 200 displays the screen 310. When the user performs an operation for selecting a card to be exchanged, the screen 312 and the screen 314 are sequentially displayed. The screen 314 displays whether the selected card can be transmitted as a trade card. When the user performs an operation to transmit the selected card as a trade card at this time, the selected card is transmitted as a trade card from the parent device 200 to the child device 202 together with the message MSG2. As shown in FIG. 7B, a message number 60 is added to the message MSG2, and information “0”, “1” and a card number xx regarding the type of the selected trade card are added. For example, when “0” is added as the type of trade card, “work card” is selected as a trade card, and when “1” is added, “Mushi card (character card)” is selected as a trade card. That's right.

  On the other hand, in handset 202, as shown in FIG. 5, a screen 412 is displayed, and a process for automatically sending a signal to start trading is performed. At this time, the slave unit 202 sequentially displays screens 414 and 416 for selecting a card from the master unit 200, and the old trade card is transmitted from the master unit 200 to the slave unit 202 as an exchange target. As a result, a process for identifying the ID (card identification information) of the old trade card is performed, and after the ID is identified, the same ID is automatically sent back to the base unit 200 as an exchange target and sent at the same time. The registered trade card is registered as its own card, that is, information relating to the trade card is stored in the memory as information including save data. In this case, handset 202 adds message MSG3 to the same data as the received data (data related to the trade card) and transmits the same to base unit 200. The content of the message MSG3 is equivalent to the message MSG2.

  That is, the CPU 71 of the slave unit 202 stores the received data relating to the trade card in the RAM 73, generates data in which this data is copied, and instructs the communication interface 77 to transmit the copied card data.

  The CPU 71 of the slave unit 202 may change the data to be transmitted according to the received card data, for example, instead of transmitting the same data as the received data relating to the trade card to the master unit 200.

  For example, a flag (exchange card flag) indicating a specific card is set in advance in a data table in which specific card IDs are collected or the card parameter table, and a corresponding card ID (reply card ID) is set. Thus, the CPU 71 searches the above table for the received card ID to search for a use / non-use flag to see whether there is a matching card ID, and if there is, the corresponding reply card ID is transmitted. Since the old version of the application program sets a different card ID as the save data, the game can be newly started with the save data.

  Similarly to the above, a flag (rare flag) indicating a specific card is set in the data table in which specific card IDs are collected in advance or the card parameter table, and the CPU 71 performs the following operation on the received card ID. The above table is searched to search for a use / non-use flag for a matching card ID. If there is a match, the received card ID is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 73 (the use / non-use flag is turned on or off) to match. When there is no card ID, it is possible to take over only a specific card by operating by a program so as to delete it without recording.

  Furthermore, the CPU 71 obtains the received card ID in the course of reception or game execution, and the usability flag is turned on (or off) and stored in the external storage medium 8 as a usable card. The above table is searched to determine whether it is data, and if it exists, the program is operated so as not to update the card number information as information on the corresponding received card data, thereby limiting the data to be taken over. be able to.

  Thereafter, the slave unit 202 displays a screen 418, and then transmits a signal agreeing to exchange (trade) from the slave unit 202 to the master unit 200. In this case, message MSG4 is added to the signal transmitted from slave unit 202 to master unit 200. As shown in FIG. 7C, message number “61” is added to message MSG4, and information “1” indicating trade acceptance is added as information relating to the content of the message. Note that “0” is added when not selected, and information “2” is added when trade rejection is indicated.

  On the other hand, a screen 316 is displayed on the parent device 200, and information (characters) indicating that the card has been traded is displayed on this screen 316. In this case, since the same data as the sent trade card is sent to the parent device 200, the increase / decrease of the trade card is deducted even if the exchange is agreed. At this time, a message MS5 indicating acceptance of the trade is transmitted from the parent device 200 to the child device 202. This message MS5 is equivalent to the message MS4.

  After the trade is established, the master device 200 repeats the process when the screen 310 to the screen 316 is displayed, and the slave device 202 repeats the process when the screen 414 to the screen 418 is displayed. When all the trade cards have been traded, as shown in FIG. 6, the master unit 202 displays a screen 318 and the same data as the sent trade card can be rewritten in the external storage medium 8. Registered in memory. When the user performs an operation for selecting the end of the trade, a screen 320 is displayed. At this time, the base unit 202 performs processing for exiting the trade mode, and then the base unit 200 displays the original screen 322.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in the slave unit 202, when a screen 420 is displayed and information indicating that the trade relating to the old game card has been completed is received from the master unit 200, processing relating to trade is performed on this condition. After that, the process of canceling the communication mode is executed, and the original screen 422 is displayed on the slave unit 202. Thereby, all the processes for taking over the information including the save data from the parent device 200 to the child device 202 are completed.

  According to the present embodiment, when information including save data is transferred between the parent device 200 and the child device 202, the save data is included in the information transmission destination child device 202 from the information transmission parent device 200. The slave unit 202 that has transmitted the information and received the information records the information including the save data and transmits the information including the received save data to the master unit 200. By recording information from 202, information including save data can be taken over without erasing the information in base unit 200.

  Further, when information transmitted from parent device 200 has already been recorded, slave device 202 refuses to hand over save data to parent device 200 without newly recording information including save data. By transmitting this information, it is possible to prevent information including the same save data from being sequentially recorded in the handset 202.

  The present invention is not limited to a card game, and may be a role-playing game, an adventure game, an action game, a simulation game, or the like as long as the variable parameter is generated and recorded in a rewritable memory of the external storage medium 8. But it is applicable.

In addition, the variation parameter includes character data and item data that are not recorded in the external storage medium 8 generated according to an operation input by the operator, or character data and item data that are recorded in the external storage medium 8. Data generated by a combination, a combination of character data, a combination of item data, or the like may be used.
Furthermore, the application program is not limited to the above-mentioned old version or new version, and transmits a first application program having a data exchange function and data corresponding to the received data to the first application program. Any second application program having a function may be used.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the function part in the case of applying this invention to a game device. It is a block diagram of a graphic controller for main monitor, graphic controller for operation unit monitor, and CPU. It is a time chart for demonstrating the process of the save data taking over method which concerns on this invention. It is a time chart for demonstrating the process of the save data taking over method which concerns on this invention. It is a time chart for demonstrating the process of the save data taking over method which concerns on this invention. It is a time chart for demonstrating the process of the save data taking over method which concerns on this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the format of a message.

Explanation of symbols

2 Main monitor 3 Operation unit monitor 4 Touch panel 5 Operation button 6 Speaker 7 Control unit 8 External storage medium 71 CPU
74 Main monitor graphic controller 75 Operation unit monitor graphic controller 76 Sound controller 77 Communication I / F

Claims (11)

Inheriting data used for the game application program between the first version and the second version of the game application program,
The data transfer is performed by the first game device that executes the first version, and the second game device that executes the second version connected to the first game device via communication means. And is executed by
The first version of the game application program has a function of exchanging the first data of one program and the second data of the other program,
The second version game application program exchanges data with the first version game application program in a first mode for exchanging data and the other second version game application program. A second mode, and
In the first mode, the second version of the game application program has its own version changed to the first version instead of the second version to the first version of the game application program. A first identification signal indicating that there is a second, and in the second mode, a second second version indicating that the second version is present to the other second version of the game application program Issue an identification signal,
A data transfer method,
The first game device issues a first request for exchanging the data and a third identification signal indicating the first version of the game application program to the second game device. And the steps
When the second game device receives the request from the first game device and the reception of the third identification signal, the second game device shifts to the second mode and generates the first identification signal, A second step of issuing this to the first game device together with a reply notification to the receipt;
The first game device receives the response notification and the first identification signal, and determines that the game application program operating on the second game device is of the first version. A third step of issuing the first data to the second game device;
The second game device that has received this issue issues a fourth step of issuing corresponding data of the first data to the first game device;
A data transfer method comprising:   The first data and the second data relate to parameters of a card used in the game application program of the first version and the second version, and the game application program collects the card The method according to claim 1, wherein the game content changes based on the collection result.   In response to the request of the first step according to claim 1 and the identification signal, the microcomputer of the second game device is caused to execute the second step and the fourth step, and A game application program according to the second version, which causes one game device to execute the third step.   The first data and the second data relate to parameters of a card used in the game application program of the first version and the second version, and the game application program collects the card The program according to claim 3, wherein the game content changes based on the collected result.   A computer-readable storage medium on which the program according to claim 4 is recorded.   When performing save data transfer by communicating between a plurality of game devices, information including save data is transmitted from the information transmission source game device to the information transmission destination game device among the plurality of game devices, and the save is performed. The information-destination game device that has received the information that includes data records the information that includes the save data, and transmits the information that includes the received save data to the game device that is the information transmission source. Data transfer method.   When the information transmitted from the information transmission source game device has already been recorded, the information transmission destination game device does not newly record the information including the save data, and the information transmission source game device 7. The save data transfer method according to claim 6, wherein information indicating that transfer of the save data is rejected is transmitted to.   In a game system in which a plurality of game devices that execute a game according to a predetermined program are connected via communication means, save data is transferred from an information transmission source game device to an information transmission destination game device among the plurality of game devices. The information transmission destination game device that has received the information including the save data, transmits the information including the save data, and transmits the information including the save data to the communication unit. The game system, wherein the game system is transmitted to the information transmission source game device.   When the information transmitted from the information transmission source game device has already been recorded, the information transmission destination game device does not record the information including the save data to the information transmission source game device. 9. The game system according to claim 8, wherein information indicating that transfer of save data is rejected is transmitted.   A program for causing a computer to execute the save data takeover method according to claim 6 or 7. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 10 is recorded.

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