JP2011020000A - Network game system and network game method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network game system in which game results of players can be unitarily managed by a server. <P>SOLUTION: A virtual shop is set in a virtual space by connecting a terminal 2 and a game server 4 with a network 6. In the network game system 1 in the virtual shop set in the virtual space, a player selects a game machine among game machines set in the virtual shop to play games by accessing the virtual space from the terminal 2, the virtual space includes a shop screen 32 displaying a game machine 40 set in the virtual shop and a game screen 33 displaying the game machine 40 selected in the shop screen 32 in the terminal 2. The game server 4 has a game database 5 for storing game results for every game machine 40 of players and is configured to store the game results in user information storage means every time a game is played by the game machine 40 in the game screen 33. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network game system and a network game method for providing a game by a gaming machine to a user via a broadband network or the like.

  A gaming system that accesses a virtual space from a user terminal (such as a personal computer) via a broadband network or the like and provides a game using a slot machine or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). Such a gaming system is configured to execute software including gaming machine information (hereinafter referred to as “game application”) on the user terminal.

JP 2000-189666 A

  However, when a game application is executed on the user's terminal, information (mode, outcome, etc.) of the gaming machine is managed in the user's terminal. In such a network gaming system, a user may play a game using a plurality of gaming machines, and may play a game using another terminal connected to the network at different times and places. However, if information on gaming machines and game results are managed in each terminal, there is a problem that these results cannot be managed in a unified manner.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a network gaming system and a network gaming method that can be centrally managed by managing the results of games played by each user using a server. And

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a network game system according to the present invention is configured by connecting a terminal and game providing means (for example, the game server 4 in the embodiment) to a network, and a user moves from the terminal to the virtual space. In the virtual store provided in this virtual space, one gaming machine is selected from the gaming machines provided in the virtual store and the virtual space is displayed on the terminal. A game screen showing a gaming machine installed in the virtual store, and a game screen showing a gaming machine selected on the shop screen, and a game providing means is provided for each gaming machine of the user. User information storage means (for example, the game database 5 in the embodiment) for storing game results is provided, and each time a game is played by a gaming machine on the game screen, this game result is stored as a user information storage device. Configured to store to. And this network game system has the balance book means (for example, the balance book function S120 in the embodiment) which takes out the results of the user from the user information storage means, and summarizes and presents them in a predetermined unit. Composed.

  At this time, it is preferable that the balance book means is configured to aggregate and present the user's game results in units of years, months, and days.

  When the network gaming system according to the present invention is configured as described above, the user can obtain statistical information on the games played in the virtual space, so that the management of the amount of money used, analysis of stores with many hits, etc. Can do. In addition, when statistical information is presented in units of years, months, and days, the user can easily perform analysis and the like.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the network gaming system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The network gaming system 1 includes a terminal 2 used by a user (in FIG. 1, two terminals 2a and 2b are shown), and a game application 3 (also shown in FIG. The game server 4 that provides game to the user by exchanging game information with the game application 3, the game database 5 that stores game information, and the terminal 2 and the game The network 6 is connected to the server 4.

  In this network gaming system 1, a user accesses a virtual space created by a game application 3 and a game server 4 from a terminal 2, selects a virtual store in a virtual town, and plays a game such as a slot machine. It is. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the user goes back and forth between the town screen 31 and the store screen 32 in the virtual space, and uses content (for example, a game by a slot machine) 33 from the store corresponding to the store screen 32. To do. Although not shown, when the user accesses the game server 4 from the terminal 2, the user ID and password of the user are input to authenticate the user in the game server 4.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the store screen 32. In this way, on the store screen 32, a set of a plurality of gaming machines 40 and chairs 41 are displayed, and when the user selects any of these gaming machines 40 (or chairs 41) with a mouse or the like, FIG. A gaming machine (showing a slot machine in this example) 40 as shown in FIG.

  The slot machine (game machine) 40 is displayed at the center of the housing, three reels 41 (41a to 41c) each displaying a predetermined symbol, and a bet button for betting virtual medals owned by the user. 42, a lever 43 for starting the rotation of the reel 41, and a stop button 44 (44a to 44c) arranged corresponding to each of the reels 41a to 41c and stopping the rotation of the reels 41a to 41c. . The user operates a mouse or the like provided in the terminal 2 to press the bet button 42 to bet a virtual medal and press the lever 43 to rotate the reel 41. Then, the reel 41 is stopped by operating the stop button 44 at a desired timing and in a desired order. At this time, when the symbols displayed on the reel 41 correspond to a predetermined combination (referred to as a “winning symbol”), a predetermined number of virtual medals are paid out. The user is configured to play a game by repeatedly executing the above operations.

  In the game server 4, as shown in FIG. 5, each virtual store is uniquely managed by store identification information (store ID 50a), and each of the gaming machines 40 in each virtual store is also device identification information. (Device ID 50 b) is uniquely managed, and these pieces of information are managed as device information 50 in the game database 5. The device information 50 includes a use state 50c for storing whether or not the gaming machine 40 is being used by a user using the identification information 50a and 50b as a main key, and the output of each gaming machine 40. A device state 50d is provided for storing states such as eyes, mode, number of bets, and number of coins acquired.

  When the game application 3 displays the store screen 32 on the terminal 2, the device ID 50 b of the gaming machine 40 installed in the store and the use state of the store ID 50 a of the store selected from the game database 5 of the game server 4 as a key. As shown in FIG. 3, the player 42 is displayed on the chair 41 and the chair 41 is displayed on the gaming machine 40 not in use.

  When the user selects a gaming machine 40 that is not in use, the game application 3 displays a gaming screen 33 and, as shown in FIG. 6, obtains a device ID 50b from the device information 50 in the game database 5 of the game server 4. The device state 50d of the gaming machine 40 is acquired using the key (step S100). The game application 3 restores the state of the gaming machine 40 based on the device information 50 acquired from the game server 4, and is used for controlling the winning symbol by the above-described game based on the device state 50d (step S101).

  When the user finishes one game (bet, reel rotation, reel stop), the game application 3 displays game information of the game (the number of coins bet, information on winning / losing, BB, RB status). Is transmitted to the game server 4 (step S102), and the game server 4 stores the game information in the device information 50 of the game database 5 (step S103). Finally, when the user ends the game and pays out the virtual medal, the game application 3 displays the store screen 31 on the terminal 2.

  As described above, the game database 5 of the game server 4 is configured to manage the state of each gaming machine 40 as the device information 50 and store the state of the gaming machine 40 for each game executed in the terminal 2. Therefore, the state of the gaming machine 40 is always managed by the game server 4, and even if the user changes, the previous state of the gaming machine 40 is maintained, so the actual state of the gaming machine 40 is changed. Can be reproduced in virtual space.

  As described above, every time a user plays a game, the game information is transmitted to the game server 4 (for example, game information transmitted from the game application 3a of the terminal 2a in FIG. 8). The information is distributed to other terminals 2 (terminals 2b and 2c in FIG. 8) together with the device ID. The game applications 3b and 3c of the terminals 2b and 2c display the information on the state display unit 40a (shown in FIG. 3) of the gaming machine 40 corresponding to the device ID when the store screen 32 is displayed. For example, the number of medals acquired by the user is displayed as the number of medals storage boxes (so-called dollar boxes), and this state display section 40a is displayed by blinking when winning a BB or RB. .

  In this way, by distributing information on a certain user from the game server 40 to another user's terminal 2 and displaying the state on the store screen 32 or the like, the user can make another It is possible to know the state of the user and to get a sense of being in an actual store.

  The game database 5 has user information 51 for managing game information of each user. As shown in FIG. 7, the user information 51 includes, for each game information, the user ID 51a as a main key, the game date and time 51b, the number of bet coins 51c, the game result (win, miss, BB, RB, etc.) 51d and the number of acquired coins 51e are stored.

  As described above, when the user finishes one game, the game application 3 transmits game information of the game to the game server 4 (step S102 in FIG. 6). Then, the game server 4 also stores the game information in the user information 51 of the game database 5 as shown in FIG. 9 (step S104).

  When the user activates the balance book function (S110) of the game application 3 of the terminal 2, the game application 3 collects the user's balance information from the user information 51 together with the user ID for the game application 4. A command is transmitted (step S111). When the game server 4 receives this collection command, it collects balance data from the user information 51 on a yearly, monthly, and daily basis using the user ID as a key and transmits it to the terminal 2 (step S112). When receiving the balance data, the game application 3 of the terminal 2 displays it on the terminal 2 (step S113).

  In this way, the balance book function S110 provided by the game application 3 allows the user to obtain statistical information on the games played in the virtual space, so that the management of the amount of money used, analysis of stores with many hits, etc. It can be carried out. Note that the game result (game information) of the user's gaming machine 40 in the terminal 2 is not transmitted to the game server 4 for each game, but when the user leaves the gaming machine 40 (that is, It is also possible to configure such that when the game screen 33 shifts to the store screen 32, the game information is transmitted to the game server 4 and stored in the user information 51.

  By the way, the network gaming system 1 is configured to be able to move in the virtual store while the gaming machine 40 is selected, and the other gaming machines 40 can maintain the state of the specific gaming machine 40. (This function is referred to herein as a “gaming machine keep function”). As shown in FIG. 3, a holding display 43 is displayed on the store screen 32 for the gaming machine 40 held by the gaming machine keep function (in this example, “meal” is displayed). .

  The gaming machine keep function S120 will be described with reference to FIG. When the user (user a in FIG. 10) selects to hold the gaming machine 40 currently playing on the game screen 33, the game application 3 issues a holding command together with the device ID of the gaming machine 40 to the game server 4. (Step S121). Upon receiving this holding instruction, the game server 4 changes the use state 50c corresponding to the device ID 50b in the device information 50 managed by the game database 5 to be held (step S122). On the other hand, the game application 3 displays the store screen 32 by displaying the holding display 43 on the gaming machine 40 held as described above. Thereby, this user can move in the store screen 32 freely.

  In such a state, when another user (user b in FIG. 10) selects the game machine 40 being held on the store screen 32, the game application 3 and the game server 4 together with the device ID and the game A machine securing command is transmitted (step S123). The game server 4 searches for the device ID transmitted with respect to the device information 50 of the game database 5 using the key as a key to obtain the use state 50c. If this state is in use or being held, the hold warning information is displayed. It transmits to the game application 3 (step S124). The game application 3 that has received the holding warning information does not shift to the game screen 33. Further, when the user holding the gaming machine 40 returns to the gaming machine 40 (selecting from the store screen 32 with a mouse or the like), the holding state is released, and the usage state 50c of the device information 50 is being used. The

  Thus, by providing the function of holding the gaming machine 40, the user can be given a sense of using an actual gaming machine in the virtual space. In addition, although the case where one store (store screen 32) is configured by one floor has been described in the above embodiment, it may have a plurality of floors. In this case, the above gaming machine keep function S120 may be configured to be movable to another floor while holding the gaming machine 40.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a network game system. It is a block diagram which shows transition of the screen in a game application. It is explanatory drawing which shows a store screen. It is explanatory drawing which shows a game screen. It is a data structure figure which shows the structure of apparatus information. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process when hold | maintaining the state of a game machine with a game server. It is a data structure figure which shows the structure of user information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of data with a some game application and a game server. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of a balance book function. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of a gaming machine keep function.

1 network game system 2 terminal 4 game server (game providing means)
5 Game database (user information storage means)
32 store screen 33 game screen S120 balance book function (balance book means)

Claims (7)

A network gaming system in which a user accesses a virtual space from a terminal and selects a gaming machine provided in a virtual store in the virtual space to play a game,
The terminal installed in the virtual store on a terminal that displays the store screen showing the gaming machine installed in the virtual store together with its use state and the game screen showing the gaming machine selected on the store screen. A network gaming system comprising means for transmitting device identification information of a gaming machine and a usage state of the gaming machine.   2. The network gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit changes the usage state when receiving a first command from the terminal.   3. The network gaming system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission unit does not change the use state when receiving a second command from a terminal other than the terminal. 4.   The transmission means changes the use state when receiving a second command from the terminal, and does not change the use state when receiving a third command from a terminal other than the terminal. The network game system according to claim 2.   The network game system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits a usage state of the gaming machine to a terminal different from the terminal.   The network according to claim 1, further comprising user information storage means for storing, for each user, a result of a game played by the game machine on the game screen transmitted from the terminal. Game system. A network gaming method in which a user accesses a virtual space from a terminal and selects a gaming machine provided in a virtual store in the virtual space to play a game,
The terminal installed in the virtual store on a terminal that displays the store screen showing the gaming machine installed in the virtual store together with its use state and the game screen showing the gaming machine selected on the store screen. Send device identification information of the gaming machine and usage state of the gaming machine,
A reservation command is received from the terminal together with the device identification information of the gaming machine,
Using the received device identification information as a key, obtain the usage state of the gaming machine from a database,
A network gaming method characterized by transmitting retention warning information to the terminal when the use state is retained and a reservation command is issued from a user who does not retain the gaming machine.

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