JP2022046374A - Game device, game system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress unauthorized application.SOLUTION: A game device is configured to be capable of providing, in an operating state, a service performing at least either of providing game play experience and providing an article. The game device includes: execution means which executes a process related to a game; providing means for providing articles; control means which controls so as to set the game device to either of the operation state and a non-operation state on the basis of numerical information recorded by recording means; and accepting means for accepting usage of the service in the operation state. The numerical information indicates the number of available usage times of the service by a prescribed unit. The numerical value indicated by the numerical information decreases according to implementation of at least either of the acceptance of the service usage by the accepting means, execution of the process related to the game by the execution means, and providing of an article by the providing means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a game device, a game system, and a program, and more particularly to a technique for preventing unauthorized operation of a game device having an article providing function.

There is a game device that provides goods for game play (Patent Document 1). In order to ensure the quality and safety of operation of the articles provided in such a game device, the articles are generally supplied from the publisher side of the game device to the store where the game device is installed.

Japanese Patent No. 6175544

However, considering the structure of a game device capable of providing an article as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide a copy product, a counterfeit product, or even an article completely unrelated, from the publisher side. There was an aspect that the game device could be operated illegally even if there was no supply of goods.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game device, a game system, and a program for preventing unauthorized operation.

The game device of the present invention is a game device configured to be able to provide a service of providing at least one of a game play experience and an article in an operating state, and is an execution means for executing a process related to the game. , The providing means for providing the goods, the control means for controlling whether the game device is in the operating state or the non-operating state based on the numerical information recorded in the recording means, and the use of the service in the operating state. It is equipped with a reception means for receiving, and the numerical information indicates a numerical value representing the number of times the service can be used in a predetermined unit, and the numerical value indicated by the numerical information is used for the reception of the use of the service by the reception means and the game by the execution means. It is reduced depending on at least one of the execution of such processing and the provision of goods by the providing means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent unauthorized operation.

The figure which showed the appearance of the game apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. A block diagram showing a functional configuration of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. The figure which showed the structural example of the plate 300 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the structure of the holding part 120 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. A flowchart illustrating an operation control process executed by the game device 100 according to the embodiment and the modification of the present invention. A flowchart illustrating game processing according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. The figure which showed the screen display example of the game apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention. The figure which exemplifies the data structure of various information used in the game apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment and modification of this invention.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar configuration will be given the same reference number, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

One embodiment described below includes, as an example of a game device, a function of providing a plate, which is an article for a game, and can change the progress by acquiring information from the plate. An example of applying the present invention to an arcade game device that provides a play experience will be described. However, the present invention is applicable to any device capable of providing a game playing experience.

<< Configuration of game device 100 >>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the game device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show a front perspective view, a side view and a rear perspective view of the game apparatus 100, respectively.

As shown in the figure, the game device 100 is configured by attaching two display devices, a first display unit 131 and a second display unit 132, to a support column 130 provided on a top plate 150 of the main body unit 160. There is. In the example of FIG. 1, the main body unit 160, the support column 130, the first display unit 131, and the second display unit 132 may be configured to be separable from each other. In FIG. 1, the direction indicated by the arrow 170 is the vertical direction (specifically, the vertically upward direction), and the support column 130 is attached so that the lower end of the first display unit 131 and the upper end of the second display unit 132 come into contact with each other. The shape of the part is configured.

Further, in FIG. 1, the direction indicated by the arrow 180 is the front direction of the game device 100, and it is assumed that the user basically exists in the front direction during the provision of the game playing experience. Information such as the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 is presented. In other words, the game screen presented via the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 is configured in an manner optimized for viewing from the front direction.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the top plate 150 of the main body 160 is provided with a holding portion 120, an explanatory region 151, and an exhibition area 152, that is, the holding portion 120, the explanatory region 151, and the exhibition region 152. Although the exhibition area 152 will be described as being integrally incorporated in the main body 160, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the top plate 150 may be a surface configured to cover at least a part of the upper surface of the main body portion 160, and is configured to be separable from the main body portion 160 such as a control panel for an arcade game housing. It may be a thing.

<Functional configuration of game device 100>
Hereinafter, the functional configuration of the game device 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU and controls the operation of each block of the game device 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 controls the operation of each block by reading, for example, the operation program of each block recorded on the recording medium 102, expanding it into the memory 103, and executing the program.

The recording medium 102 is a recording device such as a non-volatile memory or an HDD that can permanently hold data. The recording medium 102 stores, in addition to the operation program of each block of the game device 100, information on parameters required for the operation of each block, various graphics data used for the game executed by the game device 100, and the like. do. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 is used not only as an expansion area for the operation program of each block but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data and the like output in the operation of each block.

The payment detection unit 104 detects that the price has been paid in the game device 100. Payment of the price is determined by detecting, for example, the insertion of a predetermined amount of coins or equivalent coins into the coin slot, or the completion of settlement processing based on communication with a chip related to a predetermined electronic money. It may be something that is done. The game device 100 of the present embodiment will be described as starting to provide a service for providing at least one of a game playing experience and an article based on payment of a price.

The acquisition unit 105 is an interface related to information acquisition from an article provided in the game device 100 of the present embodiment. Specifically, the acquisition unit 105 is configured to be able to acquire information attached to two types of articles, and acquires information attached to the articles via a different acquisition device (reader) for each type. .. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, a plate associated with a game element appearing in a game for which a play experience is provided, and an operation with information for permitting the operation of the game device 100 for service provision are attached. A plate reader 123 is provided for the former and a card reader 124 is provided for the latter so that information can be acquired from the card. In the present embodiment, an embodiment in which two types of readers are provided in order to enable information acquisition from two types of articles will be described, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and these information are used alone. It may be configured to be readable by the reader of.

In the present embodiment, the plate is associated with any one of the characters appearing in the game, and the plate information is attached as the second information according to the present invention. The plate information is configured to include, for example, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), a character ID 802 that uniquely identifies the character associated with the plate in association with the plate ID 801 that identifies the plate. It's okay.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the plate 300 is configured to include a main surface formed in a rectangular shape, and is formed of a hard plate having a predetermined thickness in a direction orthogonal to the main surface. FIG. 3A shows the front surface of the plate 300, and FIG. 3B shows the back surface (opposite surface of the front surface) of the plate 300. Here, the "rectangular shape" means that the outer shape shown in the direction orthogonal to the main surface of the plate 300 generally constitutes a rectangular shape, and is strictly a rectangular shape due to the chamfering applied to the end portion and the edge portion. Explain as including those that do not. In the following, the part where the sides of the rectangle formed by the outer shape are orthogonal to each other will be referred to simply as "corners". That is, the rectangular main surface of the plate 300 has four corners, and as shown in the figure, the corner located at the upper end in the normal position is located at 301a, the corner located at the left end is located at 301b, and the right end is located. The corner is identified as 301c, and the corner located at the lowermost end is identified as 301d.

As shown in the figure, the plate 300 is defined in a normal position in which the outer shape of the rectangular main surface is a rhombus (a form in which the diagonal line of the outer shape extends in the horizontal and vertical directions), and the plate 300 is in the normal position. An image showing the appearance of the associated character is formed on the front surface of the plate 300 so that it can be visually recognized correctly. As shown in FIG. 3A, an image of the associated character and the name of the character are attached to the front surface of the plate 300. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, a two-dimensional code 304 obtained by converting plate information is attached to the back surface of the plate 300 in the vicinity of the angle 301d.

In order to read the two-dimensional code 304 attached to the plate 300, the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment bulges from the top plate 150 of the providing unit 140 as shown in FIG. The holding portion 120 provided in the above is provided. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the holding portion 120 includes an insertion hole 121 and an inclined plate 122 for each of the three plates 300 so as to be able to hold the three plates 300 when providing a game playing experience. In the holding portion 120, the plurality of insertion holes 121 are arranged in a fixed direction, and when the plates 300 are inserted into two adjacent insertion holes 121, the plates 300 are provided apart so as not to come into contact with each other. Be done. Further, in order to ensure the listability of the held plate 300, the separation distance between the two adjacent insertion holes 121 is configured to be equal to or less than the maximum diameter of the plate 300.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the inside of each insertion hole 121 has a groove structure extending along a surface formed by the inclined plate 122. The groove structure has a V-shape having a bottom portion 401 having an opening similar to that of the plate angle 301d, and as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the plate 300 in the normal position is inserted to the lowermost end. In this case, the two sides constituting the angle 301d of the main surface are supported by the bottom 401, and the plate 300 is held in such a manner that rotation around an axis orthogonal to the main surface does not occur. Here, the inclined plate 122 forms a surface that tilts backward when viewed from the front of the game device 100, and the inserted plate 300 is held in a posture in which the main surface is in a non-horizontal state.

In response to the plate 300 being inserted into the insertion hole 121, the plate reader 123 acquires the plate information attached to the plate 300 by reading the two-dimensional code 304 and outputs the plate information to the acquisition unit 105. The plate reader 123 obtains the detection that the plate 300 has been inserted into the insertion hole 121 and the acquisition of the plate information from the plate 300 by imaging during the period in which the information can be acquired from the plate 300. It is performed by applying a predetermined image processing to the obtained image.

Therefore, the plate reader 123 is provided on the inclined plate 122 side at a position separated from the lowermost end of the bottom portion 401 by a predetermined distance upward (vertically upward direction), the plate 300 is in the normal position, and the back surface is the inclined plate 122. When inserted into the insertion hole 121 in contact with the plate 300, the two-dimensional code 304 attached to the plate 300 can be read. That is, in the holding portion 120, in a state where the plate information can be acquired from the plate 300, the angle 301d of the main surface of the plate 300 is located below any of the other angles (301a to c) in the vertical direction, and , Has a structure for holding the plate 300 so that the angle 301a is located above any of the other angles (301b to d) in the same direction. Further, in the present embodiment, since the plate 300 has a rhombic shape in which one of the diagonal lines extends in the horizontal direction at the normal position, the corners 301b and c of the main surface of the plate 300 are held at the same vertical height in the same state.

As shown in the figure, the groove structure provided in the holding portion 120 is a part of the plate 300 (the corner 301d of the main surface and the corner 301d of the main surface) when the plate 300 is inserted in a state where the attached plate information can be acquired. It is configured to shield only (including the two-dimensional code 304). In other words, the depth of the groove structure is set shorter than the vertical dimension of the plate 300 in the normal position. In the present embodiment, the groove structure shields only the region 303 indicating the name of the character in the front surface of the plate 300, as shown in FIG. 3A, in a state where the plate information can be acquired from the plate 300. The remaining area 302 is held so that the plate 300 is visible. Therefore, the front surface of the plate 300 is configured such that a portion of the appearance of the character associated with the plate 300, such as the head, that makes the character visually identifiable is arranged in the area 302. Will be done. On the other hand, other parts of the character, which are not highly distinguishable, may be included in the area 303 and may be configured to be shielded together with the name of the character.

By having the holding portion 120 having such a holding structure, the player identifies which character the plate 300 associated with which character is inserted into which insertion hole 121 during game play. be able to. Further, the corner 301a of the main surface of the plate 300 is held in a state of protruding from the top plate 150 of the main body portion 160, that is, the two sides forming the corner 301a are held in a state of intersecting the top plate 150. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the player forgets to collect the plate 300 after playing the game. Further, from the viewpoint of information acquisition, since the amount of external light entering the periphery of the two-dimensional code 304 is reduced when the plate information is acquired, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of erroneous recognition during image conversion.

In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the top plate 150 of the main body 160 has an explanatory area 151 for describing explanatory matters related to the game playing experience, and the use of the game device 100. An exhibition area 152, which displays a part of the plate 300 that can be provided by performing the above, is provided. The exhibition area 152 is composed of a recess and a protective plate made of a permeable material that covers the recess, and the plate 300 actually provided or a sample product having the same shape as the plate 300 is fixed and fixed in the recess. Be placed. The number of articles that can be arranged in the recess is the same as the number of plates 300 that can be held in the holding portion 120 so that the player can intuitively grasp the number of plates 300 that can be held in the holding portion 120. May be. As shown in the figure, in order to increase the motivation of the user to obtain the plate 300, the arrangement relationship between the exhibition area 152 and the holding portion 120 is such that the exhibition area 152 is on the front side when viewed from the front direction of the game device 100. The holding portion 120 is on the back side, and the possibility that the article displayed in the exhibition area 152 is in the user's view is increased.

On the other hand, since the card reader 124 is an acquisition device provided not for acquiring information related to the user of the service like the plate reader 123, but for acquiring information related to the administrator of the game device 100. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the game device 100 is provided in a manner that does not appear in the appearance of the game device 100. Like the plate 300, the operating card may be an article in which information is attached to a part of its appearance in the form of a two-dimensional code, and as will be described later, the service in the game device 100 from which the information has been acquired. Used to update the available count of.

The character DB 106 is a database that manages information (character information) about each of the characters appearing in the game. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, at the time of game play, the player arranges the plate 300 on the holding portion 120 and causes the player to acquire information, thereby supporting the progress of the game with the character associated with the plate 300. Can be made to appear as a support character. When the support character appears in the game, for example, a costume or an item associated with the support character is given to the character used to be operated by the player, and the effect of advancing the game advantageously is exhibited.

As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the character information managed for one character is associated with the character ID 811 that uniquely identifies the character, and the screen when the character, related items, etc. appear in the game. It includes drawing information 812 including graphics data and the like used for generation, and parameter information 813 describing effects and the like activated by using the character, in addition to character names and attributes. The parameter information 813 is information referred to in the game in which the support character appears, and the progress control of the game provided by using the information is performed.

In the present embodiment, the graphics data is stored in the character DB 106, and the character information is described as including these data, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The character information may include information indicating a storage location of the corresponding data.

The presentation control unit 107 controls the presentation of various information to the user in the game device 100. The game device 100 of the present embodiment will be described as having a first display unit 131 and a second display unit 132 for displaying images (game screen, menu screen, etc.) as means for presenting various information to the information. It goes without saying that the means of presentation is not limited to these, and alternatives or additions are possible. The first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 are display devices such as a liquid crystal display, and are fixed above the main body unit 160 in the vertical direction by being attached to the support column 130 as described above. At this time, the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the second display unit 132 provided in the lower stage is held by the holding unit 120. It is fixed so that it has a vertical height that does not come into contact with the plate 300. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, since the screen display related to the service is performed using the two display areas of the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, the screen display can be suitably visually recognized by the user. The first display unit 131 is fixed to the support column 130 in a manner of tilting forward with respect to the front direction of the game device 100, and the second display unit 132 is fixed to the support column 130 in a manner of tilting backward with respect to the front direction.

The presentation control unit 107 includes a drawing device such as a GPU, and performs a predetermined drawing process when generating a screen to be displayed on the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132. Specifically, the presentation control unit 107 is a drawing object (graphics data) required based on the processing or instruction performed by the control unit 101 while the game device 100 is running (during service provision or standby state). Performs necessary arithmetic processing on the screen and draws the screen. The generated screen is output to the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132, and is presented to the user by being displayed in a predetermined display area.

The operation input unit 108 is a user interface included in the game device 100. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, except for the arrangement of the plate 300 on the holding unit 120, the operation input is limited to the touch operation on the second display unit 132. Therefore, the operation input unit 108 includes a sensor for detecting a touch operation performed on the screen of the second display unit 132. When the operation input unit 108 detects that a touch operation has been performed on the second display unit 132, the operation input unit 108 outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101.

The provision control unit 109 controls the provision of the plate 300 by the provision unit 140. The providing portion 140 is, for example, a plate dispenser, and has a stocker (not shown) for depositing the plate 300 in the vertical direction as an accommodating portion, and the plate 300 is loaded therein to prepare for providing the plate 300. The providing unit 140 may be configured to have a mechanism for providing one plate 300 held at the bottom of the stocker in response to a providing order made by the providing control unit 109 on condition that payment of the price is detected. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the providing unit 140 is built in the main body unit 160, and the providing unit 140 is provided to the user by guiding the plate 300 to the outlet 141 accessible from the outside of the game device 100. It may be something. Here, it is assumed that the provided plate 300 is a ready-made article having a fixed design, including, for example, an image of an associated character and a two-dimensional code 304 manufactured in advance in a factory or the like.

In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the providing unit 140 will be described as adopting the providing method of providing the ready-made plate 300, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plate 300 may adopt a so-called on-demand providing method of being generated and provided at a predetermined timing during service provision. In this case, the providing control unit 109 includes a front surface and a back surface including a two-dimensional code 304 corresponding to the plate information attached to the plate 300 and other elements forming the appearance when the plate 300 is instructed to be generated. The print data of the sticker to be attached to the plate of the element body, including the print data image related to the surface, may be configured. When the supply control unit 109 configures the print data, the supply control unit 109 transmits the print data together with the print command to the supply unit 140 to instruct printing of the corresponding sticker, and causes the printed sticker to be attached to the plate of the base body and output. Just do it.

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface with an external device of the game device 100. The communication unit 110 can be connected to an external device via a communication network such as the Internet or a network (whether wired or wireless) that may be a cable connecting devices to each other, and can transmit and receive data. .. For example, the communication unit 110 converts the information input as a transmission target into data in a predetermined format and transmits it to an external device such as a server via a network. Further, when the communication unit 110 receives information from an external device via a network, for example, the communication unit 110 decodes the information and stores it in the memory 103. Further, the game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured so that the program data in which the processing program related to the game is packaged can be received from the external device via the communication unit 110. When the program data is received by the communication unit 110 together with the program update request, the control unit 101 uses the received program data to perform a processing program for the game currently stored in the recording medium 102 in accordance with the update request. Can be updated. In addition, the update processing of the processing program related to the game is automatically executed when, for example, the program data recorded in the recording medium is inserted into an optical drive (not shown) included in the game device, or after the insertion. It can also be executed by the administrator issuing a start command.

<< Service Overview >>
Hereinafter, the services provided by the game device 100 of the present embodiment will be described.

The game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to accept the use of a plurality of types of services. First, the following three types of services are provided for payment of the price detected in the standby state of the game device 100. Presented, the user can select and use any of the services. The three types of services are the first service that provides the plate 300 and executes the processing related to the game (game processing), the second service that only executes the game processing, and the third service that only provides the plate 300. Is. In other words, from the user's point of view, the three types of services are the first service in which a new plate 300 is purchased and then the game is played, and the second service in which the new plate 300 is not purchased and only the game is played. This is a third service in which only the plate 300 is purchased without playing a game. That is, when payment of the price is detected for the game device 100 in the standby state, the operation of the game device 100 is switched according to which of the three services is used.

Here, the execution of the game process refers to the execution of a series of processes for providing the user (player) with a play experience of a predetermined game, and in the first service and the second service, the player has a second display. The game can be played while touching the unit 132. Further, during the game play, the player can acquire the plate information by holding the plate 300 owned by the holding unit 120, and the character associated with the plate 300 can appear. Will be done.

Each service has a price set according to the content of the service. The game device 100 of the present embodiment is basically required to pay a price of 100 yen for executing a game process (providing a play experience), and for providing a plate 300, it is doubled to 200. It is assumed that payment of the price for yen is required. That is, the user pays a price of at least 100 yen regardless of which of the first service, the second service, and the third service is used. Therefore, in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, from the standby state. Payment of the price of 100 yen (initial payment) is required for the transition to the state of accepting the use of the service. Therefore, regarding the second service, only the game processing is executed, and the collection of the necessary price has already been completed by the initial payment.

On the other hand, since the plate 300 is provided for the first service and the third service, the collection of the necessary price is not completed only by the initial payment. Therefore, when the use of the first service and the third service is selected, the user is required to pay a further price (the price for the difference) after the selection. In the game device 100 of the present embodiment, in order to raise the user's interest in the game content provided with the play experience, for the first service, the execution of the game processing and the provision of the plate 300 are priced for 200 yen. It shall be possible with the payment of (a discount of 100 yen will be applied), and an additional price of the same amount as the third service shall be collected.

By the way, by guaranteeing the purchase opportunity of the plate 300 based on the result of the game play for the player who has selected the second service and only played the game, the player's interest in the game content may be increased. Be expected. That is, if the first service is selected, the game can be played after purchasing the plate 300. For example, it is assumed that the player is interested in the game content as a result of playing only the game by trial. Will be done. Therefore, the game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to accept the use of the fourth service that provides the plate 300 on the condition that further payment of the price is required after the execution of the game processing related to the second service is completed. It is assumed that there is.

Furthermore, the game device 100 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to accept the use of the fifth service, which provides an additional plate 300 on the condition that further payment of the price is required, after the provision of the plate 300 related to the third service is completed. It is assumed that it has been done. Here, as a user of the third service, for example, a person who aims to collect the plate 300 is assumed, and although such a user wants to purchase the plate 300 a plurality of times, such as game play, etc. It is likely that you do not want to use it for a given time. On the other hand, in order to provide the additional plate 300, it is rather the use of the fifth service of the user to request the payment of the price of 200 yen, which is double the price for starting the use of the game device 100, at one time. May hesitate.

Therefore, in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, when the fifth service is started to be used, a payment of a price of 100 yen is first requested, and after the payment of the price is detected, it relates to a mini game such as a lottery game. After executing the process and presenting the result of the mini-game, the payment of the remaining 100 yen that is insufficient for the provision of the plate 300 is requested, and the plate 300 is provided upon detection of the payment of the remaining price. It shall be configured to do so.

As described above, the processing related to the mini game requires the execution time required for the game processing executed in relation to the first service and the second service (required from the start of execution to the completion of execution) in order to reduce the restraint time of the user. It shall be configured to be completed in a shorter execution time than the time). Further, for example, when the mini game is a lottery game, it may be controlled so that whether or not to provide the additional plate 300 is different based on the lottery result, but the user of the third service collects the plates. Based on the fact that the person is the main purpose, in this embodiment, the mini-game is formalized to display the effect, the lottery result is always won, and the additional plate 300 can be provided. It shall be.

《Operation control》
By the way, a game device having a function of providing a ready-made article generally does not have a function of identifying the article to be provided, and is contained so as to provide a counterfeit article or an article which has nothing to do with it. It can be operated illegally by changing. The fraudulent operation may not only reduce the profit of the seller of the game device and the provided goods, but also impair the impression of the game content.

The game device 100 of the present embodiment records on the recording medium 102 the number of times that the user can use various services in the game device 100, that is, the number of remaining operations indicating the number of times that various services can be provided to the user. It is configured to suppress such unauthorized use by storing and reducing the numerical value of the remaining operation count information each time the service is used. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the remaining operation count information manages the remaining number of times that various services can be used as an integer value, and the integer value is decremented by 1 when each service is used. ) Explain as a thing.

Here, in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the service usage is counted according to the process performed in response to the detection of the payment of the price. That is, the subtraction from the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is performed according to the acceptance of the use of the service and the provision of the plate 300 by the providing unit 140. In the present embodiment, since the payment of the price is accepted at the above-mentioned timing, the numerical value related to the remaining operation number information is subtracted according to the acceptance of the use of the service. It is not limited to this. That is, since the service provided by the game device 100 includes the provision of a play experience, the numerical value related to the remaining operation number information may be subtracted according to the execution of the game process. That is, in implementing the present invention, the count of service use may be performed by at least one of acceptance of service use, execution of game processing, and provision of plate 300.

The remaining operation number information may be referred to, for example, at the timing when a series of processes related to the provision of each service is completed, or at the time of starting the game device 100. The control unit 101 puts the game device 100 in an operating state capable of accepting service use when the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is a natural number, and does not accept service use when it is other than the natural number, that is, less than 1. (We do not accept payment of the price) Control to keep it in a non-operating state. More specifically, even in the operating state, if the numerical value related to the remaining operating count information is 2 or more, the use of the first service, the second service, and the third service can be accepted, and if it is 1, the second service can be accepted. Control is made so that only the use of the service can be accepted. That is, the numerical value related to the information on the number of remaining operations that enables the use of each service is determined according to the amount of the price that must be paid for using the service.

When the game device 100 is started in the administrator mode in which the service is not provided, the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is acquired from the unused (information not acquired) operation card by the card reader 124. It is increased by the fact (updated to the value obtained by adding the predetermined number). Since information acquisition from the operating card is not performed frequently, in the game device 100 of the present embodiment, the card reader 124 can acquire information and provide services only when it is activated in the administrator mode. It shall be controlled not to acquire information in the provision mode. When activated in the providing mode, only the plate reader 123 is controlled to acquire information.

The operating card is provided with at least identification information that uniquely identifies the operating card as the first information according to the present invention. Information on whether or not the operating card is unused is managed by an external server, and authentication is performed by transmitting an authentication request based on the identification information acquired from the operating card to the external server via the communication unit 110. Can be obtained as a result. It is preferable that the operation card is issued to a predetermined number of plates 300 (regularly provided products) shipped in response to an order from a store or the like where the game device 100 is installed, and is delivered together with the plates 300. It is assumed that the number added in response to the acquisition of information from the operating card is at least larger than the number of plates 300 delivered together with the operating card. The operation card may be delivered separately from the plate 300.

When the game device 100 is in the non-operating state, the control unit 101 performs a process of notifying the manager of the game device 100 of information indicating that fact. The notification may be made, for example, by displaying at least one of the first display unit 131 and the second display unit 132 to that effect, or may be presented via other presentation means. It may be something that is done. Alternatively, it may be realized by outputting information for causing a predetermined display to an external terminal related to the administrator via the communication unit 110.

<< Game Overview >>
In the present embodiment, the game in which the play experience is provided in the game device 100 will be described as a battle-type game played between players or between a player and an NPC (Non-Player Character). The battle between the players may be performed by one game device 100, or may be performed by a plurality of game devices 100 communicatively connected via the communication unit 110.

In a competitive game in which a play experience is provided by one use, the game part in which the operation input made is evaluated progresses through three phases, and the final is based on the superiority or inferiority of the evaluation in each phase. Win or lose is decided. The player can set up to one support character to appear in each phase of the game part in the preparation part provided prior to the game part. The three insertion holes 121 provided in the holding portion 120 shown in FIG. 4A correspond to each phase, and the player allows the player to make the character plate reader 123 appear in the first phase in the order of progress of the game part. Is placed in the leftmost insertion hole 121, the character plate reader 123 that appears in the second phase is placed in the central insertion hole 121, and the character plate reader 123 that appears in the last phase is placed in the rightmost insertion hole 121. , Can be set.

In the preparation part, as shown in FIG. 7, a screen is presented in which the support character group 701 that causes the player to appear in each phase and the support character group 702 that appears in each phase for the opponent can be compared. In the screen of FIG. 7, the arrangement position of each plate 300 in the holding portion 120 corresponds to the display position in the screen of the support character related to the player, and the characters appearing in the first phase are in the left column 703 and 2 The characters appearing in the second phase are arranged in the center column 704, and the characters appearing in the last phase are arranged in the right column 705.

In the preparation part, the player can change the position of the plate 300 arranged on the holding portion 120 or replace it with another plate 300, and the plate 300 is held in each insertion hole 121 in an information-acquirable manner. Correspondingly, the image of the corresponding character is displayed at the corresponding position on the screen. At this time, the compatibility with the support character set by the opponent for the same phase (superiority or inferiority when the effect is activated in the phase) is determined. Then, for example, when the character corresponding to the held plate 300 is a character that activates an effect that makes the evaluation more advantageous than the support character of the opponent, the icon 706 indicating that fact is conversely the opponent's. When the support character activates the effect that makes it more advantageous, the icon 707 indicating that it is disadvantageous is arranged and presented at the corresponding position on the screen. That is, the information of the character displayed on the plate is different depending on the position where the plate 300 is held.

In this embodiment, the information presented about the character is different depending on the determination of the compatibility between the support character set in each phase related to the player and the support character set in the same phase related to the opponent. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the embodiment in which advantageous characteristics are set for each phase, the content of the presented information may be different depending on the compatibility (match / disagreement of characteristics) between the set support character and the phase. ..

<< Operation control processing >>
In the game apparatus 100 of the present embodiment having such a configuration, specific processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 regarding the operation control processing performed during the activation of the game apparatus 100. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading, for example, the corresponding process program stored in the recording medium 102, expanding it into the memory 103, and executing the process. It should be noted that the main operation control process will be described as being started, for example, when the game apparatus 100 is started in the provision mode.

In S501, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is 1 or more. When the control unit 101 determines that the numerical value related to the remaining operation number information is 1 or more, the control unit 101 shifts the processing to S502 with the state of the game device 100 as the operation state. Further, when the control unit 101 determines that the numerical value related to the remaining operation number information is less than 1, the control unit 101 sets the state of the game device 100 as the non-operation state and shifts the processing to S520.

In S502, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the price has been paid. The determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment of the price for 100 yen is detected by the payment detection unit 104. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has been paid, the process is transferred to S503, and if it is determined that the price has not been paid, the control unit 101 repeats the process of this step.

In S503, the presentation control unit 107 causes the second display unit 132 to present the available services in a selectable manner under the control of the control unit 101. Then, the control unit 101 determines which service has been accepted for use. The types of services presented as available can be switched based on the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information, and if the numerical value is 2 or more, the first service, the second service, and the third service are applicable. However, when the numerical value is 1, only the second service is applicable. The control unit 101 updates the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1 according to the acceptance of the use of the service. Further, the control unit 101 shifts the processing to S504 when the service whose use has been accepted is the first service, shifts to S508 when it is the second service, and performs the processing when it is the third service. Move to S513.

In S504, the presentation control unit 107 displays that, under the control of the control unit 101, it is necessary to pay a further price in connection with the provision of the plate 300. Then, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S505 when the payment of the price related to the provision of the plate 300 is detected.

In S505, the providing control unit 109 causes the providing unit 140 to provide the plate 300 under the control of the control unit 101. Further, the control unit 101 updates the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1 according to the provision of the plate 300.

In S506, the control unit 101 executes a game process and starts providing a play experience.

<Game processing>
Here, the details of the game processing executed in this step will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In S601, the control unit 101 executes the process related to the preparation part of the battle game. The process relating to the preparation part includes drawing the corresponding screen, acquiring information from the plate 300 by the plate reader 123, and changing the display information when the information is acquired.

In S602, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the end condition of the preparation part is satisfied. The determination in this step may be made based on, for example, whether or not a predetermined time limit has been reached, whether or not an operation input related to the completion of preparation by the participating players has been made, and the like. If the control unit 101 determines that the end condition of the preparation part is satisfied, the process is transferred to S603, and if it is determined that the end condition is not satisfied, the process is returned to S601.

In S603, the control unit 101 executes a process related to the play part of the battle game. In the game part, the control unit 101 performs progress control and evaluation for each phase based on the information of the support character set in relation to the phase in the preparation part and the information of the operation input made for the game of the phase. , Determine the superiority or inferiority between players. Then, when the end condition related to the play part is satisfied (the last phase ends), the control unit 101 shifts the process to S604.

In S604, the presentation control unit 107 displays the result of the battle game under the control of the control unit 101, and completes the game processing.

When the game processing is completed, in S507 of the operation control processing, the control unit 101 shifts the game device 100 to the standby state and returns the processing to S501.

Further, when the service for which the use is accepted in S503 is the second service, the control unit 101 executes the game process in S508 and starts providing the play experience.

Then, when the provision of the play experience is completed, the control unit 101 determines in S509 whether or not the numerical value related to the remaining operation number information is 1 or more. If the control unit 101 determines that the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is 1 or more, the process is transferred to S510, and if it is determined that the value is less than 1, the process is returned to S501.

In S510, the presentation control unit 107 presents information that the plate 300 can be provided by paying a further price under the control of the control unit 101.

In S511, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a further price has been paid. The determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment of the price for 100 yen is detected by the payment detection unit 104. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has been paid, the process is transferred to S512, and if it is determined that the price has not been paid, the control unit 101 repeats the process of this step. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has not been paid for a predetermined period, the control unit 101 shifts the game device 100 to the standby state and returns the process to S501.

In S512, the providing control unit 109 causes the providing unit 140 to provide the plate 300 under the control of the control unit 101. Further, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation number information by 1 in response to the provision of the plate 300, shifts the game device 100 to the standby state, and returns the process to S501.

Further, when the service for which the use is accepted in S503 is the third service, the presentation control unit 107 displays in S513 that the provision of the plate 300 requires further payment of the price. Then, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S514 when the payment of the price related to the provision of the plate 300 is detected.

In S514, the providing control unit 109 causes the providing unit 140 to provide the plate 300 under the control of the control unit 101. Further, the control unit 101 updates the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1 according to the provision of the plate 300.

In S515, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is 2 or more. If the control unit 101 determines that the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is 2 or more, the process is transferred to S516, and if it is determined that the value is less than 2, the process is returned to S501.

In S516, the presentation control unit 107 presents information to the effect that the mini-game related to the provision of the plate 300 can be executed by paying a further price under the control of the control unit 101.

In S517, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a further price has been paid. The determination in this step may be made based on whether or not the payment of the price for 100 yen is detected by the payment detection unit 104. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has been paid, the process is transferred to S518, and if it is determined that the price has not been paid, the control unit 101 repeats the process of this step. If the control unit 101 determines that the price has not been paid for a predetermined period, the control unit 101 returns the process to S501.

In S518, the control unit 101 executes a process related to the mini game. Further, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation count information to a value obtained by subtracting 1 according to the execution of the process related to the mini game.

In S519, under the control of the control unit 101, the presentation control unit 107 displays the result of the mini-game and presents information that the plate 300 can be provided by paying a further price. Then, under the control of the control unit 101, the provision control unit 109 causes the provision unit 140 to provide the plate 300 in response to the detection of further payment of the price. Further, the control unit 101 updates the value related to the remaining operation number information by 1 in response to the provision of the plate 300, shifts the game device 100 to the standby state, and returns the process to S501.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S501 that the numerical value related to the operation count information is less than 1, the control unit 101 sets the state of the game device 100 to the non-operating state in S520, and the game device 100 is in the non-operating state. A notification to that effect is given, and the production control process is completed.

By doing so, according to the game device of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent unauthorized operation using non-genuine articles.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the outer shape of the main surface of the plate 300 has been described as having a rectangular shape, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the outer shape of the plate 300 may be formed by a polygonal shape other than a rectangle. Even in the embodiment formed by a polygonal shape other than a rectangle, if the attached plate information can be acquired, any one of the corners protrudes from the upper end of the plate 300 to form the corner. It is assumed that the holding portion 120 is configured so that the two sides intersect the top plate 150 of the main body portion 160.

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment, the plate 300 has been described as being put into a holding state by being inserted into a groove structure composed of an insertion hole 121 of the holding portion 120 and an inclined plate 122, but this is the embodiment of the present invention. It is not limited to. The holding of the plate 300 may be performed by sandwiching a part of the front surface and the back surface related to the main surface of the plate 300.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the use of the fourth service for providing the plate 300 can be accepted after the provision of the second service, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is preferable to be able to provide a play experience in which the plate 300 is actually used after the plate 300 is obtained by using the fourth service from the viewpoint of increasing the interest of the player in the game content. Therefore, even if the fourth service is configured to further provide a service similar to the first service, which requests payment of a further price after the provision of the plate 300 and executes a game process in response to the payment. good.

[Modification 4]
In the above-described embodiment, the numerical value related to the remaining operating count information is in the same unit as the number of times each service is provided, that is, one of the numerical values related to the remaining operating count information corresponds to one service provision. As described above, the practice of the present invention is not limited to this. The value to which the numerical value related to the remaining operation count information is subtracted for one service provision may be a predetermined numerical value (for example, 10) exceeding 1 as a unit, and in this case, a multiple standard of the unit. It suffices to determine whether to make it an operating state or a non-operating state.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The game device according to the present invention can also be realized by a program that causes one or more computers to function as the game device. The program can be provided / distributed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium or through a telecommunication line.

100: Game device, 101: Control unit, 102: Recording medium, 103: Memory, 104: Payment detection unit, 105: Acquisition unit, 106: Character DB, 107: Presentation control unit, 108: Operation input unit, 109: Provided Control unit, 110: Communication unit, 120: Holding unit, 121: Insert hole, 122: Inclined plate, 123: Plate reader, 124: Card reader, 130: Strut, 131: First display unit, 132: Second display unit , 140: Offering part, 141: Outlet, 150: Top plate, 151: Explanation area, 152: Exhibition area, 160: Main body part

Claims (20)

A game device configured to be able to provide a service that provides at least one of a game playing experience and an article in an operating state.
Execution means for executing the process related to the game and
Providing means for providing the article and
A control means for controlling whether the game device is in an operating state or a non-operating state based on the numerical information recorded in the recording means.
A reception means that accepts the use of the service in the operating state, and
Equipped with
The numerical information indicates a numerical value expressing the number of times the service can be used in a predetermined unit.
The numerical value indicated by the numerical information is at least one of acceptance of the use of the service by the receiving means, execution of the process related to the game by the executing means, and provision of the article by the providing means. Game equipment that is reduced according to. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means does not accept the use of the service in the non-operating state. The service, which is accepted for use by the reception means, is provided so that a plurality of types can be selected.
The multiple types of services are
A first service for providing the article by the providing means and executing a process related to the game by the executing means, and
A second service that only executes the process related to the game by the execution means, and
A third service that only provides the goods by the providing means, and
The game device according to claim 1 or 2. The fourth type of service performs at least one of the provision of the article by the providing means and the execution of the process related to the game by the executing means, which can be used after the provision of the second service. The game device according to claim 3, further comprising a service. The fifth type of service is at least one of the execution of the process related to the game by the execution means and the provision of the article by the provision means, which can be used after the provision of the third service. The game device according to claim 4, further comprising a service. The game device according to claim 5, wherein the executing means is different in the processing related to the game to be executed between the first service, the second service, and the fifth service. The game device according to claim 6, wherein the process related to the game executed in relation to the fifth service has a shorter execution time than the process related to the game executed in relation to the first service and the second service. .. Further equipped with a detection means to detect payment of payment,
The game device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the receiving means accepts the use of the service on condition that payment of the price by the detecting means is detected. For each of the plurality of types of services, the amount of the price to be paid for providing the service is determined.
The amount of the price required to pay for the provision of the first service and the third service is set to the same amount.
The game device according to claim 8, wherein the amount of the price required to be paid for providing the second service is half the amount of the price required to be paid for providing the first service and the third service. The game device according to claim 9, wherein the amount of the price required to be paid for providing the fourth service and the fifth service is the same as the amount of the price required to be paid for providing the second service. The game device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control means sets the state of the game device into the non-operating state when the numerical information indicates a numerical value less than the predetermined unit. The reception means is
When the numerical information indicates a numerical value that is twice or more the predetermined unit, the use of the first service, the second service, and the third service can be accepted.
The game device according to claim 11, wherein when the numerical information indicates a numerical value less than twice the predetermined unit, only the use of the second service can be accepted. Further provided with information presentation means for controlling the presentation of information related to the provision of the service,
3. The game device described in. Further equipped with an acquisition means configured to be able to acquire the first information,
The game device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the numerical value indicated by the numerical information is increased in response to the acquisition of the first information by the acquisition means. The acquisition means is configured to be able to further acquire second information different from the first information.
The game device according to claim 14, wherein the executing means controls the progress of the game based on the second information, provided that the second information is acquired by the acquiring means. The game device is configured to be operable in either an administrator mode in which the service cannot be provided or a provision mode in which the service can be provided.
The acquisition means
The first information can be acquired on condition that the game device is started in the administrator mode.
The game device according to claim 15, wherein the second information can be acquired provided that the game device is activated in the provision mode. The game device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the acquisition means acquires the first information and the second information from an article to which the information is attached via different acquisition devices. The game device according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the providing means provides the article to which the second information is attached. A game system including a game article and a game device configured to be able to provide a service for providing a game playing experience and at least one of the game articles in an operating state. ,
The game device is
Execution means for executing the process related to the game and
The providing means for providing the game article and the
A control means for controlling whether the game device is in an operating state or a non-operating state based on the numerical information recorded in the recording means.
A reception means that accepts the use of the service in the operating state, and
Equipped with
The numerical information indicates a numerical value expressing the number of times the service can be used in a predetermined unit.
The numerical value indicated by the numerical information is at least one of acceptance of use of the service by the receiving means, execution of processing related to the game by the executing means, and provision of the game article by the providing means. A game system that is reduced accordingly. A program for making a computer function as each means of the game device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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