JP2024051089A - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program for constructing a game environment in which proxy raising of game objects can be actively utilized. [Solution] The information processing device has a request receiving unit that receives a proxy raising request for a game object from a first player, a proxy processing unit that causes a second player to raise the game object, and a return processing unit that executes a first return process to return a game object having parameters set based on the raising performed by the second player to the first player if a completion condition is satisfied, and executes a second return process to return the game object to the first player before the raising is completed if an interruption condition is satisfied. [Selected Figure] Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Games in which game objects such as characters are developed and then compete in in-game events have been known for some time. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a game in which a player develops (trains) racehorses he owns to improve their abilities, and then competes in races with the developed racehorses to determine rankings.

In a game in which a racehorse is trained as in Patent Document 1, the racehorse is trained multiple times to bring the horse's abilities to a desired level, but the more training is performed, the more time and effort is required. In particular, a player may own many racehorses to train. Owning many racehorses to train increases the training effort, making it difficult for the player to train all of them by himself. To deal with such cases, there are games in which a computer (game system) automatically trains the horses on behalf of the player. However, when training is left to the computer, it is rare for the training results to meet the player's expectations, and the player often gets better results by training the horses themselves, which has led to dissatisfaction among the players.

On the other hand, among games played by communicating with other players over a network, there are games in which, instead of the player playing an event in the game, the other player can play that event on the player's behalf. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a game in which another player plays a mission in the game on the player's behalf, and when the mission is completed, the other player is provided with a predetermined reward.

In Patent Document 2, other players complete missions in a game on behalf of the player, and it does not take the place of raising game objects owned by the player. However, if the play proxy system described in Patent Document 2 is applied to a game in which objects are raised, a player who owns a game object to be raised can request that another player raise the game object on his or her behalf.

JP 2006-198231 A JP 2018-011632 A

However, when a player who owns a game object to be raised requests another player to raise the game object on his/her behalf, the requesting player may be dissatisfied with the results of the raising. For example, the success or failure of raising a game object depends largely on the player's skills and playing environment, and so depending on the skills and playing environment of the other player who is entrusted with the raising of the game object, the raising of the game object may not produce the desired results. In addition, compared to playing and clearing a mission, raising a game object is perceived as a boring and tedious task, so there is a risk that the other player who is entrusted with the raising of the game object may slack off and not take the raising of the game object seriously. Due to the existence of the above risks, players who own game objects to be raised cannot feel safe in requesting a raising of the game object on their behalf, and may hesitate to use a raising of the game object on their behalf.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program for creating a game environment in which game object raising proxy can be actively utilized.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention has a request receiving unit that receives a proxy training request for a game object from a first player, a proxy processing unit that causes a second player to perform the training of the game object, and a return processing unit that, if a completion condition is met, executes a first return process that returns a game object having parameters set based on the training performed by the second player to the first player, and, if an interruption condition is met, executes a second return process that returns the game object to the first player before the training is completed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to create a game environment in which game object raising proxy can be actively utilized.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for selecting a training course. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for requesting a training proxy. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen displaying a list of horses for which training is requested. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, and shows an example of a screen of a list of people who wish to receive a trust. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a game screen, showing an example of a screen for confirming substitute training. A figure explaining an example of the state of the target horse returned in the second return process. A figure explaining an example of the state of the target horse returned in the second return process. A figure explaining an example of the state of the target horse returned in the second return process. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing device system according to the present invention; 1 is a block diagram showing functions of an information processing device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of player information stored in a storage unit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of race horse information stored in a storage unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of substitute training request information stored in a storage unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of substitute training status information stored in a storage unit. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the present invention (part 1). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the present invention (part 2). FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an information processing flow according to the present invention (part 3).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Naturally, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

The screen examples described in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the screen configuration and design, content of the displayed information, and GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc., can be freely designed according to the system design specifications and the player's preferences, and can be changed as appropriate.

[Games to which the present invention can be applied]
Before describing the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention, a game to which the present invention is applied (hereinafter, referred to as the Game) will be described. The Game is a genre of game in which a player develops "game objects" within the game and uses the developed game objects to play "events" within the game.

"Game Object" refers to a virtual character used by a player of the Game to play each event in the game, and is the subject of development by the player in the Game. "Characters" include living things such as people, animals, and plants, machines such as vehicles and robots, non-machine objects, fictional characters such as monsters, or other characters similar to these.

An "event" is, for example, an incident such as an accident that occurs during the game, a quest, stage, or mission that is played for the purpose of clearing it, or an in-game competition in which game objects participate. In-game competitions include races in which players compete for finishing position, and matches or battles in which players compete for victory or defeat.

In this embodiment, a horse racing-themed simulation game will be described as an example in which the goal is to own an excellent racehorse and win major races or many races. Specifically, a player acquires a racehorse, which is a representative example of a game object, by "producing", "drawing", purchasing, etc., and "raise" the racehorse to enter various "races" and compete for rankings. In addition, a player can own multiple racehorses at the same time and raise the multiple racehorses in parallel. Furthermore, retired racehorses can be used as home-grown stallions or broodmares to produce the next generation of racehorses.
In the following description, a racehorse will be taken as an example of a game object, but the present invention is also applicable to games in which objects other than racehorses are bred.

"Breeding" refers to mating a breeding stallion and a broodmare selected by the player to generate a racehorse to be bred. Stallions and broodmares can be obtained by lottery or purchase, and can also be used by using racehorses bred by the player as breeding stallions or broodmares after retirement, thus allowing for successive generations. In addition, in this game, the abilities of the breeding stallions and broodmares used as parent horses tend to be passed on to the racehorses produced. Therefore, if a breeding stallion or broodmare with high ability is used as a parent horse, it can be said that it is easier to produce a racehorse with high ability. As will be described later, this game is a communication play compatible game, so breeding stallions, broodmares, or racehorses owned by other players can also be used for production.

A "lottery" is a type of event in which a player can acquire game objects or items such as racehorses, stallions, or broodmares by spending a certain "value" possessed in the game. The lottery is held in response to a lottery application from the player while playing the game. In the lottery, multiple game objects with different winning probabilities are prepared as candidates, and one or a predetermined number of game objects are selected from the multiple candidate game objects, and the player can acquire the selected game objects as the lottery result.

"Value" refers to the amount of value that can increase or decrease within a game, and specifically refers to "in-game currency" that can be used within the game, or "items" that give an advantage in the game the more you have.

"In-game currency" refers to something that has a monetary aspect within the game, such as medals or coins, and is included in the broad definition of items. In-game currency is, for example, exchanged for characters or other items, or spent when playing a specific event within the game (a race or a lottery, etc.). The amount of in-game currency possessed by a player can be increased, for example, when the player logs into the game and starts the game, or when the player wins a race, but it decreases when a lottery is held, a player registers to participate in a race, or when training (training) as described below is performed, etc.

"Items" are things used to give an advantage in the game, and can be used by the player in scenes such as production, lotteries, training, and races. Items include, for example, feed that restores a racehorse's fatigue or body weight, horse equipment that changes a racehorse's appearance or abilities, riding request tickets that allow a skilled jockey to ride in a race, lottery tickets that execute special lotteries, breeding stallions or broodmares that increase the chances of producing a highly skilled racehorse, or talismans that increase the chances of producing a highly skilled racehorse, etc.

"Raising" refers to changing the parameters of a racehorse by operations such as consuming value possessed in the game, and in this game, "training" is provided as a form of raising. Racehorse parameters are the characteristics of the racehorse related to the progress of the game, i.e., the abilities of the racehorse, evaluated by numerical values or symbols, and specifically include those that affect the outcome of a race, such as stamina, speed, power, distance suitability, track suitability, horse weight, and fatigue level. Racehorse parameters also include past racing performance (race history), such as the number of races participated in, the number of race wins and winning percentage. Racehorse parameters may include items that the player can see and items that the player cannot see (masked items).

In this embodiment, a training period is set for each racehorse, and the player can train racehorses that have remaining training periods. The training period is the number of days set as in-game time, for example, N weeks in the game (N is any natural number). Here, in-game time refers to time that passes within the game and passes at a faster rate than real time. For example, when the player performs a specific operation (hereinafter referred to as a weekly operation) once, a week passes in the game, which is only a few minutes in real time. Note that racehorses that have passed their training period will retire, but as described above, they can be used for production as breeding stallions or broodmares.

In this game, training can be performed once per weekly operation, i.e., per week in-game time. Normally, the racehorse's parameters gradually increase as the number of weeks of training (hereinafter also referred to as the number of training weeks) increases. On the other hand, for example, a specified event (accident) such as an injury may occur in the game to a racehorse being trained, in which case the racehorse's parameters may decrease or revert to their state before training. Note that the number of times training can be performed in one weekly operation is not particularly limited, and training may be performed two or more times.

When training, a menu list ML related to the training course is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 1. The training course is an example of a training mode for a racehorse. In this game, multiple types of courses are prepared, and the content of the training changes depending on the type of course. The player selects one of the multiple training courses listed in the menu list ML and performs training. The type and amount of change of parameters changed by training vary depending on the specified training course and intensity. For example, in "Course A", stamina can be increased with a focus, and in "Course B", speed can be increased with a focus. In addition, the degree of increase of parameters differs depending on the intensity (light, normal, strong, etc.). Note that parameters do not necessarily have to increase in one training session. For example, when training is performed by specifying a certain type of training course, a specific parameter may increase while other parameters may decrease, and the parameters do not always have to change regularly. In addition, the amount of increase of parameters by training may change depending on the amount of value consumed.

In addition, in this game, the player owns a stable (hereafter referred to as a farm) in the game and trains the racehorses that are kept there. Farms are assigned a grade (rank), and the higher the grade of the farm in which the racehorse to be trained is kept, the more training facilities are provided, and the greater the increase in parameters that can be achieved through training. The grade of a farm can be changed, and the player can upgrade their farm, for example, by paying a fee for the game or by performing a specified operation (for example, an operation that consumes in-game currency within the game).

"Race" is the main event of this game, and in principle, is held every week in-game time based on the race calendar. When the player wants to enter a racehorse that has been trained (including racehorses in the process of training) in such a race, the player selects which racehorse they own to enter in the race (if they own multiple racehorses), registers the horse to enter in the race they wish to enter, and enters the registered racehorse in the race on the day the race is held in game time. The outcome of the racehorses in the race is determined based on the parameters of each of the racehorses, including the racehorse, at the time of the race, the weather on the day the race is held, and environmental conditions such as the ground conditions of the racetrack.

When a racehorse owned by a player wins a race (takes first place) or finishes within a specified ranking, a specified amount of in-game currency or items of value is awarded to the player who trained the racehorse as a prize or secondary prize. The amount of in-game currency or type of item awarded is determined, for example, according to the type of race entered and the finishing position (achievement). In addition to the above value, the right to enter special races (limited races) that cannot normally be entered may also be awarded. In this embodiment, entering a race does not mean that the racehorse has been trained (parameters such as fatigue level change, but parameters such as stamina, speed, and power at least do not improve), but entering a race may also be included as a form of training.

The game is a game that supports online play, and multiple players can play the game together through a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile communication line. For example, in the game, multiple players can compete with each other by entering their own racehorses in the same race in which horses raised by players can compete against each other (online competitive races), in addition to the races held every week during in-game time.

In addition, in this game, a player can have another player train a racehorse owned by that player on his/her behalf (hereinafter referred to as "training proxy").

"Raising substitute" refers to granting the authority to raise a racehorse owned by a player who requests the raising substitute to another player who undertakes (accepts) the raising substitute, and in terms of game processing, the racehorse involved in the raising substitute is entrusted to the farm of another player, and the parameters of the entrusted racehorse are changed based on the operation of the other player. In addition, in this game, the player who requested the raising substitute cannot raise the racehorse involved in the raising substitute during the raising substitute. However, this is not limited to this, and the player who requested the raising substitute may be able to raise the racehorse involved in the raising substitute during the period of the raising substitute. Note that even if the player who requested the raising substitute progresses the game during the period of the raising substitute, that is, even if the player advances the in-game time by performing a weekly task operation, the progress of the game does not affect the racehorse involved in the raising substitute.

Below, we will explain the role of training a racehorse. In the following, the player who requests the training is referred to as the "first player," the player who accepts the training is referred to as the "second player," and the racehorse for which the first player requests training is referred to as the "target horse."

When the first player requests the horse to be trained on behalf of the horse, the first player specifies various request items through the game screen as shown in FIG. 2. The specified request items include the training period and training conditions. The training period (training substitution period) is the period during which the first player requests the horse to be trained on behalf of the horse, and is a period expressed in real time (more specifically, real date) rather than in-game time. The training conditions are the conditions for the training substitution that the first player requests of the second player, and specifically, the contents specified by the first player as a training policy regarding the training mode during the training substitution. Examples of the training mode include the number of training weeks to be reached during the training substitution, the training course, the type of parameter to be increased, the increase amount or target value of the parameter, the time of race debut during the training substitution, and the number of races to be participated in (including 0 times) or the number of race wins during the training substitution.
Incidentally, since the first player and the second player have different in-game times to begin with (for example, the first player's in-game time may be the first week of April and the second player's in-game time may be the fourth week of December), depending on the timing of the request for substitute training, the horse may not be able to participate in races where the age of the horse is limited by the time of stable entry. For this reason, some first players may have a need to specify the time of stable entry for their training character, and in order to meet this need, it may also be possible to specify the time of race debut (the week the target horse is stabled in the second player's in-game time).

In addition, in order to align the in-game times of the first and second players, the second player may be allowed to start training the target horse when the in-game time of the second player becomes the in-game time that corresponds to the in-game time of the first player at the time the second player accepts the training proxy (or the first player requests the training proxy). For example, if the in-game time of the first player is the first week of April and the in-game time of the second player is the fourth week of December at the time the second player accepts the training proxy, the second player may not be able to start training the target horse until he or she advances his or her own in-game time to the first week of April.

The target horse for which the above various conditions have been set by the first player is listed on the list of horses requested for training HL shown in FIG. 3, and the information is shared among multiple players who are potential recipients (strictly speaking, players other than the first player). The scope of information shared may be limited to players who have been registered in advance as those willing to be entrusted with the training of the target horse. When a player who is a potential recipient wishes to be entrusted with training a horse among the multiple target horses listed on the list of horses requested for training HL, the player selects the relevant horse and enters as a candidate to be entrusted with training the horse on behalf of the horse. In the list of horses requested for training HL, the player can also check details such as the abilities and requests for each target horse by tapping the details button, etc.

After the first player specifies the requested items, if other players have entered to accept the horse as a horse for the first player's horse, information about those multiple horse owners is posted on the horse owner applicants list JL shown in FIG. 4. In addition to the name or ID of the player who wishes to accept the horse, the horse owner applicant list JL also lists the grade of the farm and the number of times the horse has been entrusted with training as a horse breeding proxy as a track record. The first player selects one of the multiple horse owners listed on the horse owner applicant list JL who is deemed suitable to be entrusted with training as a proxy. Note that in this embodiment, the number of players that can be selected is limited to one, but multiple players may be selected.

After the selection of the person wishing to be entrusted with the horse, the selected player is notified of the horse-raising substitute request from the first player. The player who receives the notification decides whether or not to accept the horse-raising substitute role via the confirmation screen CS shown in FIG. 5. The player who decides to accept the horse-raising substitute role acts as the second player and can raise the horse by their own operation during the training period specified by the first player; specifically, the player can train the horse on their own farm.

In addition, restrictions may be placed on the number of target horses that the second player can accept at the same time (including cases where some of the training substitution periods overlap). For example, the number of target horses that can be accepted at the same time may be limited to one, and multiple target horses cannot be accepted at the same time. Also, it may be possible for multiple target horses to be accepted at the same time from other players (players other than the first player), but multiple target horses cannot be accepted at the same time from the same player, or multiple target horses can be accepted from the same player, but not from other players.

When the second player's substitute training ends normally, satisfying the "completion conditions," the substitute training authority set for the second player is released/invalidated, the horse's parameters are changed based on the results of the substitute training, and the horse's training authority is returned to the first player (first return process). In the game, the horse that was left at the second player's farm is returned to the first player's farm, so hereinafter, the return of the substitute training authority for the horse from the second player to the first player is also referred to as "the horse being returned to the first player." When the substitute training ends, satisfying the completion conditions, and the horse is returned to the first player, a "reward" is granted to the second player.

The "completion condition" is the condition for successfully ending the training proxy and executing the first return process. For example, the completion condition occurs when the training period specified by the first player expires, or when the training condition specified by the first player is achieved (such as when a parameter increases to a target value or when a specified race is won).

A "reward" is a value or right granted to the second player in return for acting as a training proxy. The type (content) or amount of reward may be changed depending on the results of the training proxy by the second player, specifically the number of weeks of training during the training proxy or the increase in parameters due to the training proxy. Multiple types of rewards may also be combined and granted. By changing the type (content) or amount, or combining multiple types of rewards, rewards can be made more advantageous to the second player.

The rewards include in-game currency or items, etc. transferred from the first player to the second player as a reward (the amount of in-game currency or items, etc. owned by the first player decreases depending on the number of transfers), in-game currency or items, etc. given to the second player as a bonus regardless of the first player (the amount of in-game currency or items, etc. owned by the first player does not decrease depending on the number of transfers), and also the rights listed below.
(a) The right for the second player to use the returned horse in the game.
Specifically, this includes the right for the second player to borrow the returned target horse from the first player and use it in an in-game event such as a race, or the right for the second player to borrow the returned target horse from the first player and produce a new racehorse, i.e., the right to use the target horse as a breeding stallion or broodmare.
(b) The second player has the right to obtain at least a portion of the value that the first player has gained by entering the returned target horse in a race.
Specifically, this includes the second player obtaining X% (for example, 10%) of the in-game currency acquired by the target horse, the same item as the acquired item or a related item (for example, if the acquired item is an item that recovers 100% of fatigue, an item that recovers 30%), or, if the horse has earned the right to participate in a special race, the right to participate in that special race, etc.
(c) The right to have information about the second player, such as the name, registered in the attributes of the target horse after it is returned.
Specifically, this includes cases where the name of the second player is displayed as the trainer of the target horse.

On the other hand, if the second player's substitute training meets the "interruption condition," even if the substitute training is in progress, the substitute training authority set for the second player is cancelled/invalidated, and the training authority for the target horse is returned to the first player (second return process). Note that, unlike the first return process, if the substitute training ends after meeting the interruption condition, the second player is not given the above reward.

The "interruption condition" is a condition for interrupting the training proxy of the target horse and executing the second return process before the completion condition is met. For example, whether or not the interruption condition is met is determined based on the "training progress" or "training level" of the target horse, as well as based on the will of the first player who requested the training proxy. Note that if the training progress or training level of the target horse meets the interruption condition (for example, if any one of the conditions specified here is met), the second return process may be executed automatically, or, even if any one of the conditions specified based on the training progress or training level is met, the second return process may not be executed unless the first player makes a return request and indicates his/her intention to interrupt the training proxy.

"Training progress" refers to the in-game time spent by the second player in training the target horse. Specifically, it is the number of weeks of training in the in-game time that has elapsed up to a certain point during the training proxy period (the number of weeks that have been used up by advancing the in-game time by performing weekly task operations).

The "degree of training" is an index showing the extent to which the target horse has been trained during the training proxy period, and is calculated based on, for example, the parameter value that has increased since the start of the training proxy (including past race results such as the number of races entered and the number of wins), or the parameter increase rate (current parameter value/parameter value at the start of the training proxy), or the amount of value consumed during the training proxy period, i.e., the amount and quality of in-game currency or items, etc., spent on the training proxy. The degree of training may or may not be visible to the first and second players. Also, it may be possible for only the first or second player to view it. Note that, as mentioned above, the parameter value may include items that the player cannot view. In that case, the player naturally cannot view the degree of training related to the parameter. On the other hand, since the amount of value consumed can be measured, it is preferable to use the degree of training calculated based on the amount of value consumed as the degree of training that the player can view.

Below, the cases where the interruption conditions are satisfied will be explained for each case.
When a request for return of the target horse (return request) is made by the first player, that is, when the training substitution of the target horse is cancelled based on the first player's will, this satisfies the interruption condition. In this case, the first player may be able to freely make a return request at any time without conditions, or the first player may be able to make a return request only when the training progress or training level, etc., satisfies the interruption condition. Note that the second player may also be able to cancel the training substitution being accepted midway.

In addition, when the training substitution is interrupted based on the training progress of the target horse, if the training progress of the target horse does not meet the first condition until a predetermined period of time has passed since the start of the training substitution, the interruption condition is met. Specifically, if the number of weeks of training in the game time at the time when a certain time (for example, one week) has passed in real time since the second player started the training substitution of the target horse falls below the predetermined number of weeks set as the first condition, the interruption condition is met. The first condition here may be the number of weeks of training set by the first player when requesting the training substitution or at any timing, or may be the number of weeks of training set automatically in advance. It may also be the number of weeks of training specified based on the training period (real time) set when requesting the training substitution. In this embodiment, if the training progress does not meet the first condition, a notification to that effect is sent to the first player, and the first player who receives the notification can decide whether or not to return the target horse. It may be set in advance so that if the training progress does not meet the first condition, the target horse in the middle of the training substitution is automatically returned to the first player.

When the first player receives the notification, he or she can continue the training of the horse at his or her will without requesting the return of the horse. In other words, even if the training progress by the second player does not reach the first condition within the specified period, the second player can continue the training of the horse. In this case, if the number of weeks of training in game time falls below the specified number of weeks set as the second condition before the continuation period set after the specified period in real time (for example, one more week after the specified period) has elapsed, the interruption condition will be met again. The second condition may be the number of weeks of training set by the first player when requesting the training of the horse or at any timing (for example, at the start of the continuation period), or it may be the number of weeks of training set automatically in advance. It may also be the number of weeks of training specified based on the training period (real time) set when requesting the training of the horse, or the consumed or remaining period of that training period.

In this embodiment, the second condition set as the interruption condition during the continuation period is set to be stricter than the first condition set as the interruption condition during the predetermined period. For example, if the first condition is to advance the number of weeks of development by 30 in one week, the following condition is an example of the strict condition:
(a) Advance the number of weeks of development by 40 in one week. In other words, in the second condition, the quota for the number of weeks to be progressed is set stricter than the number of weeks to be progressed within a predetermined period of time.
(b) Advance the number of weeks of development by 60 in one week. In other words, the second condition is set strictly so as to make up for any delay in development that occurs within a certain period of time.
(c) Advance the number of weeks of development by 30 in three days. In other words, in the second condition, the period during which the same amount of development can be performed as within the specified period is set to be shorter than the specified period (the deadline is set to be strict).

In addition, when training substitution is interrupted based on the level of training of the target horse, if the level of training for the target horse does not meet the "reference value" from the start of training substitution until a specified event occurs, i.e., before a certain period of time has passed since the start of training substitution, the interruption condition is met. For example, if the parameter value falls below the reference value before x weeks of training have passed, the interruption condition is met. Also, if the amount of value consumed by the second player falls below the reference value before a specified race is held, the interruption condition is met.

The "reference value" is a value that is a standard for determining whether the level of training satisfies the interruption condition, and specifically specifies the value of a parameter that has increased since the start of the training agency (including race results such as the number of races entered and the number of wins), the rate of increase of the parameter, or the amount of value consumed during the training agency period. The reference value differs for each training agency or for each target horse, and may be a value set by the first player when requesting the training agency or at any time, or a value that is automatically set based on the requested items such as training conditions specified by the first player, or the ability (including potential) or personality of the target horse estimated based on the background of the target horse, such as its pedigree or age. If the reference value is set based on pedigree, for example, if the parent horse of the target horse has a track record of winning a G1 race, the reference value may be set to be that the target horse also wins a G1 race of the same grade. Additionally, the parameters of the target horse's parent horse at a certain time (for example, parameters at the time when the horse is 3 years and 12 months old) may be stored as reference values, and the target horse's parameters up to the same time (parameters up to the time when the horse is 3 years and 12 months old) may be compared with these reference values. Note that, like the level of training, the reference values may or may not be visible to the first and second players. Also, the reference values may be visible only to either the first or second player.

As described above, if the interruption condition is met, the second return process will be executed, but in the second return process, the parameters of the target horse to be returned will differ depending on the interruption situation, i.e., the timing at which the second return process is executed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, if the second return process is executed before the predetermined period has elapsed, the target horse is returned to the first player with the parameters (P0) at the start of the training proxy, that is, the parameters have not changed since the training proxy request, rather than the parameters (P1) that have changed due to the training proxy by the second player from the start of the training proxy to the time the second return process is executed (the time the training proxy is interrupted). In this way, if the training proxy has just started, the second return process returns the parameters to the state they were at the time of the training proxy request. Note that the predetermined period here may be a certain amount of time in real time (e.g., one week), or a period specified based on the training period set at the time of the training proxy request. It may also be a predetermined number of weeks in in-game time. If it is in-game time, it may be the number of training weeks specified based on the training period (real time) set at the time of the training proxy request, or it may be the number of training weeks set based on the number of training weeks set as a training condition (e.g., 30 weeks if the number of training weeks set as a training condition is set to 120 weeks).

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6B, when the second return process is executed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the target horse is returned to the first player with the parameters (P2) that have changed due to the training substitution by the second player between the start of the training substitution and the time the second return process is executed, i.e., the latest parameter state at the time the second return process is executed.
In this case, the target horse may be returned to the first player not only in the latest parameter state at the time of execution of the second return process, but also in any state between the start of the substitute training and the time of execution of the second return process (any state between P0 and P2), for example, the parameter state at the time of the passage of a predetermined period (P3). Furthermore, the target horse may be returned to the first player in the parameter state at an arbitrary time designated by the first player. When returning the target horse with the parameters at an arbitrary time, the first player may be allowed to designate the arbitrary time on the condition that a predetermined item is consumed. At this time, the consumption amount of the predetermined item may be changed depending on the length of the period that has elapsed since the start of the substitute training. In other words, the closer the arbitrary time designated is to the start of the substitute training (the longer the period to be returned), the greater the consumption amount of the predetermined item.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6C, if a specified event (such as a direct reason for interrupting the training) such as an injury occurs due to a weekly task operation in a certain week during the training proxy, the parameters of the target horse may drop significantly. In this case, the target horse is returned to the first player not in the state of the parameters (P4) at the time of executing the second return process, but in the state of the parameters (P5) at the stage of training due to the weekly task operation in the week immediately preceding the week in which the specified event occurred (for example, the first week of April if the horse was injured due to a weekly task operation in the second week of April), that is, in a state more favorable to the first player. In this case, it may be permitted to return to the state before the specified event occurred, on the condition that a specified item is consumed. At this time, the consumption amount of the specified item may be changed depending on the type of the specified situation (such as a sore, fracture, or tendonitis), or the consumption amount of the specified item may be changed depending on the amount of parameters that have dropped due to the specified event (such as a minor injury, a serious injury, or a poor prognosis). In other words, the greater the impact of the specified event (the greater the amount of parameters that are recovered), the greater the consumption amount of the specified item.

During the training substitution, the first player can check the status of the second player's training substitution of the target horse, i.e., the training progress and training level, from time to time. This allows the first player to check at any time whether the training substitution is progressing smoothly (whether the training quota is being met). This can then be used as a basis for deciding whether to interrupt the training substitution or to continue with the current training substitution conditions (for example, whether it is better to change the training course, etc.).

[Configuration of an information processing device and a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention]
Next, the configurations of an information processing device and a user terminal 12 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing device according to the first embodiment is configured by a computer for games, specifically a server computer (hereinafter referred to as a server 10). As shown in Fig. 7, the server 10 is communicably connected to the user terminal 12 via a network 14, and together with the user terminal 12, constitutes an information processing system S for games.
The server 10 may be configured with one computer, or may be configured with a plurality of computers distributed in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 7, the server 10 has a processor 21, memory 22, a communication interface 23, and storage 24, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 25. In addition, the server 10 has installed therein, as software, an operating system (OS) and a dedicated program for processing information related to the game. These programs correspond to the "programs" of the present invention. When the processor 21 operates in accordance with the above programs, the server 10 functions as the information processing device of the present invention and executes a series of processes related to the progress of the game.

The processor 21 may be configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

The memory 22 may be composed of semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The communication interface 23 may be, for example, a network interface card or a communication interface board. The standard of data communication by the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication by a wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication by a 3G to 5G or later generation mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution).

The storage 24 may be configured with a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory). The storage 24 may be built into the server 10, or may be attached to the server body in an external format. The storage 24 may also be configured with an external computer (e.g., a database server) communicably connected to the server body. A distributed ledger technology such as a blockchain may be used as a technology for recording various data in order to avoid unauthorized data tampering.

The server 10 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each player, and also collects and stores information from each player. The information stored by the server 10 includes information regarding each player's play history of the game, such as the racehorses that each player has owned to date and the current parameters of each racehorse, the amount of in-game currency and items owned, and the number of times that the player has been entrusted with training. In addition, for players who have requested to act as a training agent for a target horse, information regarding the training agent, such as the training conditions and the current status of the training agent, is stored in the server 10.

In addition, the server 10 executes various information processes related to the progress of the game, including the processes described below.
(a) A process for changing the parameters of a racehorse being trained.
(b) A process of having a second player act on behalf of the first player in raising the target horse.
(c) A process for completing or interrupting the second player's training of the target horse.
(d) A process of setting a first condition, a second condition, or a reference value which are conditions for interrupting the training agency.
(e) A process of returning the target horse for which the substitutional training has been completed to the first player (first return process).
(f) A process of returning the target horse for which substitute training has been suspended to the first player (second return process).
(g) A process of awarding a reward to the second player.
(h) A process for identifying the time (training time) during which the second player acted as a substitute for training the target horse.
(i) A process for identifying the type and amount of value spent by the second player on training the target horse.
(j) Processing to change the amount of value of each player (such as the amount of in-game currency or items possessed).
(k) Processing for generating or holding various in-game events, including races.
(l) A process of awarding value to a player whose racehorse wins a race.

The user terminal 12 is a client terminal operated by the player to play the game, and specifically includes a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a television set capable of inputting information, a wearable terminal, etc. Note that for convenience of illustration, only two user terminals 12 are shown in FIG. 7, but the number of user terminals 12 may be any number greater than or equal to two.

The user terminal 12 receives information necessary for the progress of the game from the server 10, and displays images contained in the information on a screen such as a display, and outputs audio from a speaker, etc. The user terminal 12 also accepts operations performed by the player while playing the game, and transmits information corresponding to the content of those operations to the server 10.

For example, when training a racehorse in the game, the player performs training operations on the user terminal 12. Training operations are operations related to training a racehorse, such as inputting information necessary for training and selecting from multiple items related to training. For example, the player specifies a training course in the menu list ML of FIG. 1, and performs operations for entry registration via a registration screen (not shown) to enter the racehorse in a desired race.

The player requesting the substitution of a target horse, i.e., the first player, performs operations for requesting substitution of a target horse on the user terminal 12, for example, specifying various request items on the substitution of a target horse request screen IS in FIG. 2, and selecting one candidate from the candidate list JL in FIG. 4. Meanwhile, the other player selects and enters a target horse for which he wishes to substitute a target horse from among the multiple target horses listed in the substitution of a target horse list HL in FIG. 3. The player who has accepted the substitution of a target horse, i.e., the second player, indicates his intention to comply with the substitution of a target horse request from the first player through the confirmation screen CS in FIG. 5, and then performs normal substitution operations on the user terminal 12 to raise the racehorse (target horse) for which substitution is to be performed.

In addition, during the substitute training, the first player can check the status of the second player's substitute training of the target horse at any time through communication between the user terminal 12 and the server 10, and can view, for example, the number of weeks of training and the parameters of the target horse at each point during the substitute training on the screen of the user terminal 12.

[Functions of the information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention]
The configuration of the server 10, which is an information processing device according to the first embodiment, will be described again from the functional aspect. As shown in Fig. 8, the server 10 has an operation reception unit 30, a distribution unit 40, a storage unit 50, and an information processing unit 60. Of these, the storage unit 50 is realized by the memory 22 or the storage 24, and the other functional units are realized by the cooperation of the hardware devices constituting the server 10 and the programs installed in the server 10.
Each functional unit will be described in detail below.

(Operation reception unit)
The operation reception unit 30 receives operations performed by the player on the user terminal 12 while playing the game, and more precisely, receives data indicating the content of the operations from the user terminal 12. As shown in FIG. 8 , the operation reception unit 30 has a training operation reception unit 31, a request reception unit 32, a candidate selection reception unit 33, an acceptance confirmation reception unit 34, and a race registration reception unit 35.

The training operation receiving unit 31 receives racehorse training operations by the player. The training operation is a specification operation for training a racehorse, or more precisely, training, and specifies the racehorse to be trained, the training course, the value to be spent on training, etc. The training operation receiving unit 31 receives data indicating the above-mentioned specified contents from the user terminal 12.

The request receiving unit 32 receives a designation operation performed by the first player to request a substitute training of the target horse, specifically, an operation to designate the requested items such as the training period and training conditions, and more specifically, receives data indicating a substitute training request including the designated requested items from the user terminal 12. The request receiving unit 32 also receives a designation operation performed by the first player to interrupt the substitute training of the target horse and have it returned, specifically, an operation to request the return of the target horse during the substitute training period, and more specifically, receives data indicating a return request from the user terminal 12. The request receiving unit 32 also receives an operation performed by the first player to set an interruption condition (first condition, second condition, or reference value), specifically, an operation to designate the interruption condition when requesting a substitute training or during the substitute training period, and more specifically, receives data indicating the designated interruption condition from the user terminal 12.

The candidate selection receiving unit 33 receives an operation by the first player to select one candidate from the list of horses wishing to be entrusted JL when requesting a horse training proxy, and more specifically, receives data indicating the selection result from the user terminal 12. The candidate selection receiving unit 33 also receives an operation by the second player to select a target horse from the horse training proxy request list HL, and more specifically, receives data indicating the selection result from the user terminal 12.

The acceptance confirmation receiving unit 34 accepts the acceptance confirmation operation performed when the player who wishes to be the trustee selected by the first player decides to accept the training agency through the confirmation screen CS of FIG. 5, and more specifically, receives data indicating whether or not the acceptance has been accepted from the user terminal 12.

The race registration reception unit 35 receives registration operations performed by the player to enter a racehorse in a race of the player's choice. In the registration operation, the player specifies the race the player wishes to enter, the date the race will be held, the racehorse to be entered, etc., and the race registration reception unit 35 receives data indicating these details from the user terminal 12.

(Distribution Department)
The distribution unit 40 distributes information necessary for the progress of the game to each player's user terminal 12, and has an event information distribution unit 41, an information presentation unit 42, and an inquiry unit 43, as shown in FIG. 8.

The event information distribution unit 41 distributes information about various events such as races. On the user terminal 12 side that receives the information distributed by the event information distribution unit 41, the video and audio of the event are output (displayed, played, etc.).

The information presentation unit 42 corresponds to the "information presentation processing unit" of the present invention, and distributes information on multiple players (strictly speaking, multiple players other than the first player) including the second player who is registered as a candidate for trustee to the first player. The information presentation unit 42 also distributes information on the target horse registered by the first player to multiple players including the second player who is registered as a candidate for trustee.

The inquiry unit 43 delivers inquiry information on a predetermined matter to a predetermined player, for example, to a player who wishes to be entrusted with the horse training selected by the first player, inquiry information as to whether or not the horse training substitution can be accepted. It also delivers inquiry information as to whether or not the horse training substitution should be continued to a second player who is performing the horse training substitution. If the training progress does not meet the first condition, it notifies the first player of this fact and delivers information inquiring as to whether or not the horse should be returned.

(Memory unit)
The memory unit 50 stores information necessary for the progress of the game, and as shown in FIG. 8, has a player information memory unit 51, a racehorse information memory unit 52, a training proxy request memory unit 53, and a training proxy status memory unit .

The player information storage unit 51 stores player information for each player of the game. As shown in FIG. 9, the player information includes the name or ID of each player, the account name for the game, the total playing time of the game, the ID of the racehorse owned (owned horse ID), the grade of the farm owned, the number of times training has been entrusted to the player, a training agency flag indicating whether or not the player is currently requesting training agency, and a candidate player flag indicating whether or not the player is currently a candidate player. The player information also includes information (not shown) regarding the amount of in-game currency or items or other values held. Note that the player information may also include other information about the player, such as the name or ID of other players registered by the player as friends.

The racehorse information storage unit 52 stores racehorse information on each racehorse owned by each player. As shown in FIG. 10, the racehorse information includes the name of each racehorse, an identification ID, the account name of the player who owns the racehorse, current parameters (specifically, ability values such as stamina, speed, and power, and racing results such as the number of races participated in and the number of wins in the past), the current number of weeks of training, and the number of remaining training periods (number of weeks remaining). Note that the racehorse information may also include other information about the racehorse, such as information about the pedigree, such as the parent horse's name or ID, and trainer information, such as the trainer's name or ID. The information about the racehorse may also include mask information that is not displayed on the user terminal 12 or the like and cannot be confirmed by the player.

The training proxy request storage unit 53 stores training proxy request information related to a training proxy request for each request. As shown in FIG. 11, the training proxy request information includes an ID for identifying the training proxy request (request ID), the account name of the player who requested the training proxy, the training period, an ID for identifying the racehorse (target horse) related to the requested training proxy, training conditions (specifically, the number of training weeks to be achieved during the training proxy, the training course, and the type of parameter to be increased by the training proxy and its target value), and the account name of the player who accepted the training proxy.

The training proxy status memory unit 54 stores, for each training proxy, training proxy status information relating to the progress of the currently ongoing training proxy. As shown in FIG. 12, the training proxy status information includes the request ID, the start date of the training proxy in real time, the number of weeks of training from the start of the training proxy to the current time in game time, the current values of the desired training parameters, the number of medals given as the training budget, and the number of medals consumed on the training proxy up to the current time.

(Information Processing Section)
The information processing unit 60 executes information processing necessary for the progress of the game, and as shown in FIG. 8, has a parameter changing unit 61, an agency processing unit 62, a reference value setting unit 63, an agency completion unit 64, an agency interruption unit 65, an agency time determination unit 66, a consumption value determination unit 67, a return processing unit 68, a reward granting unit 69, a race result determination unit 70, and a value granting unit 71.

When the training operation receiving unit 31 receives a training operation from the player, the parameter changing unit 61 executes a process to change the parameters of the racehorse to be trained stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52, specifically ability values such as stamina, speed, and power, according to the content of the operation. At this time, the amount of change (increase) of each parameter changes according to the training course specified by the player in the training operation and the amount of value consumed. Note that the parameter changing unit 61 also changes the parameters appropriately when an interruption condition is met during substitute training and it is necessary to change the parameters of the target horse.

When the acceptance confirmation receiving unit 34 receives a response from the person who wishes to be entrusted with the training proxy selected by the first player, the proxy processing unit 62 executes a process of designating the trustee as the second player and having the second player act on behalf of the second player in training the target horse. Specifically, the proxy processing unit 62 grants the second player the authority to train the target horse, and stores the second player's account name in the training proxy request storage unit 53 in association with the request ID for the training proxy.

The reference value setting unit 63 sets the reference value based on the requested items such as training conditions specified by the first player, or the ability (including potential ability) or personality of the target horse estimated based on the background of the target horse such as the horse's pedigree or age. The reference value setting unit 63 may set the reference value when requesting a training proxy, or may set it appropriately at a predetermined timing after the start of the training proxy. The reference value setting unit 63 can also change the reference value once it has been set.

When a completion condition for the training substitution is met, the proxy completion unit 64 completes the training substitution of the target horse by the player who has accepted the training substitution. The completion condition is, for example, a condition that the training condition specified by the first player when requesting the training substitution is met. In other words, when the number of training weeks in the training substitution of the target horse by the second player reaches the number of training weeks specified by the first player, or when the parameters of the target horse increase to the target value specified by the first player, the proxy completion unit 64 cancels/invalidates the training substitution authority set for the second player, and completes the training substitution of the target horse by the second player.

When the above-mentioned interruption condition is satisfied for the training proxy, the proxy interruption unit 65 interrupts the training proxy of the target horse by the player who has been entrusted with the training proxy in the middle of the training proxy. Specifically, the proxy interruption unit 65 interrupts the training proxy by canceling/invalidating the training proxy authority set for the second player. In addition, when interrupting the training proxy, the proxy interruption unit 65 may maintain the parameters of the target horse that have changed due to the training proxy by the second player up to the time of interruption, or may execute a process to change the parameters, based on the interruption situation, as described above. For example, depending on the interruption situation, the proxy interruption unit 65 interrupts the training proxy of the target horse by the second player after changing the parameter values to the state at the time of the training proxy request, any state between the time of the training proxy request and the interruption time (excluding the state at the time of interruption), or the state at the time before the occurrence of a specified event. In addition, the proxy interruption unit 65 appropriately sets a first condition and a second condition as the interruption condition. As mentioned above, the second condition for the continuation period that occurs after the specified period has elapsed is set to be stricter than the first condition for the specified period.

The proxy time determination unit 66 determines the in-game time spent on the substitute training of the target horse (hereinafter referred to as the proxy time). The proxy time corresponds to, for example, the number of weeks of training from the start of the substitute training to the current time. In other words, when determining the proxy time for the second player's substitute training of the target horse, the proxy time determination unit 66 determines the number of weeks of training that have been reached since the second player began the substitute training of the target horse to the current time as the proxy time. The determined proxy time, i.e., the number of weeks of training, is also used as a basis for the substitute interruption unit 65 to determine whether the interruption condition has been met.

The consumption value determination unit 67 determines the amount of value, such as in-game currency, consumed in the training proxy of the target horse. For example, when the above-mentioned completion condition is satisfied for the training proxy of the target horse by the second player, the consumption value determination unit 67 determines the amount of value consumed up to the point in time when the completion condition is satisfied. In addition, the consumption value determination unit 67 can also determine the amount of value consumed in the training proxy up to any point in time during the training proxy, and the amount of value determined therein is also used as a reference when the proxy interruption unit 65 determines whether the interruption condition is satisfied.

When a predetermined return condition (completion condition or interruption condition) is met, the return processing unit 68 returns the target horse from the second player to the first player. As a result, the right to raise the target horse is returned from the second player to the first player. Specifically, when the completion condition is met and the substitution completion unit 64 has completed the substitution of the second player for the target horse, the target horse is returned to the first player in a state in which the parameters have changed based on the substitution of the second player, as a first return process. On the other hand, when the interruption condition is met and the substitution interruption unit 65 has interrupted the substitution of the second player for the target horse, the target horse is returned to the first player in a state that has not changed since the substitution request, any state between the substitution request and the interruption, or the state before a predetermined event occurs.

The reward granting unit 69 grants the above-mentioned reward to the second player when the second player has completed the training of the target horse and the first return process has been executed. When the reward has been granted, the content of the granted reward is reflected in the player information of each player stored in the player information storage unit 51, or in the racehorse information regarding the target horse stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52. On the other hand, when the training is discontinued and the second return process is executed, no reward is granted to the second player.

The race result determination unit 70 determines the outcome of each race in the game, i.e., the finishing order of each racehorse, based on the parameters, and generates event presentation data according to the determined race results. The generated event presentation data is distributed by the event information distribution unit 41 to the player who entered the racehorse in the race.

The value granting unit 71 grants the value of in-game currency or items, etc., to the player who entered the racehorse as a prize or secondary prize depending on the outcome of the race in which the racehorse entered. When value is granted, the amount of value of the in-game currency, etc., equivalent to the prize money, is added to the player information of each player stored in the player information storage unit 51. Note that a predetermined value is also granted if the second player enters the target horse in a race while acting as a training agent and wins the race. In this case, the value may be granted to the second player acting as a training agent for the target horse, or to the first player who is the owner of the target horse.

The above describes the configuration of each of the server 10 and the user terminal 12. Generally, the server 10 and the user terminal 12 have various functions other than those described above, but here we will only describe the characteristic functions that provide the desired effect in the information processing system S of the present invention, and will not illustrate or describe other known functions, etc.

[Information processing flow according to one embodiment of the present invention]
Next, a flow relating to substitute training (hereinafter referred to as substitute training flow) among the information processing flows by the information processing system S will be described. The substitute training flow employs the information processing method of the present invention, and in other words, each step in the substitute training flow corresponds to a component of the information processing method of the present invention. In the following, a specific case will be given to easily explain the substitute training flow, and the first player who requests substitute training will be called Player X, the second player who accepts the substitute training will be called Player Y, and the racehorse (target horse) related to the substitute training will be called Racehorse Z.

When executing the agent training flow, players X and Y log in to the game and begin playing. In the game, players X and Y each own at least one racehorse, and also possess in-game currency or items or other value required for training. In addition, multiple players including player Y (strictly speaking, multiple players other than player X) are pre-registered as potential recipients for the agent training flow.

The substitute training flow progresses, for example, along the flow shown in Figures 13 to 15, and begins with player X operating the user terminal 12 to specify the requested items regarding the substitute training of racehorse Z, specifically the training period and training conditions, etc. (S001). The server 10 accepts player X's substitute training request through communication with player X's user terminal 12, and acquires data indicating the requested items in detail (S002).

Next, player Y operates the user terminal 12 to select a horse for which he/she wishes to be entrusted with training (S003), and the server 10 accepts player Y's selection result through communication with player Y's user terminal 12, and more specifically, acquires data indicating the horse selected by player Y (S004). Incidentally, in this case, race horse Z corresponds to the horse selected by player Y.

Next, the server 10 presents information about multiple players, including the trustee player Y, to player X (S005), and when player X operates the user terminal 12 to select a trustee (S006), the server 10 accepts player X's selection through communication with player X's user terminal 12, and more specifically, acquires data indicating the trustee selected by player X (S007). Incidentally, in this case, there are multiple trustees other than player Y, and player Y corresponds to the trustee selected from among the multiple trustees.

Then, through communication with the user terminal 12 of player Y, the server 10 inquires of player Y as to whether or not to accept the training proxy requested by player X (S008). Player Y responds via the confirmation screen CS of FIG. 5 as to whether or not to accept the training proxy, and responds to that effect if he or she intends to accept (S009). Note that the following steps will be explained assuming that player Y has responded that he or she will accept the training proxy.

The server 10 executes a process to have player Y act as a proxy in raising racehorse Z, i.e., grants player Y the authority to act as a proxy in raising racehorse Z (S010). Thereby, player Y can raise racehorse Z at the farm he owns thereafter, in other words, the server 10 accepts player Y's raising operations regarding racehorse Z.

When player Y performs a training operation on the user terminal 12 to train racehorse Z (S011), the server 10 accepts the training operation through communication with the user terminal 12 of player Y, and specifically receives data indicating the training course and the in-game currency or items consumed (S012). In response to this, the server 10 changes the parameters of racehorse Z stored in the racehorse information storage unit 52, specifically stamina, speed, power, etc. (S013). At this time, each parameter is changed according to the content of the training operation accepted from player Y (the training course and the amount of in-game currency consumed or the type of consumable item, etc.). However, the change does not necessarily occur regularly, and even if the content of the training operation is the same, the amount of change may be changed randomly, etc.

Then, during the substitute training period, the server 10 appropriately determines whether or not the completion condition is met for the substitute training of racehorse Z by player Y (S014). For example, the completion condition is met when the number of training weeks during the substitute training period reaches a value specified by player X, or when a parameter of racehorse Z desired by player X reaches a target value. When the completion condition is met, the server 10 completes the substitute training of racehorse Z by player Y (S015).

When the substitute training of racehorse Z is completed, the server 10 cancels the substitute training authority for racehorse Z that was set for player Y, returns racehorse Z to player X with the parameters changed according to the substitute training up to that point, i.e., executes the first return process (S016), awards player Y a reward for the substitute training (S017), and ends the substitute training flow.

On the other hand, if the completion condition is not met during the substitute training period, the server 10 appropriately determines whether the interruption condition is met for the substitute training of racehorse Z by player Y (S018). For example, the interruption condition is met when the training progress does not meet the first or second condition, or when the training degree does not meet the reference value. When the interruption condition is met, the server 10 interrupts the substitute training of racehorse Z by player Y and cancels the substitute training authority for racehorse Z that was set for player Y (S019), and returns racehorse Z to player X in a state that has not changed since the substitute training request, any state between the time of the substitute training request and the time of interruption, or the state before a specified event occurs, based on the timing of the interruption condition being met, i.e., executes the second return process (S020), and ends the substitute training flow.

On the other hand, while neither the completion condition nor the interruption condition is satisfied, the above steps S011 to S014 and S018 of the training proxy flow are repeatedly carried out. In other words, as long as neither the completion condition nor the interruption condition is satisfied, player Y can repeatedly perform training operations and registration operations, and can change the parameters of racehorse Z each time a training operation is performed.

[Other embodiments]
Up to this point, specific examples have been given of the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention, but the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other embodiments may be considered.

In the above embodiment, the server computer for distributing game data (i.e., server 10) functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but this is not limited to this, and some of the functions of the server 10 may be provided in the user terminal 12. For example, the functions of the proxy processing unit 62, etc. may be provided in the user terminal 12.

In addition, in this embodiment, the player information and racehorse information are stored and held in a server computer (i.e., server 10) for distributing game data, but a separate database server (not shown) may be provided and the information may be stored all together in the database server, or the information may be stored on the user terminal 12.

In addition, in this embodiment, a player who is a potential recipient enters a request to be entrusted with the subject horse, and the first player who requested the subject horse to be trained on his/her behalf selects an entrustee from among the multiple recipients, and after confirming with the selected recipient that they are willing to be entrusted with the training on his/her behalf, if the selected recipient responds that they will be entrusted with the training on his/her behalf, the recipient becomes the second player and the second player is made to train the subject horse on his/her behalf. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the first player may specify training conditions when requesting the subject horse to be trained on his/her behalf, the player who is a potential recipient may set the conditions, and the two conditions may be compared, and the candidate who has set the conditions that match the training conditions may be made the second player, and the second player may be made to train the subject horse on his/her behalf.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first return process is executed when the training substitution is completed by satisfying the completion condition. However, in addition to the above completion condition, the first return process may be executed and the target horse may be returned to the first player when a period of time equivalent to the in-game time (number of training weeks) consumed by the second player during the training substitution has elapsed from the start of the training substitution in the in-game time of the first player. For example, if the number of training weeks to be reached during the training substitution is set to 120 weeks as the training condition (one year is 52 weeks in the in-game time), if the in-game time of the first player at the start of the training substitution is the first week of January 2000, the first player plays the game (such as by training another racehorse) to progress his/her in-game time by 120 weeks, and if the game time has not yet reached the third week of April 2002, even if the completion condition is satisfied, the first return process may not be executed. This makes it possible to prevent discrepancies in the age and other data between the target horse and the other racehorses even if the first player is training a racehorse other than the target horse for which he is acting as a training agent.
When the completion condition is satisfied, the first player is notified that the second player has completed the training substitution, and if the first player has progressed less than 120 weeks of in-game time since the start of the training substitution at that time, the first player may be able to forcibly advance the in-game time to a state where 120 weeks have progressed since the start of the training substitution, according to the first player's selection. In this case, the first player's in-game time may be advanced on the condition that a predetermined item is consumed, or the amount of the predetermined item consumed may be changed according to the length of the period to be advanced.

Furthermore, even if the first return process is executed when the training substitution ends after satisfying the completion conditions, the returned target horse may be in provisional ownership and cannot be used by the first player for a certain period of time. In other words, the returned target horse may not be able to race or be trained until a period of time equivalent to the in-game time (number of training weeks) used by the second player during the training substitution has elapsed from the start of the training substitution in the first player's in-game time. This also makes it possible to effectively prevent discrepancies in the age, etc., between the target horse and other racehorses when the first player is training a racehorse other than the target horse related to the training substitution.

In addition, even if the training proxy ends by satisfying the interruption condition and the second return process is carried out, if the target horse is returned to the first player with its parameters unchanged from the time the training proxy request was made, the first player's in-game time may be returned to the time the training proxy request was made.
On the other hand, if the target horse is returned to the first player in any state between the start of the substitute training and the time when the second return process is executed (including the state in the week immediately prior to the week when the specified event occurred), the target horse may be returned at a timing when the first player's in-game time has advanced by a period (number of weeks) corresponding to the number of weeks consumed in the substitute training of the target horse. For example, if the target horse is returned in a state where 50 weeks have passed since the start of the substitute training, the first player's in-game time may be returned at a point where 50 weeks have passed since the start of the substitute training. Conversely, if only 50 weeks have passed since the start of the substitute training at the time when the second return process is executed, the target horse may also be returned in a state where 50 weeks have passed since the start of the substitute training.

In this embodiment, the player can enjoy all the functions free of charge in principle, but some functions may be limited and the player may pay a certain fee to use the limited functions. In addition, various conditions may be set for players who have paid the certain fee to give them an advantage in playing, such as increasing the number of trainings that can be performed in one weekly operation, making it easier to raise the grade of the farm, being able to obtain specific items, and increasing the amount of change in parameters during training. The fee may be a pay-per-use system, or may be a one-time payment that has an effect on the player for a certain period of time (for example, one month or one year) (subscription).

[summary]
The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[1] The information processing device of this embodiment has a request receiving unit that receives a request from a first player to raise a game object on behalf of the first player, a proxy processing unit that causes a second player to raise the game object, and a return processing unit that, if a completion condition is satisfied, executes a first return process that returns a game object having parameters set based on the raising performed by the second player to the first player, and, if an interruption condition is satisfied, executes a second return process that returns the game object to the first player before the raising is completed.
According to the above information processing device, when the first player makes the second player execute the raising of a game object, a first return process is executed to return the game object to the first player when a completion condition is satisfied, and a second return process is executed to return the game object to the first player when an interruption condition is satisfied. Therefore, the first player, who is the entruster, can save the trouble of raising the game object, and even during the request for the raising proxy, in the unlikely event that something happens, the game object can be returned before the raising proxy is completed, so that the risk of requesting the raising proxy is reduced and the raising proxy can be used with peace of mind. In addition, the second player, who is the entruster, will work on the raising proxy so that the game object is not returned before the raising proxy is completed, so the quality of the raising proxy is improved, which leads to the benefit of the first player. In other words, the first player is more likely to be able to raise the game object to have better abilities than if he or she were to raise it himself or herself. From the above, an environment in which the raising proxy of a game object can be actively used can be created.

[2] In the above information processing device, the request receiving unit receives a request to return the game object from the player, and the return processing unit executes a second return process when the return request is received.
This allows the first player to interrupt the substitute training and have the game object returned at a time that the first player desires. This further reduces the risk involved in requesting substitute training, allows the first player to use the substitute training with greater peace of mind, and further increases the probability that the game object will be trained to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively utilized.

[3] In the above information processing device, the return processing unit executes a second return process when the breeding progress of the game object does not satisfy the first condition until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the breeding proxy.
As a result, if the second player does not raise the game object frequently or the quality of the raising is low, or the like, and the progress of raising the game object does not satisfy the first condition within a predetermined period of time from the start of the raising proxy, the first player can interrupt the raising proxy and have the game object returned. This further reduces the risk of requesting a raising proxy, allowing the first player to use the raising proxy with greater peace of mind, and further improves the probability that the first player can raise the game object to have better abilities than if the first player were to raise it himself. This makes it possible to create an even more suitable environment in which raising proxy game objects can be actively used.

[4] In the above-mentioned information processing device, if the training progress of the game object does not satisfy a first condition within a predetermined period of time from the start of the training proxy and the training proxy of the game object is to be continued, the return processing unit executes a second return process if the training progress of the game object does not satisfy a second condition that is stricter than the first condition within a continuation period after the predetermined period of time.
As a result, even if the first player continues the training proxy when the training progress of the game object does not satisfy the first condition until a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the training proxy, if the training progress of the game object still does not satisfy a second condition set stricter than the first condition, such as a small number of trainings or a low quality of training by the second player, the first player can interrupt the training proxy midway and have the game object returned. This further reduces the risk when requesting a training proxy, allows the player to use the training proxy with greater peace of mind, and further increases the probability that the game object can be trained to have better abilities than if the player were to train it themselves. This makes it possible to create an even more suitable environment in which training proxy of game objects can be actively used.

[5] In the above information processing device, the return processing unit executes a second return process when the development degree of the game object does not reach a reference value by the time a predetermined event occurs.
In this way, if the first player has not yet reached a reference level for the level of development of the game object by the time a predetermined event occurs and has not yet achieved a certain level of development results, the first player can interrupt the substitute development and have the game object returned. This further reduces the risk involved in requesting a substitute development, allowing the first player to use the substitute development service with greater peace of mind, and further improves the probability that the game object can be developed to have better abilities than if the first player were to develop the game object himself. This makes it possible to create an even more favorable environment in which substitute development of game objects can be actively utilized.

[6] The information processing device described above further comprises a reference value setting unit that sets a reference value based on a parameter designated by the first player.
In this way, if the first player's level of development of the game object does not reach a reference value set based on the parameters specified by the first player and a certain level of development result is not achieved, the first player can interrupt the substitute development and have the game object returned. Therefore, particularly when there is a request to have development of a specific ability focused on, the risk of requesting a substitute development is further reduced, the player can use the substitute development service with greater peace of mind, and the probability of being able to develop the game object to have better abilities than if the player were to develop it themselves is further improved. Therefore, an environment in which substitute development of game objects can be actively utilized can be created in an even more favorable manner.

[7] The information processing device described above further comprises a reference value setting unit that sets a reference value based on achievements or parameters of other game objects used to generate the game object.
This allows the first player to interrupt the substitute training midway and have the game object returned if the degree of training of the game object does not reach a standard value set based on the individual characteristics such as potential of the game object and a certain training result is not achieved. Therefore, especially when entrusting the training of a game object with high potential, the risk of requesting a substitute training is further reduced, the first player can use the substitute training with more peace of mind, and the probability that the game object can be trained to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself is further improved. Therefore, an environment in which the substitute training of game objects can be actively used can be created more favorably.

[8] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when the return processing unit executes the second return process, it returns the game object to the first player in any state between the parameter state at the time of the training proxy request and the parameter state changed based on the training proxy up to the time of execution of the second return process.
As a result, when the first player discontinues the training proxy and has the game object returned, the first player can have the game object returned in any state between the state of the parameters at the time of the training proxy request and the state of the parameters changed based on the training proxy up to the time of execution of the second return process, and the first player has more options for how to handle the game object after it is returned. This further reduces the risk when requesting a training proxy, allows the player to use the training proxy with greater peace of mind, and further increases the probability that the game object can be trained to have better abilities than if the player were to train it themselves. This makes it possible to create an even more suitable environment in which training proxy for game objects can be actively used.

[9] In the above information processing device, when the return processing unit executes the second return processing before a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the training proxy, it returns the game object to the first player in the parameter state at the time of the training proxy request.
As a result, when the first player discontinues the training proxy and has the game object returned, the game object can be returned with the parameters at the time of the training proxy request within a predetermined period of time, and the returned game object can be trained again at an early stage. This further reduces the risk of requesting a training proxy, allows the first player to use the training proxy with greater peace of mind, and further increases the probability that the game object can be trained to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it themselves. This makes it possible to create an even more suitable environment in which training proxy can be actively used for game objects.

[10] In the above-mentioned information processing device, when a specified event occurs during training proxy, the return processing unit, when executing the second return process, returns the game object to the first player in the parameter state after the parameters have changed based on the training proxy up to the time the second return process is executed, and before the specified event occurs.
As a result, when the first player discontinues the substitute training and has the game object returned, even if a predetermined event such as an accident occurs and the parameters improved by training drop, the game object can be returned with the parameters in the state they were in before the predetermined event occurred, and the training results up to that point are not wasted. This further reduces the risk of requesting a substitute training, allows the first player to use the substitute training with greater peace of mind, and further increases the probability that the game object can be trained to have better abilities than if the first player were to train it himself. This makes it possible to create an even more suitable environment in which substitute training of game objects can be actively used.

[11] Furthermore, according to an information processing method of the present invention, a computer receives a request from a first player to raise a game object on behalf of the first player, the computer causes a second player to raise the game object, and if a completion condition is satisfied, the computer executes a first return process to return to the first player a game object having parameters set based on the raising performed by the second player, and if an interruption condition is satisfied, the computer executes a second return process to return the game object to the first player before the raising is completed.
According to the above information processing method, when the first player makes the second player execute the raising of a game object, a first return process is executed to return the game object to the first player when the completion condition is satisfied, and a second return process is executed to return the game object to the first player when the interruption condition is satisfied. Therefore, the first player, who is the entruster, can save the trouble of raising the game object, and even during the request for the raising proxy, in the unlikely event that something happens, the game object can be returned before the raising proxy is completed, so that the risk of requesting the raising proxy is reduced and the raising proxy can be used with peace of mind. In addition, the second player, who is the entruster, will work on the raising proxy so that the game object is not returned before the raising proxy is completed, so the quality of the raising proxy is improved, which leads to the benefit of the first player. In other words, the first player is more likely to be able to raise the game object to have better abilities than if he or she were to raise it himself or herself. From the above, an environment in which the raising proxy of a game object can be actively used can be created.

The information processing method of the present invention can be realized by an information processing device alone, or by a combination of the information processing device with another terminal such as a user terminal. Here, the information processing device may be a server computer for an ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, the above series of information processes (excluding the input and display of information) are executed by the server computer, so that the user terminal only needs to input information to be handed over to the server computer and display information distributed from the server computer.

[12] Furthermore, according to the program of the present invention, a computer is caused to accept a request for raising a game object from a first player, cause a second player to raise the game object, and if a completion condition is satisfied, cause a first return process is executed to return to the first player a game object having parameters set based on the raising performed by the second player, and if an interruption condition is satisfied, cause a second return process is executed to return the game object to the first player before the raising is completed.
According to the above program, when the first player makes the second player execute the raising of the game object, a first return process is executed to return the game object to the first player if the completion condition is satisfied, and a second return process is executed to return the game object to the first player if the interruption condition is satisfied. Therefore, the first player, who is the entruster, can save the trouble of raising the game object, and even if the raising proxy is being requested, the game object can be returned before the raising proxy is completed in the unlikely event, etc., so that the risk of requesting the raising proxy is reduced and the raising proxy can be used with peace of mind. In addition, the second player, who is the entruster, will work on the raising proxy so that the game object is not returned before the raising proxy is completed, so the quality of the raising proxy is improved, which leads to the benefit of the first player. In other words, the first player is more likely to be able to raise the game object to have better abilities than if he or she were to raise it himself or herself. From the above, an environment in which the raising proxy of a game object can be actively used can be created.

The program of the present invention may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or by obtaining (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

Description of the Reference Signs 10 Server 12 User terminal 14 Network 21 Processor 22 Memory 23 Communication interface 24 Storage 25 Bus 30 Operation reception unit 31 Training operation reception unit 32 Request reception unit 33 Candidate selection reception unit 34 Acceptance confirmation reception unit 35 Race registration reception unit 40 Distribution unit 41 Event information distribution unit 42 Information provision unit 43 Inquiry unit 50 Memory unit 51 Player information storage unit 52 Racehorse information storage unit 53 Training proxy request storage unit 54 Training proxy status storage unit 60 Information processing unit 61 Parameter change unit 62 Substitution processing unit 63 Reference value setting unit 64 Substitution completion unit 65 Substitution interruption unit 66 Substitution time determination unit 67 Consumption value determination unit 68 Return processing unit 69 Reward granting unit 70 Race result determination unit 71 Value granting unit CS Confirmation screen HL Training proxy request horse list IS Training proxy request screen JL Acceptance applicant list ML Menu list S Information Processing System

Claims (1)

a request receiving unit that receives a request for raising a game object from a first player;
a proxy processing unit that causes a second player to raise the game object;
an information processing device having a return processing unit that, when a completion condition is satisfied, executes a first return process to return the game object having parameters set based on the training performed by the second player to the first player, and, when an interruption condition is satisfied, executes a second return process to return the game object to the first player before training is completed.

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