JP2024095413A - Program, server and game system - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve players' motivation for competitive games.
[Solution] The program causes a computer to execute an acquisition process that acquires player information regarding a player who has made an allocation request to a group; a classification process that classifies the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information; an allocation process that allocates the player who has made the allocation request into a group; a matching process that matches a predetermined number of players from among the players assigned to the same group as participating players in a competitive game; a judgment process that determines whether a bonus awarding condition has been met for each of the participating players based on the result of the competitive game; and a granting process that grants a bonus to players for whom the awarding condition has been met based on the judgment result of the judgment process, wherein the awarding conditions include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas.
[Selection] Figure 15

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act filed ▲1▼Website posting date: September 8, 2022 Website address: https://www.carddass.com/dbh/sdbh_ugm/news/ Publisher: Bandai Co., Ltd. ▲2▼Posting date: September 16, 2022 Place of publication: Stores in Japan that have installed the machine for the product name "Data Carddass Super Dragon Ball Heroes" Publisher: Bandai Co., Ltd. ▲3▼Website posting date: September 16, 2022 Website address: https://twitter.com/dbh_10th/ Publisher: Bandai Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to a program and a game device, and in particular to an electronic game that matches opponents over a network.

There is a game system that provides a multiplayer game in which multiple players who are matched into the same group participate (Patent Document 1). In the game system of Patent Document 1, display control is performed so that players who are matched into groups and who are participating from the same store can be identified.

JP 2020-062178 A

However, while the game system described in Patent Document 1 can ideally present a match between friends who use the same store, it does not provide an ideal presentation for the player when there is no other player using the same cabinet or when the number of identical cabinets installed in the store is small to begin with. As a result, there is a possibility that the player's motivation to use the cabinet may decrease.

The present invention aims to provide a program and a game device that will increase players' motivation for playing competitive games.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute an acquisition process for acquiring player information on a player who has requested to be assigned to a group, a classification process for classifying the player who has requested to be assigned to one of a plurality of areas based on the player information, an assignment process for assigning the player who has requested to be assigned to a group, a matching process for matching a predetermined number of players assigned to the same group as participating players in a competitive game, a determination process for determining whether a bonus awarding condition has been met for each participating player based on the results of the competitive game, and a granting process for granting a bonus to a player for whom the bonus awarding condition has been met based on the determination result of the determination process, the granting condition including at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas.

The present invention makes it possible to increase players' motivation for competitive games.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of a presentation device 110 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a screen displaying a virtual space according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating various interfaces for matching according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display when matching is established according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a setting screen for a fighting game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a mini-game according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; 1 is a flowchart illustrating a competitive game process according to a first embodiment of the present invention; A flowchart illustrating a matching step process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart illustrating an application waiting process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating various interfaces for matching according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a map for notifying the achievement status of the grant condition according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an application control process according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

The embodiment described below will be an example of a game device that executes a competitive game with other matched players, and an example of the present invention being applied to a game system that includes the game device. However, the present invention can be applied to any device that belongs to a game system that performs matching related to a competitive game.

Game System Configuration
2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the game system of this embodiment includes a plurality of game devices 100 each capable of providing a playing experience of a competitive game, and a server 200 that matches players who are using the game devices 100 at the same time as participants in the competitive game. More specifically, the server 200 provides a function of matching players who have made lobby connection requests on the game devices 100 at the same time.

The game device 100 and the server 200 are configured to be able to send and receive information via the network 300. In this embodiment, the network 300 is described as being a wide-area information and communication network such as the Internet. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that it may also be a narrow-area communication network such as a LAN.

The hardware configuration of each device is explained below with reference to separate diagrams.

Hardware configuration of the game device
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a game device 100 according to this embodiment.

The control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs control over the operation of each piece of hardware in the game device 100, and control over the realization of various functions, including the function of providing a game play experience. Specifically, the control unit 101 performs the relevant control by, for example, reading out necessary programs stored in the storage device 102, expanding them into the memory 103, and executing them.

The storage device 102 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. In addition to an operating system for operating the game device 100 and programs related to the game that provides the play experience, the storage device 102 stores parameter information required to realize various controls and various data related to the game that provides the play experience. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 may be used not only as an area for expanding each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

The GPU 104 is a rendering device that executes various rendering processes related to the generation of game screens and other screens and images presented during the game play experience. The GPU 104 includes a GPU memory (not shown), and develops various graphics data read from the storage device 102, and performs predetermined calculations to generate various images including screens. The screens and images generated by the GPU 104 are presented to the player by being displayed on a display device, for example, included in the presentation device 110 provided in the game device 100.

The presentation device 110 is a device equipped with an information presentation function that is included in the game device 100. In one embodiment, the presentation device 110 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display that displays a screen generated by the GPU 104. The means of presenting information in the game device 100 is not limited to those that realize visual information presentation such as display devices and lighting devices, but may include other types of information presentation means such as audio output devices such as speakers that realize auditory information presentation, and force feedback devices that realize tactile information presentation. In such cases, the information to be presented may be, for example, data read from the storage device 102 or data configured by the control unit 101 at any time.

The operation I/F 105 is a user interface provided in the game device 100 that accepts operation input. When the operation I/F 105 detects that an operation input has been made, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101. In one aspect, the operation I/F 105 includes operation members such as a button for inputting a decision or a button for inputting a selection, and various sensors. In an aspect in which the presentation device 110 includes a display device capable of detecting touch input, the operation I/F 105 includes a touch input detection sensor provided on the display device.

The communication I/F 106 is a communication interface with an external device provided to the game device 100. Information communication between the communication I/F 106 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the communication I/F 106 may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and in the latter case may include, for example, short-range wireless communication or close-proximity wireless communication.

The payment device 120 is a device that accepts payment of the price for using the game device 100. The price can be treated as having been paid, for example, when a predetermined amount of coins or an equivalent coin is inserted into an insertion slot (not shown), or when a payment process based on communication with a chip related to a predetermined electronic money is completed. When the payment device 120 detects that the price has been paid, it outputs a control signal indicating this to the control unit 101. Unless otherwise specified in the following description, when the game device 100 detects that a price has been paid while in a state not being used by any player (standby state), it will switch the state to a state in which it can provide a game play experience and start providing services to the player.

The reader 130 is a device that acquires information from a real object provided in the game device 100. The reader 130 can acquire information by, for example, reading a code attached to the exterior of the real object using an imaging device. In another aspect, the reader 130 can acquire information by any arbitrary information acquisition method, such as reading information from a specific chip built into the real object, or by monitoring the input state of a specific switch or the electrical continuity state of a connection terminal in the attachment section when the real object is attached to the game device 100. The information acquired by the reader 130 is transmitted to the control section 101 and used, for example, to control the progress of the game or the content of the service provided.

The providing device 140 is a device that has the function of providing real items stored in advance. The game device 100 of this embodiment is configured such that when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the service provision starts, the providing device 140 provides a specified number of real items under the control of the control unit 101. In one aspect, the providing device 140 can provide the real items stored in a built-in stocker in the order in which they were stored. In another aspect, the providing device 140 can provide the stored real items after performing a predetermined process. In one aspect, the real items provided by the providing device 140 can be items to which information that can be acquired by the reader 130 is attached.

In this embodiment, the hardware configuration is described as being built into the housing of the game device 100, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least one of the presentation device 110, payment device 120, reader 130, and provision device 140 may be provided outside the housing of the game device 100 and configured to be available by being connected to the game device 100.

Details of the presentation device
As shown in FIG. 4 , the presentation device 110 of this embodiment includes a first display unit 111 and a second display unit 112 .

The first display unit 111 is a display device that also functions as the reader 130, and is configured to be able to place a real item for the game (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a real item for the game). The first display unit 111 is a display device that presents a display screen, for example, by rear projection, and by intermittently capturing an image of the real item for the game placed on a placement surface (display surface) from behind, the real item is identified, the placement position of the real item is detected, and information attached to the real item is obtained. The placement surface of the first display unit 111 is not only used to obtain information from the real item, but is also configured to be able to perform game operation input by moving the real item on the placement surface.

In contrast, the second display unit 112, which is provided above the first display unit 111, is a display device such as an LCD. The second display unit 112 is in an inclined state so that it is not possible to place an actual game item on it, and is used only to present information.

<Hardware configuration of server 200>
3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the hardware configuration that realizes the same functions as the game device 100 will be prefixed with the letter "server" to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the game device 100.

The server control unit 201 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs operation control of each piece of hardware equipped in the server 200, and control related to the realization of various functions including the player matching function. Specifically, the server control unit 201 performs the relevant control by, for example, reading out necessary programs stored in the server storage device 202, expanding them in the server memory 203, and executing them.

The server storage device 202 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD. In addition to an operating system for operating the server 200 and programs related to matching, the server storage device 202 stores parameter information required to realize various controls and various data required to provide the matching function. The server storage device 202 also has a database function for managing information on each player registered as a user of the game system. The server memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The server memory 203 may be used not only as an area for expanding each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.

The server communication I/F 204 is a communication interface with an external device provided to the server 200. Information communication between the server communication I/F 204 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like. Information communication performed by the server communication I/F 204 may be performed either wired or wirelessly.

Game Overview
A game in which a play experience is provided on the game device 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

The game in which the game device 100 provides a play experience is a battle game in which the characters used by each player battle each other against other players using other game devices 100 at the same time, or against NPCs (Non-Player Characters), as described above. The characters used by each player are registered based on the actual game items that the player places on the placement surface of the first display unit 111.

In this embodiment, the actual game item is described as a game card configured in the form of a card, but it will be easily understood that the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. A game card is associated with one of a number of characters that are available to appear in the battle game. A character is associated with a game card by attaching information that uniquely identifies the character (such as a character ID) to the game card. Therefore, by placing a game card relating to a character that a player wishes to use in the battle game on the placement surface of the first display unit 111, the player can have the reader 130 obtain the information and play the game with the character in question as the character to be used.

The competitive game is started when the payment device 120 detects that the payment has been made. The competitive game includes a "matching stage" in which an opponent is matched with the player, and an "execution stage" in which a play experience related to the competitive game is provided (enabling the player to experience the gameplay provided for the competitive game). In the matching stage, the player can choose whether to play against another player using the game device 100 at the same time, or against an NPC. The former is selected when the player performs an operation related to a lobby connection request (such as a menu selection) after paying the fee, and the latter is selected when the player does not request to connect to the lobby, or when the player makes a request to connect to the lobby but is not matched with an opponent player.

When an operation related to a lobby connection request is performed, the lobby connection request is transferred from the game device 100 to the server 200. When the server control unit 201 receives the lobby connection request, it determines a matching lobby to which the player who made the lobby connection request will be assigned. The server control unit 201 manages multiple matching lobbies, and classifies players who make lobby connection requests at the same time into one of these matching lobbies. Here, a matching lobby is a place on the network where multiple players can arbitrarily select an opponent player and start a competitive game. Each player has the opportunity to play a competitive game in the assigned matching lobby with a player who has also been assigned to that matching lobby.

As will be described in more detail below, a player assigned to a matching lobby can choose to challenge another player assigned to the same lobby to a match, or to wait for a challenge from another player assigned to the same lobby (to enter a matching standby state). Thus, when the server control unit 201 receives a lobby connection request from a game device 100, it assigns one matching lobby to the player using that game device 100, and shares information about other players who are also assigned to that matching lobby with that game device 100. Furthermore, when a change occurs in the matching status of each player due to the assignment of a player to a matching lobby or the establishment of a match request, the server control unit 201 shares information indicating this with each of the game devices 100 used by the players classified in that lobby.

As such, when using the matching lobby, information sharing between players is required, and therefore acquisition of player identification information is a requirement for use of this function (matching function via the matching lobby). Game cards that can be used in the game device 100 of this embodiment include cards (character cards) to which predetermined characters are associated, as well as cards (license cards) to which characters set specifically for each player are associated. License cards are at least provided with identification information (player ID) that uniquely identifies a player, and when using the function to match with other players, it is necessary to acquire information from the license card.

A player who owns a license card can register an avatar unique to that player. Information about the player's unique avatar is managed by the server 200 in association with the player ID, and is configured to enable display including the avatar when using the game device 100 while using the license card. The license card can also be used as a game card, and by acquiring information when registering a character to be used, the player's unique avatar can be made to appear as a character (hereinafter referred to as a player character) in a competitive game. In other words, the license card can be used not only to identify the player, but also to register and operate the player character.

<Matching Lobby Functionality Overview>
Below, an overview of the various functions provided through the matching lobby will be explained with reference to the drawings.

When the server control unit 201 assigns a player to a matching lobby, a virtual space corresponding to the matching lobby is displayed on the game device 100 used by that player. In addition to the player's player character, the virtual space may also include player characters of other players to whom the virtual space has been assigned. More specifically, the virtual space displayed on one game device 100 includes the player character of the player using that game device 100 and the player characters of players who are waiting for matching in that virtual space. In the following, a player using a game device 100 who applies for a match with a player who is waiting for matching will be described as the "applying player" and the player character of the applying player will be described as the "operable character". Additionally, a player who is waiting for matching will be described as the "candidate player" and the player character of the candidate player will be described as the "waiting character".

The virtual space is displayed on the second display unit 112 in a three-dimensional bird's-eye view, as shown in FIG. 5. In the display shown in FIG. 5, the playable character 501 and the standby character 502 are displayed in the form of humanoid character images. As shown in the figure, the display on the second display unit 112 has a viewpoint set in the virtual space so that the playable character 501 is captured in the center. The playable character 501 is controlled so that it can move within the virtual space, and when the playable character 501 moves based on the operation of the applying player, the rendering viewpoint also moves to follow this (so that the playable character 501 is captured in the center).

On the other hand, standby characters 502 in a matching waiting state are placed around the playable character 501 in the virtual space and are controlled to be immovable. As will be described in detail later, the standby characters 502 are fixed in position in the virtual space so as to easily accept operations for a battle application from the applying player. In order to increase the options available to the applying player for a battle application, it is preferable for the server control unit 201 to control the matching lobby allocation of candidate players so that multiple standby characters 502 exist in each virtual space. When multiple standby characters 502 exist in a virtual space, the standby characters 502 are placed at a distance from each other in that virtual space.

The virtual space is displayed on the first display unit 111 in the manner shown in area 601 of FIG. 6(a). In the display shown in FIG. 6(a), the playable character and standby characters are displayed as icons. The arrangement of the icons corresponds to the position of each character in the virtual space, and the display is controlled so that the playable character's icon 602 is placed in the center of area 601, and standby character icons 603 are placed around it.

<Match request function>
The icon 603 of the standby character functions as a user interface that accepts operational input for a challenge to the standby character. By performing operational input on the icon 603 relating to a desired standby character on the first display unit 111, the applying player can move the playable character (icon 602) to the vicinity of the standby character (icon 603), as shown in Fig. 6(b). That is, similar to the display on the second display unit 112, the icon 603 of the standby character is controlled so as to be immovable in the virtual space, and the icon 602 of the playable character is controlled so as to be movable.

When the operated character moves close to the waiting character, an application screen 611 as shown in FIG. 6(c) is displayed on the first display unit 111. The application screen 611 includes a battle information display 621 showing details of the battle game for which the candidate player related to the waiting character wishes to be matched, and a GUI 622 for requesting a battle. The battle information may include at least one of a message about the battle game set by the candidate player and information defining the specifications of the battle game. In the embodiment of FIG. 6(c), the display 621 shows, as battle information, that the candidate player's message 631 is "I won't lose," the battle rules (conditions for winning or losing, cost of the deck used, etc.) 632 of the battle game are set to "Normal," and the battle system (battle format) 633 is set to "Time Break Battle."

The applying player can decide whether or not to apply to a candidate player for a match by inputting an operation to the GUI 622 on the application screen 611. When an operation is input to the option to apply to a match, a matching request for the candidate player is sent from the game device 100 to the server 200. When the server control unit 201 receives the matching request, it executes a matching process to establish a match game between the applying player and the candidate player. At this time, the server control unit 201 establishes the match on the condition that a communication connection is maintained between the game device 100 used by the applying player and the game device 100 used by the candidate player.

If the matching request reaches the server 200 and conflicts with a matching request resulting from an operation of another applying player, or if a match is already in progress, the server control unit 201 returns a matching failure to the game device 100 that sent the subsequent matching request. In other words, matching is not necessarily established by an operation to apply for a match, but is controlled so that in the event of a conflict, matching is established on a first-come, first-served basis.

To avoid a situation where matching is not established despite a request for a battle, the display mode in the virtual space of a standby character with whom a candidate player is already in a battle may be changed so that the request for a battle cannot be accepted. Alternatively, when an operation input is made to an icon 603 to request a battle, the icon 602 relating to the operable character may be controlled to move on the condition that the standby character (candidate player) relating to that icon 603 is not in a battle.

In addition, for example, differences in the usage of the game device 100 between players, differences in playing skills, and differences in game cards owned/used may tend to favor one player in the progression of the match game, so there may be candidate players with whom it is undesirable to establish a match from this perspective. Therefore, depending on the relationship between the applying player and the candidate player, the display mode of the waiting character of the candidate player in the virtual space may be changed to make it impossible to accept a match application. For example, a candidate player whose level in the match game (a parameter managed for each player that usually increases with the number of times the game is used) is a predetermined value higher than the level of the applying player, or a candidate player whose level is a predetermined value lower than the level of the applying player, is displayed in a different manner to make it impossible to match. Such control is performed in each game device 100 based on information about the candidate player related to the matching lobby to which the applying player is assigned.

When a match is made, information to that effect is presented on the presentation device 110. In the game device 100 of this embodiment, information regarding the match that has been made is displayed using the first display unit 111 and the second display unit 112. In order to clearly indicate that a match has been made, the first display unit 111 changes the display of the playable character and the standby character who has become the opponent from the icon form to the humanoid character image form as shown in FIG. 7.

Then, the competitive game executed on the game devices 100 transitions from the matching stage to the execution stage. That is, on the game devices 100 involved in the established matching, a process is executed to provide a playing experience of a competitive game in which the player (applying player) and the opponent player (candidate player) participate. When this process is executed, information on operation inputs made on each game device 100 is transmitted to the server 200, various calculations are performed on the server 200, and information is repeatedly shared with each game device 100.

<Lobby transfer function>
Also, in consideration of a situation in which there are no candidate players in the matching lobby to which the applying player can apply for a match, or there are no candidate players with whom the applying player wishes to play in a match, a function of moving to another matching lobby is provided. Moving to another matching lobby is performed in response to an operation input to a lobby move menu 604 on the screen of the virtual space displayed on the first display unit 111 shown in Fig. 6(a). At this time, a lobby move request is transmitted from the game device 100 to the server 200, and the server control unit 201 determines a new matching lobby to be assigned to the applying player, and performs processing related to the assignment of the applying player to the new matching lobby.

As described above, the server control unit 201 manages multiple matching lobbies, and an applying player assigned to a different matching lobby can apply to a battle with a different candidate player than in the matching lobby before the move. In other words, the virtual space displayed on the game device 100 by moving between matching lobbies will have waiting characters different from those before the move. Therefore, waiting characters included in the matching lobby after the move are displayed on the first display unit 111 and the second display unit 112 in the form of icons or character images, just like before the move, and a battle application function is provided.

Note that if the applying player were allowed to arbitrarily select the destination of the matching lobby, the fairness of matching would not be guaranteed, so the server control unit 201 exercises control so that a matching lobby that has been assigned to the applying player for a single use is not selected as a new matching lobby. In other words, once an applying player has made a request to move to a matching lobby, he or she cannot return to that matching lobby to apply for a battle again.

<Application waiting function>
After a matching lobby is assigned to a player, the player can enter a matching standby state by performing a specific operation input. In other words, the application standby function makes the player a candidate player (no longer the applying player) and allows the player to accept battle applications from other applying players assigned to the matching lobby.

In the game device 100 of this embodiment, in response to an operational input to the standby menu 605 on the virtual space screen displayed on the first display unit 111 shown in FIG. 6(a), the player's state transitions to a matching standby state. More specifically, when an operational input to the standby menu 605 is accepted, the control unit 101 further accepts an input of match information indicating details of the match game with which the player wishes to be matched. The match information is input via a setting screen 800 as shown in FIG. 8.

The setting screen 800 is displayed, for example, on the first display unit 111, and the player can set details by inputting operations for various items on that screen. As shown in the figure, the setting screen 800 includes a message setting section 801 for setting the player's enthusiasm for the fighting game, and a battle rule setting section 802 and a battle system setting section 803 for setting the battle rules and battle system of the fighting game with which the player wishes to be matched. After at least one of these settings has been made, the control unit 101 sends a matching standby request together with the battle information to the server 200 in response to an operation input to a setting completion button 804.

When the server control unit 201 receives a matching standby request, it associates the match information with the information of the player related to the matching lobby, and manages the player as being in a matching standby state (as a candidate player). The information of the player is shared with the game devices 100 used by other players classified in the same matching lobby.

Practice function
When a player's state is shifted to a matching standby state, the game device 100 used by the player is controlled so that the player cannot perform any operation related to the movement of the playable character in the virtual space (operation on the icon of the standby character). In addition, the player is also controlled so that the operation of moving to another matching lobby is also disabled, and as a result, after the player has shifted to a matching standby state in one matching lobby, the player is controlled so that the player is unable to shift to a matching standby state in another matching lobby. In other words, once the game device 100 used by the player has entered a matching standby state, the game device 100 is controlled so that the player is unable to perform any other operation related to the playable character in the virtual space unless an operation is performed to release the state.

On the other hand, having the player do nothing during the waiting state for matching until a matching request is made by another applying player may reduce the player's interest. For this reason, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, when a player enters the waiting state for matching, a mini-game that requires a specific operation input (hereinafter referred to as a waiting mini-game) is executed. The waiting mini-game is controlled so that it can be played until the waiting state for matching is released, that is, until a matching request is made by another applying player or until an operation to release the waiting state for matching is performed.

The waiting mini-game may be any type of game, but in the game device 100 of this embodiment, it will be described as a game with the same content as a mini-game executed during a battle game (hereinafter referred to as a battle mini-game). In the battle game of this embodiment, each player decides on a battle action in a turn-based system, and the success or failure of that action is determined by the battle mini-game during the turn. In the battle mini-game, a meter 901 for each player is displayed on the second display unit 112, as shown in FIG. 9(a).

When the in-battle mini-game starts, the charged amount of the meter 901 is displayed while continuously changing from a minimum amount to a maximum amount. By performing a specified operation input, each player can determine the charged amount displayed at the time the operation input is performed as the evaluation value of that player for the battle action. At this time, the change of the meter 901 stops at the time the operation input is performed, and it becomes a state showing the charged amount corresponding to the evaluation value. The success or failure of the battle action is evaluated based on the evaluation values of both players. More specifically, the battle action of a player is judged to be successful when the evaluation value of that player is higher (the charged amount is larger) than the evaluation value of the opponent.

Therefore, the waiting mini-game that can be played on the game device 100 during the waiting state for matching provides an interesting element in the portion of the mini-game in which the charge amount of the meter 901 of the mini-game is stopped by a predetermined operation input. That is, during the waiting state for matching, the second display unit 112 displays a meter 911 as shown in FIG. 9(b) as a display of the waiting mini-game, and the charge amount is controlled to change continuously from a minimum value to a maximum value. The candidate player can stop the change of the meter 911 by performing a predetermined operation input, and each time, the charge amount at the time of stopping can be confirmed as the result of the waiting mini-game. With this configuration, the candidate player can practice the mini-game in the waiting state for matching that will be executed afterwards. In other words, while the results of the mini-game in the match affect the progress of the fighting game, the results of the waiting mini-game do not affect the progress of the fighting game, so the candidate player can practice repeatedly without worrying about the results.

"Match Game Processing"
In the game device 100 of this embodiment having such a configuration, the fighting game processing executed for providing a playing experience of a fighting game will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10. The processing corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the storage device 102, for example, and expanding it in the memory 103 for execution.

The competitive game process will be described as being initiated, for example, when payment of the cost for use of the game device 100 is detected. In addition, in the competitive game process, for processing involving screen display on the first display unit 111 or the second display unit 112, the GPU 104 generates corresponding screens at predetermined intervals, and the control unit 101 controls the display of the generated screens on the first display unit 111 or the second display unit 112.

In S1001, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operation input related to a lobby connection request has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to a lobby connection request has been made, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1002. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to a lobby connection request has not been made until the waiting time set for menu operations has elapsed, or if an operation input related to a request to battle an NPC has been made, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1006.

In S1002, the control unit 101 acquires the player's identification information. In this step, the control unit 101 requests the player to read the information on the license card, and acquires the player's identification information from the license card via the reader 130.

In S1003, the control unit 101 transmits a lobby connection request associated with the player's identification information to the server 200 via the communication I/F 106. Furthermore, when the control unit 101 receives from the server 200 information on the matching lobby assigned by the server control unit 201 in response to the lobby connection request and information on the players included in the matching lobby, the control unit 101 transitions the competitive game to the matching stage.

At S1004, the control unit 101 executes matching stage processing related to the matching stage.

Matching stage processing
The matching stage process executed in this step will now be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

At S1101, the control unit 101 obtains information about candidate players included in the assigned matching lobby from the server 200.

At S1102, the control unit 101 places the playable character and standby characters in the virtual space related to the matching lobby. The placement positions of these characters are determined so that the playable character and standby characters are spaced apart, and the standby characters are also spaced apart from each other.

At S1103, the control unit 101 causes the GPU 104 to draw the virtual space and generate the screens to be displayed on the first display unit 111 and the second display unit 112. The virtual space is drawn based on a determined viewpoint for drawing the virtual space so as to capture the operated character at the center. The GPU 104 draws each character in the form of an icon on the screen displayed on the first display unit 111, and draws each character in the form of a humanoid character image on the screen displayed on the second display unit 112. When the screens are generated by the GPU 104, the control unit 101 causes the screens to be displayed on the first display unit 111 and the second display unit 112.

In S1104, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operational input has been made to the icon of the waiting character on the screen shown on the first display unit 111. If the control unit 101 determines that an operational input has been made to the icon of the waiting character, the control unit 101 transfers the process to S1105, and if the control unit 101 determines that an operational input has not been made, the control unit 101 transfers the process to S1110.

In S1105, the control unit 101 determines whether the candidate player (hereinafter referred to as the target player) corresponding to the icon for which the operation input has been performed is in a state where he or she can accept a challenge to a battle. The determination in this step is made based on whether the target player has already been matched, or whether the level difference in the battle game with the requesting player is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. If the control unit 101 determines that the target player is in a state where he or she can accept a challenge to a battle, it moves the process to S1106, and if it determines that the target player is not in a state where he or she can accept a challenge, it moves the process to S1110.

At S1106, the control unit 101 performs display control to move the operated character to the vicinity of the target character, and after the movement to the vicinity is completed, causes the first display unit 111 to display an application screen related to the target character.

In S1107, the control unit 101 determines whether or not to request a battle with the target character. The determination in this step is based on the operation input to the GUI related to the battle request, which is included in the request screen displayed in S1106. If the control unit 101 determines that a battle request should be made to the target character, it moves the process to S1108, and if it determines that a battle request should not be made, it returns the process to S1103.

At S1108, the control unit 101 sends a matching request for the target player to the server 200 via the communication I/F 106.

In S1109, the control unit 101 determines whether or not matching with the target character has been established. If the control unit 101 determines that matching with the target character has been established, it completes this matching stage processing, and if it determines that matching has not been established, it returns the processing to S1103.

If it is determined in S1104 that no operational input has been made to the icon of a waiting character, or if it is determined in S1105 that the target player is not in a state where he or she can accept a challenge to a match, the control unit 101 determines in S1110 whether or not an operational input has been made related to a waiting for a match request. If the control unit 101 determines that an operational input has been made related to a waiting for a match request, it shifts the process to S1111, and if it determines that no operational input has been made, it shifts the process to S1113.

At S1111, the control unit 101 executes application waiting processing.

<Application waiting process>
Here, the application waiting process executed in this step will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In S1201, the control unit 101 displays a setting screen and accepts input of match information related to a match game in which a player is waiting to apply for a match. When the control unit 101 detects that match information has been input and that an operation input has been made to the setting completion button, the control unit 101 transfers the process to S1202.

In S1202, the control unit 101 transmits a matching standby request associated with the match information to the server 200 via the communication I/F 106. When the control unit 101 receives information from the server 200 indicating that the server 200 has transitioned to a standby state, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1203.

At S1203, the control unit 101 starts a waiting mini-game. For this waiting mini-game, input evaluation and result display processing may be performed in a separate thread that is executed in parallel with the application waiting process.

In S1204, the control unit 101 determines whether a challenge to a match has been made to the player. The determination in this step is based on whether information regarding the establishment of a match has been received from the server 200. If the control unit 101 determines that a challenge to a match has been made to the player, it completes this application waiting process, and if it determines that a challenge has not been made, it moves the process to S1205.

In S1205, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operation input related to canceling the matching waiting state has been made. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input related to canceling the matching waiting state has been made, the control unit 101 completes this application waiting process, and if it determines that an operation input related to canceling the matching waiting state has not been made, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1204.

When the application waiting process is completed, the control unit 101 determines whether or not matching has been established in S1112 of the matching stage process. If the control unit 101 determines that matching has been established, it completes this matching stage process, and if it determines that matching has not been established, it returns the process to S1103.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S1110 that no operation input has been made related to a matching waiting request, the control unit 101 determines in S1113 whether or not an operation input has been made related to a lobby movement request. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation input has been made related to a lobby movement request, it moves the process to S1114, and if it determines that no operation input has been made, it returns the process to S1103.

At S1114, the control unit 101 sends a lobby transfer request to the server 200 via the communication I/F 106. Then, at S1115, the control unit 101 obtains information on candidate players included in the newly assigned matching lobby from the server 200, and returns the process to S1103.

When such matching stage processing is completed, the control unit 101 transitions the competitive game to the execution stage in S1005 of the competitive game processing, and executes a provision process to provide a playing experience of the competitive game in which the matched players participate.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S1001 that no operation input related to a lobby connection request has been made until the waiting time set for menu operations has elapsed, or if an operation input related to a request to battle with an NPC has been made, the control unit 101 transitions the battle game to the execution stage in S1006, and executes a provision process that provides a playing experience of a battle game in which the player and an NPC participate.

When the provision process is completed, the control unit 101 executes a termination process in S1007 to display the results of the competitive game, etc., and completes this competitive game process.

As described above, the game device of this embodiment can perform highly interesting player matching.

[Modification 1]
In the above embodiment, the standby character 502 is simply placed at a fixed position around the operation character 501 in the virtual space, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. As described above, the smaller the differences in the usage status of the game device 100 between players, the smaller the differences in playing skills, and the smaller the differences in game cards owned/used between players, the more likely it is that a battle game with favorable game balance will be realized. Therefore, the distance between the operation character 501 and the standby character 502 in the virtual space may be set according to the differences in the usage status between players.

Specifically, when the control unit 101 receives information on players included in the matching lobby to which the applying player is assigned, the control unit 101 evaluates the difference between the applying player and each candidate player in a predetermined criterion based on the information. Here, the predetermined criterion may be a parameter related to the player's ability to progress in the competitive game, such as the usage status of the game device 100 described above, playing skill, game cards owned/used, etc. Alternatively, the predetermined criterion may simply be the track record of the applying player and the candidate player in the competitive game (win rate, match rate, etc.) or the progress of the competitive game (degree of completion of the scenario or mission, etc.). In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the comfort of the competitive game caused by a decrease in responsiveness to operation inputs and a delay in the progress of the competitive game due to communication delays, the spatial distance between the game device 100 used by the applying player and the game device 100 used by the candidate player, or the amount of communication delay in information communication between the game device 100 used by each player and the server 200 may be used as the predetermined criterion. Alternatively, the predetermined criterion may be a combination of these parameters.

When the control unit 101 evaluates the difference between the applying player and each candidate player in this manner, it determines the distance to separate the playable character 501 related to the applying player from the waiting character 502 related to the candidate player in the virtual space based on the evaluation result. At this time, the control unit 101 may determine the distance to be shorter the smaller the difference between the players based on a predetermined criterion in the evaluation result.

This makes it easier for the applying player to find candidate players in the virtual space who can provide a suitable competitive game playing experience, and as a result, the applying player can be guided to a situation where these players are more likely to be matched.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, the standby characters are different before and after the movement of the matching lobby, but the battle request function is provided in the same display mode. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a display theme such as the shape and decoration of the icon may be set for each matching lobby, and the display mode of the standby characters may be configured to change each time the matching lobby is moved. In this way, when the movement of the matching lobby is repeated, it is possible to provide an element of interest to the player during the period until the player is matched with a matching lobby that includes a player who meets the desired conditions, while making it easier for the player to understand that the matching lobby has been switched.

[Embodiment 2]
In the game system of the above embodiment, the matching lobby is used simply as a space for players to submit challenges to battle or a space for accepting challenges to battle. In the present embodiment, the matching lobby is used as a space for realizing more interesting matching.

<<Matching Lobby Function Overview>>
The functions provided in the matching lobby of the game system of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

When the game fee is paid on the game device 100 and the competitive game starts, each player can use the matching lobby by making a lobby connection request in the matching stage. At this time, the server control unit 201 that receives the lobby connection request classifies the player who made the lobby connection request into an area according to the player's location information. In this embodiment, the player's location information is determined based on information on the installation location of the game device 100 used by the player, received together with the lobby connection request. In a mode in which the game devices 100 are installed throughout Japan, the areas may be set for each region that includes multiple prefectures, such as "Hokkaido/Tohoku area," "Kanto area A," "Kanto area B," "Chubu area," "Kansai area," "Chugoku/Shikoku area," "Kyushu/Okinawa area," etc.

When the server control unit 201 classifies each player into one of a number of areas, it determines the matching lobby to be assigned to the player based on the classification result. Although details will be described later, in the game system of this embodiment, a player is given a bonus on the condition that he or she has played against players in all areas. For this reason, the server control unit 201 assigns matching lobbies and manages the status of each player in the matching lobby so that the player can easily achieve this condition.

Specifically, the server control unit 201 determines the matching lobby to which the player who has made a lobby connection request is assigned as the applying player to be one that includes at least candidate players from the area with which the player will need to play in order to fulfill the conditions for granting the bonus. In other words, if the applying player has no history of playing against players in the "Chubu area," "Kansai area," or "Kyushu and Okinawa area," the server control unit 201 determines the matching lobby to be assigned to the applying player from among matching lobbies that include candidate players from at least one of the "Chubu area," "Kansai area," and "Kyushu and Okinawa area" at that time. In this way, it is possible to provide the applying player with a matching environment in which he or she can efficiently fulfill the conditions for granting the bonus.

On the other hand, from the perspective of the candidate players, if candidate players from the same area are in the same matching lobby, the probability of a match request being made is low, the waiting time is prolonged, and players may not be able to play a match game against each other due to failure to match, which is not desirable. For this reason, the server control unit 201 controls so that one matching lobby does not contain multiple players (candidate players) in a matching waiting state classified in the same area. In other words, when the server control unit 201 receives a matching waiting request from an applying player, if there is already a candidate player from the same area in the matching lobby, the server control unit 201 controls so that the applying player does not transition to a matching waiting request, or moves the applying player to another matching lobby (changing the allocation) in order to transition.

This makes it easier for requesting players to find candidate players in their desired area and apply for a match, and also provides an environment in which candidate players can be matched with suitable waiting times.

Note that a matching lobby may be assigned to an applying player regardless of whether a candidate player in the same area is included in the matching lobby. Given that a candidate player cannot change the matching lobby while waiting for matching, the waiting time of the candidate player is likely to be shortened by assigning more applying players who are more likely to want to play a battle game in the candidate player's area to the matching lobby. On the other hand, a lobby movement function is provided for the applying player as in the first embodiment, so the applying player can change the matching lobby at will, for example, when a candidate player in a desired area is matched with another applying player. At this time, the server control unit 201 re-determines a matching lobby that includes candidate players with whom the applying player needs to play in order to fulfill the conditions for granting.

Displaying virtual space
When a matching lobby is assigned, a virtual space is displayed on the first display unit 111 of the game device 100 used by the applying player, as in the first embodiment. In the battle game of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13(a), area information indicating the area in which the player related to the character is classified is attached to the icon of each character in the virtual space displayed in the area 1301 of the first display unit 111. In the example shown in the figure, the icon 1302 of the operated character related to the applying player, which is arranged in the center of the area 1301, is attached with the area information 1303 of "Kanto Area B" corresponding to the installation location of the game device 100 used by the applying player. In addition, the icons 1304 of the waiting characters arranged around the icon 1302 are attached with the area information 1305 corresponding to the installation location of the game device 100 used by the candidate player related to the waiting character.

As in embodiment 1, the applying player can perform operational input on the icon 1304 of a desired waiting character on the first display unit 111 to move the operated character (icon 1302) close to the waiting character (icon 1304), as shown in FIG. 13(b). At this time, the area information 1303 relating to the applying player attached to the icon 1302 is displayed moving within the virtual space following the movement of the icon 1302. On the other hand, the waiting character's icon 1304 and the area information 1305 attached thereto are displayed fixed in the virtual space and unmovable.

<Conditions for grant>
The conditions for granting a reward to a player will be described in detail below. In the game system of this embodiment, two conditions for granting a reward to a player are set: an all-area battle-winning condition and an all-area victory-winning condition. Both of these conditions are based on the premise that a player is matched with a player classified in all areas as described above. Therefore, in the server 200 of this embodiment, for each player, information on the battle results of a battle game in which players are matched with each other is managed in association with information on the area in which the opponent is classified. The management of the information on the battle results is performed using a player DB (not shown) constructed using the storage area of the server storage device 202. In the player DB, various information on each player is managed in association with the identification information of the player.

The all-area battle domination condition is achieved when a player is matched with other players classified in all areas and plays a battle game with each player until the end condition is met. Here, the end condition of the battle game is met, for example, when the battle result is confirmed and displayed after the battle game has progressed to the final turn, or when all characters used by any of the participating players are unable to act. On the other hand, the battle game can also become unable to proceed if any of the players declares surrender or the communication is cut off, and the game will be forced to end. However, if benefits were to be awarded using such a method, fairness between players would not be guaranteed, so if the battle game ends due to a situation where it is forced to end, the end condition of the battle game will not be deemed to have been met.

In contrast, the all-area victory and domination condition is achieved when a player is matched with other players classified in all areas and wins a match game against each player. In other words, when the all-area victory and domination condition is achieved, the all-area match and domination condition is also achieved at the same time.

In the game system of this embodiment, a bonus is provided when the all area battle conquest condition and the all area victory conquest condition are achieved. The bonuses provided are different for each condition, but all are game elements that can be used in the battle game. However, since achieving the all area victory conquest condition is more difficult than achieving the all area battle conquest condition, the bonus provided when the all area victory conquest condition is achieved is configured to give an advantage in the progress of the battle game compared to the bonus provided when the all area battle conquest condition is achieved.

As one example, the bonus granted when the all area battle conquest condition is met may be a game element that promotes the strengthening of the player's player character, such as increasing the experience points gained for the battle game played, thereby indirectly giving the player an advantage in the progress of the battle game using the player character. Also, the bonus granted when the all area victory conquest condition is met may be, for example, an effect that gives the player an advantage when used in the battle game, thereby directly giving the player an advantage in the progress of the battle game.

<Status of achievement of conditions for grant>
Furthermore, in the game system of this embodiment, in a mode in which matching is performed using a matching lobby, the player is configured to be able to check the current achievement status of the grant condition of the player. The achievement status of the grant condition may be notified to the player using a map on which regions corresponding to each area are arranged, for example, as shown in Fig. 14. The map may be displayed on the second display unit 112 after the battle game is ended, for example.

Figure 14 (a) shows an example of a map that is displayed in relation to the achievement status of the all area battle domination condition. In this map, the areas corresponding to the areas in which the opponent players of the battle game in which the player participated and in which the end condition was met were classified are colored in different colors from the other areas. In the example shown, the hatched areas indicate the areas corresponding to the areas in which the opponents who played the battle game until the end condition was met were classified.

Figure 14(b) shows an example of a map that is displayed in relation to the achievement status of the all-area victory condition. In this map, areas corresponding to the areas in which the opponent players in the competitive game in which the player participated and won were classified are colored in different colors from other areas. In the example shown, the hatched areas indicate areas corresponding to the areas in which the opponents who were defeated in the competitive game were classified.

In the game system of this embodiment, a map is displayed for each of the all area battle conquest condition and the all area victory conquest condition, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. As described above, the achievement of the all area victory conquest condition is related to the achievement of the all area battle conquest condition, so the achievement status of these conditions may be displayed together on one map. In other words, the map on which the areas corresponding to each area are arranged may be displayed in a different manner for the area corresponding to the area in which the opponent who won in the battle game was classified, the area corresponding to the area in which the opponent player who lost but met the end condition in the battle game was classified, and the other areas.

<<Grant Control Process>>
A specific example of the award control process for controlling the awarding of benefits to players in the server 200 of this embodiment having such a configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 15. The process corresponding to this flowchart can be realized by the server control unit 201 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the server storage device 202, for example, and deploying it in the server memory 203 for execution. Note that this award control process will be described as being started, for example, when information on the game result of a competitive game played by matching players is obtained.

At S1501, the server control unit 201 adds information about the match results that associates information about the area in which the opponent player is classified to the information managed in the player DB for each player who participated in the executed match game (participating players).

At S1502, the server control unit 201 selects one of the participating players who has not yet determined whether the conditions for granting a bonus have been met as the target player.

In S1503, the server control unit 201 determines whether the condition for winning and conquering all areas has been achieved based on the information on the match history of the target player. If the server control unit 201 determines that the condition for winning and conquering all areas has been achieved for the target player, it transfers processing to S1504, and if it determines that the condition has not been achieved, it transfers processing to S1505.

At S1504, the server control unit 201 transmits, via the server communication I/F 204, a control command to the game device 100 used by the target player to provide a bonus associated with achieving the all-area battle victory condition and a bonus associated with achieving the all-area victory condition. After transmitting the control command, the server control unit 201 moves the process to S1507.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S1503 that the condition for winning all areas has not been met for the target player, the server control unit 201 determines in S1505 whether the condition for winning all area battles has been met for the target player. If the server control unit 201 determines that the condition for winning all area battles has been met for the target player, it transfers processing to S1506, and if it determines that the condition has not been met, it transfers processing to S1507.

At S1506, the server control unit 201 transmits, via the server communication I/F 204, a control command to the game device 100 used by the target player to provide a reward related to achieving the condition for winning all area battles. After transmitting the control command, the server control unit 201 moves the process to S1507.

In S1507, the server control unit 201 determines whether or not it has been determined whether or not the conditions for granting a bonus have been met for all participating players. If the server control unit 201 determines that it has been determined whether or not the conditions for granting a bonus have been met for all participating players, it ends this granting control process, and if it determines that it has not been determined, it returns the process to S1502.

In this way, it is possible to induce the player to use the game device 100 repeatedly. Note that the conditions for granting a bonus may be configured to be reset after being achieved so that the player can challenge again, thereby increasing the chances of obtaining a bonus. Alternatively, even if the conditions for conquering all battles in all areas are achieved, the system may be controlled so that resetting is not performed until the conditions for winning all areas are achieved.

As described above, the game system of this embodiment can increase players' motivation for competitive games.

In this embodiment, the server control unit 201 determines whether the conditions for granting a bonus are met each time a competitive game is executed, and grants a bonus if the conditions are met. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The bonus may be granted, for example, as a limited-time campaign in a competitive game. In this case, the server control unit 201 may control the granting of the bonus on the condition that the time when the conditions for granting are satisfied is included in the granting period set for the campaign.

[Modification 3]
In the above-mentioned second embodiment, information on the installation location of the game device 100 used by the player is used as the player's location information to classify the area to which the player belongs, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. The player's location information may be acquired, for example, using a positioning function of a communication terminal owned by the player when transmitting a lobby connection request, and transmitted from the communication terminal to the server 200, or transmitted from the communication terminal to the server 200 via the game device 100. Alternatively, the player's location information may be information such as an address or residence registered in advance on a license card or the like.

[Summary of the embodiment]
The above embodiment discloses at least the following program, server, and game system.

(1) To a computer:
An acquisition process for acquiring player information regarding a player who has made a request to be assigned to a group;
a classification process for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation process for allocating the player who has made the allocation request to a group;
a matching process for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players assigned to the same group as participants in a competitive game;
a determination process for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting process of granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a determination result of the determination process;
A program for executing
The program, wherein the conditions for granting the game include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas.

(2) The program described in (1), wherein the granting condition includes a second condition that an end condition of the competitive game with players classified in all areas is satisfied.

(3) The program described in (2), wherein the conditions for granting the bonus include a third condition of winning the competitive game against players classified in all areas.

(4) There are multiple types of the above benefits.
In the above-mentioned granting process,
A first benefit is granted if the first condition and the second condition are satisfied;
The program described in (3), wherein a second benefit is granted when the first condition and the third condition are satisfied.

(5) the first benefit and the second benefit are game elements usable in the fighting game;
The program according to (4), wherein the second benefit is a game element that provides an advantage in the progress of the competitive game compared to the first benefit.

(6) A program according to any one of (1) to (5), in which the benefit is granted in the granting process if the time at which the determination process determines that the granting condition is satisfied is included in a predetermined granting period.

(7) The program described in any one of (1) to (6), in which the area into which the player is to be classified is determined based on the position information of the player who made the allocation request during the classification process.

(8) A program described in any one of (1) to (6), in which the classification process determines an area into which the player making the allocation request is classified based on information about the location of the game device used by the player.

(9) A plurality of the groups are provided,
The program according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein a group to which the player who has made the allocation request is allocated in the allocation process is determined based on a classification result in the classification process.

(10) The players who have made the allocation request include an application player who selects an opponent player to be an opponent in the competitive game, and candidate players who are waiting as candidates for the opponent in the competitive game,
The program according to (9), wherein in the allocation process, the players who have made the allocation requests are allocated so that one group does not include the candidate players classified into the same area.

(11) The program described in (10), in which the group to which the applying player is assigned in the assignment process is determined regardless of whether the group includes the candidate player who is classified in the same area.

(12) The program described in (10) or (11), in which, in the allocation process, the applying player is allocated to a group that includes at least the candidate player who is classified into an area to which the applying player has not yet been matched because the candidate player satisfies the first condition.

(13) The program described in any one of (9) to (12), in which, when a request to change the group is made, the group to which the player who made the change request is assigned is redetermined in the assignment process.

(14) An acquisition means for acquiring player information regarding a player who has made a group allocation request;
a classification means for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation means for allocating the players who have made the allocation requests to groups;
a matching means for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players allocated to the same group by the allocation means as players participating in a competitive game;
a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting means for granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a result of the determination by the determining means;
Equipped with
The granting conditions include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas.

(15) A game system including: a game device that provides a playing experience of a competitive game; and a server that matches a player who has made a request to be assigned to a group on the game device,
The server,
An acquisition means for acquiring player information relating to the player who has made the allocation request;
a classification means for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation means for allocating the players who have made the allocation requests to groups;
a matching means for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players allocated to the same group by the allocation means as participating players in the competitive game;
a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting means for granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a result of the determination by the determining means;
Equipped with
The conditions for granting the prize include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas.

(16) The game system described in (15), wherein the granting condition includes a second condition that an end condition of the competitive game with players classified in all areas is satisfied.

(17) The game device includes a first display means for displaying a map on which a plurality of regions corresponding to each of the plurality of areas are arranged,
The game system described in (16), wherein the first display means displays the map in a manner different from that of an area corresponding to an area into which an opponent player of the competitive game in which the player using the game device participates and who has satisfied an ending condition is classified, and other areas.

(18) The game system described in (16), wherein the conditions for granting the bonus include a third condition of winning the competitive game against players classified in all areas.

(19) The game device further includes a second display means for displaying a map on which a plurality of regions corresponding to each of the plurality of areas are arranged,
The game system described in (18), wherein the second display means displays the map in a manner different from that of an area corresponding to an area into which the opponent player of the competitive game in which the player using the game device participates and in which the player has won is classified, and other areas.

(20) The game device further comprises a third display means for displaying a virtual environment corresponding to a group to which a user player using the game device is assigned, the virtual space including a virtual character corresponding to the player assigned to the group, the virtual environment being displayed on the third display means;
The game system according to any one of (15) to (19), wherein the third display means displays each of the virtual characters placed in the virtual space together with information about an area in which a player corresponding to the virtual character is classified.

(21) The third display means
displaying a first virtual character corresponding to the user player and first area information indicating an area in which the user player is classified in the virtual space in a movable manner;
A game system as described in (20), in which a second virtual character corresponding to a player other than the user player and included in the group to which the user player is assigned, and second area information indicating the area to which the player is classified are displayed in an immovable manner in the virtual space.

(22) The game system described in (21), wherein the third display means displays the second virtual character together with the second area information around the first virtual character in the virtual space.

[Other embodiments]
The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

100: Game device, 101: Control unit, 102: Storage device, 103: Memory, 104: GPU, 105: Operation I/F, 106: Communication I/F, 110: Presentation device, 111: First display unit, 112: Second display unit, 120: Payment device, 130: Reader, 140: Provider device, 200: Server, 201: Server control unit, 202: Server storage device, 203: Server memory, 204: Server communication I/F, 300: Network

Claims (22)

On the computer,
An acquisition process for acquiring player information regarding a player who has made a request to be assigned to a group;
a classification process for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation process for allocating the player who has made the allocation request to a group;
a matching process for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players assigned to the same group as participants in a competitive game;
a determination process for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting process of granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a determination result of the determination process;
A program for executing
The program, wherein the conditions for granting the game include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas. The program according to claim 1, wherein the granting condition includes a second condition that an end condition of the competitive game with players classified in all areas is met. The program according to claim 2, wherein the conditions for granting the bonus include a third condition of winning the competitive game against players classified in all areas. There are several types of the above benefits:
In the above-mentioned granting process,
A first benefit is granted if the first condition and the second condition are satisfied;
The program according to claim 3 , wherein a second benefit is provided when the first condition and the third condition are satisfied. the first benefit and the second benefit are game elements that can be used in the fighting game,
5. The program according to claim 4, wherein the second benefit is a game element that provides an advantage in the progress of the competitive game compared to the first benefit. The program according to claim 1, in which the benefit is granted in the granting process if the time when it is determined in the determination process that the granting condition is met is included in a predetermined granting period. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the classification process, an area into which the player is classified is determined based on position information of the player who made the allocation request. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the classification process, the area into which the player making the allocation request is classified is determined based on information about the location of the game device used by the player. A plurality of the groups are provided,
2. The program according to claim 1, wherein a group to which the player who has made the allocation request is assigned in the allocation process is determined based on a classification result in the classification process. The players who have made the allocation request include an application player who selects an opponent player to be an opponent in the competitive game, and candidate players who are waiting as candidates for the opponent in the competitive game,
10. The program according to claim 9, wherein in the allocation process, players who have made the allocation requests are allocated so that one group does not include the candidate players classified into the same area. The program according to claim 10, wherein in the allocation process, the group to which the applying player is allocated is determined regardless of whether the group includes the candidate player classified in the same area. The program according to claim 10, wherein in the allocation process, the applying player is allocated to a group including at least the candidate player who is classified into an area to which the applying player has not yet been matched because the candidate player satisfies the first condition. The program according to claim 9, wherein when a request to change the group is made, the group to which the player who made the change request is assigned is redetermined in the assignment process. An acquisition means for acquiring player information regarding a player who has made a request to be assigned to a group;
a classification means for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation means for allocating the players who have made the allocation requests to groups;
a matching means for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players allocated to the same group by the allocation means as players participating in a competitive game;
a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting means for granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a result of the determination by the determining means;
Equipped with
The granting conditions include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas. A game system including a game device that provides a playing experience of a competitive game, and a server that matches players who have made a request to be assigned to a group on the game device,
The server,
An acquisition means for acquiring player information relating to the player who has made the allocation request;
a classification means for classifying the player who has made the allocation request into one of a plurality of areas based on the player information;
an allocation means for allocating the players who have made the allocation requests to groups;
a matching means for matching a predetermined number of players from among the players allocated to the same group by the allocation means as participating players in the competitive game;
a determination means for determining whether or not a condition for granting a benefit is satisfied for each of the participating players based on a result of the execution of the competitive game;
a granting means for granting the benefit to a player for whom the benefit condition is satisfied based on a result of the determination by the determining means;
Equipped with
The conditions for granting the prize include at least a first condition of matching with players classified into all areas. The game system according to claim 15, wherein the granting condition includes a second condition that an end condition of the competitive game with players classified in all areas is met. the game device includes a first display means for displaying a map on which a plurality of regions corresponding to each of the plurality of areas are arranged,
17. The game system according to claim 16, wherein the first display means displays the map in a different display mode for an area corresponding to an area into which an opponent player of the competitive game in which the player using the game device participates and who has satisfied an end condition is classified, and for other areas. The game system according to claim 16, wherein the conditions for granting the bonus include a third condition of winning the competitive game against players classified in all areas. the game device includes a second display means for displaying a map on which a plurality of regions corresponding to each of the plurality of areas are arranged,
20. The game system according to claim 18, wherein the second display means displays the map in a manner different from that of the area corresponding to an area into which an opponent player of the competitive game in which the player using the game device participates and in which the player has won is classified, and other areas. the game device includes a third display means for displaying a virtual environment corresponding to a group to which a user player using the game device is assigned, the virtual space in which a virtual character corresponding to the player assigned to the group is disposed;
20. The game system according to claim 15, wherein the third display means displays each of the virtual characters arranged in the virtual space together with information on an area in which a player corresponding to the virtual character is classified. The third display means is
displaying a first virtual character corresponding to the user player and first area information indicating an area in which the user player is classified in the virtual space in a movable manner;
21. The game system according to claim 20, wherein a second virtual character corresponding to a player other than the user player and included in the group to which the user player is assigned, and second area information indicating the area to which the player is classified, are displayed immovably in the virtual space. The game system according to claim 21, wherein the third display means displays the second virtual character together with the second area information around the first virtual character in the virtual space.

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