JP7343827B1 - Information processing method, information processing system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] Provide a highly interesting experience. In the acquisition step, a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which a plurality of users can participate and user information regarding the user who transmits the participation request are acquired. The multiplayer game includes at least a first game mode. The user information includes information regarding the user's progress in the multiplayer game. In the determining step, participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game are determined based on at least the participation request. Target content is determined based on the progress level of at least one of the participating users. The target content is the content of a multiplayer game that is executed for participating users. In the updating step, when the multiplayer game is executed in the first game mode, the progress of each participating user is updated based on the fact that the participating users have participated in the multiplayer game regardless of their results in the multiplayer game. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on March 9, 2020 on the official website of "ExoPrimal | CAPCOM" (https://www.exoprimal.com/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Q1NnZhVCU) etc. on March 10, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Youtube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PIL32FpB4s) on June 15, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWtPhxhDlzo) etc. on June 16, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ic9ySIynaM) on June 22, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMDRh4CAPoQ) etc. on July 15, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Youtube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRRrwIJs-R8) on July 18, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "YouTube" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L7XyCDnck8) etc. on July 19, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SsF3tN846M) etc. on July 20, 2020

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLsSjOGvTSs) etc. on July 21, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urXkDmP9DUw) etc. on July 22, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://youtu.be/uerHNGgJBKg) on September 17, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “YouTube” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ZjRGYkISs) on September 18, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “Twitter” (https://twitter.com/exoprimal/status/1557351108800045056) on August 10, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Twitter" (https://twitter.com/exoprimal/status/1557698524787228678) on August 11, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Twitter" (https://twitter.com/exoprimal/status/1558121329764843520) on August 13, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “Twitter” (https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1DXxyvgvvRkKM) on September 17, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on “Twitter” (https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ypKddRqojjKW) on September 18, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 13, 2020, “Press Start” (https://press-start.com.au/features/2022/06/14/exoprimal-explained-an-interview Published at -with-the-development-team/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 13, 2020 on "GamerSky.com" (https://www.gamersky.com/news/202206/1490751.shtml)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on "IGN JAPAN" (https://jp.ign.com/exoprimal/60379/interview/d)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 at "ASCII.jp" (https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/094/4094540/?topnew=4)

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies Published on June 14, 2020 on "Gamer" (https://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/202206140002/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on "GAMEWatch" (https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/1416791.html)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 at "Game*Spark" (https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2022/06/14/119478.html)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on “Dengekion Online” (https://dengekionline.com/articles/136589/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on “Famitsu.com” (https://www.famitsu.com/news/202206/14264875.html)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "V Jump WEB" (https://vjump.shueisha.co.jp/news/04_20220614_1.html) on June 14, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on "4Gamer.net" (https://www.4gamer.net/games/621/G062154/20220613147/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on "PCGamesN" (https://www.pcgamesn.com/exoprimal/exosuit-classes)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 14, 2020, “IGN” (https://www.ign.com/articles/exorimal-full-price-free-to-play-dino-crisis) Published in

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 14, 2020, "GameStar.de" (https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/exoprimal-koop-shooter-dinos-preview, 3381575.html) Published in

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law On June 14, 2020, on "Bahaha Special Electric Toy Questionnaire" (https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=233247) Release

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 14, 2020, “Wanuxi.com” (https://www.wanuxi.com/%e7%8b%ac%e5%ae%b6%e4%b8 %93%e8%ae%bf%e3%80%8aexoprimal%e3%80%8b%e5%88%b6%e4%bd%9c%e4%ba%ba%e4%bb%a5%e5%8f%8a %e7%9b%91%e5%88%b6%ef%bc%81%e6%af%8f%e4%b8%80%e5%b1%80%e7%9a%84%e6%b8%b8%e6 Published at %88%8f%e9%83%bd/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on “A9VG” (https://www.a9vg.com/article/186757)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on “Gcores” (https://www.gcores.com/articles/152412)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "NetEase" (https://www.163.com/dy/article/H9RVE22G0526Q3CJ.html) on June 14, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 14, 2020 on "bilibili" (https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv17088665)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 15, 2020 on "PCGamesN" (https://www.pcgamesn.com/exoprimal/dinosaur-mech-game-takuro-hiraoka)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 15, 2020, "Everyeye.it" (https://www.everyeye.it/notizie/exoprimal-collegato-dino-crisis-capcom-chiarisce-def) nitivamente- Published at 593147.html)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 15, 2020, “3DJuegos” (https://www.3djuegos.com/juegos/exoprimal/noticias/exoprimal-no-es-dino-crisis-pero- tras-ver-su-accion-shooter-con-dinosaurios-quiero-probarlo-ya-220614-5876)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 15, 2020 at “Tora ■” (https://m.hupu.com/bbs/54242949.html)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law Published on June 15, 2020 on "Zhihu" (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/528753605)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 16, 2020, "jeuxvideo.com" (https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/1588903/exoprimal-entre-jurassic-world-et-anthem) - Published at que-nous-reserve-capcom-le-directeur-du-title-nous-repond.htm)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on June 18, 2020 on “HobbiGame” (https://hobbigame.com/exoprimal-interveiw/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On June 24, 2020, on "Destructoid" (https://www.destructoid.com/exoprimal-interview-capcom-game-director-takuro-hiraoka/) public

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On July 5, 2020, “Great Game Asia Asia Travel Network” (https://greatgame.asia/%e3%80%8a-exoprimal-%e3%80%8b %e8%a3%bd%e4%bd%9c%e4%ba%ba%e5%b0%88%e8%a8%aa-%e3%80%8c%e4%b8%8d%e6%98%af% e5%83%8f%e3%80%8amh%e3%80%8b%e8%88%ac%e8%88%87%e4%b8%80%e5%80%8b%e5%bc%b7%e5% Published at a4%a7%e6%95%b5/)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Steam" (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286320/EXOPRIMAL/) on July 6, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On July 8, 2020, "Steam" (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1286320?emclan=103582791472045402&emgid=33242360360825 Published in 24877)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On July 22, 2020, "Steam" (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1286320?emclan=103582791472045402&emgid=3414309119862 595405) Published in

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published on "Steam" (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286320/EXOPRIMAL/) on August 2, 2020

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act August 5, 2020 "Steam" (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1286320?emclan=103582791472045402&emgid=33613930928307 Published in 13694)

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act “Tokyo Game Show 2022” (Makuhari Messe (Nakase, Mihama Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture) Published on 2-chome 1))

The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that further improves the interest of the game by providing the user with motivation to master competitive play as the user progresses in playing the game.

A server device that performs matching processing according to the technique manages a rank index for each user, which hierarchically classifies the user's proficiency level in competitive play. The server device maintains or changes the rank index to which the user belongs according to the user's competitive play history. When matching competitive play, the server device causes the terminal of the user with the highest rank index to display the rating of the opponent who will play against the user with the highest rank index, and displays the rating of the opponent who will play against the user with the highest rank index, and at least some of the users other than the highest rank in the rank index. Matching processing is performed on the user's terminal by hiding the rating of the opponent who will play against the user.

Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-15502

However, there is still room for improvement in the above game control method.

In view of the above circumstances, the present disclosure provides, for example, a more excellent technique.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing method executed by an information processing system is provided. This information processing method includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which a plurality of users can participate and user information regarding the user who transmits the participation request are acquired. The multiplayer game includes at least a first game mode. The user information includes information regarding the user's progress in the multiplayer game. In the determining step, participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game are determined based on at least the participation request. Target content is determined based on the progress level of at least one of the participating users. The target content is the content of a multiplayer game that is executed for participating users. In the updating step, when the multiplayer game is executed in the first game mode, the progress of each participating user is updated based on the participating users' participation in the multiplayer game, regardless of their performance in the multiplayer game.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a more interesting experience to the user.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an activity diagram showing an overview of information processing executed by the information processing system 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing of activities A5 to A9 for determining participating users. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the processing of activities A5 to A9 for determining participating users. It is a figure showing an example of menu screen IM1 as a game screen. It is a figure showing an example of start screen IM2 as a game screen. It is a figure showing an example of room screen IM3. It is a figure showing an example of play screen IM4. It is a figure showing an example of result display screen IM5 as a game screen.

[Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the embodiments described below can be combined with each other.

By the way, the program for implementing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be downloaded from an external server. The program may be provided in a manner that allows the program to be started on an external computer and the function thereof is realized on the client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by circuits in a broad sense and software information processing that can be concretely implemented by these hardware resources. . In addition, various types of information are handled in this embodiment, and these information include, for example, the physical value of a signal value representing voltage and current, and the signal value as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1. It is expressed by high and low levels or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on circuits in a broad sense.

Further, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, a circuit, a processor, a memory, and the like. That is, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLD), complex programmable logic devices (COMPLEX), etc. Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and field This includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and the like.

1. Game Description FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1, an information processing device 2 and a plurality of game devices 3 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network 11, and a game is executed on the game devices 3. That is, the information processing system 1 includes at least one device.

The game according to this embodiment is an online game executed by the information processing system 1. In this game, the user of the game device 3 causes one or more player characters to act in a virtual game space, and causes the player character to compete against an enemy character, which is a non-player character. Further, a character is an example of an object.

The above games can be played on home game consoles such as PlayStation (registered trademark), portable game consoles such as Nintendo Switch (registered trademark), or game devices 3 that are electronic devices such as personal computers, smartphones, and tablet terminals. It is executed using

2. Overview of Information Processing System 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 2 and a plurality of game devices 3. The information processing device 2 stores game programs and game data, and manages the game data of the game device 3 (for each account information described below). The information processing device 2 is configured by, for example, a server. Each of the plurality of game devices 3 has the same configuration. Note that in this embodiment, the system is composed of one or more devices or components. Therefore, for example, even a single information processing device 2 or game device 3, which will be described later, can be an example of the information processing system 1.

The game device 3 executes a predetermined game based on a user's operation. For this purpose, the game device 3 receives (specifically downloads and installs) the game program and game data from the information processing device 2 via the communication network 11. Account information including identification information and a password is assigned to each user in association with the game device 3. This account information is transmitted from the game device 3 to the information processing device 2 at the time of login, and is used for user authentication in the information processing device 2.

After user authentication, mutual communication between the information processing device 2 and the game device 3 becomes possible. After logging in, the game device 3 receives data necessary for playing the game (data related to the game progress) from the information processing device 2, and then outputs game images and sounds to the display 4a and speaker 4b based on the user's operations. , advance the game.

2.1 Hardware Configuration Each hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 will be described below with reference to FIG.

<Information processing device 2>
As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 2 includes a communication section 21, a storage section 22, and a control section 23. The communication unit 21 and the storage unit 22 are electrically connected to the control unit 23 via the communication bus 20.

The communication unit 21 is a so-called network interface that is communicably connected to each game device 3 via the communication network 11 such as the Internet and a LAN. The main information that the information processing device 2 receives via the communication unit 21 includes game program download request information, gacha lottery request according to user operation, quest execution request, autoplay execution/termination request, Examples include account information, game data, etc. The main information that the information processing device 2 transmits via the communication unit 21 includes information for confirming that the game device 3 has received the game program, information regarding game media obtained through gacha, etc. .

The storage unit 22 includes a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an SSD (Solid State Drive), and the like. The storage unit 22 stores various programs including a part of the game program according to the present embodiment, various data related to games, and the like.

Specifically, for example, the storage unit 22 stores a user DB, a lottery list, and the like. The user DB contains information such as the user name, user rank, and status regarding the player character operated by the user, the amount of consumption media that can be used in the virtual game space, and parameters for each identification number of the user who plays the game. Information etc. are stored in correspondence. The lottery list is used for a lottery process generally called gacha, and includes a plurality of pieces of information regarding game media to be selected. In the lottery list, information regarding the game medium (name, ability parameters, rarity, level, etc.) is associated with selection ratios based on the lottery. Further, the ability parameters include, for example, when the game medium is a player character, military strength, HP, attack power, defense power, intelligence, speed, etc.

The control unit 23 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and a semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the information processing device 2, which is its own device. In particular, the control unit 23 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 2, which is its own device, by reading a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 22. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically implemented by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, so that each functional unit described below can be executed. Note that the control section 23 is not limited to a single control section, and may be implemented so as to have a plurality of control sections 23 for each function. It may also be a combination thereof.

Examples of the information processing executed by the control unit 23 include billing settlement processing, user account authentication processing, gacha lottery selection processing, and the like. The billing settlement process is executed, for example, based on a billing request necessary to recover a predetermined amount of parameters during the game. The user account authentication process is executed using user identification information received from the game device 3, for example. The gacha lottery selection process is a process in which, in response to a gacha lottery request, one or more game media are selected by lottery from a lottery list based on the selection probability for each game medium. According to the gacha lottery selection process, the information regarding the selected game medium and the identification information of the user who performed the operation to send the lottery request are associated in the user DB, so that the user can: You will receive the winning game content as a result of drawing the gacha yourself.

To further supplement the above, "game media" is electronic data representing elements related to the game, including the name of the character used as the player character, and the items used by the player character in the virtual game space. Includes weapons, armor, tools), etc. Users can obtain game media through a lottery method called gacha, in addition to direct purchase through payment and quest clearing. The obtained game content is stored and managed in the user DB in association with the identification information of the user who owns the game content. Furthermore, "gacha" is a method in which the information processing device 2 selects an arbitrary game medium from a lottery list based on a predetermined selection ratio. The selected arbitrary game content is provided to the user's game device 3. "The game content selected in the gacha is given to the user/owned by the user" is synonymous with "the game content selected in the lottery process is/is associated with identification information indicating the user". be.

<Game device 3>
A display 4a, a speaker 4b, and an input device 4c are externally connected or built into the game device 3. The game device 3 also includes a communication section 31, a storage section 32, a control section 33, a graphics processing section 34a, an audio processing section 34b, and an operation section 34c. The communication section 31, the storage section 32, the graphic processing section 34a, the audio processing section 34b, and the operation section 34c are electrically connected to the control section 33 via the communication bus 30.

The communication unit 31 is a so-called network interface that is communicably connected to the communication network 11 in order to transmit and receive various data between the game device 3 and the information processing device 2. The main information that the game device 3 receives via the communication unit 31 includes account information, new game data download request information, gacha execution request, quest execution request, and the like. The main information that the game device 3 transmits via the communication unit 31 includes new game data sent from the information processing device 2 in response to download request information, information regarding game media selected by lottery processing, etc. Can be mentioned.

The storage unit 32 includes an HDD, SSD, RAM, ROM, and the like. The storage unit 32 stores game data downloaded from the information processing device 2, various programs including a part of the game program, account information of the game device 3, which is the own device, user information, etc. Note that the user information is at least part of information in the user DB stored in the storage unit 22 of the information processing device 2. The user DB manages a master of user information, and the storage unit 32 of the game device 3 receives at least part of the information of this master from the information processing device 2 and stores it.

The control unit 33 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and a semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the game device 3, which is its own device. In particular, the control section 33 realizes various functions related to the game device 3, which is the own device, by reading out a predetermined program stored in the storage section 32. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically implemented by the control unit 33, which is an example of hardware, so that each functional unit described below can be executed. Note that the control section 33 is not limited to a single control section, and may be implemented so as to have a plurality of control sections 33 for each function. It may also be a combination thereof.

In particular, the control unit 33 is configured to execute the game according to the operation of the input device 4c by the user of the game device 3, which is the own device. Specifically, the control unit 33 reads data such as virtual game space objects and textures included in the game data from the storage unit 32, or uses data received from the information processing device 2 to create two-dimensional or three-dimensional Generates game image information. As the game image information is processed by the graphic processing unit 34a, the processed game images are sequentially displayed on the display 4a. In other words, the control unit 33 is configured to perform display control on the display 4a and audio output control on the speaker 4b in accordance with the user's operation of the game device 3, which is the own device, when executing the game.

The graphic processing unit 34a draws a game image including characters and various objects related to the virtual game space in a moving image format according to the game image information output from the control unit 33. The graphic processing unit 34a is connected to, for example, a liquid crystal display 4a, and a game image drawn in a moving image format is displayed on the display 4a as a game screen. The audio processing section 34b is connected to the speaker 4b, and when the game sound is reproduced and synthesized according to instructions from the control section 33, it is output from the speaker 4b. The operation unit 34c is connected to the input device 4c, and transmits and receives data related to operation inputs to and from the input device 4c. The user inputs an operation signal to the game device 3 by operating the input device 4c. Note that the input device 4c is a general term for a touch panel integrated with the display 4a, an external game pad, a mouse, a keyboard, and the like.

2.2 Functional Configuration Next, each functional configuration of the information processing device 2 of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 23 (processor) executes various programs stored in the storage unit 22 to control the acquisition unit 231, the determination unit 232, the execution unit 233, and the update unit 234. , and function as a setting section 235 and a display processing section 236. That is, the information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically implemented by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, so that it can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 23.

The acquisition unit 231 is configured to acquire various information and inputs as an acquisition step. For example, the acquisition unit 231 acquires information such as the user information IF1, input of a participation request from the user, etc. from the storage unit 22 of the information processing device 2, or communicates it from the game device 3 or other external device. Obtained via network 11. In this embodiment, various information received by the acquisition unit 231 will be described as being stored in the storage unit 22.

The determining unit 232 is configured to determine various judgments and execution modes of processing based on various information as a determining step. For example, the determining unit 232 is configured to determine various information such as the participating users who participate in the quest and the game mode in which the quest is executed.

The execution unit 233 is configured to execute a multiplayer game based on various information as an execution step.

The updating unit 234 is configured to update various information based on information regarding the executed multiplayer game and the like.

The setting unit 235 is configured to set predetermined conditions based on various information.

As a display step, the display processing section 236 causes the display 4a of the game device 3 to display various information stored in the storage section 22 or the storage section 32 or a screen including the information in a visually recognizable manner. Specifically, the display processing unit 236 may generate visual information itself in a form that is visible to humans, such as a screen, an image (for example, a still image or a video), an icon, text, etc. For example, rendering information for displaying visual information on the display 4a may be generated and transmitted to the game device 3 via the communication network 11.

3. Explanation of various information and terms In this section, various information and terms handled by the information processing system 1 will be explained.

<Virtual space>
The virtual space is an area defined by information processing in which the game progresses. That is, the virtual space may be a one-dimensional space (a straight line), a two-dimensional space (a plane), or a three-dimensional space. The virtual space may be a space that is centrally managed, or may include a space that is managed as common property (a so-called metaverse).

<object>
An object is a virtual object placed in virtual space. Objects include various virtual objects such as player characters, non-player characters, items, terrain that restricts passage, and obstacles. Non-player characters include enemy objects that are hostile to the player character.

<Multiplayer game>
The multi-play game is an example of a game provided to users by the information processing system 1, and is configured to allow a plurality of users to participate. The multi-play game of this embodiment is a so-called PvPvE-type competitive multi-play game in which a plurality of users are divided into two teams and compete with each other while playing against enemy objects. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a user who participates in a multiplayer game may be referred to as a participating user. Specifically, the multiplayer game is a competitive multiplayer game in which each team consists of five users, and two teams compete against each other to see whether or not they can achieve preset conditions, and the number of participants is 10. It's a person. Multiplayer games are sometimes described as "quests."

The multiplayer game of this embodiment includes two types of game modes: random quest and fixed quest. The random quest is a game mode whose contents are randomly determined within a range that satisfies predetermined conditions, and corresponds to the first game mode. The fixed quest is a game mode configured to be executed for all users who meet a predetermined condition with its content being predetermined, and corresponds to the second game mode.

<Content>
Content is information that defines the contents of a multiplayer game, and includes, for example, the virtual space that is the game stage where the multiplayer game is executed, the events that make up the multiplayer game, and objects such as enemy objects and items placed in the virtual space. Contains identifying information. An event is, for example, a mission that each user must accomplish by operating a player character in a virtual space. A mission is related to the clear conditions set for the quest (specifically, for example, the progress conditions and end conditions described below), and the quest is completed by completing the specified mission within a specified limit such as a time limit. is determined to have been cleared. The execution unit 233 provides the participating users with a multiplay game in accordance with the content by executing the multiplay game for the participating users. In this embodiment, a plurality of candidates for virtual spaces, events, and objects that define the content of the multiplayer game are prepared, and content is determined based on the content selected from each candidate. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the content of a multiplayer game executed for participating users may be referred to as target content.

In this embodiment, each of the contents of the multiplayer game is configured to be allowed to be executed for participating users whose progress level satisfies a predetermined permission condition. Specifically, the content that is allowed to the user is associated with the degree of progress, and the modes are set to become gradually more diverse as the degree of progress increases. For example, the types of virtual spaces and types of enemy objects allowed to the user gradually increase as the progress level increases.

<Event>
As described above, the event is one of the elements that defines the multiplayer game, more specifically, the content, and is, for example, information that defines the progress conditions that the user should achieve in the multiplayer game. The event is associated with, for example, a progress level IF3, which will be described later, and is represented by the type and number of enemy objects to be defeated. The multiplayer game progresses as the user accomplishes set events through operations of player characters. In other words, the content includes at least one event associated with the progress level IF3, and the multiplayer game is configured to progress as participating users achieve the event.

4. Overview of Information Processing This section provides an overview of the flow of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1. FIG. 3 is an activity diagram showing an overview of information processing executed by the information processing system 1. As shown in FIG. The results of the processing in each activity included in the information processing described below may be outputted in a manner recognizable by the user using the display unit 34 of the game device 3, etc., as appropriate. Note that the information processing may include any exception processing not shown. Exception handling includes interruption of the information processing and omission of each process. The selection or input performed in the information processing may be based on a user's operation, or may be automatically performed without depending on a user's operation.

[Activity A1]
First, in activity A1, the acquisition unit 231 receives an input operation for user information IF1 from the user, and acquires user information IF1. This allows the user to log into the multiplayer game. User information IF1 indicates information regarding the user in the multiplay game, and includes, for example, information regarding the user's proficiency level, information regarding the user's progress in the multiplayer game, and play history IF4. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, information regarding the user's proficiency level will be simply referred to as proficiency level IF2, and information regarding the user's progress in the multiplayer game will simply be referred to as progress level IF3.

The proficiency level IF2 is information regarding the user's proficiency level IF2, and is different information from the progress level IF3 described later. The proficiency level IF2 is configured to increase, for example, when the user achieves good results in a multiplayer game. Therefore, the difference in proficiency level IF2 between users suggests the difference in skill between users in the multiplayer game. The proficiency level IF2 in this embodiment is represented by an integer representing the level of the player.

The degree of progress IF3 is information representing the degree of progress of the multiplayer game by the user. For example, as the degree of progress IF3 increases, the modes of execution of the multiplayer game allowed to the user, such as content and events, increase. Therefore, by increasing the progress level IF3 by participating in the multiplayer game, the user can remove restrictions on the provided content, etc., and further enjoy the multiplayer game. The progress level IF3 can also be said to be an index for managing flags of the multiplayer game. The progress level IF3 is expressed as a variable that can be associated with an integer, and is associated with an identification code that represents an event included in the multiplayer game. Such an identification code is also called an event ID.

The play history IF4 includes information regarding executed content that is target content of a multiplayer game executed for the user in the past. The executed content may be content that has been played in a multiplayer game within a predetermined number of times from the most recent to the past, and does not need to be content that has been played in all multiplayer games that have been played in the past.

[Activity A2, Activity A3]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A2, where the control unit 23 accepts a display operation from the user. Thereafter, the process proceeds to activity A3, and the display processing unit 236 causes the display 4a to display information regarding the multiplayer game that can be executed by the user, for example, the stage title of the multiplayer game.

[Activity A4]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A4, where the acquisition unit 231 receives and acquires a request from the user to participate in a multiplayer game. Thereby, the acquisition unit 231 acquires a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which a plurality of users can participate, and user information IF1 regarding the user who transmits the participation request. In response to acquisition of participation requests from a plurality of users, the control unit 23 starts matching processing for matching participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game. The matching process of this embodiment includes activity A5 to activity A12. Here, as an example, a matching process for matching a user with the lowest progress level IF3 will be described. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the user with the lowest progress level IF3, that is, the user who is the matching target, may be referred to as the target user. Further, the target user's progress level IF3 may be referred to as target progress level IF3a.

[Activity A5]
First, in activity A5, the determining unit 232 determines primary candidates for participating users based on the acquired proficiency level IF2. In other words, the determining unit 232 further determines participating users based on the level of proficiency. In the present embodiment, the determining unit 232 determines a user whose difference from the target user's proficiency level IF2 is equal to or less than a predetermined first tolerance value as the primary candidate for participating users. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the loss of interest in the multiplayer game due to a discrepancy in the proficiency level between the participating users. The first tolerance value may be variable based on the target user's proficiency level IF2, progress level IF3, etc., or may be fixed regardless of the target user's proficiency level IF2, progress level IF3, etc. The range defined by the tolerance value is an example of the first range.

[Activity A6]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A6, where variable i is set to an initial value (0). The variable i represents the difference in progress level IF3 between users. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the value of variable i may be simply expressed as "i".

[Activity A7]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A7, and the control unit 23 extracts users whose progress level IF3 is equal to or less than (target progress level IF3a+i) from the primary candidates determined in activity A5. If i=0 according to the process of activity A6, the control unit 23 extracts a user whose progress level is equal to the target progress level IF3a from the primary candidates. Thereafter, it is determined whether the number of extracted users including the target user is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (specifically, the number of participants mentioned above, 10).

[Activity A8]
If the number of extracted users including the target user is less than the specified number, that is, if the number of participants necessary to execute the multiplayer game is insufficient, the process proceeds to activity A8, and the control unit 23 Increase variable i by 1. Thereafter, if the variable i is less than the predetermined second tolerance value N, the control unit 23 processes activity A7 again, and processes activity A7 and activity A8 until the number of extracted users reaches the predetermined value. repeat. Accordingly, as the variable i increases, the extraction range of users expands, making it possible to match users with different progress levels IF3.

[Activity A9]
On the other hand, if the variable i reaches the second tolerance value N as a result of the above processing, the processing proceeds to activity A9, the control unit 23 cancels the participation request from the target user, and ends this information processing. The range of the variable i defined by such a second tolerance value N is an example of the second range.

[Activity A10]
On the other hand, if the number of extracted users is equal to or greater than the specified number as a result of the processing in activity A7, the processing proceeds to activity A10, where the determining unit 232 determines the participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game, and Divide users into two teams. Thereby, the determining unit 232 performs matching between users in the multiplayer game. In other words, in the determining step, participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game are determined based at least on the participation request. Specifically, the determining unit 232 determines whether the difference in proficiency level IF2 is within a first range and the degree of progress between the users who transmit participation requests is within a second range among the users who transmit participation requests. is determined as a participating user. According to such a configuration, it becomes easier to match users who are close to the proficiency level IF2 and who are allowed to execute similar content according to the progress level IF3, so that users who have similar playing experience can actively progress the game. It becomes easier to provide.

[Activity A11]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A11, and the control unit 23 specifies the game mode corresponding to the target progress level IF3a based on, for example, predetermined first reference information. The first reference information indicates the correspondence between the progress level IF3 and various information regarding the multiplayer game, and is expressed by, for example, a lookup table, a function, or the like. For example, the first reference information indicates whether the game mode corresponding to the progress level IF3 is a random quest or a fixed quest. In the present embodiment, progress levels IF3 corresponding to a plurality of fixed quests are set, and between the progress levels IF3, a progress level IF3 corresponding to at least one random quest is set. Thereby, the configuration is such that a plurality of fixed quests are not executed consecutively for the user. For example, when the progress level IF3 is 10, it is associated with the first fixed quest, and when the progress level IF3 is 9 or 10, it is associated with the random quest. The progress level IF3 associated with the fixed quest is an example of a default value. In other words, the fixed quest as the second game mode is executed when the progress level IF3 (target progress level IF3a in this embodiment) of at least one of the participating users has reached a predetermined value.

[Activity A12]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A12, and the determining unit 232 determines target content based on the progress level IF3 of at least one of the participating users, for example by referring to the second reference information. Determining the target content includes determining the events to be performed in the multiplayer game and the type and number of enemy objects. The second reference information indicates the content of the multiplayer game that is allowed to be executed for the user at the progress level IF3. The second reference information may be separate information from the first reference information or may be integrated as one piece of information. When the game mode is a fixed quest, the determining unit 232 may set content set based on the fixed quest as the target content. Furthermore, when the progress levels IF3 of all participating users are equal, the determining unit 232 may determine the content allowed by the progress level IF3 as the target content. Therefore, here, a process for determining target content when a random quest is executed for participating users with different progress levels IF3 will be described.

Content that is allowed for a user who has a progress level IF3 that is larger than the target progress level IF3a may include content that is not allowed for a user who has a target progress level IF3a. On the other hand, content that is allowed by the target progress level IF3a is also allowed for users who have a higher progress level IF3 than the target progress level IF3a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determining unit 232 determines the target content from among the contents allowed at the lowest target progress level IF3a among the participating users' progress levels IF3. Thereby, by determining the target content based on the target progress level IF3a, the determining unit 232 can determine, as the target content, the content that is allowed for all the participating users determined in the activity A10. In other words, when the participating users include a first user and a second user who has a different progress level than the first user, the determining unit 232 determines whether the first user and the second user have progress levels different from those of the first user. Target content is determined from content that is allowed for both users. According to such a configuration, even if the first user and the second user have different levels of progress, it is possible to execute the multiplayer game according to the level of progress for both the first user and the second user. I can do it. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the interest of the multiplayer game when there are participating users with different progress levels.

In particular, if the events that are allowed to be executed for the participating users determined in activity A10 are different for each participating user, the determining unit 232 selects events that are allowed to be executed for each participating user from among the events that are allowed to be executed for each participating user. At least a part of the common event that is allowed to be executed for participating users is specified, and content including the common event is determined as target content. For example, an event including a first enemy object and a second enemy object is allowed for a first user who is one of the participating users, while an event that includes a first enemy object and a second enemy object is allowed for a second user who is one of the participating users. Next, a case will be explained in which an event including a second enemy object is not permitted. In this case, the determining unit 232 determines, as a common event, an event in which a first enemy object that is permitted for both the first user and the second user appears. At this time, the determining unit 232 converts the second enemy object that is allowed to be executed for the first user into a first enemy object that is allowed to be executed in the common event, so that the determining unit 232 Content that includes an event is determined as target content. In other words, the determining unit 232 converts the first event that is allowed to be executed for the first user into a common event that is also allowed to be executed for the second user, and swaps the contents of the event. Decide on the content of the event. At this time, the determining unit 232 not only simply converts the second enemy object into the first enemy object, but also converts the second enemy object into a common event depending on the content of the first event, the progress level IF3, etc. It is preferable to adjust the number and timing of appearances. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a user with a higher degree of progress IF3 from feeling bored with the multiplayer game by performing an event corresponding to a lower degree of progress IF3. In other words, the determining unit 232 determines a first event that is an event that is allowed to be executed for the first user based on the progress of the first user, and that is an event that is allowed to be executed for the second user based on the progress of the second user. If the execution of the first event is not permitted for the second user and the execution of the second event is permitted for the first user, the execution of the first event is determined. The contents of the second event to be executed for both the first user and the second user are determined based on the contents, and the content including the second event is determined as the target content. According to such a configuration, it is possible to proceed with the multiplayer game based on events that are allowed to be executed by both the first user and the second user. Here, the content of the second event is determined based on the content of the first event that is not allowed to be executed for the second user. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the interest of the multiplayer game for the first user due to the first user who is allowed to execute the first event achieving the second event.

Furthermore, especially in the case of a random quest, as a result of the content of the multiplayer game being randomly determined, there is a possibility that content that has already been cleared in the past will be determined again as target content for the participating users. In this case, since a multiplayer game of content that has already been played by the participating users will be executed, there is a risk that the participating users will get bored with the multiplayer game. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the acquired play history IF4 etc., the probability that content other than the played content executed in the past for participating users is determined as the target content is determined relative to the played content. make it higher. Thereby, the determining unit 232 performs processing such that content other than the played content is preferentially determined as the target content. In other words, when the content that is allowed for both the first user and the second user includes the content that has been executed by the first user or the second user, the determining unit 232 selects content that is different from the executed content as the target content. Perform the processing determined by priority. According to such a configuration, participating users can be prevented from playing a multiplayer game with the same content over and over again. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that participating users will get bored with the multiplayer game.

[Activity A13, Activity A14]
Next, the process proceeds to activity A13, where the execution unit 233 executes the multiplayer game based on the determined game mode and target content, and when the termination condition of the multiplayer game is satisfied, the process proceeds to activity A14, where the execution unit 233 executes the multiplayer game based on the determined game mode and target content. The unit 233 ends the multiplayer game. The termination condition is not limited to satisfying all the progress conditions included in the scenario, and may include forced termination conditions such as the expiration of a time limit and the annihilation of all player characters operated by participating users.

[Activity A15]
After that, the process proceeds to activity A15, and the acquisition unit 231 acquires the results of the multiplayer game for each participating user. Due to the nature of the game being a competitive game, the results in this embodiment include wins and losses of the teams to which the participating users belong. The method of determining victory or defeat in a multiplayer game is arbitrary, and even if it is determined based on whether all progression conditions are met first, it is also determined based on the progress of the game (e.g. score, achieved score, etc.) when mandatory termination conditions are met. (such as the number of progress conditions).

[Activity A16]
Thereafter, the process proceeds to activity A16, and the updating unit 234 updates the proficiency level IF2 of each participating user based on the participating user's performance in the multiplayer game. For example, the updating unit 234 updates the participating users so that the proficiency level IF2 of the participating users who belong to the team that won the multiplayer game increases and the proficiency level IF2 of the participating users who belong to the team that won the multiplayer game does not change. Update each proficiency level IF2. Thereafter, the updating unit 234 updates the progress level IF3 in different ways for fixed quests and random quests. According to such a configuration, it is possible to match users with similar skill levels for multiplayer games as participating users, thereby reducing the possibility that the interest of multiplayer games will be lost due to large differences in skill levels between users. I can do it.

[Activity A17]
When the game mode of the multiplayer game is a random quest, the process proceeds to activity A17, and the updating unit 234 updates the progress level and event ID of each participating user, regardless of the obtained results of the participating users. In the present embodiment, the updating unit 234 uniformly increases the progress level by 1 regardless of whether the participating user belongs to the winning team or the losing team in the multiplayer game. Along with this, the updating unit 234 updates the event ID to one corresponding to the increased progress level IF3. In this way, the event ID is associated with the progress level IF3 and configured to be updatable. Thereby, even if a certain user has poor performance in the multiplay game, the multiplayer game can be continued at least until the fixed scenario is reached. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the loss of interest in the game due to defeat in the multiplayer game.

Note that when the event ID takes a value different from the corresponding progress level IF3 through the process described below, the updating unit 234 increments the event ID by one while maintaining the value of the progress level IF3. As a result of incrementing the event ID a predetermined number of times, the event ID takes a value that matches the corresponding progress level IF3. As a result, the fixed quest corresponding to the progress level IF3 can be attempted again.

[Activity A18]
On the other hand, if the game mode of the multiplayer game is a fixed quest, the process proceeds to activity A18, and the updating unit 234 updates the progress level IF3 and event ID of each participating user based on the acquired user results. Specifically, the updating unit 234 increases the progress level IF3 of the participating user who belongs to the winning team in the multiplayer game by 1, and assigns an event ID corresponding to the increased progress level IF3. On the other hand, the progress level IF3 of the participating user who belongs to the losing team in the multiplayer game is not changed. Thereby, the user can obtain a common experience through the multiplayer game, in which the user can advance the game further by winning the multiplayer game with the fixed quest. In other words, when the multiplayer game is executed in the fixed scenario as the second game mode, the updating unit 234 does not increase the progress of some of the participating users based on the results of the participating users in the multiplayer game. Update the progress of each participating user. According to such a configuration, when the degree of progress reaches a predetermined value, the result of the multiplayer game affects the degree of progress. Therefore, it is possible to encourage participating users to be aware of each other in a multiplay game, thereby further improving the interest of the multiplay game.

In the present embodiment, furthermore, when the multiplayer game is defeated, the setting unit 235 sets the event ID to be lowered while maintaining the progress level IF3 of the participating user who belongs to the team that lost the multiplayer game in the case of a fixed quest. do. As a result, the event ID takes a value different from the corresponding progress level IF3. When a request to participate in the next multiplayer game is sent in this state, the determining unit 232 determines the game mode (random quest) and target content based on the event ID preferentially from the progress level IF3, and the executing unit 233 A multiplayer game is executed based on the game mode and target content. As a result, the execution unit 233 does not execute the multiplay game using the fixed quest until the event ID reaches a value corresponding to the progress level IF3, and executes the multiplay game using the random quest. For this reason, the progress level IF3 can be said to be an index that determines the upper limit of event IDs that can be assigned. In this way, requesting execution of a multiplayer game with a specified number of random quests by updating the event ID is an example of a "predetermined condition" set for participating users in order to execute a fixed quest again. .

In other words, the setting unit 235 sets a predetermined condition for the participating user when the participating user's progress is updated so as not to increase the progress based on the result of the multiplayer game in the second game mode. Furthermore, the execution unit 233 does not execute the multiplayer game in the second game mode if the predetermined condition is not satisfied. According to such a configuration, if the user is unable to increase the progress in the multiplayer game in the second game mode, the user can play the second game while enjoying a multiplayer game different from the second game mode. You can practice for the mode. Therefore, the interest of the multiplayer game can be further improved. In other words, if the predetermined condition is not achieved, the execution unit 233 determines the content corresponding to the progress level less than the predetermined value as the target content, and starts the multiplayer game in the first game mode based on the target content. Execute. According to such a configuration, the user can practice with content according to his/her progress level before attempting the multiplayer game in the second game mode again. Therefore, by making it easier to further improve the performance in the second game mode, it is possible to further improve the interest of the multiplayer game.

[Activity A19]
After the processing of activity A17 or activity A18, the processing proceeds to activity A19, and the display processing unit 236 causes the display 4a to display the result of the multiplayer game. After that, this information processing ends.

To summarize the above, the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 includes the following steps. In the acquisition step, a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which a plurality of users can participate and user information regarding the user who transmits the participation request are acquired. The multiplayer game includes at least a first game mode. The user information includes information regarding the user's progress in the multiplayer game. In the determining step, participating users who participate in the multiplayer game are determined based on at least the participation request, and target content is determined based on the progress level of at least one of the participating users. The target content is the content of a multiplayer game that is executed for participating users. In the updating step, when the multiplayer game is executed in the first game mode, the progress of each participating user is updated based on the participating users' participation in the multiplayer game, regardless of their performance in the multiplayer game.

According to such a configuration, the progress is updated regardless of the performance of the participating users in the multiplayer game, so for example, if the performance of the participating user who participated in the multiplayer game is not good compared to other participating users, The participating users can also proceed with the multiplayer game. Therefore, it becomes easier to maintain interest in the multiplayer game.

5. Details of Information Processing In this section, details of the information processing outlined in the previous section will be explained using diagrams.

5.1. Regarding the method for determining participating users FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the processing of activities A5 to A9 for determining participating users. As shown in FIG. 4, first, through the process of activity A5, the determining unit 232 determines 12 users as primary candidates based on the proficiency level IF2. Thereafter, the processing of activity A7 in the case of i=0 is performed through the processing of activity A6, and the determining unit 232 extracts seven users whose progress level IF3 matches the target progress level IF3a as participating users. However, since the number of participating users has not reached the predetermined number of 10, the process proceeds to activity A8 and increases i to widen the extraction range of users among the primary candidates. As shown in FIG. 5, as a result, again in activity A7, the control unit 23 extracts three of the five users included in the primary candidates, for a total of ten users. After that, in activity A10, the determining unit 232 determines the ten users extracted in this way as participating users.

5.2. Regarding an example of a screen displayed as a result of information processing In this section, an example of a game screen displayed on the display 4a as a result of the above information processing will be described.
<Menu screen IM1>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the menu screen IM1 as a game screen. This screen is displayed on the display 4a, for example, after user information is accepted in activity A1. The user moves to various screens through input on the menu screen IM1 as a game screen. The game menu screen IM1 shown in FIG. 6 displays a gacha button B1, a composition button B2, a quest button B3, an item button B4, and a history button B5.

When the gacha button B1 is operated, a game screen for performing a gacha lottery is displayed. When the formation button B2 is operated, a game screen for forming characters is displayed. When the quest button B3 is operated, a game screen for selecting a quest, in this embodiment, a start screen IM2, which will be described later, is displayed. When the item button B4 is operated, a game screen is displayed on which the player can decide which item he/she owns, use the item, etc. When the history button B5 is operated, a history screen is displayed that displays information regarding the history of games played by the user in the past.

<Start screen IM2>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the start screen IM2 as a game screen. The start screen IM2 is displayed as a result of processing of the activity A3 in response to the operation of the quest button B3 as a display operation. The start screen IM2 includes a title display area 51 that shows an overview of the multiplayer game, a progress display area 52 that shows the quest corresponding to the current progress level IF3, and a fixed scenario area 53 that shows information about the next fixed scenario. Fixed scenario area 53 includes a progress indicator 54 . The progress indicator 54 is visual information that allows you to visually recognize the difference between the current progress IF3 and the progress IF3 required to play a multiplayer game in a fixed scenario, and as the difference becomes smaller, colored areas or uncolored areas The range of the area changes.

Further, when the acquisition unit 231 acquires the user's operation on the progress display area 52, the display processing unit 236 further displays the matching start window 6 in the start screen IM2. The matching start window 6 includes a character display area 61 and a matching start button 62. The character display area 61 displays information regarding the player character operated by the user and the equipment items of the player character, and is displayed as, for example, three rectangular areas. The matching start button 62 is a button for transmitting a participation request to the information processing device 2, and when the user operates the matching start button 62, the user transmits a participation request to the information processing device 2. .

<Room screen IM3>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the room screen IM3. After the processing of activities A10 to A12 is performed, the display processing unit 236 displays the room screen IM3 on the display 4a. The room screen IM3 shows information regarding the determination result of participating users and the execution mode of the multiplayer game (eg, game mode, target content, etc.). As shown in FIG. 7, the room screen IM3 displays a member list 71, a quest content confirmation button 72, an opponent confirmation button 73, and a quest start button 74. The member list 71 shows skins, equipment, etc. of player characters operated by users who belong to the same team as the user.

When the quest content confirmation button 72 is operated, the display processing unit 236 displays a screen showing the execution mode (progress conditions, etc.) of the multiplayer game. When the opponent confirmation button 73 is operated, the display processing unit 236 displays a screen showing information (skin, etc.) regarding the player character of the participating user who will be the opponent. When the quest start button 74 is operated, the execution unit 233 starts processing the activity A13 and executes the multiplayer game.

<Play screen IM4>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the play screen IM4. The play screen IM4 is configured to allow participating users to visually check the status of the virtual space in which the multiplay game progresses in real time via the display 4a when executing the multiplay game. The play screen IM4 includes, for example, a first object OB1, a second object OB2, and an enemy object OBe arranged in the virtual space VS. The first object OB1 is an object corresponding to the first player character PC1 operated by the first participating user who is one of the participating users. The second object OB2 is an object corresponding to the second player character PC2 operated by the second participating user who belongs to a different team from the first participating user. The enemy object is an object corresponding to a non-player character, and is set to be hostile to participating users of any team participating in the multiplayer game. Participating users of each team perform predetermined actions such as attacking against the enemy object through the player characters PC1 and PC2, and compete to see which one can defeat the enemy object OBe. If either team subjugates the type and number of enemy objects OBe corresponding to the event within the specified time, the execution unit 233 determines that the end condition is satisfied, performs the process of activity A14, and ends the multiplayer game. do.

<Result display screen IM5>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the result display screen IM5 as a game screen. The result display screen IM5 is a screen showing the update result of the proficiency level IF2, and is displayed on the display 4a or the like as a result of the processing of the activity A19, for example. The result display screen IM5 is one of the result screens showing the user's play results for the multiplayer game.

The result display screen IM5 includes a score area 8 and an accumulation area 9. In the score area 8, information related to the proficiency level IF2 is displayed, among various information regarding the multiplayer game played by the user. The score area 8 includes a time score area 81, a normal score area 82, a mission score area 83, a magnification area 84, and a total score area 85.

In the time score area 81, the play time of the multiplayer game by the user and the experience value corresponding to the play time are displayed.

In the normal score area 82, experience points accumulated through the actions of the player characters in the multiplayer game are displayed.

In the mission score area 83, experience points are displayed according to the achievement status of events in the entire multiplayer game. Note that the numerical values displayed in these areas 81 to 83 may be values associated with the experience values instead of the experience values themselves.

In the magnification area 84, magnifications for the experience values displayed in the areas 81 to 83 are displayed. The magnification is a numerical value that ultimately determines the experience points to be given to the user. For example, the control unit 23 calculates the numerical value displayed in the magnification area 84 with respect to the total of the numerical values displayed in the areas 81 to 83. The value obtained by multiplying by is given to the user as the final experience value. The magnification can be arbitrarily set, but for example, if there are multiple clear conditions for the multiplayer game (for example, clear conditions for the last event), it is determined according to the satisfied clear conditions. For example, if the enemy object OBe is successfully defeated, the multiplier is set to a value greater than 1 (for example, 2), and if the enemy object OBe is unsuccessfully defeated, the multiplier is set to a value of 1 or less. .

The total score area 85 displays the experience points that will ultimately be given to the user and the gold as a reward that will be given to the user. The experience value finally given to the user is, for example, the value obtained by multiplying the sum of the experience values displayed in the areas 81 to 83 by the magnification displayed in the magnification area 84. The experience value is expressed as "TOTAL EXP". Gold as a reward is, for example, accumulated separately from experience points and progress level IF3, and is used, for example, to release characters, items, etc. that can be used by the user.

The accumulation area 9 is an area indicating the accumulation status of experience values for the user, and the experience values displayed in the total score area 85 are additionally accumulated in addition to the existing experience values. The accumulation area 9 includes a proficiency level display area 91 and an experience value indicator 92.

The user level corresponding to the proficiency level IF2 is displayed in the proficiency display area 91. The user level is configured to increase by one each time experience values are accumulated for the user and reach a predetermined value in the experience value table. In this embodiment, the user level displayed in the proficiency display area 91 is "10".

The experience value indicator 92 displays information regarding the experience values required to reach the next user level. The accumulation area 9 includes, but is not limited to, visual information such as indicators, and numerical information such as accumulated experience points and experience points required to reach the next user level. can be implemented in any visible manner.

[others]
Regarding the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment described above, the following aspects may be adopted.

In activity A12, the determining unit 232 does not need to determine the target content based on the target progress level IF3a, and the determining unit 232 can determine the target content based on the target progress level IF3. The target content may be determined from among the allowed contents. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress content that is far different from the progress level IF3 from being provided to the participating users, and therefore it is possible to improve the interest of the multiplayer game.

The manner in which the proficiency level IF2 is updated in the activity A16 is arbitrary as long as it is determined based on the results of the multiplayer game. For example, the updating unit 234 may update the proficiency level IF2 so that the amount of change in the proficiency level IF2 before and after the update is different when the results of participating users in the multiplayer game are different. Specifically, the updating unit 234 compares the amount of increase in the proficiency level IF2 of the participating users who belong to the team that won the multiplayer game with the amount of increase in the proficiency level IF2 of the participating users who belong to the team that lost the multiplayer game. You can make it bigger.

The multiplayer game is not limited to a competitive multiplayer game, but may be a cooperative multiplayer game in which all participating users cooperate to achieve a preset target condition.

The method of setting the "predetermined condition" in activity A18 is arbitrary, and is not limited to the method of lowering the event ID without lowering the progress level IF3. For example, the execution unit 233 may set a predetermined condition such that the fixed quest is not performed until the progress level IF3 becomes a value corresponding to the fixed quest again by lowering the progress level IF3. At this time, the event ID decreases with the progress level IF3. Furthermore, the predetermined conditions are not limited to those that require the random quest to be performed a predetermined number of times due to a decrease in the progress level IF3 or event ID as described above. The predetermined condition may be, for example, the passage of a certain period of time, the use of a predetermined item, or the like. Further, the predetermined condition is not limited to winning or losing in the multiplay game, but may be set based on any performance related to the multiplay game, such as the degree of achievement of progress conditions or the degree of contribution to the team.

The output destination of information or data (hereinafter referred to as "information etc.") may be another device, a display, a storage unit (including a built-in storage unit and an external storage unit), etc. Acquisition of information etc. includes a mode of acquiring information etc. generated by the own device in addition to a mode of acquiring information etc. transmitted from another device. The table in which parameters are associated is not limited to the table shown in the figure, and the number of parameters may be decreased or increased. Furthermore, information corresponding to the parameters may be obtained using a mathematical expression, conditional expression, or the like, without using a table.

At least one of the devices included in the information processing system 1 may be installed outside Japan.

The information processing device 2 may be in an on-premises form or may be in a cloud form. The cloud-based information processing device 2 may provide the above-mentioned functions and processing, for example, in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

In the embodiment described above, the information processing device 2 performs various storage and control operations, but instead of the information processing device 2, a plurality of external devices may be used. That is, various information and programs may be distributed and stored in a plurality of external devices using blockchain technology or the like.

The aspect of the embodiment described above may be an information processing apparatus. The information processing system 1 includes at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform each part of the information processing method. Moreover, the aspect of the embodiment described above may be an information processing method. The information processing method includes each part of a similar information processing system. Moreover, the aspect of the embodiment described above may be a program. The program causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method.

Furthermore, each aspect described below may be provided.

(1) An information processing method executed by an information processing system, including the following steps, in which the acquisition step includes a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which multiple users can participate, and a user who sends the participation request. and where the multi-play game includes at least a first game mode, the user information includes information regarding the progress of the multi-play game by the user, and in the determining step, at least the participation determining a participating user to participate in the multiplayer game based on a request; determining target content based on the progress of at least one of the participating users; content of the multiplay game to be executed against the user, and in the updating step, when the multiplay game is executed in the first game mode, the participating user participates in the multiplay game regardless of the performance of the participating user in the multiplay game. The information processing method updates the progress level of each of the participating users based on the progress made by the participating users.

According to such a configuration, the progress is updated regardless of the performance of the participating users in the multiplayer game, so for example, if the performance of the participating user who participated in the multiplayer game is not good compared to other participating users, The participating users can also proceed with the multiplayer game. Therefore, it becomes easier to maintain interest in the multiplayer game.

(2) In the information processing method according to (1) above, each of the contents of the multi-play game is configured to be allowed to be executed for the participating users whose progress level satisfies a predetermined permission condition. and in the determining step, the target content is determined from among the contents that are allowed to be executed for at least one of the participating users based on the progress level.

According to such a configuration, content that is far from the progress level can be suppressed from being provided to the participating users, so it is possible to improve the interest of the multiplayer game.

(3) In the information processing method according to (2) above, in the determining step, if the participating users include a first user and a second user who has the progress level different from that of the first user, An information processing method, wherein the target content is determined from among the contents that are allowed for both the first user and the second user based on the progress of the first user and the second user.

According to such a configuration, even if the first user and the second user have different levels of progress, it is possible to execute the multiplayer game according to the level of progress for both the first user and the second user. I can do it. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the interest of the multiplayer game when there are participating users with different progress levels.

(4) In the information processing method according to (3) above, the content includes at least one event associated with the progress level, and the multiplayer game progresses as the participating users achieve the event. In the determining step, the first event, which is the event that is allowed to be executed for the first user, is determined based on the progress level of the second user, and the first event is determined based on the progress level of the second user. determining a second event that is the event that is allowed to be executed for the second user; , the content of the second event to be executed for both the first user and the second user is determined based on the content of the first event, and the content including the second event is determined. An information processing method for determining the target content.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to proceed with the multiplayer game based on events that are allowed to be executed by both the first user and the second user. Here, the content of the second event is determined based on the content of the first event that is not allowed to be executed for the second user. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the interest of the multiplayer game for the first user due to the first user who is allowed to execute the first event achieving the second event.

(5) In the information processing method according to (3) or (4) above, the acquiring step further includes information regarding executed content that is target content of the multiplayer game executed in the past for the participating users. and in the determining step, if the content that is allowed for both the first user and the second user includes the executed content of the first user or the second user, An information processing method that performs a process of preferentially determining different content as the target content.

According to such a configuration, participating users can be prevented from playing a multiplayer game with the same content over and over again. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that participating users will get bored with the multiplayer game.

(6) In the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the user information further includes information regarding a proficiency level of the user, which is different from the progress level, and In the step, the participating users are further determined based on the proficiency level, and in the updating step, the proficiency level of each of the participating users is updated based on the performance of the participating users in the multi-play game.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to match users with similar skill levels for multiplayer games as participating users, thereby reducing the possibility that the interest of multiplayer games will be lost due to large differences in skill levels between users. I can do it.

(7) In the information processing method according to (6) above, in the determining step, among the users who transmit the participation request, the difference in the proficiency level is within a first range, and the user who transmits the participation request An information processing method that determines users whose progress rate is within a second range as participating users.

According to such a configuration, it becomes easier to match users who have a similar level of proficiency and who are allowed to execute similar content, thereby making it easier to provide an exciting game progress between users who have similar playing experience. Therefore, the interest of the multiplayer game can be further improved.

(8) In the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, the multiplayer game is further configured such that the progress level of at least one of the participating users reaches a predetermined value. the updating step includes a second game mode that is executed when the multiplayer game is executed in the second game mode; An information processing method that updates the progress level of each of the participating users so as not to increase a part of the progress level.

According to such a configuration, when the degree of progress reaches a predetermined value, the result of the multiplayer game affects the degree of progress. Therefore, it is possible to encourage participating users to be aware of each other in a multiplay game, thereby further improving the interest of the multiplay game.

(9) In the information processing method according to (8) above, further in the setting step, the progress level of the participating user is updated based on the performance of the multiplayer game in the second game mode so as not to increase the progress level. If the predetermined condition is not met, a predetermined condition is set for the participating user, and the information processing method further comprises not executing the multiplayer game in the second game mode if the predetermined condition is not satisfied. .

According to such a configuration, if the user is unable to increase the progress in the multiplayer game in the second game mode, the user can play the second game while enjoying a multiplayer game different from the second game mode. You can practice for the mode. Therefore, the interest of the multiplayer game can be further improved.

(10) In the information processing method described in (9) above, in the execution step, if the predetermined condition is not achieved, content corresponding to a progress level less than the predetermined value is determined as the target content; An information processing method, comprising: executing the multiplayer game in the first game mode based on target content.

According to such a configuration, the user can practice with content according to his/her progress level before attempting the multiplayer game in the second game mode again. Therefore, by making it easier to further improve the performance in the second game mode, it is possible to further improve the interest of the multiplayer game.

(11) An information processing system consisting of at least one device capable of executing a program so as to perform each step of the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (10) above. An information processing system that includes one processor.

According to such a configuration, it becomes easier to maintain interest in the multiplayer game.

(12) A program that causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (10) above.

According to such a configuration, it becomes easier to maintain interest in the multiplayer game.
Of course, this is not the case.

Finally, although various embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the disclosure. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the disclosure, as well as within the scope of the disclosure described in the claims and its equivalents.

1: Information processing system 11: Communication network 2: Information processing device 20: Communication bus 21: Communication unit 22: Storage unit 23: Control unit 201: Game processing unit 231: Acquisition unit 232: Determination unit 233: Execution unit 234: Update Section 235: Setting section 236: Display processing section 3: Game device 30: Communication bus 31: Communication section 32: Storage section 33: Control section 34: Display section 34a: Graphic processing section 34b: Audio processing section 34c: Operation section 4a: Display 4b: Speaker 4c: Input device 51: Title display area 52: Progress display area 53: Fixed scenario area 54: Progress indicator 61: Character display area 62: Matching start button 71: Member list 72: Quest content confirmation button 73: Opponent confirmation button 74: Quest start button 8: Score area 81: Time score area 82: Normal score area 83: Mission score area 84: Multiplier area 85: Total score area 9: Accumulation area 91: Proficiency display area 92: Experience Value indicator IF1: User information IF2: Proficiency level IF3: Progression level IF3a: Target progress level IF4: Play history IM1: Menu screen IM2: Start screen IM3: Room screen IM4: Play screen IM5: Result display screen OB1: First object OB2 :Second object OBe :Enemy object VS :Virtual space

Claims (12)

An information processing method executed by an information processing system, the method comprising:
Includes the following steps:
In the acquisition step, a request to participate in a multiplayer game in which multiple users can participate and user information regarding the user who sends the participation request are acquired, and here,
The multiplayer game includes at least a first game mode,
The user information includes information regarding the progress of the multiplayer game by the user,
In the determining step, determining participating users who will participate in the multiplayer game based on at least the participation request,
determining target content based on the progress level of at least one of the participating users, where the target content is content of the multiplayer game to be executed for the participating user;
In the updating step, when the multiplayer game is executed in the first game mode, the progress of each of the participating users is updated based on the participating users' participation in the multiplayer game regardless of their performance in the multiplayer game. update the degree,
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 1,
Each of the contents of the multi-play game is configured to be allowed to be executed for the participating user whose progress level satisfies a predetermined permission condition,
In the determining step, the target content is determined from among the contents that are allowed to be executed for at least one of the participating users based on the progress level.
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 2,
In the determining step, if the participating users include a first user and a second user who has the progress level different from that of the first user, the first user is selected based on the progress level of the first user and the second user. determining the target content from among the content that is allowed for both the user and the second user;
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 3,
The content includes at least one event associated with the progress level,
The multiplayer game is configured to progress by the participating users achieving the event,
In the determining step,
determining a first event that is the event that is permitted to be executed for the first user based on the progress of the first user;
determining a second event that is the event that is allowed to be executed for the second user based on the progress of the second user;
If execution of the first event is not permitted for the second user and execution of the second event is permitted for the first user, the first user and determining the content of the second event to be executed together for the second user;
determining content including the second event as the target content;
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 3,
In the acquisition step, information regarding executed content that is target content of the multiplayer game executed in the past for the participating users is further acquired;
In the determining step, if the content that is allowed for both the first user and the second user includes the content that has been executed by the first user or the second user, the content that is different from the executed content is Perform processing to determine priority content as target content,
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 1,
The user information further includes information regarding the user's proficiency level, which is different from the progress level,
In the determining step, further determining the participating users based on the proficiency level,
In the updating step, the proficiency level of each of the participating users is updated based on the performance of the participating users in the multiplayer game.
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 6,
In the determining step, among the users who send the participation request, the difference in the proficiency level is within a first range, and the progress level between the users who send the participation request is within a second range. , determined as the participating user;
Information processing method. In the information processing method according to claim 1,
The multiplayer game further includes a second game mode that is executed when the progress of at least one of the participating users has reached a predetermined value,
In the updating step, when the multiplayer game is executed in the second game mode, based on the performance of the participating users in the multiplayer game, the participating users are updated so as not to increase the progress of some of the participating users. updating said progress of each of the users;
Information processing method. The information processing method according to claim 8,
Furthermore, in the setting step, if the progress level of the participating user is updated so as not to increase the progress level based on the performance of the multiplayer game in the second game mode, a predetermined condition is set for the participating user. ,
Furthermore, in the execution step, the multiplayer game is not executed in the second game mode if the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
Information processing method. The information processing method according to claim 9,
In the execution step, if the predetermined condition is not achieved, content corresponding to a progress level less than the predetermined value is determined as target content, and the multiplayer game is played in the first game mode based on the target content. Execute,
Information processing method. An information processing system comprising at least one device,
comprising at least one processor capable of executing a program such that each step of the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is performed;
Information processing system. A program,
A program that causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.