WO2024177027A1 - ゲーム装置及びプログラム - Google Patents

ゲーム装置及びプログラム Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024177027A1
WO2024177027A1 PCT/JP2024/005880 JP2024005880W WO2024177027A1 WO 2024177027 A1 WO2024177027 A1 WO 2024177027A1 JP 2024005880 W JP2024005880 W JP 2024005880W WO 2024177027 A1 WO2024177027 A1 WO 2024177027A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
character
game device
information
game
communication
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/JP2024/005880
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English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
大祐 坂本
有莉 岡本
江利果 安田
朝咲 村上
淳史 家鋪
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Bandai Co Ltd
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Bandai Co Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bandai Co Ltd filed Critical Bandai Co Ltd
Publication of WO2024177027A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024177027A1/ja
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/55—Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/55—Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
    • A63F13/58—Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
    • A63F13/31—Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
    • A63F13/32—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using local area network [LAN] connections
    • A63F13/327—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using local area network [LAN] connections using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
    • A63F13/35—Details of game servers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/50—Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
    • A63F13/52—Controlling the output signals based on the game progress involving aspects of the displayed game scene
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/80—Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
    • A63F13/825—Fostering virtual characters
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
    • A63F13/33—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using wide area network [WAN] connections
    • A63F13/335—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using wide area network [WAN] connections using Internet
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/40—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
    • A63F13/44—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a game device and program, and in particular to an electronic game that involves the display of characters.
  • Patent Document 1 There is a system that transmits and receives information about characters raised on different devices, and presents interesting elements such as marriage between characters.
  • the present invention aims to provide a game device and program that links with an external device while ensuring entertainment value.
  • a game device is a game device for executing a game involving the display of a character, and is equipped with an operation input means, a management means for managing time, a setting means for setting the state of the character, a communication means for communicating with an external device, and a control means for controlling the operation of the communication means, the setting means sets the state of the character to a first state when the current time is within a predetermined time period, and the control means controls the communication means to be able to communicate with the external device, on condition that the current time is within the predetermined time period and the state of the character is the first state.
  • the present invention makes it possible to link with external devices while ensuring entertainment value.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a game system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a game device 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an exchange game according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention;
  • FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of various information used in the game system according to the embodiment and the modified example of the present invention.
  • FIG. 13 is another diagram for explaining an exchange game according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention.
  • the embodiment described below is an example of the application of the present invention to a game device capable of playing a game in which a player develops a character (hereinafter referred to as a development game), as an example of a game device.
  • a development game a game device capable of playing a game in which a player develops a character
  • the present invention can be applied to any device that has a communication function and is capable of playing a game involving the display of characters.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • a game device 100 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with other game devices 100 and a server 200.
  • the game device 100 is configured to be able to communicate using two types of communication methods, and transmits and receives information using different communication methods when communicating with other game devices 100 and when communicating with the server 200.
  • communication between the game device 100 and the server 200 is performed via an access point (AP) 300 and a network 400, which differs from communication performed directly between game devices 100.
  • the network 400 is described as a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet in order to realize interaction between users in various regions, but in another embodiment it may be a LAN.
  • WAN wide area network
  • the game device 100 is configured as a portable toy and operates using power supplied from a battery (not shown). Therefore, the transmission and reception of information between the game device 100 and the server 200 via the AP 300 is performed by wireless communication.
  • the game device 100 is equipped with a terminal (not shown) that can be connected to a power source, and is configured to be able to charge the battery by electrically connecting the terminal to a commercial power source or the like via a power supply cable.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the game device 100.
  • the control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs various controls including operational control of each piece of hardware equipped in the game device 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 performs the relevant controls by, for example, reading out the necessary programs stored in the storage device 102, expanding them in the memory 103, and executing them.
  • the control unit 101 also has a built-in clock, and is configured to be able to obtain the current time.
  • the storage device 102 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory.
  • the storage device 102 stores programs related to the operation of the game device 100 and programs for the training game executed in the game device 100, as well as parameter information required to realize various controls.
  • the storage device 102 also functions as a database of various data related to the training game (character DB 121 and item DB 122).
  • the memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory.
  • the memory 103 may be used not only as an area for expanding each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.
  • the character DB 121 is a database that manages, as records, information (character information) about characters that can be trained in the training game.
  • information character information
  • the user can train a character that grows through multiple growth stages.
  • the character is configured so that its appearance changes as the growth stage changes.
  • the character DB 121 manages, as records, various information about each appearance that a character can have at each growth stage. As shown in FIG.
  • the character information for one record is associated with a character ID 601 that uniquely identifies the character (its appearance), and includes graphics information 602 for drawing the appearance of the character, a growth stage 603 indicating the growth stage at which the character will have that appearance, and growth destination information 604 indicating the appearance to which the character can grow from that appearance.
  • the growth destination information 604 may store information about the corresponding character ID 601.
  • the item DB 122 is a database that manages, as records, information (item information) about items that can be worn by characters in the training game.
  • items can be worn by characters being trained.
  • the items may be, for example, items that can be acquired in the training game, or items that can be acquired in the form of DLC or the like by purchasing a specific product. As described above, the appearance of a character changes at each growth stage, and the number of items that can be worn increases as the growth stage progresses.
  • the item information for one record in the item DB 122 is associated with an item ID 611 that uniquely identifies the item, and includes graphics information 612 for drawing the appearance of the item, an attachment part 613 that indicates the part of the character that can wear the item, an attachment stage 614 that indicates the growth stage at which the item can be worn, and an item attribute 615 that indicates the attribute attached to the item, as shown in FIG. 6(b), for example.
  • the GPU 104 is a drawing device that executes various drawing processes related to the generation of display screens related to the game device 100.
  • the GPU 104 includes a GPU memory (not shown), and expands various graphics data read from the storage device 102, and performs predetermined calculations to generate various images (screens) related to the training game.
  • the screens and images generated by the GPU 104 are presented to the user by being displayed, for example, on a display 110 provided in the game device 100.
  • the display 110 is a device provided in the game device 100 that displays information, such as a liquid crystal display.
  • the operation I/F 105 is a user interface provided in the game device 100 that accepts operation input. When the operation I/F 105 detects that an operation input has been made, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 101.
  • the operation I/F 105 includes operation members such as buttons provided on the exterior of the game device 100, various sensors, etc.
  • the operation I/F 105 includes a touch input detection sensor provided on the display 110.
  • the communication I/F 106 is a communication interface with an external device that the game device 100 has.
  • the game device 100 of this embodiment performs wireless information communication with other devices using two types of communication methods.
  • One communication method is ad-hoc mode communication (hereinafter referred to as ad-hoc communication) as a first communication method according to the present invention, in which the game device 100 and another game device 100 directly transmit and receive information between the devices, with one of the game device 100 and another game device 100 acting as a host and the other connected to it, without the condition that the game device 100 is connected to the AP 300.
  • ad-hoc communication ad-hoc mode communication
  • the other communication method is infrastructure mode communication (hereinafter referred to as infrastructure communication) as a second communication method according to the present invention, in which each game device 100 connects to an associated AP 300, and information is transmitted and received between the game device 100 and the server 200 via the AP 300 and the network 400.
  • infrastructure communication infrastructure mode communication
  • the two types of communication methods that the communication I/F 106 can use are described as ad-hoc communication and infrastructure communication, but it goes without saying that the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this and may include other types of communication.
  • Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 200 according to this embodiment. Note that in the following explanation, the hardware configuration that realizes the same functions as the game device 100 will be prefixed with "server” to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the game device 100.
  • the server control unit 201 is a processor such as a CPU, and performs operation control of each piece of hardware equipped in the server 200, and control related to the realization of various functions including user management and exchange functions related to the training game. Specifically, the server control unit 201 performs the relevant control by, for example, reading out necessary programs stored in the server storage device 202, expanding them into the server memory 203, and executing them.
  • the server storage device 202 is a device capable of permanently storing information, such as a non-volatile memory or HDD.
  • the server storage device 202 stores an operating system for operating the server 200 and a program related to matching, as well as parameter information and various necessary data required to realize various controls.
  • the server storage device 202 also functions as a database of various data related to users who use the game device 100.
  • the server memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory.
  • the server memory 203 may be used not only as an area for developing each program, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output during the operation of various hardware and various controls.
  • the user DB 211 is a database that manages information (user information) relating to users who use the game device 100 as records.
  • the server 200 manages the progress of the training game on the game device 100 used by each user, and is configured to be shareable with other game devices 100.
  • User information relating to one record of the user DB 211 is associated with a user ID 621 that uniquely identifies the user, as shown in FIG. 6(c), for example, and includes a language setting 622 set on the game device 100 used by the user, and ghost information 623 relating to the character being trained by the user on the game device 100.
  • the user ID 621 can be unique information such as the individual identification number of the game device 100 used by the user.
  • the information on characters being developed on each game device 100 managed in user DB 211 indicates the state of the character being developed on the game device 100 at the time the information is received, and it is possible that the character being developed on the game device 100 may be different in a strict sense at the time the information is used on the server 200, etc.
  • the information on characters managed in user DB 211 is expressed as "ghosts" to refer to the appearance of a character being developed at a certain point in time, and is managed as ghost information 623.
  • ghost information 623 may include, for the character being developed, a character ID 631 indicating the appearance of the character, attachment information 632 indicating the attachment status of items to the character, and gender information 633 indicating the gender of the character.
  • the server communication I/F 204 is a communication interface with an external device provided to the server 200.
  • Information communication between the server communication I/F 204 and the external device may be performed via a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or via a LAN or the like.
  • Information communication performed by the server communication I/F 204 may be performed either wired or wirelessly.
  • the game is described as a character development game that provides elements of character development, communication between the user and the character, and interaction between characters as entertainment elements.
  • a development game is merely one type of game in which characters appear, and the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this.
  • the present invention is applicable to any game in which a character appears whose movements are controlled in response to operational inputs made by the user.
  • movement control is not limited to a user directly controlling a character, but also includes indirect changes in a character's actions and movements in response to changes in parameters or the environment as a result of an evaluation of an operational input made by the user.
  • a breeding game the user can breed a character by performing operational inputs related to caring for the character.
  • a breeding game starts, for example, with hatching an egg, and the character progresses through stages of growth by sequentially performing operational inputs related to the necessary care, presenting the character's growth as it changes appearance.
  • Characters are configured to be able to equip themselves with items, and users can equip their characters with items acquired in the training game to add decoration to the character's appearance.
  • the number of parts onto which items can be equipped increases as the character progresses through the growth stages, and until a certain growth stage is reached, only a certain number of parts onto which items can be equipped are available.
  • Attachable parts may include, for example, the character's head, face, torso, legs, and hands, and each of these parts may be configured to be able to equip hat items, eyeglass items, clothing items, shoe items, accessories (belongings), etc.
  • Operation inputs related to characters are not limited to those that directly control the character, such as operation inputs related to caring for the character or selecting items to equip the character, but may also include controls that indirectly affect the character, such as deciding which items to place in the character's living space or selecting presents to give the character.
  • the character and behavior are configured to change according to the time of day as well as the progression of growth stages and states. For example, from 7:00 a.m. (wake-up time) to 7:14 a.m., the character is controlled to behave as if it were waking up in the living room, including yawning, and from 7:15 a.m. to 7:29 a.m., the character is controlled to behave as if it were getting ready in the morning, including brushing its teeth, in the bathroom. For example, from 3:00 p.m.
  • the character is controlled to behave as if it is hungry in the living room and asking for a snack. Furthermore, from 30 minutes before a preset bedtime (e.g., 9 p.m.) to bedtime, the character is controlled to behave as if it is sleepy, including yawning, in the living room, and from bedtime to 6:59 a.m. the next morning, the character is controlled to move to the bedroom and behave as if it is getting ready for bed or going to sleep.
  • bedtime e.g. 9 p.m.
  • Such character behavior according to the time of day can be effective in helping users, such as children, regulate their daily rhythms and teach them about raising living things. Furthermore, a character that is asleep is controlled to a state where it does not accept operational input related to the character that would have been accepted in other states. In other words, even if operational input related to the character is made to a character that is asleep, the character is controlled so that various controls related to the character are not performed in response to that operational input. This can prevent users from playing the raising game too much.
  • the training game is configured to be able to introduce characters trained by other users by communicating with an external device. For this reason, the game device 100 obtains information about characters being trained by other users via the communication I/F 106.
  • the communication I/F 106 is capable of communicating information using two types of communication methods, and can obtain information about characters using each of them. More specifically, the communication I/F 106 obtains information about characters being trained on other game devices 100 via ad-hoc communication from the other game devices 100. The communication I/F 106 also obtains information about characters being trained on any game device 100 that has previously been connected to the server 200 via infrastructure communication from the server 200.
  • a character being developed in the game device 100 is referred to as a "own character”
  • a character being developed in another game device 100 about which information is acquired from the other game device 100 through ad-hoc communication is referred to as a "friend character”
  • a character being developed in any game device 100 connected to the server 200 about which information is acquired from the server 200 through infrastructure communication is referred to as a "other user character” to make a clear distinction between the two.
  • the own character is a character whose movement is controlled in response to operation input by the user of the game device 100 in the development game executed in the game device 100.
  • the friend character is a character whose movement is controlled in response to operation input by the user of the game device 100 in the development game executed in the other game device 100 connected through ad-hoc communication.
  • the other user character is a character whose movement is controlled in response to operation input by the user of the game device 100 in the development game executed in any game device 100 connected to the server 200 through communication.
  • each game device 100 is configured to periodically connect to the server 200 via infrastructure communication, for example at a specified time, and upload information about the player's character being developed.
  • the uploaded information about the player's character is used to update the ghost information 623 of the user information managed for the corresponding user. Therefore, the game device 100 is configured to periodically upload to the server 200 the user information as well as the user ID, language setting, and information about the player's character (character ID, wearing information, gender information).
  • the owner information may be configured to include a user name 642 indicating the nickname set by the user in association with a user ID 641 that uniquely identifies the user, a language setting 643 indicating the display language set in the game device 100, a virtual residence setting 644 indicating the residence of the player's character in the game, and training character information 645 indicating information about the player's character, and may be stored in the storage device 102.
  • the training character information 645 includes a character ID 651 indicating the appearance of the player's character, attachment information 652 indicating items attached to the player's character, gender information 653 indicating the gender of the player's character, and parameters 654 of the player's character that may change depending on the training status.
  • each game device 100 When uploading information about the player's character, each game device 100 acquires information about other users' characters from the server 200 for use in the social game described below.
  • the server 200 receives information about the player's character from each game device 100, it randomly selects a predetermined number (e.g., a fixed number equal to or greater than 10) from the user information for users other than the user of that game device 100 that is managed in the user DB 211.
  • the server 200 transmits the language settings 622 and ghost information 623 of the selected number of pieces of user information to that game device 100 as information about other users' characters.
  • the control unit 101 registers these in the other user list, which serves as a second list according to the present invention.
  • the other user list is a list that manages information for displaying other user characters in the social game, and is stored, for example, in the storage device 102.
  • information about the friend character is acquired from the other game device 100 on the condition that the user has performed an operation input on the game device 100 to communicate with the other game device 100.
  • the game device 100 also transmits information about the player's character to the other game device 100 with which it is communicating.
  • the information about the other user's character transmitted from the server 200 does not include information that can lead to the identification of the individual user (user ID 641, user name 642).
  • the game devices 100 are basically in a state in which they can communicate with each other at the same time, and information is directly transmitted and received, so it is assumed that the user of the game device 100 and the user of the other game device 100 are acquaintances or friends.
  • the information about the characters transmitted and received between the game devices 100 in ad-hoc communication (information about the friend character/information about the player's character) is configured differently from the information about the other user's character acquired by each game device 100 in infrastructure communication. That is, in order to provide an element of interest that can be enjoyed between acquaintances and friends, the information exchanged in ad-hoc communication includes information such as the user's nickname. More specifically, the information regarding the characters transmitted and received via ad hoc communication includes, for example, a user ID 641, a user name 642, a game device language setting 643, a virtual residence setting 644, and development character information 645, which are owner information managed by each game device 100.
  • the control unit 101 registers the information together with information about the date and time of reception in a friend list, which is the first list according to the present invention.
  • the friend list is a list that manages information for displaying friend characters in a social game, and is stored, for example, in the storage device 102.
  • the friend list and the other user list also have different update conditions.
  • the friend list is configured to be able to manage information about friend characters related to up to eight users who have communicated by ad-hoc communication.
  • the control unit 101 receives information about a friend character by ad-hoc communication, it judges whether or not information about the same friend character has already been registered in the friend list. This judgment can be made, for example, by checking whether or not information having the same user ID has been registered in the friend list based on the user ID included in the received information. If information about the same friend character has already been registered, the control unit 101 updates the information about the same friend character registered in the friend list with the newly received information.
  • control unit 101 This allows a user who has previously performed ad-hoc communication to update the information about a character (friend character) being developed to the latest state. If information about the same friend character has not been registered, the control unit 101 additionally registers the newly received information in the friend list. At this time, if information about up to eight friend characters has already been registered in the friend list, the control unit 101 replaces the information that was registered oldest in the friend list with the newly received information, thereby registering the character in the friend list.
  • the other user list is configured to be able to manage information relating to a predetermined number of other user characters received from the server 200.
  • the control unit 101 receives information relating to a predetermined number of other user characters through infrastructure communication, it registers the information in the other user list by replacing all information currently registered with that information. That is, in the game device 100 of this embodiment, all information in the other user list is updated every time infrastructure communication is performed. This is because, unlike friend characters, other user characters are not characters related to acquaintances, friends, etc. and therefore do not need to be retained for a long period of time, and frequent updates can provide the user with the excitement of playing a game with many users.
  • the other user list is also referenced when the social game described below is executed, and the information is used to display other user characters in the social game.
  • the information registered in the other user list does not need to be updated if the social game is not executed. Therefore, in one aspect, in order to reduce the amount of information sent and received in infrastructure communication and to reduce the amount of power consumed in communication, information regarding other user characters may be obtained from the server 200 on the condition that other user characters are displayed in the social game based on information registered in the other user list. This control may be achieved by not making a request from the game device 100 to send information regarding other user characters.
  • the training game of this embodiment allows the player to continue training one character, but also includes an element that allows the player to train a new generation of characters, born, for example, by marrying another character. This element keeps the user from getting bored and keeps them highly interested in the training game.
  • the game device 100 of this embodiment can execute a communication game in which a friend character being developed is displayed on the communication partner game device 100, and the friend character interacts with the player's character.
  • This communication game can therefore be used to marry the player's character and the friend character, unlocking the element of developing a new generation of characters.
  • the interest factor associated with such a communication game requires that the owner of the other communication partner game device 100 is nearby.
  • the characters that can be married are limited to those developed by close acquaintances or friends, the types of characters that can be born may be limited.
  • the game device 100 of this embodiment has a function for executing an exchange game to provide elements of exchange with various characters, including marriage with other characters.
  • the exchange game is configured to feature characters (friend characters, other user characters) whose information is registered in a friend list and other user list stored in advance, so that the game can be played even in offline situations.
  • the friend characters and other user characters displayed in the exchange game are limited to characters that have reached a predetermined growth stage.
  • the exchange game is configured to be playable on the condition that the player's own character has reached the predetermined growth stage.
  • the interaction game is played out using an interaction area as shown in FIG. 4.
  • the interaction area is composed of five areas, and different areas are displayed in sequence by inputting an operation related to area movement (area 401 ⁇ area 402 ⁇ area 403 ⁇ area 404 ⁇ area 405 ⁇ area 401 ⁇ ).
  • areas 401 ⁇ area 402 ⁇ area 403 ⁇ area 404 ⁇ area 405 ⁇ area 401 ⁇ characters selected from among friend characters whose information is registered in the friend list and other user characters whose information is registered in the other user list are placed separately in each area.
  • the selected character is placed in one of the areas, and is configured to be able to interact with the player's character in that area.
  • an effect is displayed in which the player's character moves into the social area.
  • One of the five areas, area 401 is provided with an entrance gate to the social area, and area 401 is controlled to be displayed at the start of the social game, and as shown in FIG. 7, the player's character 701 is first displayed in area 401 together with friend characters and other user characters placed in that area. If the user wishes to move the player's character 701 to another area, the user can perform an operation input related to area movement to move and display the player's character 701 in the next area in the display order (area 402 is next after area 401).
  • the actions of friend characters and other user characters placed in the interaction area are controlled without being based on operational input from the user using the game device 100.
  • the actions performed by friend characters and other user characters placed in the interaction area include actions accompanied by a greeting performance toward the player's character.
  • the greeting performance is displayed differently based on the language setting information associated with the friend character or other user character in order to convey to the user the interest of interacting with users from various countries. For example, for other user characters associated with an English language setting, a greeting performance including a speech bubble displaying "Hi! is displayed, and for other user characters associated with a French language setting, a greeting performance including a speech bubble displaying "Salut! is displayed.
  • the number of characters to be placed in the interaction area is predetermined, and in this embodiment, one friend character and ten other user characters are placed. Therefore, when playing an interaction game, the control unit 101 may, for example, select one piece of information by lottery from among the pieces of information registered in the friend list, and place one friend character corresponding to that information in a designated area. Also, when playing an interaction game, the control unit 101 may, for example, select ten pieces of information by lottery from among the pieces of information registered in the other user list, and place ten other user characters corresponding to that information in a designated area.
  • the game device 100 and the server 200 are configured to communicate information basically once a day using the automatic update function. More specifically, the game device 100 is configured to perform automatic updates on the condition that the game device 100 is in a predetermined time period and the state of the player's character is in a sleeping state.
  • the predetermined time period for automatic updates (hereinafter referred to as the update time period) can be set to occur on a daily cycle, for example, from 9 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. the next morning. This is because the user is unlikely to operate the game device 100 during this time period, and various information is unlikely to change.
  • the game device 100 when the player's character is in a sleeping state, the game device 100 is controlled so as not to accept operation input related to the player's character. Therefore, by configuring the game device 100 to perform automatic updates using this timing, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the latest information is not managed by the server 200 due to changes in the state or parameters of the player's character caused by user operation input. In addition, when the game device 100 performs information updates or main unit updates based on information received from the server 200, it is possible to avoid situations in which the user's input operations are interrupted or the update work is not performed properly.
  • a state in which the player's character is asleep is, for example, a state in which the current time has reached the bedtime set by the user, and the setting to the sleeping state has been completed through effects related to preparing for bed and going to sleep.
  • the player's character is managed as being asleep.
  • control unit 101 will not execute the automatic update function, but will wait until the conditions for execution are met. In the example of this embodiment, the control unit 101 will wait to execute the automatic update function until the player's character has completely entered a sleeping state.
  • the control unit 101 controls the game device 100 to a state in which communication with the server 200 is possible via the communication I/F 106. Since communication between the game device 100 and the server 200 is performed by infrastructure communication, it is assumed that the function is performed with information of the AP 300 with which communication is to be performed set.
  • the automatic update function sends and receives the following information:
  • Information relating to the player's character is transmitted from the game device 100 to the server 200.
  • the information relating to the player's character is composed of the user ID 641, language setting 643, and character information 645 of the owner information managed by the game device 100.
  • the information relating to the player's character is transmitted mainly for the purpose of updating the ghost information of the player's character.
  • the server 200 transmits information about other user characters that are candidates for display in the social game to the game device 100.
  • the transmitted information is composed of a predetermined number of pieces of ghost information selected by the server control unit 201 each time information is transmitted or received with the game device 100.
  • the information about other user characters is composed of the language settings and ghost information of the user who has trained each other user character, as described above.
  • the server 200 also transmits update data for the firmware of the game device 100 to the game device 100. Some of the additions to functions and bug fixes to the game device 100 are achieved by updating the main firmware. In addition, functions are also added by transmitting additional content data (new event data and new downloadable content (DLC) data) of the game content (training game) executed by the game device 100 from the server 200 to the game device 100, and changing the data referenced during execution of the training game on the game device 100.
  • the new DLC data may include sales data and drawing data for the newly added content. Therefore, the server 200 also transmits this additional content data to the game device 100.
  • various new information from the game system operator such as announcement information, which does not directly affect the processing of the training game, is also transmitted from the server 200 to the game device 100.
  • the game device 100 transmits information about the player's character, receives main body update data for the game device 100, receives new information, receives additional content data, and receives information about characters corresponding to other game devices while connected to the server 200 for communication.
  • the automatic update function only requires that at least one of the above information transmissions and receptions be performed. In this way, the amount of data communication performed by the game device 100 can be reduced, and battery consumption can be suppressed.
  • control unit 101 determines whether the current time is included in the update time period. If the control unit 101 determines that the current time is included in the update time period, it moves the process to S502, and if it determines that the current time is not included, it completes this update process.
  • control unit 101 determines whether the state of the player character is sleeping. If the control unit 101 determines that the player character is sleeping, it moves the process to S503, and if it determines that the player character is not sleeping, it repeats the process of this step until the player character is sleeping.
  • control unit 101 controls the communication I/F 106 to a state in which infrastructure communication is possible, and establishes a communication connection with the server 200.
  • control unit 101 transmits and receives information related to the automatic update function with the server 200, and completes this update process.
  • the game device of this embodiment can link with external devices while ensuring entertainment value.
  • the update time period is set to occur on a daily cycle, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the update time period may be set to occur on any time cycle.
  • the control unit 101 may further detect the charge state of the battery in the update process, and control the transmission and reception of information related to the automatic update function on the condition that the power supply cable is currently connected and charging.
  • control unit 101 controls the establishment of a communication connection with the server 200 and the transmission and reception of information related to the automatic update function on the condition that the current time is included in the update time period, the player's character is set to a sleeping state, and the game device 100 is charging.
  • the game device 100 has been described as being in the form of a portable toy and connected to the server 200 via wireless communication, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the game device 100 does not need to be in the form of a portable toy, and the communication connection with the server 200 may be made via a wired connection.
  • control is performed so that operation input from the user is not accepted when the player's character is asleep, and information transmission and reception related to the automatic update function is performed under the conditions that the current time is within the update time period and the player's character is asleep, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this.
  • Operation inputs made to the game device 100 are not limited to operation inputs related to the player's character, but may also include, for example, operation inputs related to the settings of the game device 100. In other words, even if the player's character is asleep and is in a state where operation inputs related to the player's character by the user are not accepted, this does not necessarily mean that the user is not making other operation inputs, and for example, normal operation may not be guaranteed if the main firmware of the game device 100 is updated.
  • the control unit 101 may further control the game device 100 to transmit and receive information related to the automatic update function on the condition that the game device 100 is in a suspended state. That is, in this aspect, the control unit 101 controls the game device 100 to establish a communication connection with the server 200 and transmit and receive information related to the automatic update function on the condition that the current time is included in the update time period, the player's character is set to a sleeping state, and the game device 100 is in a suspended state.
  • the suspended state may be released, for example, when the communication I/F 106 detects an operational input or when a condition for a specific event to occur in the training game is met.
  • the retry is performed up to a predetermined number of times, for example, three times in one update time period.
  • the time interval for the retry may be configured to be set longer as the number of retries increases, for example, from 10 minutes to 20 minutes to one hour, so that the retry is performed at a timing when the communication status is expected to improve.
  • a game device for executing a game involving the display of a character, comprising: an operation input means; a management means for managing time; a setting means for setting the state of the character; a communication means for communicating with an external device; and a control means for controlling the operation of the communication means, wherein the setting means sets the state of the character to a first state when the current time is within a predetermined time period, and the control means controls the communication means to be able to communicate with the external device, on condition that the current time is within the predetermined time period and the state of the character is the first state.
  • control means further controls the communication means to be able to communicate with the external device, on condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since the most recent communication with the external device by the communication means.
  • a game device in which the communication means communicates wirelessly, and the control means controls the communication means to be able to communicate with the external device, on the condition that information on an access point of the communication means is set.
  • a game device further comprising: transition means for transitioning the game device to a suspended state when no operational input has been made for a predetermined period of time; and return means for returning the game device from the suspended state when an operational input has been made or a predetermined event has occurred; and the control means further controls the communication means to enable communication with the external device, on condition that the game device is in the suspended state.
  • a game device according to any one of (1) to (8), in which, when the current time is included in the predetermined time period but other conditions for controlling the communication means to be able to communicate with the external device are not satisfied, the control means waits until the other conditions are satisfied.
  • control means controls the communication means to retry the communication connection with the external device a predetermined number of times with a time interval in between when the communication means fails to establish a communication connection with the external device.
  • a game device according to any one of (12) to (14), wherein the communication means receives updated data or information when the main body update data, the new information, or the additional content data is updated.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
PCT/JP2024/005880 2023-02-21 2024-02-19 ゲーム装置及びプログラム Ceased WO2024177027A1 (ja)

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JP2001266044A (ja) * 2000-03-15 2001-09-28 Nintendo Co Ltd ゲームデータ処理ネットワークシステム
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US20240278131A1 (en) 2024-08-22

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