This application claims the benefit of foreign priority under 35 USC 119(a) based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-088136, filed Apr. 22, 2014, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing device and a game program.
2. Background Art
Information processing devices are known that place a plurality of game content items, including special game content, in a game content placement area and provide a player with game content selected in the game content placement area in response to the player's operations (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-57625.
In such information processing devices, characters of high rarity are provided to the player as special game content. However, the player cannot easily acquire characters of high rarity despite many attempts to do so and is provided with unnecessary characters (characters of low rarity), which creates a risk of reducing the player's motivation to play. On the other hand, should the player acquire a character of high rarity, the player's satisfaction tends to decrease the player's motivation to continue playing after acquisition.
The present invention has been devised by taking such circumstances into consideration, and it is an object of the invention to increase the player's motivation to play before and after acquiring special game content.
The main aspect of the present invention intended for solving the above-mentioned problems is an information processing device equipped with a screen data generation unit that generates screen data that is used to display, on a game screen, a game content placement area where a plurality of game content items are placed; a game content placement unit that places, in the game content placement area, at least one set of score-varying content that varies a player's score and special score-varying content that varies the score more strongly than the score-varying content; a game content provision unit that provides the player with game content selected in the game content placement area in response to the player's operations; and a score updating unit that updates the player's score by varying it in accordance with the respective content when the game content provided to the player is the score-varying content or the special score-varying content.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from this Description and the accompanying drawings.
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A diagram illustrating an example of the overall constitution of the game system 1.
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A block diagram illustrating the functional constitution of the server device 10.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of character information.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of player information.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of proprietary character information.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of placement information.
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A block diagram illustrating the functional constitution of the player terminal 20.
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A flow chart illustrating an example of operation of the game system 1.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen 50 used in the target game.
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A diagram illustrating state transitions in the game content placement area.
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A diagram illustrating state transitions in the game content placement area.
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A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen 60 used for game viewing.
At least the following will become apparent from this Description and the accompanying drawings.
Namely, an information processing device equipped with a screen data generation unit that generates screen data that is used to display, on a game screen, a game content placement area where a plurality of game content items are placed; a game content placement unit that places, in the game content placement area, at least one set of score-varying content that varies a player's score and special score-varying content that varies the score more strongly than the score-varying content; a game content provision unit that provides the player with game content selected in the game content placement area in response to the player's operations; and a score updating unit that updates the player's score by varying it in accordance with the respective content when the game content provided to the player is the score-varying content or the special score-varying content.
In such an information processing device, the provision of content is reflected in the player's score not only when special score-varying content is provided, but also when non-special score-varying content is provided, which allows for the player's motivation to play to be increased before and after acquiring the special game content.
In addition, the game content placement unit may be adapted to place more special score-varying content items in the game content placement area as the number of the player's operations increases.
In such an information processing device, the probability of providing special score-varying content can be increased by repeatedly playing the game, thereby making it possible to increase the motivation to play.
In addition, the game content provision unit may be adapted to increase the probability of selecting the above-mentioned special score-varying content items as the number of the player's operations increases.
In such an information processing device, the probability of providing special score-varying content can be increased by repeatedly playing the game, thereby making it possible to increase the motivation to play.
In addition, the device may be equipped with a counting unit that counts the number of the player's operations, and said counting unit resets the number of the player's operations upon lapse of a limited time during which game content can be provided, or upon provision of special score-varying content by the game content provision unit.
In such an information processing device, the number of operations counted up to the present moment is reset at predetermined moments in time, thereby making it possible to minimize excessive score variation.
In addition, the score updating unit may be adapted such that when the game content provided to the player is score-varying content, updating is performed by adding predetermined points to the player's score; when the game content provided to the player is special score-varying content, updating is performed by multiplying the player's score by a predetermined number larger than 1; and, furthermore, such that whenever the special score-varying content is provided by the game content provision unit, the predetermined points added to the player's score are increased relative to an initial value.
Such an information processing device makes it easier to increase the player's score because the added predetermined points are successively increased when special score-varying content items are provided. In addition, it becomes possible to substantially increase the player's score if special score-varying content is provided after increasing the score in this manner.
In addition, the score updating unit may be adapted to reset the predetermined points added to the player's score back to the initial value upon lapse of a limited time.
In such an information processing device, the player's score can be minimized to prevent it from increasing in an excessive manner.
In addition, a game program (e.g., non-transitory computer readable medium having machine-executable instructions) that directs a computer to execute a screen data generation process for generating screen data that is used to display, on a game screen, a game content placement area where a plurality of game content items are placed; a game content placement process for placing, in the game content placement area, at least one set of score-varying content that varies a player's score and special score-varying content that varies the score more strongly than the score-varying content; a game content provision process for providing the player with game content selected in the game content placement area in response to the player's operations; a score updating process for updating the player's score by varying the score in accordance with the respective content when the game content provided to the player is the score-varying content or the special score-varying content.
Such a game program makes it possible to increase the player's motivation to play before and after acquiring the special game content.
The target game of the present embodiment is a game in which game content awarded to the player is determined by means of a lottery and the player's score is varied based on the results of the lottery. In this target game, the game content placed in the game content placement area serves as the target. The game content placement area is split into 3×3, i.e. a total of 9 squares (unit areas), and game content is placed in each square. The game content that serves as the target includes score-varying content items and special score-varying content items. Lottery drawings are conducted by allowing the player to throw a ball, and the game content located in any of the 9 squares is awarded to the player. When lottery drawings are performed in this manner, the results of the lottery are reflected in the player's score. By repeatedly playing this target game, the players can increase their scores. In addition, the players can also obtain rewards corresponding to their scores. These rewards include character cards, which are an example of game content (hereinafter referred to simply as “characters”).
In addition, the game system 1 according to the present embodiment can provide the players with a battle game conducted using characters. The battle game of the present embodiment is a game in which characters owned by the players are engaged in battle with enemy characters acting as their opponents. The players can acquire balls used in the target game in accordance with the results of the battle.
Along with forwarding data between the components, the control unit 11 exercises overall control over the server device 10 and is implemented using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that runs a predetermined program stored in memory. The control unit 11 of the present embodiment is equipped with at least a game content placement unit 111, a game content provision unit 112, a score updating unit 113, a counting unit 114, a battle processing unit 115, a screen data generation unit 116, and a reward allocation unit 117.
The game content placement unit 111 possesses functionality to execute a process whereby a plurality of game content items is placed in the game content placement area. The game content placement unit 111 of the present embodiment places score-varying content that varies the player's score and special score-varying content that varies the score more strongly than the score-varying content.
The game content provision unit 112 possesses the functionality to execute processing that is used to provide game content to the player. The game content provision unit 112 of the present embodiment provides the player with game content selected in the game content placement area in response to the player's operations.
The score updating unit 113 possesses the functionality to carry out processing that is required to update the player's score. The score updating unit 113 of the present embodiment updates the player's score by varying the score in accordance with the game content provided by the game content provision unit 112.
The counting unit 114 possesses the functionality to carry out processing that is required to count the number of the player's operations. The counting unit 114 of the present embodiment counts the number of operations and records it in the storage unit 12 whenever the player performs the operation of throwing a ball in the target game. In addition, the counting unit 114 resets the number of operations counted up to the present moment (accrued number of operations) at predetermined moments in time.
The battle processing unit 115 possesses functionality to carry out various types of battle game-related processing. The battle processing unit 115 of the present embodiment determines the winner in a battle with an enemy character. In addition, when the player character's victory is determined, it provides the player with balls used in the target game.
The screen data generation unit 116 possesses functionality to carry out processing used to generate screen data for displaying a game screen on a player terminal 20. The screen data generation unit 116 of the present embodiment generates HTML data as screen data corresponding to the game screen.
The reward allocation unit 117 possesses functionality to execute processing to allocate rewards to the player. The reward allocation unit 117 of the present embodiment allocates a reward corresponding to the score gained by the player in the target game.
The storage unit 12, which has a ROM (Read Only Memory), i.e. a read-only storage area where operating system software is stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory), i.e. a rewritable storage area used as a work area for arithmetic processing by the control unit 11, is implemented using a flash memory, a hard disk, or another non-volatile storage device. The storage unit 12 of the present embodiment stores character information, player information, placement information, and various other types of data.
The input unit 13, which is used by a system administrator, etc., to enter various types of data (e.g., character information, etc.), is implemented, for example, as a keyboard, a mouse, or the like.
The display unit 14, which is used to display an operation screen used by the system administrator in response to a command from the control unit 11, is implemented using, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display), or the like.
The communication unit 15, which operates as a transceiver unit used for transmitting and receiving various types of information to and from the player terminals 20 over a network 2, is implemented using, for example, an NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like.
The player terminal 20 is an information processing device owned and used by the player (for example, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, etc.). Due to its web browser functionality, the player terminal 20 is capable of on-screen display of web pages (game screens, etc.) transmitted from the server device 10. The player terminal 20 has a terminal control unit 21, which provides overall control of the player terminal 20, a terminal storage unit 22, which stores various types of data and software programs (e.g., non-transitory computer readable medium having machine-executable instructions), a terminal control unit 23, which is used by the player for control input, a terminal display unit 24, which displays game screens and operation screens, and a terminal communication unit 25, which communicates information to and from the server device 10.
First of all, upon receiving the player's operation input, the player terminal 20 transmits a command to acquire the start page of the target game (game start page request) to the server device 10 (S101).
Next, after receiving the game start page request transmitted from the player terminal 20, the server device 10 places game content in each unit area of the game content placement area (S102). Namely, based on the placement information illustrated in
Next, the server device 10 directs the screen data generation unit 116 to generate screen data (HTML files) used to display the start page (web page) of the target game on the player terminal 20 (S103). Namely, the screen data generation unit 116 generates a game screen that includes a game content placement area where game content is placed by the game content placement unit 111.
The server device 10 then transmits the thus generated screen data corresponding to the start page of the target game to the requesting player terminal 20 over a network (S104).
Subsequently, when this screen data transmitted from the server device 10 is received (S106), the player terminal 20 analyzes the screen data and directs the terminal display unit 24 to display the start page (game screen) of the target game (S106).
Next, going back to
Next, when the game content provision request transmitted from the player terminal 20 is received, the server device 10 executes a process whereby game content determined by means of a lottery is provided to the player (S108).
Specifically, the game content provision unit 112 spends one of the player's proprietary balls (see
Next, the server device 10 calculates the modified score based on the game content provided by the game content provision unit 112 (S109). Namely, when a score-varying content item (“+1”) is selected by the game content provision unit 112, the score updating unit 113 adds 1 point to the player's score (see
It should be noted that, as will be discussed in more detail below, if the point increment of the score-varying content items is increased in a stepwise manner (in a 4-tiered manner, starting from 1 point, i.e. the initial value, and increasing to 3 points, 5 points, and 10 points) whenever special score-varying content (“×2”) is provided, the score updating unit 113 increases the points added to the player's score from the initial value (1 point). In addition, in such a case, the score updating unit 113 may reset the points added to the player's score back to the initial value (1 point) upon lapse of a predetermined limited time after moving up to the next level.
Next, when the game content provision request transmitted from the player terminal 20 is received, the server device 10 counts the number of times the operation of throwing the ball has been performed by the player (S110). Namely, the counting unit 114 counts the number of times the control button 52 (see
Next, when a score-varying content item (“+1”) or a special score-varying content item (“×2”) is provided to the player by the game content provision unit 112, the server device 10 places the new game content item in the game content placement area 51 (S111). Cases involving provision of score-varying content items (“+1”) and cases involving provision of special score-varying content items (“×2”) will be respectively discussed below.
Specifically, based on a predetermined probability of occurrence, the game content placement unit 111 selects and places either a score-varying content item (“+1”) or a special score-varying content item (“×2”). At this time, the placement information shown in
As a result, as long as no special score-varying content items (“×2”) are selected in the game content placement area, repeatedly playing the target game causes the state inside the area to gradually transition as depicted in FIG. 10A→FIG. 10B→
Specifically, whenever a special score-varying content item (“×2”) is provided by the game content provision unit 112, the game content placement unit 111 places score-varying content items in the game content placement area, with the point increment of the items increasing in a stepwise manner. At this time, the placement information shown in
Accordingly, as a result of repeatedly playing the target game, whenever a special score-varying content item (“×2”) is selected in the game content placement area, the state of the area gradually transitions as depicted in FIG. 11A→FIG. 11B→FIG. 11C→
It should be noted that if score-varying content items with point increments increasing in a stepwise manner are placed in the game content placement area, then score-varying content items reset to 1 point, i.e. the initial value, may be placed in the game content placement area by the game content placement unit 111 upon lapse of a predetermined limited time after moving up to the next level. Accordingly, the player's score can be minimized to prevent it from increasing in an excessive manner.
Next, going back to
The server device 10 then transmits the thus generated screen data, corresponding to the start page of the next target game, to the requesting player terminal 20 over a network (S113).
Subsequently, when this screen data transmitted from the server device 10 is received (S114), the player terminal 20 analyzes the screen data and directs the terminal display unit 24 to display the start page (game screen) of the next target game (S115). The player can play target games in a continuous manner, thereby increasing the score.
In this manner, the player can obtain a reward corresponding to his or her score if the player continues increasing his or her score by repeatedly playing target games. When a reward allocation request is received from the player terminal 20, the reward allocation unit 117 refers to the player information shown in
As described above, in the game system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the player plays a game using proprietary balls, special score-varying content items (“×2”) or score-varying content items (“+1”) selected in the game content placement area 51 are provided and reflected in the player's score. Also, as a result, the player's score can be increased not only when the special score-varying content (“×2”) is provided, but also when non-special score-varying content (“+1”) is provided, which makes it possible to increase the player's motivation to play before and after acquiring the special game content (“×2”). In addition, since in the game system 1 according to the present embodiment the probability of providing special score-varying content (“×2”) can be increased as the number of balls thrown by the player increases, it becomes easy to increase the player's score and makes it possible to raise the player's motivation to play.
The foregoing embodiment was intended to aid in the understanding of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its essential meaning. At the same time, the present invention includes equivalents thereto. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.
Although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed by representing the placement of special score-varying content and score-varying content in the game content placement area using numerals, such as “×2” and “+1”, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, placement in the game content placement area may be represented using symbols such as ordinary markings and special markings, as well as ordinary characters and special characters. In addition, one point may be added to the player's score when ordinary markings and ordinary characters are provided to the player, and the player's score may be doubled when special markings and special characters are provided.
In addition, although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a case in which the game content placed in the game content placement area is limited to special score-varying content and score-varying content, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, only special score-varying content items or only score-varying content items may be used. Alternatively, characters may be included as game content.
In addition, although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a case in which one point is added to the player's score as an initial value if a score-varying content item is provided, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, 2 points, 3 points, 4 points, and so on may be added to the player's score as an initial value.
In addition, although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a case in which the player's score is doubled if a special score-varying content item is provided, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the player's score may be tripled, quadrupled, quintupled, and so on. In addition, 100 points, 500 points, 1000 points, and so on may be added to the player's score.
Although the above-mentioned embodiment has been discussed with reference to a case in which the probability of providing special score-varying content is increased due to the fact that more special score-varying content items are placed in the game content placement area (due to fact that the probability of occurrence of special score-varying content is increased) as the number of the player's operations (number of ball throws) increases, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the probability of providing special score-varying content may be increased by increasing the probability of selecting special score-varying content from the game content placement area (selection probability) as the number of the player's operations (number of ball throws) increases.
In addition, although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a case in which the probability of providing special score-varying content is increased as the number of the player's operations (number of ball throws) increases, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the probability of providing special score-varying content may be increased by placing more special score-varying content items in the game content placement area (by increasing the probability of occurrence of special score-varying content) as the player's score increases.
Although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a case in which the number of the player's operations (accrued number of operations) is reset if a special score-varying content item is provided, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a limited time, during which game content can be provided, may be set up in the target game and the number may be reset upon lapse of this limited time.
The above-mentioned embodiment is configured such that a player (hereinafter referred to as “supporting player”) can support a friend player (hereinafter referred to as “supported player”) challenged to the target game with a view to acquire special score-varying content, as a result of which balls are provided respectively to the supported player and to the supporting player. Specifically, on the game screen 60 used for game viewing, which is shown in
Although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with reference to a game content placement area composed of 3×3, i.e. 9 squares, the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the unit areas that constitute the game content placement area are not limited to squares of square shape.
Although the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with respect to a game system 1 equipped with a single server device 10 as an example of a server device, the invention is not limited thereto, and a game system 1 equipped with a plurality of server devices 10, as an example of server devices, may also be used. In other words, a plurality of server devices 10 may be connected over a network 2 and these server devices 10 may perform various types of processing in a distributed manner.
Although the game system 1 used in the present embodiment as described above has been discussed with respect to a case in which various types of information processing are carried out by directing the server device 10 and the player terminals 20 to cooperate in performing various types of information processing in accordance with a game program (e.g., non-transitory computer readable medium having machine-executable instructions), the invention is not limited thereto, and the above-mentioned various types of information processing may be carried out based on a game program using only the server device 10 or only the player terminals 20 as information processing devices.
In addition, a constitution may be used in which the player terminals 20 support some of the information processing device functionality. In such a case, the server device 10 and player terminals 20 form an information processing device.
It should be noted that the information processing device is, for example, a computer equipped with a processor and a memory.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-088136 | Apr 2014 | JP | national |