Video game system, video game apparatus and video game execution control method

• US 20030078102A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Okita, Katsunori, Makiishi, Takashi, kubota, Kazutaka, Wada, Hiroyuki, Shibamiya, Masakazu, Harano, Yuuki
• Application Number:
  US10/267,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3283 wherein the number of active machines is limited

Abstract

A video game system that offers sense of realism and excitement is provided. This video game system comprises a player information storage unit 371 that stores player information including information regarding virtual money used in the game, a real money conversion unit 161m that performs conversion between virtual money and real money, a virtual money conversion unit 161n that performs conversion between virtual money and prescribed pseudo-values, a virtual money accumulation unit 361b that increases the amount of virtual money stored in the player information storage unit via calculation using the real money conversion unit, and a game result integration unit 161p that converts the amount of increase or decrease in pseudo-values that occurs each time the game is executed into virtual money, adds the increase or decrease to or subtracts from the player'"'"'s current virtual money amount, and updates the player information stored in the player information storage unit 371 accordingly.

Claims

1. A video game system that has game execution means that allows a player to play a prescribed game via a game screen and that receives and transfers prescribed pseudo-values based on the game result, said video game system comprising:

storage means for storing player information that includes information regarding virtual money used in the game for each player registered using a personal card;

first conversion means for performing a conversion between the virtual money and real money using a prescribed conversion rate;

second conversion means for performing a conversion between the virtual money and the prescribed pseudo-values using a prescribed conversion rate;

virtual money accumulation means for adding virtual money to the storage area for the player information for the player whose player information was stored in the storage means via a personal card, based on the calculation performed by said first conversion means; and

game result integration means for converting the amount of increase or decrease in the prescribed pseudo-values that occurs each time the game is executed by said game execution means into virtual money using said second conversion means, performs addition or subtraction of the amount of increase or decrease to or from the amount of the player'"'"'s current virtual money stored in the storage means, and updating the player information in said storage means.

2. The video game system according to claim 1, further comprising game fee settlement means for converting the game fee charged each time the game is executed by said game execution means into virtual money using said second conversion means, subtracting the virtual money amount obtained as a result of said conversion from the player'"'"'s current amount of virtual money stored in said storage means, and updating the player information in said storage means.

3. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said game includes a mah-jongg game that treats points of point counters as said prescribed pseudo-values.

4. The video game system according to claim 1, further comprising authentication means that determines whether or not a player is permitted to join a game by performing authentication to determine whether or not a player who has been received into the system via said personal card is a registered player.

5. The video game system according to claim 4, further comprising fingerprinting means for acquiring fingerprints, wherein said storage means receives at the time of registration the fingerprint data of the player to be registered and stores it in the storage area for the player information corresponding to that player, and said authentication means obtains the player fingerprint data in connection with the reception of the personal card and compares it with the fingerprint data stored in the corresponding player information storage area.

6. A video game apparatus that has game execution means that allows a player to play a prescribed game via game screens and that receives and transfers prescribed pseudo-values based on the game results, said video game apparatus comprising:

storage means that stores player information that includes information regarding virtual money used in the game for each player registered using a personal card;

first conversion means that performs conversion between the virtual money and real money using a prescribed conversion rate;

second conversion means that performs conversion between the virtual money and the prescribed pseudo-values using a prescribed conversion rate;

virtual money accumulation means that adds virtual money to the storage area for the player information for the player whose player information was stored in the storage means via a personal card, based on the calculation performed by said first conversion means; and

game result integration means that converts the amount of increase or decrease in the prescribed pseudo-values that occurs each time the game is executed by said game execution means into virtual money using said second conversion means, performs addition or subtraction of the amount of increase or decrease to or from the player'"'"'s current amount of virtual money stored in the storage means, and updates the player information in said storage means.

7. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising game fee settlement means for converting the game fee charged each time the game is executed by said game execution means into virtual money using said second conversion means, subtracting the virtual money amount obtained as a result of said conversion from the player'"'"'s current amount of virtual money stored in said storage means, and updating the player information in said storage means.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said game includes a mah-jongg game that treats points of point counters as said prescribed pseudo-values.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising authentication means that determines whether or not a player is permitted to join a game by performing authentication to determine whether or not a player who has been received into the system via said personal card is a registered player.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising fingerprinting means for acquiring fingerprints, wherein said storage means receives at the time of registration the fingerprint data of the player to be registered and stores it in the storage area for the player information corresponding to that player, and said authentication means obtains the player fingerprint data in connection with the reception of the personal card and compares it with the fingerprint data stored in the corresponding player information storage area.

11. A video game execution control method executed by a video game apparatus that transfers/receives prescribed pseudo-values based on the game results, and that allows a player to play a prescribed game via a game screen, said method comprising:

a storage step in which said video game apparatus stores player information that includes information regarding virtual money used in said game for each player registered using a personal card;

a first conversion step in which said video game apparatus performs conversion between said virtual money and real money using a prescribed conversion rate;

a second conversion step in which said video game apparatus performs conversion between said virtual money and said prescribed pseudo-values using a prescribed conversion rate;

a virtual money accumulation step in which said video game apparatus adds virtual money to the storage area for the player information for the individual player whose player information was stored in said storage means via a personal card, based on the calculation performed in said first conversion step; and

a game result integration step in which said video game apparatus converts the amount of increase or decrease in said prescribed pseudo-values that occurs each time the game is executed via said game execution step into virtual money using said second conversion step, performs addition or subtraction of said amount of increase or decrease to or from the player'"'"'s current amount of virtual money stored in said storage means, and updates the player information stored in said storage step.

12. A video game control method that uses a plurality of video game apparatuses and a management server that is connected to the plurality of video game apparatuses such that data communication can take place therebetween, allows a player to play a prescribed game via game screens, and receives/transfers prescribed pseudo-values among the video game apparatuses in accordance with the game results, said method comprising:

a storage step in which said video game apparatus stores player information that includes information regarding virtual money used in said game for each player registered using a personal card;

a first conversion step for performing conversion between said virtual money and real money using a prescribed conversion rate;

a second conversion step for performing conversion between said virtual money and said prescribed pseudo-values using a prescribed conversion rate;

a virtual money accumulation step for adding virtual money to the storage area for the player information for the player whose player information was stored in said storage means via a personal card, based on the calculation performed in said first conversion step; and

a game result integration step for converting the amount of increase or decrease in said prescribed pseudo-values that occurs each time the game is executed via said game execution step into virtual money using said second conversion step, performing addition or subtraction of said amount of increase or decrease to or from the player'"'"'s current amount of virtual money stored in said storage means, and updating the player information stored in said storage step,

wherein at least one of said storage steps, said first conversion step, said second conversion step, said virtual money accumulation step and said game result integration step is executed by said management server, and the remaining steps are executed by said video game apparatuses.