Network game system

• US 20040224774A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakai, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• 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: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A network game system includes a game server in which a plurality of players respectively operating a plurality of portable communication terminals are registered in advance. When any one of the players logs in the game server through a communication network, a game is supplied to the portable communication terminal of the player. A game screen is shown on a display, and both characters in the course of logging-in and logging out are displayed on the game screen. If the player selects the logging-out character, a selection signal is transmitted to the game server. The game server transmits a log-in operation request to the portable communication terminal of the player operating the selected character.

Claims

1-14. -14. (Canceled)

15. A game management method of a game server which provides for a first game apparatus belonging to a first player who has logged-in through a communication network out of a plurality of players who are previously registered a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by the plurality of players, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting to said first game apparatus log-in identification information for identifying log-in/log-out with regard to each of the plurality of characters;

(b) transmitting to said first game apparatus, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described; and

(c) transmitting a log-in operation request, at a time of receiving from said first game apparatus first operation information indicative of a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to a second game apparatus belonging to a second player who operates the specific character.

16. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein said game server holds for each of the plurality of players transmission identification information for identifying permission/prohibition of transmitting the log-in operation request issued from any of the players,

said game management method further comprising the step of (d) returning to said first game apparatus a message without transmitting to said second game apparatus the log-in operation request when the transmission identification information assigned to said second player indicates prohibition.

17. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein said game server holds for each of the plurality of players transmission identification information for identifying permission/prohibition of transmitting the log-in operation request issued from a part of the players,

said game management method further comprising the step of (d) returning to said first game apparatus a message without transmitting to said second game apparatus the log-in operation request when the transmission identification information assigned to said second player indicates prohibition with regard to said first player.

18. A game management method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of (d) returning a message to said first game apparatus when a log-in operation denial is returned from said second game apparatus responding to the log-in operation request.

19. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein said step (b) includes a step of (b-1) including player identification information capable of specifying said first player into the log-in operation request.

20. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein the property information includes at least one of a name of the character, occupation of the character, gender of the character, age of the character, ability of the character, belongings of the character, and a message of the character.

21. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein the step of (b) is a step of returning to said first game apparatus the property information of the specific character at a time of receiving from said first game apparatus second operation information indicative of a second operation directed to the specific character.

22. A game management method according to claim 15, wherein said game server holds communication-use identification information assigned to the game apparatus belonging to each of said plurality of players, and said step (c) is a step of transmitting said log-in operation request to said second game apparatus using the communication-use identification information assigned to said second game apparatus.

23. A game program product executed by a processor of a game server which provides for a first game apparatus belonging to a first player who has logged-in through a communication network out of a plurality of players who are previously registered a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by the plurality of players, comprising:

a first transmitting instruction for transmitting to said first game apparatus log-in identification information for identifying log-in/log-out with regard to each of the plurality of characters;

a second transmitting instruction for transmitting to said first game apparatus, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described; and

a third transmitting instruction for transmitting a log-in operation request, at a time of receiving from said first game apparatus first operation information indicative of a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to a second game apparatus belonging to a second player who operates the specific character.

24. A recording medium which records a game program executed by a processor of a game server which provides for a first game apparatus belonging to a first player who has logged-in through a communication network out of a plurality of players who are previously registered a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by the plurality of players, wherein said game program comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting to said first game apparatus log-in identification information for identifying log-in/log-out with regard to each of the plurality of characters;

(b) transmitting to said first game apparatus, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described; and

(c) transmitting a log-in operation request, at a time of receiving from said first game apparatus first operation information indicative of a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to a second game apparatus belonging to a second player who operates the specific character.

25. A game server which provides for a first game apparatus belonging to a first player who has logged-in through a communication network out of a plurality of players who are previously registered a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by the plurality of players, comprising:

a first transmitting means for transmitting to said first game apparatus log-in identification information for identifying log-in/log-out with regard to each of the plurality of characters;

a second transmitting means for transmitting to said first game apparatus, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what properly each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described; and

a third transmitting means for transmitting a log-in operation request, at a time of receiving from said first game apparatus first operation information indicative of a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to a second game apparatus belonging to a second player who operates the specific character.

26. A game control method of a game apparatus which acquires from a game server by a log-in operation through a communication network a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by a plurality of players previously registered, comprising the steps of:

(a) outputting each of the plurality of characters in a different manner corresponding to log-in/log-out;

(b) outputting, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described;

(c) requesting said game server, in response to a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to transmit a log-in operation request to a game apparatus belonging to a player who operates the specific character; and

(d) outputting a message at a time of receiving in the log-out state the log-in operation request from said game server.

27. A game control method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of (e) requesting said game server to transmit the property information of the specific character in response to a second operation directed to the specific character, wherein said step (b) is a step of outputting the property information transmitted from said game server in response to a request of said step (d).

28. A game control method according to claim 26, wherein said game server holds for each of the plurality of players transmission identification information for identifying permission/prohibition of transmitting the log-in operation request issued from any of the players,

said game control method further comprising the step of (f) requesting said game server to change the transmission identification information in response to a changing operation.

29. A game control method according to claim 26, wherein said game server holds for each of the plurality of players transmission identification information for identifying permission/prohibition of transmitting the log-in operation request issued from a part of the players,

said game control method further comprising the step of (f) requesting said game server to change the transmission identification information in response to a changing operation.

30. A game control method according to claim 26, wherein the property information includes at least one of a name of the character, occupation of the character, gender of the character, age of the character, ability of the character, belongings of the character, and a message of the character.

31. A game control method according to claim 26, wherein said game server holds communication-use identification information assigned to the game apparatus belonging to each of said plurality of players, and said log-in operation request is transmitted from said game server using the communication-use identification information.

32. A game program product executed by a processor of a game apparatus which acquires from a game server by a log-in operation through a communication network a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by a plurality of players previously registered, comprising:

a first outputting instruction for outputting each of the plurality of characters in a different manner corresponding to log-in/log-out;

a second outputting instruction for outputting, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described;

a first requesting instruction for requesting said game server, in response to a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to transmit a log-in operation request to a game apparatus belonging to a player who operates the specific character; and

a third outputting instruction for outputting a message at a time of receiving in the log-out state the log-in operation request from said game server.

33. A recording medium which records a game program executed by a processor of a game apparatus which acquires from a game server by a log-in operation through a communication network a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by a plurality of players previously registered, wherein said game program comprising the steps of:

(a) outputting each of the plurality of characters in a different manner corresponding to log-in/log-out;

(b) outputting instruction for outputting, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described;

(c) requesting said game server, in response to a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to transmit a log-in operation request to a game apparatus belonging to a player who operates the specific character; and

(d) outputting a message at a time of receiving in the log-out state the log-in operation request from said game server.

34. A game apparatus which acquires from a game server by a log-in operation through a communication network a game in which a plurality of characters are respectively operated by a plurality of players previously registered, comprising:

a first outputting means for outputting each of the plurality of characters in a different manner corresponding to log-in/log-out;

a second outputting means for outputting, irrespective of log-in/log-out, property information in which what property each of said plurality of characters has in a game world is described;

a first requesting means for requesting said game server, in response to a first operation directed to a specific character being in a log-out state out of the plurality of characters, to transmit a log-in operation request to a game apparatus belonging to a player who operates the specific character; and

a third outputting means for outputting a message at a time of receiving in the log-out state the log-in operation request from said game server.