Network game system and network game processing method

• US 20050021159A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yojiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• 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 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

When the game machines (2100, 2110 and 2120) join the same network game, display images necessary for the users playing in a common virtual space are displayed in the displays (2105, 2115 and 2125) of the game machines. The game machines are connected with the controllers (2109, 2119 and 2129). The users operate various operations by means of the controllers for executing the game. The user can play match against or cooperate with the users participating in a common network game, and can also communicate with the users.

Claims

1. A network game system comprising a network, a plurality of game processing terminals connected to said network and a server which receives information transmitted through said network from said game processing terminals and transmits necessary information to said game processing terminals, wherein,

said server performs a series of processing,

that said server transmits information necessary for reservation of participating in said game took place at a predetermined time,

that said server determines which of said game processing terminals participate in said game according to information of participating in said game, received from said game processing terminals,

that said server transmits information concerning an opening of said game to said game processing terminals participating in said game, and

that said server deletes information necessary for reservation of participating, and said server repeats said series of processing;

and

said game processing terminals participating in said game transmit information for participating in said game, in response to said information necessary for reservation of participating in said game, and prepare an environment according to said information of participating in said game.

2. A network game system comprising a network, a plurality of game processing terminals connected to said network and a server which receives information transmitted through said network from said game processing terminals and transmits necessary information to said game processing terminals, said game processing terminals being permitted by said server to participate in a game when said game processing terminals process a predetermined procedure, wherein

said predetermined procedure is executed in a virtual space of said network game system,

each said game processing terminal searches characters controlled by other said game processing terminals in an area in said virtual space where a character controlled by each said game processing terminal moves,

each said game processing terminal transmits information to said server necessary for participating in said game to be played only with said other game processing terminals controlling said characters in said area,

said server processes grouping of said game terminals of said characters in said area so that said game processing terminals play said game in said virtual space when said server receives said information necessary for participating in said game.

3. A network game system according to claim 2, wherein each said game processing terminal outputs information for asking a player of said other game processing terminals of said characters in said area whether said other game processing terminals participate in said game or not, and transmits information for participating in said game when each said game processing terminal receives input for participation from said other game processing terminals.

4. Game processing terminals for executing a game together and for communicating by “

chat”

during said game with one another, said game processing terminals being connected to a network, wherein each said game processing terminal comprising;

a selecting means for selecting by an input operation other of said game processing terminals in a virtual space where each said game processing terminal exists; and

a transmitting means for transmitting chat information input by each said game processing terminal to said selected game processing terminals and other information than said chat information to said game processing terminals not selected.

5. Game processing terminals for executing a game together and for communicating by “

chat”

during said game with one another, said game processing terminals being connected to a network, wherein

each said game processing terminal comprising;

a distinguishing means for distinguishing other said game processing terminals between cooperative terminals and opponent terminals;

a transmitting means for transmitting chat information input by each said game processing terminal to said cooperative terminals and other information than said chat information to said opponent terminals.

6. A network game system comprising a network, a plurality of game processing terminals connected to said network and a server which receives information transmitted through said network from said game processing terminals and transmits necessary information to said game processing terminals, wherein

each said game processing terminal executes a game using a first item data stored in a memory medium of said game processing terminal, when each said game processing terminal executes independently said game without communicating with other said game processing terminals,

each said game processing terminal substitutes said first item data by a second item data downloaded from said server, and executes a game using said second item data, when each said game processing terminal executes said game together with other said game processing terminals through said network..

7. A network game processing method for controlling a game executed on a plurality of game processing terminals connected to a network, repeating every predetermined time steps of:

transmitting to said game processing terminals information necessary for reservation of participating in said game took place at a predetermined time;

receiving information of participating in said game from said game processing terminals;

determining which of said game processing terminals participate in said game according to information of participating in said game, received from said game processing terminals,

transmitting information concerning an opening of said game to said game processing terminals participating in said game, and

deleting information necessary for reservation of participating.

8. A network game processing method for grouping a plurality of game processing terminals connected to a network so that said game processing terminals participate in a game in a common virtual space when said game processing terminals execute a predetermined procedure, comprising steps of:

receiving information from said game processing terminals that said game processing terminals moves into an area in said virtual space;

judging whether said information is received from two or more of said game processing terminals or not; and

grouping said tow or more game processing terminals when said information is received so that said game processing terminals communicates with one another information for said game.

9. A network game processing method for a plurality of game processing terminals connected through a network with a server so that said game processing terminals participate a game in a common virtual space, comprising steps of:

searching characters controlled by other said game processing terminals in an area in said virtual space where a character controlled by each said game processing terminal moves into;

transmitting information to said server necessary for participating in said game to be played only with said other game processing terminals controlling said characters in said area; and

changing display image of each said game processing terminal into an image of said game which is executed in said common virtual space with said other game processing terminal.

10. A network game processing method according to claim 9, further comprising steps of:

outputting information asking whether a player of said characters in said area participates in said game or not;

receiving input operated input of said other game processing terminal; and

transmitting information to said server for participating in said game when said operated input is received.

14. A computer-executable program including program codes for said server to execute each said step of said network game method according to any one of claims 7 to 13.

15. A computer readable memory medium storing said computer-executable program according to claim 14.

16. A communication medium for providing said program of claim 14 to game processing terminals or said server.

11. A network game processing method for a plurality of game processing terminals connected with a network, comprising steps of:

selecting by an input operation other of said game processing terminals in a virtual space where each said game processing terminal exists;

transmitting chat information input by each said game processing terminal to said selected game processing terminals; and

transmitting other information than said chat information to said game processing terminals not selected.

12. A network game processing method for a plurality of game processing terminals connected with a network, comprising steps of:

distinguishing other said game processing terminals between cooperative terminals and opponent terminals; and

transmitting chat information input by each said game processing terminal to said cooperative terminals and other information than said chat information to said opponent terminals.

13. A network game processing method for a plurality of game processing terminals connected through a network to a server, comprising steps of:

executing a game using a first item data stored in a memory medium of said game processing terminal, when each said game processing terminal executes independently said game without communicating with other said game processing terminals,

downloading a second item data from said server when each said game processing terminal executes said game together with other said game processing terminals through said network; and

executing said game with substituting said first item data by said second item data.