Game device program, game device control, method and program distribution device

• US 20060166744A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Iida, Shutaro, Murakami, Junichi, Igarashi, Koji
• Application Number:
  US10/519,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

Each of game data storage parts (40), in which, while a replication of game data is created, and an item can be used on the basis of different game data, it is possible to prevent the item from increasing by the replication, stores original item data relating to an original item and replica item data relating to a replica item. Besides, a replication part (54) stores game data into a replication target on the basis of game data stored in a replication source so that a sum of the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the game data storage part (40) of the replication source and the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the game data storage part (40) becomes the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the game data storage part (40) of the replication target. At this time, link data to correlate the replication target with the replication source is also stored.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

plural game data storage means;

replication source determination means for determining replication source game data storage means among the plural game data storage means;

replication target determination means for determining replication target game data storage means among the plural game data storage means; and

replication means for storing game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of game data stored in the replication source game data storage means, the game apparatus being characterized in that

there is included link data storage means for storing link data to correlate two game data storage means with each other,

each of the plural game data storage means stores original item data relating to an original item and replica item data relating to a replica item, and

the replication means stores the game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of the game data stored in the replication source game data storage means so that a sum of the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the replication source game data storage means and the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication source game data storage means becomes the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication target game data storage means, and stores the link data to correlate the replication target game data storage means with the replication source game data storage means into the link data storage means.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising means for, in a case where disposal of an original item relating to the original item data stored in one of the plural game data storage means is instructed, updating the original item data stored in the game data storage means whose disposal is instructed so that the number of original items is decreased, and updating the replica item data stored in another game data storage means relating to a replica item as a direct or indirect replica of the original item so that the number of replica items is decreased.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising means for, in a case where disposal of a replica item relating to the replica item data stored in one of the plural game data storage means is instructed, updating the original item data stored in one of other game data storage means as a direct or indirect replication source of the game data storage means whose disposal is instructed so that the original item is decreased, and updating the replica item data stored in another game data storage means relating to a replica item as a direct or indirect replica of the decreased original item so that the replica item is decreased.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising means for, in a case where deletion of game data storage means having no replication source is instructed, updating the original item data and the replica item data stored in one of the game data storage means as direct or indirect replication targets of the game data storage means whose deletion is instructed so that replica items, equal in number to the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the game data storage means whose is instructed are changed to original items, changing link data, which is stored in the link data storage means and correlates the game data storage means whose deletion is instructed with the game data storage means as the replication target of the game data storage means, to link data to correlate the game data storage means as the replication target of the game data storage means whose deletion is instructed with said one of the game data storage means, and deleting the game data storage means whose deletion is instructed.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plural game data storage means is comprising of one or plural memories, and the link data storage means is comprising of part of each of the plural game data storage means.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link data storage means and the plural game data storage means are comprising of one or plural memories, and a storage area relating to the link data storage means and a storage area relating to the plural game data storage means are separately provided in the one or plural memories.

7. A program to cause a computer to function as:

plural game data storage means;

replication source determination means for determining replication source game data storage means among the plural game data storage means;

replication target determination means for determining replication target game data storage means among the plural game data storage means;

replication means for storing game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of game data stored in the replication source game data storage means; and

link data storage means for storing link data to correlate two game data storage means with each other, the program being characterized in that

each of the plural game data storage means stores original item data relating to an original item and replica item data relating to a replica item, and

the replication means stores the game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of the game data stored in the replication source game data storage means so that a sum of the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the replication source game data storage means and the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication source game data storage means becomes the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication target game data storage means, and stores the link data to correlate the replication target game data storage means with the replication source game data storage means into the link data storage means.

10. An information storage medium storing a program recited in claim 7.

8. A control method of a game apparatus, comprising:

a replication source determination step of determining replication source game data storage means among plural game data storage means;

a replication target determination step of determining replication target game data storage means among the plural game data storage means; and

a replication step of storing game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of game data stored in the replication source game data storage means, the control method of the game apparatus being characterized in that

at the replication step, the game data is stored into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of the game data stored in the replication source game data storage means so that a sum of the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the replication source game data storage means and the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication source game data storage means becomes the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication target game data storage means, and link data to correlate the replication target game data storage means with the replication source game data storage means is stored into the link data storage means.

9. A program delivery apparatus comprising an information storage medium storing a game program and a server, characterized in that:

a program is stored as at least part of the game program in the information storage medium, the program causing a computer to function as;

plural game data storage means;

replication source determination means for determining replication source game data storage means among the plural game data storage means;

replication target determination means for determining replication target game data storage means among the plural game data storage means;

replication means for storing game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of game data stored in the replication source game data storage means; and

link data storage means for storing link data to correlate two game data storage means with each other, and

the program being characterized in that

each of the plural game data storage means stores original item data relating to an original item and replica item data relating to a replica item, and

the replication means stores the game data into the replication target game data storage means on the basis of the game data stored in the replication source game data storage means so that a sum of the number of original items relating to the original item data stored in the replication source game data storage means and the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication source game data storage means becomes the number of replica items relating to the replica item data stored in the replication target game data storage means, and stores the link data to correlate the replication target game data storage means with the replication source game data storage means into the link data storage means, and

the server reads out the game program from the information storage medium in response to a game delivery request and delivers the game program through a communication network.