GAME RESULTS EVALUATING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20070156267A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: NOZAKI, Mitsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US11/685,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• 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 13/46 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 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

The score acquired during a game is used to provide a player with greater enjoyment after they get a game over notification. A plurality of ranks S, AI, . . . ,CIII is set and teams T1, T2, . . . are organized in each rank, wherein each team includes at least one player. Teams within a rank engage in interteam multiplayer competition. The rank of each player is updated based on the results of the multiplayer competition. The team results, which form the basis for deciding the results of the multiplayer competition, are the cumulation of the game results of the players on the team. The determination of the team results and the updating of ranks are performed with every lapse of a prescribed time period T, e.g., once a month. When the prescribed time period T elapses, the ranks of all players are updated and all teams are reorganized. The possibility that even the weak team members will be able to increase rank to a rank that is above their natural abilities increases the desire to participate in the competition. Moreover, highly skilled players try to advance and participate in the competition in order to lead their team to increase rank, as well as to increase rank themselves.

Claims

1. A game results evaluating method that tabulates game results obtained by a plurality of players who play a game, and evaluates those tabulated results, comprising:

A;

a rank setting step that sets L prescribed ranks;

B;

an initial rank determining step that assigns the plurality of players to any one of the L ranks;

C;

a team organizing step that organizes a plurality of teams, each of which includes at least one player, in each rank wherein players are assigned by the abovementioned initial rank determining step;

D;

a team results calculating step that calculates a cumulative value of the game results of the game that was played by each player assigned to each team during a prescribed time period, and calculates the results of each team during the time period based on the calculated cumulative value of the game results of each player;

E;

a rank re-determining step that uses the current ranks of each team as a reference to determine whether to rank up, rank down, or maintain the rank of each team based on its results, and redetermines the rank of each team and the rank of each player assigned to each team based on that determination; and

F;

a team reorganizing step that dissolves all of the teams in each rank wherein a team exists, and, based on the rank of each player that was re-determined by the rank re-determining step, reorganizes the players into a plurality of teams, wherein each team includes at least one player, for each rank wherein a player exists.

2. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a repeating step that repetitively performs the team results calculating step, the rank re-determining step, and the team reorganizing step with every lapse of the prescribed time period.

3. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the team reorganizing step creates a plurality of teams in each rank wherein a player exists based on the cumulative value of the game results of each player, which was calculated by the team results calculating step, during a prescribed time period.

4. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a storing step that stores, as points, the cumulative value of the game results of the game that was played by each player and the result of each team during the time period;

wherein,

the team results calculating step displays the result of each team during the time period as points;

further comprising;

a bonus managing step that, after the end of a game played by an arbitrary player PT1 on a team T1, subtracts arbitrary points P from the results of team T2, which are stored in the storing step, and adds the points P to the game results cumulative value of the player PT1, which is stored in the storing step, and to the results of the team T1 to which that player is assigned.

5. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 4, wherein

the bonus managing step maintains unaltered the game results cumulative value, which was stored in the storing step, of each player on the team T2.

6. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the initial rank determining step assigns all of the plurality of players to the lowest rank of the L ranks;

and

the rank re-determining step accepts the joining of a new player after the start of the prescribed time period and allocates the new player to any team in the lowest rank.

7. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a displaying step that displays the results of each team and/or the standing within the team of each player midway through the prescribed time period.

8. A game results evaluating method as recited in claim 7, wherein

every time the game results of an arbitrary player are output, the displaying step displays the change in that player'"'"'s team results.

9. A game results evaluating apparatus that tabulates game results obtained by a plurality of players who play a game, and evaluates those tabulated results, comprising:

A;

a rank setting unit configured to set L prescribed ranks;

B;

an initial rank determining unit configured to assign the plurality of players to any one of the L ranks;

C;

a team organizing unit configured to organize a plurality of teams, each of which includes at least one player, in each rank wherein players are assigned by the abovementioned initial rank determining unit;

D;

a team results calculating unit configured to calculate a cumulative value of the game results of the game that was played by each player assigned to each team during a prescribed time period, and calculate the results of each team during the time period based on the calculated cumulative value of the game results of each player;

E;

a rank re-determining unit configured to use the current ranks of each team as a reference to determine whether to rank up, rank down, or maintain the rank of each team based on its results, and redetermines the rank of each team and the rank of each player assigned to each team based on that determination; and

F;

a team reorganizing unit configured to dissolve all of the teams in each rank wherein a team exists, and, based on the rank of each player that was re-determined by the rank re-determining unit, reorganizes the players into a plurality of teams, wherein each team includes at least one player, for each rank wherein a player exists.

10. A game results evaluating program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that cause a computer to tabulate game results obtained by a plurality of players who play a game, and evaluate those tabulated results, the program product implementing in the computer:

A;

rank setting means that sets L prescribed ranks;

B;

initial rank determining means that assigns the plurality of players to any one of the L ranks;

C;

team organizing means that organizes a plurality of teams, each of which includes at least one player, in each rank wherein players are assigned by the abovementioned initial rank determining means;

D;

team results calculating means that calculates a cumulative value of the game results of the game that was played by each player assigned to each team during a prescribed time period, and calculates the results of each team during the time period based on the calculated cumulative value of the game results of each player;

E;

rank re-determining means that uses the current ranks of each team as a reference to determine whether to rank up, rank down, or maintain the rank of each team based on its results, and redetermines the rank of each team and the rank of each player assigned to each team based on that determination; and

F;

team reorganizing means that dissolves all of the teams in each rank wherein a team exists, and, based on the rank of each player that was re-determined by the rank re-determining means, reorganizes the players into a plurality of teams, wherein each team includes at least one player, for each rank wherein a player exists.