NETWORK BREEDING GAME SYSTEM, BREEDING GAME SERVER APPARATUS AND BREEDING GAME TERMINAL APPARATUS, CHARACTER DISPLAY METHOD, TOGETHER WITH PROGRAM AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20080045285A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujito, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• 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 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi

Abstract

In a network game system, as well as causing a player to appreciate a growth of a character in accordance with an elapsing of time, to cause the player not to feel a strangeness either in a display of a character which another player is breeding. A visible range of a hypothetical space displayed on a display device for each player participating in a network game is managed. Also, a plurality of parameters, including a number of breeding days, strength, stamina and judgment, are set in a breeding character which each player breeds, and managed in a server apparatus. Although the number of breeding days is updated at a daily prescribed time, the strength, the stamina and the judgment are updated in accordance with details of breeding which each player has carried out for the breeding character. Information relating to a breeding character included in the visible range of each player, regardless of whether the relevant player breeds it or another player breeds it, is included in visible range information transmitted from the server apparatus.

Claims

1. A network breeding game system comprising:

a server apparatus; and

a plurality of terminal apparatuses, each of which may be connected to or disconnected from a relevant server apparatus via a network, each player using an individual terminal apparatus to breed a character, wherein

the server apparatus includes;

a character information storage unit which stores, for every character of each player, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space;

a visible range information storage unit which stores, for every player of a terminal apparatus which is in a connected condition, visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with the relevant player implementing the game;

a breeding time measurement unit which measures a time elapsing from a start of breeding of each character;

a major portion parameter update unit which updates the major portion parameters in accordance with only the time elapsing from the start of breeding of the character of each player measured by the breeding time measurement unit;

a breeding information reception unit which receives breeding information indicating details of breeding carried out in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player in the individual terminal apparatus;

a non-major portion parameter update unit which updates, for the character indicated by the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit, the non-major portion parameters in accordance with the relevant breeding information; and

a visible object information transmission unit which transmits visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information stored in the visible range information storage unit, to each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, regardless of whether they are the characters of the relevant player, and wherein

each terminal apparatus includes;

a character breeding unit which carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player using the relevant terminal apparatus;

a breeding information transmission unit which transmits the breeding information according to the details of the breeding of the character carried out by the character breeding unit to the server apparatus;

a visible object information reception unit which receives the visible object information transmitted from the visible object information transmission unit; and

a character display unit which displays, on a display device, a character of which the appearance configuration of the major portions corresponds to the major portion parameters included in the relevant visible object information, regardless of whether it is the character of the relevant player, in accordance with the position of the character included in the visible object information received by the visible object information reception unit.

2. The network breeding game system according to claim 1, wherein

the character information storage unit stores ancillary portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of ancillary portions of the relevant character as the non-major portion parameters,

the visible object information transmission unit transmits visible object information which further includes the ancillary portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit for all the characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information, and

the character display unit displays a character of which the appearance configuration of the ancillary portions corresponds to the ancillary portion parameters of the character included in the visible object information received by the visible object information reception unit.

3. The network breeding game system according to claim 1, wherein

the character breeding unit, when a connection between the terminal apparatus and the server apparatus is severed, carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player.

4. The network breeding game system according to claim 3, wherein

the character breeding unit, when the terminal apparatus is connected to the server apparatus, carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with the instruction given by the operation of the player.

5. The network breeding game system according to claim 1, wherein

each terminal apparatus includes:

a breeding plan selection unit which, when connected to the server apparatus, selects a breeding plan of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player; and

a breeding plan transmission unit which transmits the breeding plan selected by the breeding plan selection unit, and

the character breeding unit carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player based on the breeding plan selected by the breeding plan selection unit, wherein

the server apparatus further includes a breeding plan reception unit which receives the breeding plan transmitted from the breeding plan transmission unit, and

the non-major portion parameter update unit updates the non-major portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit for the character corresponding to the relevant breeding information, in accordance with the breeding plan received by the breeding plan reception unit and the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit.

6. The network breeding game system according to claim 1, wherein

the server apparatus further includes:

a breeding plan selection unit which selects a breeding plan for each player to carry out the breeding of the character in each player'"'"'s terminal apparatus; and

a breeding plan transmission unit which transmits the breeding plan selected by the breeding plan selection unit to the terminal apparatus of the relevant player, and

each terminal apparatus further includes a breeding plan reception unit which receives the breeding plan transmitted from the breeding plan transmission unit, wherein

the character breeding unit carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player based on the breeding plan received by the breeding plan reception unit, and

the non-major portion parameter update unit updates the non-major portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit for the character corresponding to the relevant breeding information, in accordance with the breeding plan selected by the breeding plan selection unit and the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit.

7. The network breeding game system according to claim 5, wherein

the non-major portion parameter update unit, including a breeding success determination unit which determines, based on the breeding plan selected as the breeding plan of the character and the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit, whether the breeding of the character according to the relevant breeding plan has succeeded, updates the non-major portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit in accordance with a determination result of the relevant breeding success determination unit.

8. The network breeding game system according to claim 7, wherein

the character breeding unit includes a non-plan breeding unit, which carries out breeding for the character unconnected with the breeding plan, and a plan breeding unit which carries out breeding for the character in accordance with the breeding plan, and

the non-major portion parameters include at least non-plan parameters, which are updated in accordance with breeding information corresponding to the breeding carried out unconnected with the breeding plan, and plan parameters which are updated in accordance with only breeding information corresponding to the breeding carried out in accordance with the breeding plan, wherein

the breeding plan success determination unit, being further based on the non-plan parameters, determines whether the breeding of the character according to the relevant breeding plan has succeeded.

9. The network breeding game system according to claim 5, wherein

the server apparatus further includes a breeding information storage unit which stores the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit along with the breeding plan corresponding to the relevant breeding information, and

the parameter update unit, when a prescribed event has occurred during an implementation of a game, updates the parameters of the character in accordance with the breeding plan and breeding information stored in the breeding information storage unit.

10. The network breeding game system according to claim 1, wherein

the server apparatus further includes:

a character competition unit which causes the characters of the players of the plurality of terminal apparatuses in the connected condition to compete in accordance with the non-major portion parameters stored in the parameter storage unit of the server.

11. A breeding game server apparatus, which may be connected to or disconnected from at least one of a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, in which each player using an individual terminal apparatus breeds a character, the apparatus comprising:

a character information storage unit which stores, for every character of each player, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space;

a visible range information storage unit which stores, for every player of a terminal apparatus which is in a connected condition, visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with the relevant player implementing the game;

a breeding time measurement unit which measures a time elapsing from a start of breeding of each character;

a major portion parameter update unit which updates the major portion parameters in accordance with only the time elapsing from the start of breeding of the character of each player measured by the breeding time measurement unit;

a breeding information reception unit which receives breeding information indicating details of breeding carried out in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player in the individual terminal apparatus;

a non-major portion parameter update unit which updates, for the character indicated by the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit, the non-major portion parameters in accordance with the relevant breeding information; and

a visible object information transmission unit which transmits visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters stored in the character information storage unit for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information stored in the visible range information storage unit, to each of the terminal apparatuses in the connected condition, regardless of whether or not they are the characters of the relevant player.

12. A breeding game terminal apparatus, which may be connected to or disconnected from, via a network, a server apparatus which, as well as managing, for every character of a plurality of players, including characters of other players, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space, manages visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with a player implementing the game, in which the player breeds a character, the apparatus comprising:

a character breeding unit which carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player;

a breeding information transmission unit which transmits breeding information according to details of the breeding of the character carried out by the character breeding unit to the server apparatus;

a visible object information reception unit which receives visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters of each character for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information managed in the server apparatus, regardless of whether they are the characters of the relevant player, from the server apparatus; and

a character display unit which displays, on a display device, a character of which the appearance configuration of the major portions corresponds to the major portion parameters included in the relevant visible object information, regardless of whether it is the character of the relevant player, in accordance with the position of the character included in the visible object information received by the visible object information reception unit.

13. A character display method executed in a server apparatus, which may be connected to or disconnected from at least one of a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, as well as each player using an individual terminal apparatus breeding a character, displaying a character bred by each player on a display device included in each terminal apparatus, the method comprising:

in the server apparatus, storing, for every character of each player, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space, in a storage unit included in the relevant server apparatus, and managing it;

in the server apparatus, storing, for every player of a terminal apparatus which is in a connected condition with the relevant server apparatus, visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with the relevant player implementing the game, in the storage unit and managing it;

in the server apparatus, measuring a time elapsing from a start of breeding of each character with a time measurement unit included in the server apparatus;

in the server apparatus, updating the major portion parameters stored in the storage unit and managed, in accordance only with the time elapsing from the start of breeding of the character of each player;

in each terminal apparatus, carrying out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player of an operation unit included in the relevant terminal apparatus;

transmitting breeding information, indicating details of breeding carried out in accordance with the instruction given by the operation of the player in each terminal apparatus, from a terminal side communication unit included in each terminal apparatus, and causing it to be received by a server side communication unit included in the server apparatus;

in the server apparatus, updating the non-major portion parameters, stored in the storage unit in accordance with the relevant breeding information and managed, for the character indicated by the received breeding information;

transmitting visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters, stored in the storage unit and managed, for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information stored in the storage unit and managed, to each terminal apparatus in the connected condition, regardless of whether or not they are the characters of the relevant player, from the server side communication unit, and causing it to be received by the terminal side communication unit; and

displaying, on a display device, a character of which the appearance configuration of the major portions corresponds to the major portion parameters included in the relevant visible object information, regardless of whether or not it is the character of the relevant player, in accordance with the position of the character included in the visible object information, in the terminal apparatus which has received the visible object information.

14. A program executed in a computer device, which may be connected to or disconnected from at least one of a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, for each player using an individual terminal apparatus to breed a character, the program causing the computer device to function as:

a character information management unit which stores and manages, for every character of each player, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space, in a storage unit included in the computer device;

a visible range information management unit which stores and manages, for every player of a terminal apparatus which is in a connected condition, visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with the relevant player implementing the game, in a storage unit included in the computer device;

a breeding time measurement unit which measures a time elapsing from a start of breeding of each character;

a major portion parameter update unit which updates the major portion parameters in accordance with only the time elapsing from the start of breeding of the character of each player measured by the breeding time measurement unit;

a breeding information reception unit which receives breeding information indicating details of breeding carried out in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player in the individual terminal apparatus;

a non-major portion parameter update unit which updates, for the character indicated by the breeding information received by the breeding information reception unit, the non-major portion parameters in accordance with the relevant breeding information; and

a visible object information transmission unit which transmits visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters managed by the character information management unit for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information managed by the visible range information management unit, to each terminal apparatus in the connected condition, regardless of whether they are the characters of the relevant player.

15. A program executed in a computer device, which may be connected to or disconnected from, via a network, a server apparatus which, as well as managing, for every character of a plurality of players, including characters of other players, major portion parameters indicating an appearance configuration of major portions of the relevant character, non-major portion parameters other than the relevant major portion parameters, and a position in which each character exists in a game space, manages visible range information which can specify a range of the game space which can become visible in accordance with a player implementing the game, in which the player breeds a character, the program causing the computer device to function as:

a character breeding unit which carries out the breeding of the character in accordance with an instruction given by an operation of the player;

a breeding information transmission unit which transmits breeding information according to details of the breeding of the character carried out by the character breeding unit to the server apparatus;

a visible object information reception unit which receives visible object information, including the position and major portion parameters of each character for all characters included in the range of the game space specified by the visible range information managed in the server apparatus, regardless of whether or not they are the characters of the relevant player, from the server apparatus; and

a character display unit which displays, on a display device, a character of which the appearance configuration of the major portions corresponds to the major portion parameters included in the relevant visible object information, regardless of whether it is the character of the relevant player, in accordance with the position of the character included in the visible object information received by the visible object information reception unit.