NETWORK GAME SYSTEM AND PROGRAM

• US 20090137320A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KIMURA, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• 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 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1089 Hierarchical topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Disclosed is a network game system that allows a plurality of players to enter a network game without imposing a lot of load on a server apparatus for managing the entire progress of the network game. A game is played in different battle zones, and video game apparatuses which play the game in the same battle zone form each of video game apparatus groups. A server apparatus designates one of the video game apparatuses belonging to each of the video game apparatus groups as a front end server. The video game apparatus designated as the front end server controls decision of motions of non-player characters, calculation of change values of parameters of player characters, and transmission/reception of information regarding the progress of the game between the video game apparatuses belonging to each of the video game apparatus groups in a unified manner. Transmission of information regarding the progress state of the game in each battle zone to the server apparatus is performed in a unified manner. Designation of the front end server is changed for every predetermined time.

Claims

1. A network game system comprising:

a server apparatus; and

a client group that has a plurality of client apparatuses, which are connectable to the server apparatus through a predetermined network and are connectable to each other through the predetermined network, but not through the server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus includes

a connection state management unit that manages the connection state of each of the plurality of client apparatuses,

a game progress state management unit that manages the progress state of a game in each of the plurality of client apparatuses,

an execution client designation unit that designates an optional client apparatus from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group as an execution client for executing a predetermined processing from among processing for the progress of the game, and gives notice of information regarding designation of the execution client to the designated client apparatus through the predetermined network,

a management client designation unit that designates an optional client apparatus from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group as a management client for exchanging information regarding the progress of the game in the client group, and gives notice of information regarding designation of the management client to the designated client apparatus through the predetermined network,

a game progress information receiving unit that receives the game progress information in the client group from the management client designated by the management client designation unit, and

a game progress state update unit that, on the basis of the game progress information received by the game progress information receiving unit, updates the progress state of the game in each of the plurality of client apparatuses being managed by the game progress state management unit,

each of the plurality of client apparatuses includes

an input unit that performs a predetermined input for the progress of the game in accordance with an operation of a player,

a predetermined processing execution unit that, when a corresponding client apparatus is designated as the execution client by the execution client designation unit, executes the predetermined processing,

a within-client-group transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives game input information based on an input from the input unit with respect to each of the client apparatuses belonging to the client group and game information within the client group based on game execution information regarding execution of the predetermined processing by the predetermined processing execution unit to and from other client apparatuses belonging to the client group through the predetermined network, and

an outside-client-group transmitting unit that, when a corresponding client apparatus is designated as the management client by the management client designation unit, transmits the game progress information based on the game input information with respect to each of the client apparatuses belonging to the client group and the game execution information to the server apparatus through the predetermined network, and

the execution client designation unit changes a client apparatus to be designated as the execution client from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group for every predetermined period.

2. The network game system according to claim 1,

wherein the client apparatus designated as the execution client by the execution client designation unit and a client apparatus designated as the management client by the management client designation unit are the same client apparatus.

3. The network game system according to claim 1,

wherein the execution client designation unit includes a multiple designation unit that designates two or more client apparatuses from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group as the execution client.

4. The network game system according to claim 1,

wherein the server apparatus further includes a disconnection determination unit that determines whether or not communication with at least the client apparatus designated as the execution client from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group is disconnected, and

if it is determined by the disconnection determination unit that communication with the client apparatus designated as the execution client is disconnected, the execution client designation unit designates another client apparatus belonging to the client group as the execution client.

5. The network game system according to claim 1,

wherein the network game system further includes an outside-group client apparatus that is connectable to an optical client apparatus belonging to the client group through the predetermined network, but not through the server apparatus,

each of the plurality of client apparatuses includes an outside-client-group transmitting unit that transmits the game information within the client group to another client apparatus not belonging to the client group,

the outside-group client apparatus includes

a game-information-within-client-group receiving unit that receives the game information within the client group from the outside-client-group transmitting unit, and

a game progress state output unit that, on the basis of the game information within the client group received by the game-information-within-client-group receiving unit, outputs information representing the progress state of the game in the client group.

6. A program that causes a computer apparatus, which is connectable to each of client apparatuses belonging to a client group through a predetermined network, the client group having a plurality of client apparatuses being connectable to each other through the predetermined network, but not through the other computer apparatus, to function as:

a connection state management unit that manages the connection state of each of the plurality of client apparatuses;

a game progress state management unit that manages the progress state of a game in each of the plurality of client apparatuses;

an execution client designation unit that designates an optional client apparatus from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group as an execution client for executing a predetermined processing from among processing for the progress of the game, and gives notice of information regarding designation of the execution client to the designated client apparatus through the predetermined network;

a management client designation unit that designates an optional client apparatus from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group as a management client for exchanging information regarding the progress of the game in the client group, and gives notice of information regarding designation of the management client to the designated client apparatus through the predetermined network;

a game progress information receiving unit that receives the game progress information in the client group from the management client designated by the management client designation unit; and

a game progress state update unit that, on the basis of the game progress information received by the game progress information receiving unit, updates the progress state of the game in each of the plurality of client apparatuses being managed by the game progress state management unit, and

the execution client designation unit changes a client apparatus to be designated as the execution client from among the plurality of client apparatuses belonging to the client group for every predetermined period.

7. A program that causes a computer apparatus, which is connectable to a server apparatus through a predetermined network and is connectable to other computer apparatuses belonging to the same computer apparatus group through the predetermined network, but not through the server apparatus, to function as:

an input acceptance unit that accepts a predetermined input for the progress of a game input from an input unit by an operation of a player;

a predetermined processing execution unit that, when the computer apparatus from among the computer apparatuses belonging to the computer apparatus group is designated as an execution computer apparatus for executing a predetermined processing from among processing for the progress of the game, executes the predetermined processing on the basis of a notice from the server apparatus;

a within-group transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives game input information based on the input accepted by the input acceptance unit and game information within the group based on game execution information regarding execution of the predetermined processing by the predetermined processing execution unit to and from other computer apparatuses belonging to the computer apparatus group through the predetermined network; and

an outside-group transmitting unit that, when the computer apparatus is designated as a management computer apparatus for exchanging information regarding the progress of the game in the computer apparatus group with the server apparatus, transmits the game input information with respect to each of the computer apparatuses belonging to the computer apparatus group and the game progress information based on the game execution information to the server apparatus through the predetermined network on the basis of a notice from the server apparatus.