GAME SYSTEM AND GAME CONTROL METHOD

• US 20090181740A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Uchida, Hiroyuki, Tsutsui, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 8,142,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A game system for executing a competition game in which a plurality of players compete. The game system comprises a competition score storing unit; a handicap information storing unit; a matching control unit; a rank deciding unit; a handicap selecting unit; a handicap deciding unit; and a handicap setting unit. The game system allows players of different levels to enjoy a game together.

Claims

1. A game system for executing a competition game in which a plurality of players compete comprising:

a competition score storing unit which stores competition scores of competitions of one player with the other players with respect to each of the other players;

a handicap information storing unit which stores handicap information of a plurality of handicaps which vary a difficulty of winning the competition game for said one payer vs. a competitor;

a matching control unit which matches one of the other players as a competitor with said one player, based on a competition request input of said one player;

a rank deciding unit which reads the competition score of said competitor from the competition score storing unit, and, based on the competition scores, judges whether the rank of said one player is higher or lower with respect to said competitor and the rank difference between said one player and said competitor;

a handicap selecting unit which, based on the rank difference, decides a plural of handicaps which can be set in the competition game, presents the decided plural handicaps to the lower rank player in said one player and said competitor, and permits the lower rank player to select one from the presented plural handicaps;

a handicap deciding unit which presents to the higher rank player in said one player and said competitor the handicap selected by the lower rank player, and permits the higher rank player to decide whether or not the higher rank player accepts the selected handicap; and

a handicap setting unit which reads the handicap information corresponding to the handicap decided by the handicap deciding unit from the handicap information storing unit and, based on the handicap information, sets the handicap of the competition game.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

the handicaps decided based on the rank difference by the handicap selecting unit contain a handicap that there is no handicap.

3. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

the matching control unit presents to said one player the information of said one of the other players to be matched with said one player to make said one player select whether or not the matching with said one of the other players is acceptable, and, when said one player accepts the matching with said one of the other players, sets said one of the other players as the competitor.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

a the matching control unit further comprises

a preferential matching unit which, when said one of the other players is matched with said one player, preferentially matches the player who has been recorded in said competition score of said one player.

5. A game system according to claim 1, further comprising

a match title indicating unit which indicates, in a display unit, a match title of the game which is decided based on the competition score of said competitor of said one player.

6. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a quiz game in which a plurality of players answer questions of a plurality of categories,

a question constitution of the quiz game is decided based on categories selected by said plural players, and

the handicap decided based on the rank differences by the handicap selecting unit contains a handicap that the higher rank player is prohibited from selecting categories.

7. A game control method for executing a game in which a plurality of players compete, comprising:

a competition score storing step of storing competition scores of competitions of one player with the other players with respect to each of the other players;

a handicap information storing step of storing handicap information of a plurality of handicaps which vary a difficulty of winning the competition game for said one payer vs. a competitor;

a matching control step of matching one of the other players as a competitor with said one player, based on a competition request input of said one player;

a rank deciding step of reading the competition score of said competitor from the competition score storing unit, and, based on the competition scores, judging whether the rank of said one player is higher or lower with respect to said competitor and the rank difference between said one player and said competitor;

a handicap selecting step of, based on the rank difference, deciding a plural of handicaps which can be set in the competition game, presents the decided plural handicaps to the lower rank player in said one player and said competitor, and permitting the lower rank player to select one from the presented plural handicaps;

a handicap deciding step of presenting to the higher rank player in said one player and said competitor the handicap selected by the lower rank player, and permitting the higher rank player to decide whether or not the higher rank player accepts the selected handicap; and

a handicap setting step of reading the handicap information corresponding to the handicap decided by the handicap deciding unit from the handicap information storing unit and, based on the handicap information, setting the handicap of the competition game.

8. A game control method according to claim 7, wherein

the handicaps decided based on the rank difference in the handicap selecting step contain a handicap that there is no handicap.

9. A game control method according to claim 7, wherein

the matching control step comprises:

presenting to said one player the information of said one of the other players to be matched with said one player to make said one player select whether or not the matching with said one of the other players is acceptable, and,

when said one player accepts the matching with said one of the other players, setting said one of the other players as the competitor.

10. A game control method according to claim 7, wherein

a the matching control step further comprises

a preferential matching step of, when said one of the other players is matched with said one player, preferentially matching the player who has been recorded in said competition score of said one player.

11. A game control method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising

a match title indicating step of indicating, in a display unit, a match title of the game which is decided based on the competition score of said competitor of said one player.

12. A game control method according to claim 7, wherein

the game is a quiz game in which a plurality of players answer questions of a plurality of categories,

a question constitution of the quiz game is decided based on categories selected by said plural players, and

the handicap decided based on the rank differences in the handicap selecting step contains a handicap that the higher rank player is prohibited from selecting categories.