INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM, SERVER, SYSTEM, AND TERMINAL

• US 20120309504A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: ISOZAKI, Mitsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US13/425,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• 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 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A system determines whether or not a game played by a user has satisfied a game over condition based on a first game parameter of the game, and transmits a payment request to the SNS server when it has been determined that the game has satisfied the game over condition, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game from the credit balance of the user that is stored in a database managed by the SNS server.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program that provides a service for playing a game by using a terminal that is connected to a game server via a network, the program causing a computer to function as:

a communication control section that exchanges data with a social networking service (SNS) server and the terminal via the network, the SNS server providing a given SNS; and

a game processing section that allows a user to play the game,

the game processing section including;

a game over determination section that determines whether or not the game played by the user has satisfied a game over condition based on a first game parameter of the game, presents an amount charged when the user continues to play the game when it has been determined that the game has satisfied the game over condition, and inquires of the user whether or not to continue to play the game; and

a payment processing section that transmits a payment request to the SNS server by using an application programming interface (API) provided by the given SNS when the user desires to continue to play the game, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game from a credit balance of the user that is stored in a database managed by the SNS server.

2. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the game processing section includes a price setting section that sets or changes the amount charged when the user continues to play the game based on a value of a predetermined game parameter, occurrence of a predetermined event, or a game situation.

3. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the game processing section resets the first game parameter so that the user can continue to play the game when the user desires to continue to play the game, and allows the user to play the game while maintaining a second game parameter that indicates a game result.

4. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the game is a multi-player game in which a plurality of users can participate,

the game over determination section presents the amount charged when one of the plurality of users continues to play the game when it has been determined that the game played by the one of the plurality of users has satisfied the game over condition based on the first game parameter corresponding to the one of the plurality of users, and inquires of the other of the plurality of users who participates in the multi-player game whether or not to continue to play the game, and

the payment processing section transmits a payment request to the SNS server when the other of the plurality of users desires to continue to play the game that has satisfied the game over condition, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the one of the plurality of users continues to play the game from a credit balance of the other of the plurality of users that is stored in the database managed by the SNS server.

5. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the payment processing section performs an exchange process that calculates credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game, and transmits the payment request by using the calculated credits.

6. The information storage medium as defined in claim 5, wherein the payment processing section changes an exchange rate used for the exchange process either randomly or based on a predetermined algorithm.

7. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the game over determination section determines that the game has ended when the user has not answered the inquiry within a predetermined time limit.

8. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the game over determination section outputs the credit balance of the user, or comparison information about the credit balance of the user and the amount charged when the user continues to play the game, based on credit information that is stored and linked to user identification information about the user, when making the inquiry.

9. The information storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the game over determination section determines whether or not the credit balance of the user covers the amount charged when the user continues to play the game based on credit information that is stored and linked to user identification information about the user, when the user desires to continue to play the game, and inquires of the user whether or not to purchase additional credits when it has been determined that the credit balance of the user does not cover the amount charged when the user continues to play the game.

10. A server that is connected to a social networking service (SNS) server and a terminal via a network, and provides a service for playing a game, the SNS server providing a given SNS, the server comprising:

a communication control section that exchanges data with the SNS server and the terminal via the network; and

a game processing section that receives user identification information about a user who desires to play the game from the SNS server after receiving a start request for the game, and allows the user to play the game,

the game processing section including;

a game over determination section that determines whether or not the game played by the user has satisfied a game over condition based on a first game parameter of the game, presents an amount charged when the user continues to play the game when it has been determined that the game has satisfied the game over condition, and inquires of the user whether or not to continue to play the game; and

a payment processing section that transmits a payment request to the SNS server by using an application programming interface (API) provided by the given SNS when the user desires to continue to play the game, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game from a credit balance of the user that is stored in a database managed by the SNS server.

11. A system including a game server, a social networking service (SNS) server, and a terminal, and provides a service for playing a game, the game server, the SNS server, and the terminal being connected via a network, and the SNS server providing a given SNS, the system comprising:

a communication control section that exchanges data with the game server, the SNS server, and the terminal via the network; and

a game processing section that allows a user to play the game,

the game processing section including;

a game over determination section that determines whether or not the game played by the user has satisfied a game over condition based on a first game parameter of the game, presents an amount charged when the user continues to play the game when it has been determined that the game has satisfied the game over condition, and inquires of the user whether or not to continue to play the game; and

a payment processing section that transmits a payment request to the SNS server by using an application programming interface (API) provided by the given SNS when the user desires to continue to play the game, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game from a credit balance of the user that is stored in a database managed by the SNS server.

12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the game processing section includes a price setting section that sets or changes the amount charged when the user continues to play the game based on a value of a predetermined game parameter, occurrence of a predetermined event, or a game situation.

13. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the game processing section resets the first game parameter to allow the user to continue to play the game when the user desires to continue to play the game, while maintaining a second game parameter that indicates a game result.

14. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the game is a multi-player game in which a plurality of users can participate,

the game over determination section presents the amount charged when one of the plurality of users continues to play the game when it has been determined that the game played by the one of the plurality of users has satisfied the game over condition based on the first game parameter corresponding to the one of the plurality of users, and inquires of the other of the plurality of users who participates in the multi-player game whether or not to continue to play the game, and

the payment processing section transmits a payment request to the SNS server when the other of the plurality of users desires to continue to play the game that has satisfied the game over condition, the payment request requesting the SNS server to deduct credits equivalent to the amount charged when the one of the plurality of users continues to play the game from a credit balance of the other of the plurality of users that is stored in the database managed by the SNS server.

15. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the payment processing section performs an exchange process that calculates credits equivalent to the amount charged when the user continues to play the game, and transmits the payment request by using the calculated credits.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the payment processing section changes an exchange rate used for the exchange process either randomly or based on a predetermined algorithm.

17. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the game over determination section determines that the game has ended when the user has not answered the inquiry within a predetermined time limit.

18. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the game over determination section outputs the credit balance of the user, or comparison information about the credit balance of the user and the amount charged when the user continues to play the game, based on credit information that is stored and linked to user identification information about the user, when making the inquiry.

19. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the game over determination section determines whether or not the credit balance of the user covers the amount charged when the user continues to play the game based on credit information that is stored and linked to user identification information about the user, when the user desires to continue to play the game, and inquires of the user whether or not to purchase additional credits when it has been determined that the credit balance of the user does not cover the amount charged when the user continues to play the game.

20. A terminal that is included in the system as defined in claim 11, the terminal comprising:

an input information acquisition section that acquires input information input by the user;

a display section that displays a game image of the game; and

a communication control section that exchanges data with the game server via the network.