METHOD AND SERVER SYSTEM

• US 20130005481A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: YAMASHITA, Akira, TAGAWA, Tomomi, GOTO, Gota
• Application Number:
  US13/432,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• 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 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• 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

Abstract

When a game situation has satisfied a participation situation condition, a posting site is accessed, and a message that includes participation URL address for another person to participate in the game is automatically posted to the posting site. Another person can participate in the game played by the player by accessing the participation URL address included in the message. A participating character that has been automatically generated appears in the game played by the player. A game screen that shows the state of the game in which the other person participates is displayed on a terminal of the other person.

Claims

1. A method that causes a server system to control a process of a game played by a registered player, the method comprising:

posting a message that is posted by the registered player and includes a participation code to a posting site when a game situation of the registered player has satisfied a given participation situation condition that allows an unregistered player to participate in the game; and

changing the process of the game played when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player using the participation code.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a signal that notifies the unregistered player that the unregistered player has participated in the game played by the registered player when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

generating a character of the unregistered player when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player; and

transmitting a display control signal for a game screen in which a character of the registered player and the character of the unregistered player appear when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a display control signal for a prompt screen that prompts the unregistered player to register himself as a player after transmitting the display control signal for the game screen; and

setting the character of the unregistered player as a character that is used in the game, and giving a given benefit to the unregistered player when a signal that indicates that the unregistered player has registered himself as a player has been received.

5. The method as defined in claim 1,

the posting of the message including posting the message when the participation situation condition has been satisfied, and a signal that requests the unregistered player to participate in the game has been received from the registered player.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

posting a message that is posted by the registered player and indicates that the unregistered player has participated in the game played by the registered player to the posting site when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player.

7. A method that causes a server system to control a process of a game played by a registered player, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal that instructs the registered player to post a message that includes a participation code to a posting site when a game situation of the registered player has satisfied a given participation situation condition that allows an unregistered player to participate in the game; and

changing the process of the game played when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player using the participation code.

8. A server system comprising:

a posting section that posts a message that is posted by a registered player and includes a participation code to a posting site when a game situation of the registered player has satisfied a given participation situation condition that allows an unregistered player to participate in the game; and

a game process change section that changes a process of a game played by the registered player when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player using the participation code.

9. A server system comprising:

a posting instruction section that transmits a signal that instructs a registered player to post a message that includes a participation code to a posting site when a game situation of the registered player has satisfied a given participation situation condition that allows an unregistered player to participate in the game; and

a game process change section that changes a process of a game played by the registered player when the server system has been accessed by the unregistered player using the participation code.