Game system, game providing method, and information recording medium

• US 6,773,350 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mishina, Yoshinori, Yoshimi, Tetsuya, Tanaka, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicolas, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US09/915,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/42, 463/43, 463/44, 700/91, 700/92
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

A game is provided based on real data which changes with time reflecting phenomena occurring in real life. In a game system 10 for providing a virtual stock trade game to players base on the real life stock price data, stock price data is obtained in almost real time from a broker etc., and stock virtually owned by the player in a game space corresponding to real life is evaluated by the stock price data. By allowing the players to compete for a time period until a target total asset value is achieved, a new player can compete under almost the same circumstances as the preceding players regardless of the timing at which they started participating in the game.

Claims

1. A game system for providing a game to each of a plurality of players based on real data which changes with time reflecting phenomena occurring in real life, said system comprising:

real data obtaining means for obtaining said real data;

game participation receiving means for receiving game participation at an arbitrary timing from each of a plurality of players;

current condition data storing means for storing the current condition data which represents the current condition of each player in a game space corresponding to said real life space;

current condition evaluating means for evaluating said current condition data for each player based on said real data obtained by said real data obtaining means;

efficiency information producing means for producing efficiency information for a player whose evaluation of said current condition data satisfies a predetermined condition, said efficiency information representing the efficiency of the player until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data for the player; and

efficiency informing means for informing at least some of said plurality of players, of information based on said efficiency information produced by said efficiency information producing means;

wherein

each player competes for the efficiency until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said efficiency information calculating means calculates the time period until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data as said efficiency information.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein

said efficiency information calculating means includes means for storing a timing when each player started playing said game, and calculates the time period until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data based on the stored timing and the timing when said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said current condition evaluating means evaluates said current condition data based on the most recent real data obtained by said real data obtaining means.

5. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said real data is the market price data related to a venture target;

said current condition data is data representing said venture target virtually owned by the players in said game space; and

said game system is configured as virtual venture trading game system.

6. A game system for providing a game to each of a plurality of players based on common data which changes with time, said system comprising:

common data obtaining means for obtaining said common data;

game participation receiving means for receiving game participation at an arbitrary timing from each of a plurality of players;

current condition data storing means for storing the current condition data which represents the current condition of each player in a game space;

current condition evaluating means for evaluating said current condition data for each player based on said common data obtained by said common data obtaining means;

efficiency information producing means for producing efficiency information for a player whose evaluation of said current condition data satisfies a predetermined condition, said efficiency information representing the efficiency of the player until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data for the player; and

efficiency informing means for informing at least some of said plurality of players, of information based on said efficiency information produced by said efficiency information producing means;

wherein

each player competes for the efficiency until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data.

7. A game providing method for providing a game to each of a plurality of players based on common data which changes with time said method comprising:

a common data obtaining step for obtaining said common data;

a game participation receiving step for receiving the game participation at an arbitrary timing from each of the plurality of players;

a current condition data storing step for storing current condition data, which represents the current condition of each player in a game space, in storing means;

a current condition evaluating step for evaluating said current condition data of each player based on said common data obtained in said common data obtaining step;

an efficiency information producing step for producing efficiency information for a player whose evaluation of said current condition data satisfies a predetermined condition, said efficiency information representing the efficiency of the player until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation of said current condition data of the player; and

an efficiency informing step for informing at least some of said plurality of players, of information based on said efficiency information produced in said efficiency information producing step;

wherein

each player competes for the efficiency until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data.

8. An information recording medium for recording a program which causes a computer to function as a game system for providing a game to each of a plurality of players based on common data which changes with time, said information recording medium recording a program which causes a computer to execute the steps of:

obtaining said common data;

receiving game participation at an arbitrary timing from each of the plurality of players;

storing current condition data, which represents the current condition of each player in a game space, in storing means;

evaluating said current condition data of each player based on said common data obtained at said common data obtaining step;

producing efficiency information for a player whose evaluation of said current condition data satisfies a predetermined condition, said efficiency information representing the efficiency of the player until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation of said current condition data of the player; and

informing at least some of said plurality of players, of information based on said efficiency information produced at said efficiency information producing step;

wherein

each player competes for the efficiency until said predetermined condition is satisfied by the evaluation for said current condition data.