Video game control system and a video game control server

• US 7,722,467 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushi Kaisha Square ENIX
• Inventors: Tabata, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/855,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 5, 463 7- 13, 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463 29- 34, 463 36- 42, 463 49- 57, 345/4, 348/739, 315291-292, 434/130, 434/305, 846/09, 846/19, 273/145.R, 273/147, 273/141.A, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/317.1, 273/340, 273/348, 273361-367, 273454-456, 273460-461, 709203-207, 709217-219, 709/225, 709/FOR.106, 709/FOR.115, 709/FOR.122, 709/FOR.130, 709/FOR.131, 709/FOR.132, 709/FOR.141, 709/FOR.148, 709/FOR.149, 709/FOR.153, 715/706, 715/738, 715/744, 715/757, 715/758, 715762-764, 704/E15.047
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

When usage command information is received from any one of player terminals, an integrated attack determiner determines whether or not an attack action by an attack command is to be an integrated attack action, in which the attack actions by the attack commands included in a usage history are integrated, on the basis of a current position of the user terminal. The integrated attack determiner also determines attack power specification information capable of specifying the attack power in the case where it is determined that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action. An attack instruction information transmitter transmits attack instruction information indicating a determination result of the integrated attack determiner to the player terminal. A usage history information updater updates the usage history information by adding the received usage command information to the usage history of the attack commands.

Claims

1. A video game control system, comprising:

a plurality of player terminals respectively operated by a plurality of players, a video game being played on each of the plurality of player terminals; and

a video game control server that controls at least part of a progress of the video game via a communication network,

wherein each of the plurality of player terminals comprises;

an attack command receiver that receives a specification of an attack command that specifies an attack action that a player character is caused to execute against an enemy character by an attack specification operation by a specific player of the plurality of players;

a position measurer that measures a current position of a specific player terminal of the specific player when the attack command receiver receives the specification of the attack command;

a usage command information transmitter that transmits usage command information to the video game control server from the specific player terminal via the communication network, the usage command information including attack command information indicating an attack command received by the attack command receiver, current position information indicating a current position of the specific player terminal measured by the position measurer and player identification information for uniquely identifying the specific player; and

an attack command executor that causes the player character to execute the attack action, specified on the basis of the attack command received by the attack command receiver, against the enemy character,

wherein the video game control server comprises;

a usage history information memory that stores the usage command information received from each of the plurality of player terminals and that stores a usage history of attack commands for each of the plurality of player terminals, the usage history of attack commands including attack commands executed by the plurality of player terminals;

an integrated attack determiner that determines, when usage command information is received from the specific player terminal of the plurality of player terminals, whether the attack command included in the usage command information indicates an integrated attack action;

the integrated attack determiner further determining, when it is determined that the attack command indicates the integrated attack action, at least one of attack power information indicating an attack power of the integrated attack action and attack power specification information that specifies the attack power;

an attack instruction information transmitter that transmits attack instruction information indicating a determination result of the integrated attack determiner to the specific player terminal which has transmitted the usage command information; and

a usage history information updater that updates the usage history information by adding the usage command information received from the specific player terminal to the usage history of the attack commands,

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack command that specifies the attack action to be executed against the enemy character indicates an integrated attack action by comparing the attack command information and the current position information included in the usage command information transmitted from the specific player terminal to the video game control server with the usage history of attack commands of the plurality of player terminals that are stored in the usage history information memory and that were executed by the plurality of player terminals at a position located within a predetermined distance of the current position of the specific player terminal, and

wherein the attack command executor causes the player character controlled by the specific player terminal to execute the integrated attack action against the enemy character when the specific player terminal receives, from the video game control server, the attack instruction information including information that it is determined that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action, the attack power of the integrated attack action being at least one of indicated by the attack power information and specified by the attack power specification information.

2. The video game control system according to claim 1, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action when more than a predetermined number of attack commands, each of which is identical to the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the usage command information received from the specific player terminal and that have been used within a predetermined distance range from the current position of the specific player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information, are included in the usage history indicated by the usage history information, and

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information so that the attack power of the integrated attack action gradually increases in accordance with the number of the included attack commands that exceed the predetermined number.

3. The video game control system according to claim 2, wherein the integrated action determiner refers to the usage histories registered in the usage history information other than the usage history of the attack command for the specific player terminal that has transferred the usage command information to the video game control server.

4. The video game control system according to claim 2, wherein the video game control server further comprises a virtual usage history information memory for storing virtual usage history information indicating a usage history of an attack command virtually created, and

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack action is to be the integrated attack action using the virtual usage history information in place of the usage history information in the case where the current position of the player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information is positioned within a specific area.

5. The video game control system according to claim 4, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack action is to be the integrated attack action using the usage history in the virtual usage history information in the case where the number of the usage histories of the attack command in the usage history information is less than a predetermined number.

6. The video game control system according to claim 2, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information using a table for determination of attack power specification information in which the number of the corresponding attack commands is associated with the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information.

7. The video game control system according to claim 1, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action when more than a predetermined number of attack commands, each of which is identical to the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the usage command information received from the specific player terminal and that have been used within a predetermined distance range from the current position of the specific player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information and within a predetermined period of time, are included in the usage history indicated by the usage history information, and

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the attack power specification information so that the attack power of the integrated attack action gradually increases in accordance with the number of the included attack commands that exceed the predetermined number.

8. The video game control system according to claim 1, wherein the position measurer measures the current position of the player terminal on the basis of positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites.

9. The video game control system according to claim 1, wherein the usage history information includes used attack command information indicating an attack command that has been used, usage position information indicating the position of the player terminal when the attack command is used, usage time information indicating time when the attack command is used, and the player identification information, and

wherein the usage history information updater creates additional information to the usage history information by specifying the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the received usage command information as the used attack command information, specifying the position information indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information as the usage position information, adding the player identification information included in the received usage command information and determining the usage time information on the basis of reception of the usage command information, and updates the usage history information.

10. A video game control server for controlling at least part of a progress of a video game via a communication network, the video game being played on each of a plurality of player terminals, the plurality of player terminals being respectively operated by a plurality of players, the video game control server comprising:

a usage history information memory that stores usage history information received from each of the plurality of player terminals and that stores a usage history of attack commands for each of the plurality of player terminals, the usage history of attack commands including attack commands executed by the plurality of player terminals, the attack commands indicating attack actions that player characters executed against enemy characters;

an integrated attack determiner that determines, when usage command information is received from a specific player terminal of the plurality of player terminals, whether an attack command that indicates an attack action that a player character is to execute against an enemy character and that is included in the usage command information indicates an integrated attack action,

the integrated attack determiner further determining, when it is determined that the attack command indicates the integrated attack action, at least one of attack power information indicating an attack power of the integrated attack action and attack power specification information that specifies the attack power;

an attack instruction information transmitter that transmits attack instruction information indicating a determination result of the integrated attack determiner to the specific player terminal which has transmitted the usage command information, so that the player character controlled by the specific player terminal is caused to execute the integrated attack action, in which the attack power of the integrated attack action is at least one of indicated by the attack power information and specified by the attack power specification information, against the enemy character; and

a usage history information updater that updates the usage history information by adding the received usage command information to the usage history of the attack commands,

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack command that specifies the attack action to be executed against the enemy character indicates an integrated attack action by comparing the attack command information and the current position information included in the usage command information transmitted from the specific player terminal to the video game control server with the usage history of attack commands of the plurality of player terminals that are stored in the usage history information memory and that were executed by the plurality of player terminals at a position located within a predetermined distance of the current position of the specific player terminal.

11. The video game control server according to claim 10, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action when more than a predetermined number of attack commands, each of which is identical to the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the usage command information received from the specific player terminal and that have been used within a predetermined distance range from the current position of the specific player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information, are included in the usage history indicated by the usage history information, and

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information so that the attack power of the integrated attack action gradually increases in accordance with the number of the included attack commands that exceed the predetermined number.

12. The video game control server according to claim 11, wherein the integrated action determiner refers to the usage histories registered in the usage history information other than the usage history of the attack command for the specific player terminal that has transferred the usage command information to the video game control server.

13. The video game control server according to claim 11, further comprising a virtual usage history information memory that stores virtual usage history information indicating a usage history of an attack command virtually created,

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack action is to be the integrated attack action using the virtual usage history information in place of the usage history information in the case where the current position of the player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information is positioned within a specific area.

14. The video game control server according to claim 13, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines whether the attack action is to be the integrated attack action using the usage history in the virtual usage history information in the case where the number of the usage histories of the attack command in the usage history information is less than a predetermined number.

15. The video game control server according to claim 11, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information using a table for determination of attack power specification information in which the number of the corresponding attack commands is associated with the at least one of the attack power information and the attack power specification information.

16. The video game control server according to claim 10, wherein the integrated attack determiner determines that the attack action is to be the integrated attack action when more than a predetermined number of attack commands, each of which is identical to the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the usage command information received from the specific player terminal and that have been used within a predetermined distance range from the current position of the specific player terminal indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information and within a predetermined period of time, are included in the usage history indicated by the usage history information, and

wherein the integrated attack determiner determines the attack power specification information so that the attack power of the integrated attack action gradually increases in accordance with the number of the included attack commands that exceed the predetermined number.

17. The video game control server according to claim 10, wherein the position measurer measures the current position of the player terminal on the basis of positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites.

18. The video game control server according to claim 10, wherein the usage history information includes used attack command information indicating an attack command that has been used, usage position information indicating the position of the player terminal when the attack command is used, usage time information indicating time when the attack command is used, and the player identification information, and

wherein the usage history information updater creates additional information to the usage history information by specifying the attack command indicated by the attack command information included in the received usage command information as the used attack command information, specifying the position information indicated by the current position information included in the received usage command information as the usage position information, adding the player identification information included in the received usage command information and determining the usage time information on the basis of reception of the usage command information, and updates the usage history information.