Game system and game control method

• US 8,142,270 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Tsutsui, Ryo, Uchida, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kebede, Brook
• Application Number:
  US12/351,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9- 12
• 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 player vs. a competitor;

a matching control unit which matches one of the other players as a matched 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 than the rank of said matched competitor and the rank difference between said one player and said matched competitor;

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

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

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the matching control unit further comprises a preferential matching unit which, preferentially matches said one of the other players with said one player because said one of the other players 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 matched competitor of said one player.

6. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the game is a quiz game in which the 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 plurality of players, and the handicap that is decided based on the rank difference by the handicap selecting unit prohibits the higher rank one of said one player and matched competitor from selecting categories.

7. A method for operating a game system comprising a server and a plurality of game devices, the method executing a game in which a plurality of players compete, each of the plurality of players competing at a respective one of the plurality of game devices, said method comprising:

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

a matching control step of matching one of the other players as a matched 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 matched 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 than the rank of said matched competitor and the rank difference between said one player and said matched competitor;

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

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

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

wherein the above-recited steps are carried out by the server and at least one of the plurality of game devices.

8. The 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. The 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 matched competitor.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the matching control step further comprises a preferential matching step of, preferentially matching said one of the other players with said one player because said one of the other players has been recorded in said competition score of said one player.

11. The 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 matched competitor of said one player.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the game is a quiz game in which the 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 plurality of players, and the handicap that is decided based on the rank difference in the handicap selecting step prohibits the higher rank one of said one player and matched competitor from selecting categories.