Network game system and network game processing method

• US 8,287,378 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US10/889,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,017 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 700 90- 93
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• 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: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

When the game machines (2100, 2110 and 2120) join the same network game, display images necessary for the users playing in a common virtual space are displayed in the displays (2105, 2115 and 2125) of the game machines. The game machines are connected with the controllers (2109, 2119 and 2129). The users operate various operations by means of the controllers for executing the game. The user can play match against or cooperate with the users participating in a common network game, and can also communicate with the users.

Claims

1. A network game system comprising a network, a plurality of game processing terminals connected to said network and a server which receives information transmitted through said network from said game processing terminals and transmits necessary information to said game processing terminals,

wherein a visual lobby is provided in a three dimension virtual space, a battle corner is provided at a predetermined position in said visual lobby and said battle corner is a partial area of said visual lobby,

wherein characters, controlled by game processing terminals, currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner can recognize characters currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby, and characters controlled by game processing terminals currently in said battle corner inside said visual lobby can recognize characters currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner,

wherein when a first character controlled by a first game processing terminal of said plurality of game processing terminals is currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby, said first game processing terminal searches for other characters, controlled by other said game processing terminals, currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby;

wherein when said first game processing terminal finds other characters currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby, said first game processing terminal transmits to said server information necessary for grouping with said other game processing terminals controlling said other characters; and

wherein in response to said server receiving said information, said server processes grouping of said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals so that only said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals play a specific game on the network.

4. The network game system of claim 1, wherein characters positioned in the battle corner are grouped by the server into a specific game with other characters in the battle corner by a grouping method different than for characters positioned outside the battle corner, wherein for characters positioned outside the battle corner the server mediates player acceptance or denial of entry into the grouping, wherein for characters positioned inside the battle corner the server performs grouping of characters into the specific game without inquiring as to acceptance or denial into the grouping, and wherein said specific game is commenced for the first character and one or more other characters based upon:

the search by the first game processing terminal, the transmitting of the grouping information by the first game processing terminal, and the processing of the received information by the server, thereby allowing game players to place their character in predetermined positions within the battle corner to avoid procedures of battle entry requiring the server to mediate a request by one game player and an acceptance by another game player to do battle.

2. A network game processing method in a network game system comprising a network, a plurality of game processing terminals connected to said network and a server which receives information transmitted through said network from said game processing terminals and transmits necessary information to said game processing terminals,

the network game processing method comprising:

providing a three dimensional virtual space by one or more of the plurality of game processing terminals, the three dimensional virtual space having a visual lobby and having a battle corner at a predetermined position in said visual lobby occupying a partial area of said visual lobby, wherein the plurality of game processing terminals are capable, respectively, of displaying at least a portion of the three dimensional virtual space,

providing characters controlled by game processing terminals to occupy said three dimensional virtual space, wherein characters, controlled by game processing terminals, currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner can recognize characters currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby, and characters controlled by game processing terminals currently in said battle corner inside said visual lobby can recognize characters currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner,

when a first character controlled by a first game processing terminal of said plurality of game processing terminals is currently positioned in said battle corner, said first game processing terminal searching for other characters, controlled by other said game processing terminals, positioned in said battle corner;

when said first game processing terminal finds other characters currently positioned in said battle corner, said first game processing terminal transmitting to said server information necessary for grouping with said other game processing terminals controlling said other characters;

in response to said server receiving said information, said server processing grouping of said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals so that only said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals play a specific game on the network.

5. The network game processing method of claim 2, wherein characters positioned in the battle corner are grouped by the server into a specific game with other characters in the battle corner by a grouping method different than for characters positioned outside the battle corner, wherein for characters positioned outside the battle corner the server mediates player acceptance or denial of entry into the grouping, wherein for characters positioned inside the battle corner the server performs grouping of characters into the specific game without inquiring as to acceptance or denial into the grouping, and wherein said specific game is commenced for the first character and one or more other characters based upon:

the search by the first game processing terminal, the transmitting of the grouping information by the first game processing terminal, and the processing of the received information by the server, thereby allowing game players to place their character in predetermined positions within the battle corner to avoid procedures of battle entry requiring the server to mediate a request by one game player and an acceptance by another game player to do battle.

7. The network game processing method of claim 2, further comprising:

while a second character controlled by a second game processing terminal is within the visual lobby inside the battle corner, and the first character is within the visual lobby outside the battle corner, displaying by the first game processing terminal the battle corner including the second character within the battle corner, moving the first character into the battle corner by the first game processing terminal, and upon the first character entering the battle corner, the first game processing terminal automatically performing said searching and transmitting, and the server in response automatically processing said grouping to commence the specific game between the first character and the second character without the server seeking acceptance of entry into the specific game from the second game processing terminal.

8. The network game processing method of claim 7, further comprising:

while a third character controlled by a third game processing terminal is within the battle corner of the visual lobby, and the first character is within the visual lobby outside the battle corner, displaying by the third game processing terminal the first character outside the battle corner, moving the third character out of the battle corner by the third game processing terminal before the first character is moved into the battle corner to avoid being automatically grouped by the server to participate in the specific game with the first character.

3. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium and configured to implement a network gaming method among a server and a plurality of game processing terminals, connected in a network, when the program is read from the storage medium and executed among said plurality of game processing terminals and said server, comprising:

providing a three dimensional virtual space by one or more of the plurality of game processing terminals, the three dimensional virtual space having a visual lobby and having a battle corner at a predetermined position in said visual lobby occupying a partial area of said visual lobby, wherein the plurality of game processing terminals are capable, respectively, of displaying at least a portion of the three dimensional virtual space,

providing characters controlled by game processing terminals to occupy said three dimensional virtual space, wherein characters, controlled by game processing terminals, currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner can recognize characters currently positioned in said battle corner inside said visual lobby, and characters controlled by game processing terminals currently in said battle corner inside said visual lobby can recognize characters currently positioned in said visual lobby outside said battle corner,

when a character controlled by a first game processing terminal of said plurality of game processing terminals is currently positioned in said battle corner, said first game processing terminal searching for other characters controlled by other said game processing terminals positioned in said battle corner;

when said first game processing terminal finds other characters currently positioned in said battle corner, said first game processing terminal transmitting information necessary for grouping with said other game processing terminals controlling said other characters to said server;

in response to said server receiving said information, said server processing grouping of said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals so that only said first game processing terminal and said other game processing terminals play a specific game on the network.

6. The computer program configured to implement a network gaming method according to claim 3, wherein characters positioned in the battle corner are grouped by the server into a specific game with other characters in the battle corner by a grouping method different than for characters positioned outside the battle corner, wherein for characters positioned outside the battle corner the server mediates player acceptance or denial of entry into the grouping, wherein for characters positioned inside the battle corner the server performs grouping of characters into the specific game without inquiring as to acceptance or denial into the grouping, and wherein said specific game is commenced for the first character and one or more other characters based upon:

the search by the first game processing terminal, the transmitting of the grouping information by the first game processing terminal, and the processing of the received information by the server, thereby allowing game players to place their character in predetermined positions within the battle corner to avoid procedures of battle entry requiring the server to mediate a request by one game player and an acceptance by another game player to do battle.