Game system, game management program, and game management method for game system

• US 8,323,110 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shibamiya, Masakazu, Konishi, Kazuma, Kubo, Kazuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US12/735,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/30, 463/40, 463/42
• 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 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• 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 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• 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

Abstract

A game system is provided with a player information storage unit that stores a communication address of a communication device owned by a player, a preliminary match totaling unit that obtains a game evaluation of the player, a game history information storage unit that stores the game evaluation of each player for each game, a standard condition setting unit that sets a ranking for preliminary match passage, a monitoring unit that continuously monitors whether or not the game evaluation of each player has crossed over the standard condition, and notification means for sending, to a player for whom the monitoring means has determined according to continuous monitoring that the game evaluation has crossed over the standard condition, information to that effect to a communication device of that player. When a relative standard condition among the players has been crossed over, information to that effect is sent to the communication device of a player concerned, thereby carrying out notification processing effectively and greatly reducing server load.

Claims

1. A game system comprises a plurality of game terminal devices each having an operation unit operated by a player, a server that exchanges operational information inputted in use of the operation unit by players via a network to advance a game among the plurality of game terminal devices in response to the operational information, and a game evaluation calculation unit that carries out a game evaluation of each player, wherein

the server has;

an address storage unit that stores a communication address, obtained from each player, of a communication device owned by each player;

a game result storage unit that stores a game evaluation of each player;

a standard condition setting unit that sets a relative standard condition for each player relating to the game evaluation for assigning a right and benefit in relation to a game;

a monitoring unit that monitors whether or not the game evaluation of each player has crossed over the standard condition;

a notification unit that separately sends information to a communication device of a player in response to a determination made by the monitoring unit that the game evaluation of the player has crossed over the standard condition, said information being that the player has crossed over the standard condition;

a processor that schedules tournament games and non-tournament games during the tournament;

wherein for a first player determined to have exceeded the standard condition, the processor enters the first player in a tournament game of said tournament with a second player that also has exceeded the standard condition;

wherein for a third player determined not to have exceeded the standard condition, the processor enters the third player in a game that is not part of the tournament; and

wherein for the third player, whom after one or more non-tournament games comes to exceed the standard condition, the processor enters the third player in a tournament game of said tournament with a fourth player that also has exceeded the standard condition.

2. A recording medium which stores a game management program, in which by exchanging via a network operational information that is inputted in use of operation units by players, a game is advanced among a plurality of game terminals in response to the operational information, and a game result of each player in each game is managed by a server,

the server is caused to function as:

an address storage unit that stores a communication address, obtained from each player, of a communication device owned by each player,

a game evaluation calculation unit that carries out a game evaluation of each player from a game result of each game of each player,

a game result storage unit that stores a game evaluation of each player,

a standard condition setting unit that sets a relative standard condition for each player relating to the game evaluation for assigning a right and benefit in relation to a game,

a monitoring unit that monitors whether or not the game evaluation of each player has crossed over the standard condition,

a notification unit that separately sends information to a communication device of a player in response to a determination made by the monitoring unit that the game evaluation of the player has crossed over the standard condition, said information being that the player has crossed over the standard condition;

a scheduling unit that schedules tournament games and non-tournament games during the tournament;

wherein for a first player determined to have exceeded the standard condition, the scheduling unit enters the first player in a tournament game of said tournament with a second player that also has exceeded the standard condition;

wherein for a third player determined not to have exceeded the standard condition, the scheduling unit enters the third player in a game that is not part of the tournament; and

wherein for the third player, whom after one or more non-tournament games comes to exceed the standard condition, the scheduling unit enters the third player in a tournament game of said tournament with a fourth player that also has exceeded the standard condition.

3. A game management method for a game system, in which by exchanging via a network operational information that is inputted via operation units from players, a game is advanced among a plurality of game terminals in response to the operational information, and a game result of each player in each game is managed by a server,

the method comprising the steps of:

storing a communication address, obtained from each player, of a communication device owned by each player by an address storage unit;

carrying out a game evaluation of each player from a game result of each game of each player by a game evaluation calculation unit;

storing the game evaluation of each player by a game result storage unit;

setting a relative standard condition for each player relating to the game evaluation for assigning a right and benefit in relation to a game by a standard condition setting unit;

monitoring whether or not the game evaluation of each player has crossed over the standard condition by a monitoring unit;

separately sending information to a communication device of a player in response to a determination made during said monitoring that the game evaluation of the player has crossed over the standard condition, said information being that the player has crossed over the standard condition;

for a first player determined to have exceeded the standard condition, entering the first player in a tournament game of said tournament with a second player that also has exceeded the standard condition;

for a third player determined not to have exceeded the standard condition, entering the third player in a game that is not part of the tournament; and

for the third player, whom after one or more subsequent non-tournament games comes to exceed the standard condition, entering the third player in a tournament game of said tournament with a fourth player that also has exceeded the standard condition.